Charlie Papazian is doing another poll this year during American Craft Beer Week to determine BeerCity USA. Last year’s winner was a tie between Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina. So far, after just one day, Asheville is out in front with Portland a close second. Everybody else, including the San Francisco Bay Area, is woefully behind. We are all the tortoise to Portland/Asheville’s hare. The poll closes just before midnight on May 23.
Let’s go Bay Area people, get out there and vote. Let’s see if we can win this year. Let’s declare the San Francisco Bay Area to be Beer City USA!
The competition last year was slightly embarrassing. I voted for SF this year. I hope we hardy Portlanders remove ourselves from the spectacle altogether.
Aside from a few great breweries north of the Golden Gate, and certainly Toronado and maybe the 21A in the City, and Triple Rock and a couple of nice pubs in the East Bay, what has the Bay Area beer scene really got? Not a critical mass of craft beer, like Portland or San Diego, sad to say. SF couldn’t even imagine a place like Henry’s 12th St, much less the Horse Brass as a friendly neighborhood pub.
It’s happening again for 2012! As of the second day of voting, SF has <1% of the vote and Asheville has 25% (tied with Grand Rapids, MI, a first-time entrant). If SF wants to make a splash, they better get in quick!