ASHEVILLE — C+R Research, a Chicago-based market research group, has put Asheville behind only Portland, Maine, in terms of breweries per capita.

The group analyzed data from more than 500 U.S. cities to determine which has the most breweries per 50,000 residents in 2019. It also analyzed search data to pick out the most popular breweries in each city, based on Google search volume.

The data show Asheville has 17 breweries per every 50,000 people. Also, Asheville Brewing Company is the most-searched brewery in the city. Whether that's because the name is inherently SEO-friendly or because people are looking for movie times isn't a known data point, however. Perhaps it's simply because the beer is good.

At any rate, it's also worth noting that the research group included cider makers in the final count. And that count included only manufacturers within city limits. That's a point Portland might want to quibble with, were it not for the fact that the small Maine city with a population of just under 70,000 also has a meadery and a cidery puffing up its count.

See the top 25 brewery cities here.

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