As many of you know, Sacramento was once a very significant beer town, home to several respected breweries prior to Prohibition. I'm writing this, by the way, from The Bee newsroom -- our property at 21st and Q was once the site of the Buffalo Brewing Co., which started in 1889 and was once the largest brewery west of the Mississippi. It built its red-brick brewery, complete with an ice plant and stables for horses used to pull the delivery wagons, for $400,000.
These days, our city is making a comeback when it comes to beer, and we have a new and vibrant craft beer movement afoot in and around Sacramento. Some, including the brand new New Helvetia Brewing Co. and Ruhstaller Beer, have sought to resurrect our great beer legacy with new and impressive brewing operations. We also have a growing number of excellent pubs where you can enjoy beer in the company of others.
We recently came across a list from the website AMOG (Alpha Male of the Group) that offers up its take on the 10 best beer towns in the U.S. No, Sacramento didn't make the list. But if you look at the cities on it, there's certainly potential for Sacramento to make a name for itself in the months and years ahead.
Here's a look a quick look at the list:
10. Cleveland
9. St. Louis
8. Burlington, Vt.
7. San Francisco
6. Boston
5. Albuquerque
4. Chicago
3. Philadelphia
2. Denver
1. Portland
For more details on this list, click here.
And if you're looking to learn more about Sacramento's past when it comes to beer and breweries, pick up a copy of the excellent book, "Sacramento's Breweries" by Ed Carroll. Last time I checked, you could buy a copy at Beer's Books for $14.95.
Blair Anthony Robertson is The Bee's restaurant critic. Follow him on Twitter, @blarob.
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