Top 10 Holiday Destinations for Beer Lovers

1. Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is the unsung hero of the beer world, being so often overlooked in favour of neighbouring Germany and yet recently fighting off competition from the multinational corporation Budweiser to retain the rights to the original Budwar brand. Prague has the most variety and as an added bonus is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Real devotees will want to head to Plzen, however, as this is the spiritual home of Czech beer. Each October the town hosts the Pilsner Fest which is the largest celebration of beer in the Czech Republic and a real highlight for beer pilgrims.

2. Great British Beer Festival

Beer lovers should appreciate Britain generally because of the wealth and diversity of beers available around the country. However, if you are short of time to tour the country and wade through the mass produced rubbish to find the real classics then the Great British Beer Festival is a great way to bring the mountain to Mohammed. Held each August, the festival showcases a huge variety of domestic and international beers in a friendly and accessible environment not far from central London.

3. Munich Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest has a reputation which has spread around the globe and spawned many similar or imitating beer festivals in far flung corners of the globe. The original is still the best, however, with nothing yet matching the scale and ambition of pure beer devotion displayed in Munich each year. Most people don’t realise that the food is almost as important for the festival as the beer and it is a great chance to try some German delicacies alongside the huge amounts of beer consumed by all involved. When you leave you may appreciate why the shape of Bavarian men is traditionally quite rotund.

4. The Great American Beer festival (Denver)

While American beer does not have a great reputation amongst connoisseurs, the Great American Beer Festival in Denver is none the less a great way to sample the wide range and especially to focus on the smaller scale breweries which make up for in quality what they lack in name recognition.

5. The Tasmanian Beerfest

One of the newest Antipodean beer festivals, the Tasmanian Beerfest is quickly establishing itself a reputation as one of the best. The festival is quite refined by beer festival standards, perhaps needing to provide a unique selling point to draw visitors to its remote but beautiful island off the coast of a remote country.

6. New York

New York is the great melting pot of the world, and while it is not known particularly for its beer, the many cultures that have migrated through or made their home in the city that never sleeps have left their mark. The variety of beers available is truly impressive allowing sampling variety, but visitors should be aware that many brands will not be served at their best so far from home.

7. Biketoberfest

What do you get if you put a motorcycle rally and a beer festival together in Florida? Biketoberfest. Located on Daytona beach this festival will sound like a nightmare to some and a dream to others, I shall let you make your own mind up.

8. Bruges

Bruges is not known as a party town, and it doesn’t want to be either. But the combination of the best Belgian beer and preserved medieval charm is attractive in a quiet way.

9. Blumenau (Brazil)

One of the best franchise variants of Oktoberfest is the one held in Blumenau in Brazil. As is fairly obvious from the name, the city has had a decent amount of migration from Germany and so the festival is more a chance for the locals to celebrate their history and culture rather than bar and restaurant owners cashing in while their patrons get mindlessly drunk.

10. Hong Kong

Perhaps the most incongruous variant of Oktoberfest is the one that has been held in Hong Kong each year since the early 90’s. Originally based in the Marco Polo Hotel and still based there, the festival has spread to other venues and is now a great way to infuse Bavarian tradition with Asian modernity.

Photo of glass of beer in Bruges, Belgium, by Erik de Queker

Topic:  Restaurants & Food | 6 Comments
Tags:  festivals

About the author

Will Joce is a recent graduate from the London School of Economics who has a morbid fear of working in an office. As well as travelling and writing he has worked in the UK Parliament and as a press monitor. Refusing to follow advice and get a real job he will soon be beginning a Masters degree at St Petersburg State University