UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.

#7. St. Louis

Long before the craft beer movement turned a large segment of the population into beer snobs St. Louis, MO, was a capital among brew towns. Home to the oldest and largest Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which employs approximately 4,000 people, the city’s history and culture are intertwined with beer making. Today, more than 15 breweries and brewpubs in St. Louis give even the most snooty beer snobs a reason to come – if seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales isn’t reason enough. The city’s history of beer making and certainly helped it make our list of the best beer cities. And beyond beer, there are lots of things to do in St. Louis, one of our 2014 Best Places to Live. 

While overall beer consumption isn’t as high as in some of the other cities on this list, the range of beers being consumed here is vast. Residents are just as likely to be spotted drinking Bud Light as they are some craft beer you’ve probably never heard of. The Saint Louis Brewery, which makes Schlafly Beer, is generally credited with starting the craft beer scene in St. Louis. Brewing more than 50 styles of beer, half of which are bottled and distributed across the region, it’s the largest locally owned, independent brewery in the state. The Schlafly Tap Room, located inside a historic building in downtown St. Louis, was the first new brewpub to open in Missouri since Prohibition. Much younger breweries like Civil Life and Perennial Artisan Ales have quickly developed large fan bases thanks to their willingness to explore flavor combinations that have included roasted butternut squash and chamomile flowers.

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