I can't say that it's a part of the world I know well. Not at all, really. Weekends in New Orleans and North Carolina a few decades back don't really count for much. Which is why I'm asking for your advice and suggestions.
I'm starting to pencil in a trip, probably in April. Though there's not much even pencilled in so far, other than the start and end point.
Which four cities in the South would you recommend I include? Places with a decent beer culture and lots of home brewers I can persuade to buy my book. Like I said, I'm pretty ignorant about this part of the USA.
This is what it's all about - promoting my amazing book:
The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer.
Posts
12 comments:
Asheville, NC is a must visit for Southeastern beer. They probably have the most beer-centric culture of anyone. Tampa/St.Pete, FL have a ridiculous density of breweries, so that probably should be on your radar as well. If you were in Atlanta, I'd love to buy you a pint, but I'm not sure how high we are on the beer culture scale. We have some good breweries and brew pubs, but we might be outclassed by other cities.
Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta.
All excellent cities where good beer is happening.
If you want to do something "different" and have time, Jacksonville.
Gary
Ron:
Charlottesville, VA (yes, Virginia is the South, and it would be great to see you again)
Asheville, NC
Charlotte, NC
Charleston, SC
Tampa/St. Pete has a large (and ever growing)number of breweries/brewpubs. At least one English themed pub with typically 4 casks on hand pulls.
Austin seems like it should be on the list too. They have one of the first and most successful co-op breweries in the country, one of the country's largest homebrew supply stores, what I think is the largest homebrew club in the state and is the 11th largest city in the US.
Blackstar: http://www.blackstar.coop/
AHS: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
Austin Zealots: http://www.austinzealots.com/
Asheville, NC should be #1 on any beer tour of the Southeast.
Surprisingly, Birmingham Al has developed a great beer culture over the past decade. Good People Brewing headlines the list of local breweries, and the J. Clyde is one of the best beer bars you will find anywhere. There are also a number of other excellent bars and bottle shops. If you want to connect with local homebrewers, the Carboy Junkies are an active local group.
Note also that Atlanta has direct flights from Amsterdam and is 3.5 hours from Asheville and 2 hours from Birmingham.
Asheville, NC is worth a trip. I also agree that Birmingham, AL has a blooming beer scene and a very prestigious food scene as well.
Having lived in the South most of my life, I find that most of the good beer cities here have come into their own only very recently. I would highly recommend the following three areas:
1) Austin, Texas
2) Tampa/St. Petersburg
3) Asheville, North Carolina
After those three, one can make an argument in favor of several other cities (in no particular order):
Jacksonville, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana
Charlotte, North Carolina
Nashville, Tennessee
Houston, Texas
Whatever you choose, I hope that I get to meet you and buy you a beer!
Everything that has been said so far, I would add Nashville and Dallas.
However, I would suggest the great State of Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas beer scene is booming one brewery is even producing some cask ale. Little Rock has some great breweries but also they have a great Distillery called Rocktown, just check Jim Murray's whisky bible.
I second on Charleston SC, and would throw Savannah Ga. as well.
What J.C. Zannis said! Birmingham's breweries are at the forefront of an urban revitalization of a city that, frankly, needed it. Add in TrimTab, Cahaba, and Avondale (more on the way) all in or near downtown and you've got an interesting case study of the new beer scene as part of an economic and social stimulus. Oh, and what they said about Asheville, too. It's amazing!
Ron, another comment reminded me that I when I said Memphis, I meant Nashville, TN. (I've never been to Memphis).
It's town of beer and whiskey too. There is an excellent brewpub with first rate cask beer near the university and a couple on the famous honky tonk main drag, some good craft breweries, and a bar scene that evokes an older style in America, the beer and a shot culture now partly overlaid by the craft scene.
It's a very interesting city well worth seeing in its own right and if you go, take in a show at the Ryman.
As well as Birmingham, AL (obviously) you might want to consider Huntsville - it has an absurd number of breweries and home brewers due to the proximity of NASA.
Post a Comment