Grand Rapids wins ‘Best Beer Town’ title

Grand Rapids wins ‘Best Beer Town’ title

The “Best Beer Town” poll by USA Today’s 10Best featured 20 contenders. Photo via 10best.com

Grand Rapids can again call itself the nation’s best beer town.

USA Today said today that Grand Rapids has won the “Best Beer Town” poll at its 10Best website.

The poll featured 20 finalists.

“Grand Rapids — a riverfront city just east of Lake Michigan — has at least a dozen breweries and its convention and visitor bureau does a bang-up job of enticing beer drinkers, brewers and connoisseurs to visit,” USA Today says. “We lift our glass in congratulations to Grand Rapids.”

The “Best Beer Town” win comes after Grand Rapids won the “Beer City, U.S.A.” poll at examiner.com in 2013 and co-won the title with Asheville, N.C. in 2012.

Top 10 beer towns

Tampa, Fla. placed second with its collection of 30 breweries and brewpubs, including Cigar City Brewing Co.

Asheville, N.C. came in third with its eclectic group of breweries and enthusiastic craft community.

Bend, Ore., the home Deschutes Brewery, which recently began distribution in Michigan, came in fourth.

Fort Collins, Colo., home to the nation’s third-largest craft brewer, New Belgium Brewing Co., and several others, including Odell’s Brewing Co., was fifth.

San Diego, with its plethora of huge, quality brewers, such as Stone Brewing Co., Green Flash Brewing Co., Ballast Point, Cornado Brewing Co. and many more, came in sixth.

Portland, Maine, Portland Ore., Denver and Burlington, Vt. rounded out the top 10.

Beer panel

The panel of beer experts who helped narrow down the field for voters was comprised of Gary Monterosso, Ruth Berman, Tara Nurin and Lydia Schrandt.