USA Today Ranks Two Towns in WA and OR in Top 10 Best Beer Towns
Top 2 Small Town Beer Destinations of Washington and Oregon
The following two small towns in Washington and Oregon both have amazing craft brews and keep getting recognized for, not only their hoppy flavors, but also for their cheerful and charming beer small town vibes.
Readers of USA Today voted for their favorite cities across small town America that have the best “small town” beer scenes. You would think that I actually owned these breweries and crafted the beer myself, the way I am beaming with pride for these two Pacific Northwest small towns like a proud mama!
Keep reading to see the best small town breweries located amongst the top 10 cities in the country: Sunnyside, WA and Hood River, OR!
Did You Know?: Strong racial tensions between Native Americans and White farm workers arose in Washington state during the mid-1890s because of Chinese immigrant seasonal workers who began to arrive to help pick hops during harvest season.
OREGON ONCE REIGNED AS THE RULER OF AMERICA'S BEER HOPS
The first beer hops in Oregon were produced and harvested in 1867 in Buena Vista. A few decades later, Oregon became the top producer of hops in the nation. Oregon's reign as the hops leader lasted thru World War I, The Great Depression, and even thrived during the Prohibition years.
Now only 5% of USA's hops are cultivated in Oregon.
BEER HOPS BECOMES A TOURISM ATTRACTION AND A MAJOR AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IN WASHINGTON STATE
Since the mid-1900s, Washington state has grown 25% of America's hops and now the Yakima Valley is the top harvester of hops in the nation. The oldest brewery in Sunnyside, Wash., (Snipes Mountain) has been around since the cusp of the 20th century. It's newest has been around since 2016. Hood River's oldest brewery still in business (Full Sail Brewing) has been around since 1987.
RELATED: 10 Yakima Valley Restaurants That Have Stood the Test of Time
"By the mid-1890s, the Puget Sound hop industry was in rapid decline. Meanwhile, the Yakima Valley hop industry was on the rise and remained the dominant hop-growing area in the Northwest...[In the early 1900s], tourists could stay in hotels in Puyallup or Snoqualmie and go on to see the hop fields and native workers. " - HistoryLink.org
🍺Cheers to Pacific Northwest's 2 Top Small Town Beer Scenes🍺
Gallery Credit: Reesha Cosby
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