Roanoke’s Blue 5 Restaurant Named Top 25 Beer Bar in America
The Roanoke Region’s exploding craft beer scene is getting more recognition, but this time it is not about who is making the beer, but who is serving it. Roanoke’s Blue 5 Restaurant was recently named one of the top 25 Beer Bars in America by CraftBeer.com.
CraftBeer.com is a publication of the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent brewers across the U.S. Their annual Great American Beer Bars competition seeks to find America’s favorite beer bar, and is conducted via an online nomination and voting process.
Over 3,400 bars were nominated by 19,000 beer fans in the online competition. Those nominations were narrowed down to 10 bars for each of the five regions of the U.S. – Pacific, Mountain West, North Central, South, and Northeast. Fans were then asked for vore for their favorite and the top five in each region were announced earlier this week.
Blue 5 earned a top five spot in the South Region, one of three Virginia beer bars to make the final 25 Best Beer Bars.
“This year’s Great American Beer Bars competition truly shows the advancement and popularity of craft beer throughout the country,” said Julia Herz, publisher of CraftBeer.com and craft beer program director of the Brewers Association. “Each region has so many dedicated beer bars, which lead to our decision to honor the top five establishments of each. Their hard work and commitment has helped shape and advance the craft beer culture in our country—and that is something to toast and celebrate.”
Blue 5’s top 25 finish is just another example of the robust beer culture the Roanoke Region is cultivating, and the support for local and regional brews in the area.