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Tuesday, May 03, 2011

For Beer City, USA, Vote Portland ... Maine

For the past couple or so, Charlie Papazian has run an online poll to determine "Beer City, USA." The last couple years, it has been a battle between Portland and Asheville, NC--and pretty much no one else. Obviously, this isn't a hugely important laurel most cities seek. The battle of the past two years hasn't reflected especially well on Portland, and I join Brady Walen and Bill Night in hoping that we sit this one out. Since Asheville has won the last two years, it might be valuable for a different city to have bragging rights, and so I nominate the other Portland, in Maine. It's a great beer town that gets way less press than it should given all its great pubs and breweries. They got my vote.

7 comments:

  1. Jeff, you're missing the point. Asheville will stuff the ballot boxes and win whether PDXers vote, boycott, or waste a vote on Maine. So the only good move we have is to add our votes to Asheville, to make their victory as lopsided and unbelievable as possible.

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  2. I'm not missing the point--I'm making a different one. The concept isn't a bad one--highlighting a good beer town is a fine idea. The poll is a stupid way to do it, though. But, since Charlie seems hell bent on keeping up the tradition, the least we can do is try to honor a deserving city. And also to avoid getting caught up in the whole mess of Asheville v. Portland.

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  3. Why do both you guys even give a shit about this stupid thing?!!!

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  4. I agree with anon. Silence on the topic seems like the best course.

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  5. Sounds like a bunch of sore losers-- relax, enjoy a pisgah pale ale

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  6. After going to Asheville and sampling the outstanding beers being brewed there, they've got my vote - for second place, that is. Plenty to be proud of, but a distant second to the Rose City. Charlie's popularity contest is just that; anyone fortunate enough to have enjoyed beers from both cities knows the truth. If I wasn't in Portland, Asheville would easily be my second choice!

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