Philly Ranks #5 On List Of Top Cities For Beer Lovers
By Chelsea Lacey-Mabe
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's believed that famous Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin once said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Well now, the City of Brotherly Love has proof they have one of the best beer scenes in the country!
Real estate company Redfin ranked the city #5 on their list of top cities for beer lovers.
To come up with the rankings, Redfin and the Beer Institute crunched some numbers and found that there are three breweries for every 100,000 people of legal drinking age in Pennsylvania. The state has a total of 256 brewery permits and a relatively low beer tax. Philadelphia, meanwhile has a solid "Walk Score" of 78, which could encourage people not to drink and drive, as well as a reasonable home sale price falling under $250,000.
Portland and Denver -- both well-known beer destinations, had nearly three times as many breweries and more permits but Philly's lower house prices got them higher up on the list.
"Craft beer is huge in Philadelphia and the microbrewing scene has been growing here for at least a decade if not longer," said Jimmy Caraway, Philadelphia Redfin real estate agent. "By Pennsylvania law, you can only buy beer from licensed distribution stores. You're seeing more of these stores specialize in craft beer. They'll have hundreds of options and you can mix your own six-pack."
Grand Rapids, Mich., came in at #4, followed by Milwaukee, Wis., home of Miller Brewing. Buffalo, NY landed the #2 spot.
And the #1 city for beer lovers according to Redfin: Pittsburgh -- keeping in line with Philly's good old fashioned sports rivalry with them.
But just like the Flyers and the Eagles... it's likely Yards, Manayunk and the other Philly breweries will be coming for the Steel City too!
