The top 10 best beer countries
By Noah Davis • Oct 29th, 2008 • Category: Beer News
Well, we have a new favorite blogger (aside from our excellent, and expanding, blog network here on DRAFTMag.com, of course). The excellently-named Ben Groundwater writes the Backpacker travel blog for the Sydney Morning Herald and he’s penned a post about the 10 best countries to go for a beer, based on variety, quality, and surroundings.
It’s an excellent list in which he covers both the typical (Great Britain and Ireland, the United States) and the unusual (Vietnam, Peru). Groundwater also kindly mentions countries to avoid — France, India, Italy. Ironically, he leaves off Australia. Having spent five months there, we’d say it deserves a spot in the top 10, both for the quality of the brews and the sheer enthusiasm the country’s natives show towards imbibing. We’ll raise a pint to that.
Interesting about Italy NOT being one — especially if he is venturing into the nontraditional. I hear that Italy has quite a growing craft beer culture and some of the beers I’ve had from there are proof.
That being said, it’s probably best to go there and investigate for myself. Anybody care to join me?
It reads to me that he is putting more emphasis on “atmosphere” than I would when talking about places to drink beer. That being said, not everyone is crazy about beer like I am.
It is interesting that Belgium didn’t make the list.
Oh, and I’ll go to Italy!
I have to agree with Lisa, Italy is making some of the most innovative beers in the world. I’d take the best beers I’ve had from Italy over the best I’ve experienced from Ireland anyday. Seems the only standouts from Ireland are the whiskey barrel-aged ones. Birrifico, the Barriquee Panil, Bran Reserva, Genziana, and an assortment of others simply crush. And, Jonathan is on to something, too. No mention of Belgium. Odd. If I had to choose between some of those on the list and these two, I’d definitely roll with these two based on what I’ve had in the Pacific NW.
Holidays in Italy might be extremely expensive but tourists on a budget can still have a great time if they look around for the cheaper accommodation and eating places.