I like lists, but the world of digital prose relies on them way too much. According to medium.com, articles that say, “Seven Things You Should Do Before You Die” or “Ten Signs Your Spouse is Cheating on You” or “19 Signs Your Genitals are Falling Off,” get more clicks. More clicks = more views. More views = more advertising revenue.
The booze sites are really bad about this. Criminy: Ten Holiday Drinks You Must Try, Eight Drinks to be Thankful for, Etc. And they never do anything really useful, like “Eight Hangover Remedies.”
But once in awhile, I run across a decent list article. That was the case last week, when Travelmag published “The 20 Best Beer Towns in the United States.” It’s a good list with a lot of good details. Most importantly, they included my backyard, Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the list:
Kalamazoo, the city positioned equidistant between Chicago and Detroit, is home to a dozen breweries and plenty of other places to grab a well-crafted beer. Visits should start with a trip to one of the Latitude 42° Brewing Company’s spots in either Portage or Oshtemo. There’s a different selection of beers to try at each location, from the Michigan Honey Amber red ale to the Beach Cruiser Hefeweizen. The most recognizable name in Kalamazoo brewing is Bell’s Brewery, whose Hopslam Ale, Oberon Ale, and Two Hearted Ale can be found throughout the US.
(Important note: Bell’s Brewery sold-out earlier to New Belgium Brewery in Colorado. It was announced at my Kiwanis meeting.)
The article appears to rank Portland, Maine Number One, which is fine with me. I visited there two years ago and loved it . . . absolutely loved it. If you go, be sure to visit Lincolns, the only bar I’ve ever visited that hides itself from the public (I don't even think it has a website, though you can find it on Facebook). You won’t be disappointed. It provided me with one of my Top Ten Drunken Experiences over the past 20 years, which is saying something, given the number of enchanted drinking evenings I’ve enjoyed.
Maybe I’ll write a list article about them.
