Best beer in America’ by state
The happy hour is one of the key regular experiences of a third place that helps elicit a sense of community, so it may be of interest to understand where one can find the best staples of these social get togethers – beer, based on award-winning brews. This is quite possibly where sociability, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit best mix, at least when in comes to beer and/or happy hours…
Those top states, adjusted for population based on medals per million residents, are:
1. Colorado – 64.4
2. Oregon – 42.5 (Portland apparently has more microbreweries per capita than any U.S. city)
3. Wisconsin – 38.6
4. Washington – 16.2
5. Missouri – 15
6. Pennsylvania – 13.5
7. Massachusetts – 12.6
8. California – 12.8
9. Texas – 5.6
10. New York – 5.1
Notice that most of these states fall near borders, which spurs innovation simply by having access to a greater pool of talent. Of course the one major exception being Colorado, an increasingly popular destination for creatives because of its progressive, adventurous nature.
Click here for a map (above) that you can actually read. Read more at GABF Medals: A Few States and Breweries Are Almost Sure Bets.
About The Author
I notice that this resembles Richard Florida’s map of Openness in “Who’s Your City?”
Notice also that Wisconsin and Colorado can get very cold in the Winter. However, Oregon does not get as cold as the other 2 states, but it still is known for its progressive land-use policy (especially in Portland) toward developing and enhancing new and old third places in cities. My father is from Michigan and he usually tells me the reason people drink so much in the Winter in the upper-Mid West is because people are usually snowed in and rarely do things outside (drink to stay warm) and because of the large and longstanding German (“Da Bears”) and French (Montreal) influence in that area. And for Colorado, its probably the amount of creative college students, hahaha.