Between March 18 and May 7 over 16,000 people from 46 countries took a moment to vote for their favorite beer city in the USA.  When the dust settled only two cities were left standing, although maybe a little bit wobbly.  The poll which was conducted by beer guru Charlie Papazian ended up calling the contest a tie on May 8 awarding the happy title to one east coast city, Asheville, NC and one west coast city Portland, OR.

As a resident of Asheville I am so happy to see our city get this acknowledgement.  I can remember an interview I once did with the owners of Pisgah Brewing Company, when I asked the question, “why Asheville?” I was told “because Asheville is the most beer drinkingest city in the country.”  It says quite a bit that Asheville was held up with a city eight times its size.  As I write this Buncombe County, where Asheville is situated, is home to 7 breweries and we have 2 more currently in the works.  That gives us more breweries per capita than even Portland, OR.

I myself am a great lover of our local beer scene.  Heading over to Pisgah Brewing Co. on a Thursday for a Pisgah Pale Ale is one of my favorite times during the week, going to chill out after work at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. with a Shiva IPA and the great regular crowd is hard to beat, and my fiance Kati, who isn’t really a big beer drinker, could never turn down a Gaelic Ale from Highlands Brewing Co.  Our local beer and breweries are just a fundamental part of the Asheville culture, it is one of those things that makes Asheville Asheville.  Not to long ago an NPR journalist named Asheville the “happiest city in the nation”  and now we have “beer city”, I am willing to bet there is some sort of connection there.