JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville is in the running for Best Beer City in the nation, and you can help the city claim the coveted title.
The nomination is part of USA TODAY's 2024 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards, and voting is underway now through Feb. 26. Twenty cities from across the United States were chosen by a panel of beer experts for their hopping beer scenes.
"That means stellar collections of established and up-and-coming breweries, beer bars, brewpubs, beer festivals, and even thriving homebrewing communities where novice brewers can get their foot in the door," according to a description of the contest on the USA TODAY 10Best contest site.
The Jacksonville area is home to more than 20 local breweries, in addition to bottle shops, beer tours and events and the Jax Ale Trail, a self-guided tour of local breweries that rewards participants with swag for collecting passport stamps at participating businesses.
In addition to Jacksonville's nomination for Best Beer City, Riverside's Goozlepipe & Guttyworks at Kickbacks Gastropub is nominated for Best Beer Bar, housing "one of the largest beer cellars in the Southeast," according to the awards site. Nominees were chosen by a panel of experts for offering a "stellar collection of draft, bottled, and canned beers, many with a focus on local or regional selections. Pair that with a relaxed atmosphere and knowledgeable bar staff ready to help any guest become a beer connoisseur, and you've got a recipe for a great beer bar."
St. Augustine's Rendezvous Restaurant also earned a nomination for Best Beer Bar. The Ancient City's original beer pub, opening in 1986, the bar boasts more than 350 different bottles from around the world that change weekly, with rare and obscure brews on the lineup.
Here is a full list of the 20 cities nominated for Best Beer City:
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Austin, Texas
- Bend, Oregon
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Columbus, Ohio
- Denver, Colorado
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Los Angeles, California
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- New York City, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Portland, Maine
- Richmond, Virginia
- San Diego, California
- Santa Rosa, California
- Seattle, Washington
For a full list of the 20 bars nominated for Best Beer Bar, click here.
People can vote once per day, per category. The winners will be announced on March 8.