The US’s national alcoholic beverage of choice is beer.
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Though Americans don’t drink nearly as much as the world’s capital of beer-drinking, Czechia, we aren’t too far behind. We’re lingering somewhere close to 20th place in terms of per capita beer consumption.
But we’re second only to China in terms of total beer production.
While most of our beer manufacturing comes from giants like MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch, and Pabst, the US is also home to thousands of mid-sized and micro-breweries.
Interestingly enough, the bulk of the craft beer action doesn’t take place in major cities. The vast majority of the US’s beer and brewery-loving cities have populations under one million. (Aside from you, San Diego.)
That’s right—New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and even Houston don’t compare. Chicago comes closer in terms of per capita craft brews but still doesn’t hold a candle to smaller cities.
Can you name the US cities with the best breweries?
Let’s take a closer look at the top beer-drinking cities in the US. My metrics are the number of independent breweries compared to the total population, the average ratings and reviews of these breweries, and the total cost of beer.
San Diego
Let’s get this shocker out of the way first: it wouldn’t be insane to say that San Diego is the US’s beer capital. At least, in terms of hard numbers.
As of 2024, there are around 150 independent breweries serving a population of just under 1.5 million. That makes San Diego the largest city on this list, allocating about 6.5 breweries per resident.
So what’s behind all the craft beer drinking?
One reason local brewery culture is thriving is thanks to the San Diego Brewers Guild, which serves as a resource and North Star for new breweries. That makes it easier for newcomers to join the indy brewing zeitgeist—which is a positive indicator that San Diego’s love of craft beer will only grow and diversify.
Pittsburgh
Sure, San Diego might have the numbers and infrastructure to support its trending breweries—but Pittsburgh has been highly ranked thanks to its almost cult beer culture.
You can find local breweries that cover just about every angle of beer-making, from IPA pushers to hop-forward hobbyists who do their thing from home.
But Pittsburgh also loves the classical elements of beer-drinking culture. In the city, you can find plenty in the way of Oktoberfest-inspired beer halls, bars where small-scale brewers can showcase their new flavors, and hole-in-the-wall dive bars that sell local beers and brand names alike.
In other words, it’s the Everyman’s beer capital.
Portland (OR)
Similar to San Diego, Portland’s brewery culture shines when it comes to the data. The city leads the US in the total number of breweries per resident, with a total of nearly 13 independent breweries per 100,000 Portlandites.
If you’ve spent time in Portland, you’re probably not surprised by this.
Locals are renowned around the country for their independent and alternative forms of living. Independent businesses of all stripes thrive in the city—which makes it no surprise that indy breweries also do well.
In fact, many people consider Portland to be the birthplace of the craft beer movement, at least in the US. There are dozens of breweries in its metropolitan area, including well-known craft brands like Widmer and Deschutes.
St. Louis
St. Louis’s love for beer runs deep. This is the home of Anheuser-Busch, one of the world’s largest beer companies. As a St. Louis native, I can tell you—they’re active around the city.
Throwing back beers is a national pastime, but with all the Busch infrastructure in place, there’s even more interest in beer. Toss in an independent spirit akin to that in Pittsburgh and you’re now in craft brewery territory.
St. Louis is home to a total of 23 breweries—which offer a staggering total of 127 beers per brewery. In other words, you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck boozing in St. Louis and have plenty of options to choose from.
Asheville
Like St. Louis, Asheville’s breweries offer a diverse range of choices.
You can choose from almost 120 different craft beers around the city. That’s the key word here: craft. Compared to other cities on this list, Asheville has tons of small brewery startups.
Though they don’t yet have the reach of Portland breweries, for example, that might change soon. It’s home to more than a few experimental new projects, which are helping generate interest in its breweries.
More interest = more beers sold = more funding for new breweries. You get it.
