My Top Ten Beer Cities: Part One

Now that winter has set in, it's time to curl up in front of a fire, beverage in hand, and think about Beer Travelling in the year ahead. To put you in the mood, I've put together a list of my ten favorite beer cities.

With any further ado, here are numbers six through ten. In David Letterman order, of course:

10. Boston. Where beer and history meet. Jim Koch gave craft brewing--and his hometown--a lift when he dusted off his great-great grandfather's beer recipe and brought out Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Boston is also the home of Harpoon Brewing, one of the East’s biggest micros; and Doyle's Cafe, one of a handful of establishments earning top honors in The Beer Drinker's Guide to the U.S.A. There's no shortage of brewpubs, either, and most are reachable by public transportation.

9. Dublin. Guinness is the national tipple, and Dubliners insist it's best enjoyed close to "the source"--namely, the brewery at St. James’s Gate. Two things make an Irish pub special: the ability to "pull a good pint"; and craic, which means a good time with friends. Visit the pubs where writers like Flann O'Brien and Brendan Behan hung out--before Ireland's booming economy makes them a thing of the past. And make sure you visit The Porterhouse, Dublin's first brewpub, and have a Wrasslers 4X Stout, said to be the same recipe Michael Collins loved.

8. Denver. In recent years, the Mile High City has made it into brewing's big leagues. Coors Field completed the revitalization of Lower Downtown, where craft brewers were already hard at work. Make Wynkoop Brewing, Denver's brewpub pioneer, your first stop; its front patio provides a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains. And don't miss the Falling Rock Tap House, which has more than 60 beers and promises “no crap on tap.” Even the folks at Coors have joined the party, building major league baseball's first inside-the park brewery.

7. Seattle. Red Hook Ale is now brewed in the suburbs, but you can still get it on draft at the Trolleyman Pub, the site of the original brewery. The Trolleyman, and many others, are in the funky Fremont district, one of America's best beer neighborhoods; bring your walking shoes--and a sense of humor--and spend the day there. Also worth visiting: Pyramid Ales, across from Safeco Field; F.X. McRory’s Steak, Chop and Oyster House, a sports bar with plenty of Northwest micros on tap; and Pike Brewing Corporation, next to the city's famous market.

6. Brussels. Whoever called Belgium dull wasn't a beer fan. Hundreds of Belgian beers, many hard to find at home, are available right in the center of town. Famous bars like Le Bier Circus, Le Falstaff, and Le Cirio offer Belgian dubbels, tripels, abbey ales, and such offbeat styles as Flanders brown ale. While you're in town, get to know lambic, a tart beer that's spontaneously fermented by wild yeasts. Enjoy it in one of Brussels' many cafés, or, better still, visit the Cantillon Brewery for a first-hand look at the ancient process of brewing lambic.

Next month, I'll be back with my top five destinations. See you then!