This U.S. city was named the best beer travel destination in the world

If you know, you know. And people living in or near Austin, Texas already knew there was something special about the brewing industry in Austin — the juicy IPAs of Pinthouse Pizza, the farmhouse ales of Jester King Brewery, the clean lagers of the ABGB. Now, the rest of the world is catching on, too. But if you didn't know 'til now, it's time to book a flight.

Drinks publication VinePair recently named Austin as the top beer destination in the world this year. Yes, that’s right, the world: Popular beer-centric spots like Belgium, Colorado and Munich were mentioned at the beginning of the story. But they were ultimately not included in a list that sought to include more unexpected cities.

"With 7,000 breweries and counting in the U.S., and more breweries in Europe and Asia increasingly inspired to supplement their own traditions with American craft brewing innovations, there are plenty of less obvious destinations calling for your next beercation," according to VinePair. "In 2019, as in past years, VinePair challenged ourselves to look beyond the usual suspects and seek out beer cities beyond the proverbial beaten path."

Austin came out on top because of the city's prolific number of breweries (the highest in Texas, according to the publication) and the quality of each one. VinePair made sure to mention, in particular, that the city is "home to some of the country’s best lager brewers."

Rounding out the top 10 were Berlin, New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Raleigh, Rochester, Tokyo, Seattle and Paris.