The Top Destinations for the Best Beer

Beer guru Stephen Beaumont discusses the best places in the world to grab a cold one

By Andrew Raven

Posted: August 09, 2018 10:32 AM ET

Three pints of beer held by different hands in the midst of a cheers

Toronto author Stephen Beaumont has spent nearly three decades travelling in search of the world’s best beers. Now, Beaumont has distilled all that he’s learned into a new book, Will Travel for Beer: 101 Remarkable Journeys Every Beer Lover Should Experience.

We recently caught up with Beaumont, who shared six unique places to go for a pint.

The cherry on top of craft beers: New Glarus, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

This small town about two hours outside Milwaukee is home to the New Glarus Brewing Company, a family-run outfit renowned for its craft beers. Among the most popular is the Wisconsin Belgian Red, which contains a pound of fresh cherries in every 750-millilitre bottle. “It’s an unapologetically fruity beer, but it’s no soda pop,” Beaumont says.

Pro tip: After visiting the brewery, grab a pint at Puempel’s Olde Tavern, a nearby pub that opened in 1893.

Oktoberfest, Brazil-style: Blumenau, Brazil

Founded by German settlers in 1850, this city is a slice of Bavaria in the tropics, with alpine-style houses and one of the world’s biggest Oktoberfests outside of Munich. The festival’s beer gardens, dance halls and array of craft and mass-market beers attract tens of thousands of people.

Pro tip: The 2018 festivities run from October 3 to 21 and include a mix of free and ticketed events.

The people’s choice of beers: Hanoi, Vietnam

Bia hoi is the name of both a light, sugary beer and the ramshackle streetside bars where it’s sold. Beaumont says the beer itself isn’t great. But sipping one, usually while sitting on a tiny plastic chair surrounded by friendly locals, is a hoot. “There’s so much of this book that is not just about the beer, but the experience,” he says. “That’s definitely the big thing about bia hoi.”

Pro tip: Some bia hoi could leave you with stomach troubles. Ask your hotel for a reliable option.

A pub that feels like home away from home: Edinburgh, Scotland

The Bow Bar stands above other Edinburgh pubs with an ornate wooden bar and classic bench seating that exude picture-perfect charm. “The Bow is the kind of bar [that] if you weren’t looking for it, you would walk right past it,” Beaumont says. “But once you get into it, the temptation is not to leave, ever.”

Pro tip: The Bow also has a strong selection of whisky.

Fly to your next beer flight: Brisbane, Australia

A pub crawl doesn’t have to involve walking in Brisbane, where, for about $1,000 Australian, you can take a helicopter from tavern to tavern. The bars you’ll visit aren’t necessarily the best, says Beaumont; they’re chosen largely because they can accommodate a helicopter. But the experience, he says, is “cool.”

Pro tip: You can also hop between wineries or golf courses in the helicopter.

Sip at a high-altitude brewery: Squamish, B.C.

Just off the Sea to Sky Highway, the Howe Sound Brewery & Inn serves up top-notch ales and lagers. But what makes it unique is the setting: Howe Sound sits amid the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, close to a rock wall popular with climbers. “You can sit there, enjoy your beer and watch other people exercise, which is always kind of fun,” Beaumont says.

Pro tip: Free brewery tours run daily at 1 p.m., reservations are recommended.