The drunkest city distinction officially goes to Milwaukee according to a report by Forbes.com. Forbes states that Milwaukee is "America's Drunkest City" on a list of 35 major metropolitan areas ranked according to their drinking habits. Forbes indicated on Tuesday that it used numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rank cities in five areas: state laws, number of drinkers, number of heavy drinkers, number of binge drinkers and alcoholism, reports the AP.
Minneapolis-St. Paul was ranked second overall; followed by Columbus, Ohio; Boston; Austin, Texas; Chicago; Cleveland; Pittsburgh and then Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., in a tie for ninth.
Milwaukee officials contend that the city has come a long way in doing away with its beer-guzzling image.
Dave Fantle, a spokesman for the group, says Milwaukeeans have plenty of other things they can do to entertain themselves without drinking alcohol, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Fantle noted a new convention center and baseball park had been built and the Milwaukee Art Museum expanded in recent years.
"We've gone from Brew City to new city," Fantle claimed.
Forbes.com's Top Drinking Cities
1. Milwaukee
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Boston
5. Austin, Texas
6. Chicago
7. Cleveland
8 Pittsburgh
9. Philadelphia
9. Providence, R.I. (tied)
11. St. Louis
12. San Antonio
13. Seattle
14. Las Vegas
15. Denver/Boulder
16. Cincinnati
16. Kansas City (tied)
18. Houston
19. Portland, Ore.
20. San Francisco-Oakland
20. Washington-Baltimore (tied)
22. Phoenix
23. Los Angeles
24. New Orleans
24. Tampa (tied)
26. Norfolk
27. Dallas-Fort Worth
28. Atlanta
28. Detroit (tied)
30. Indianapolis
31. Orlando
32. New York
33. Miami
34. Charlotte, N.C.
35. Nashville