If you could only make one beer pilgrimage in your life, it should be to Westvleteren.

This tiny Belgian village is home to the Trappist monks of the St. Sixtus Abbey, who brew a small range of beers that are consistently rated among the world's finest. The monks sell crates of their brew to those who have called ahead and reserved-a notoriously difficult process-but the adjoining cafe sells six-packs of the divine nectar to those who show up unannounced.

Beer halls. Oktoberfest. Beer gardens. It all happens in Munich, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more beer-centric city in the world.

While some people grumble that the German Beer Purity Law has stifled creativity among brewers, that will be the least of your concerns when the lederhosen-outfitted Oompah band cranks up the tunes and your dirndl-clad waitress drops off a set of overflowing steins.

While pilsner beer was invented in the Czech town of Pilsen, Prague is the best place in the country to drink it. The city is full of beer halls and casual bars that serve up big-name brands like Gambrinus and Kozel alongside lesser-known-and often unpasteurized-brews.

The Brevnov Monastery offers a truly special imbibing experience, as it's known to pour some of the tastiest beer in town.

The Mile High City is miles ahead when it comes to beer.

Bounce between craft breweries in the city's many hip neighborhoods or time your visit to coincide with The Great American Beer Festival. This "meeting of the steins" brings together breweries and aficionados from all over the country, and it's well on its way to becoming America's premier beer-drinking event.

In Belgium's capital, you get the chance to quaff beers at excellent bars and bottle shops. Or you can tour one of the world's most unique breweries-Cantillon. At its home base, visitors see the dusty storerooms where the spontaneously-fermented Lambic is made in person and sip samples with fellow fans from around the world.

Another ecclesial brewery, the Andechs Monastery sits atop a scenic hill in Bavaria and has been the location of religious pilgrimages for centuries. There has been a brewery on the site since the 1400s, and when you enjoy a tall wheat beer in the sunshine of their beer garden, you'll wonder why it took so long for you to make an inspired journey.

This Scandinavian city is home to both behemoth global brands and craft-brewing heroes. Make a trip to Carlsberg and see where, according to their ads, "probably the best beer in the world" is brewed. Then compare and contrast it with a microbrew at one of the many Mikkeller bars in town-one of the world's most celebrated craft masters.

Consistently rated as one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, Bamberg is an enchanting stop on a beer-centric bucket list. A unique brand of smoked suds called Rauchbier is the star attraction here, and while the burnt flavor of the beer can be acquired taste, the town is sure to steal your heart.

Take your first sip at Schlenkerla Brewery and pair it with another local specialty: the Bamberg stuffed onion.

They say you can't walk across Dublin without passing a pub. Come to think of it, why on earth would you want to do something silly like that in the first place?

While you will certainly want to grab a few Guinnesses, there are plenty of other delicious Irish beers out there to try. Park yourself in the hidden "snug" of a local pub, strike up a conversation with the bartender and start sampling.

They don't call it "Beervana" for nothing. While the craft breweries number north of 70 in Oregon's largest city, beer lovers will find both quality and quantity on tap here. The best ways to explore the scene are by creating your own Portland pub crawl or visiting during the Portland Craft Beer festival, where you can sample scores of beers and ciders in one place-all brewed within the city limits

While the brewing tradition of Berlin may not be as talked about as Munich, the German capital is chock-full of international beer bars and home to several up-and-coming local producers. Swing by Eschenbrau for fresh-brewed traditional beers or pull up a chair at The Castle to sample craft beer from around the world.

Located on New Zealand's scenic South Island, Nelson is an unknown commodity to most non-Kiwis. Not to craft beer lovers though, as this city has been picking up accolades for decades.

Stop by The Vic Brewbar to sample some Mac's-considered New Zealand's first craft brewery-and then find your way to the Free House to quaff more of the city's best.

The word is starting to leak out about Lithuanian beer. This Baltic nation is now famed for its farmhouse ales, which are mostly the work of home brewers.

Walk the medieval streets of the old town before slinking to basement bar Alaus Namai for a night downing these unique beers-all delivered fresh from villages and towns all over the country.

Medieval Namur benefits from a charming riverside location, and as this is Belgium, there's also plenty of good beer to be necked. Walk up to the scenic citadel and then belly up to the bar at one of the town's casual cafes to sip a glass of Blanche de Namur, one of the world's most thirst-quenching wheat beers.

While Vietnam may not be the first place that pops into your head when one thinks of brewing, tipping back a bia hoi (fresh beer) at a street stall here is a quintessential global imbibing experience. This homemade beer is typically low in alcohol, meaning that you'll be able to sink several in a session-the perfect antidote to a steamy Southeast Asian day.

Let's be honest, you've always been looking for an excuse to see Sydney, so why not tie it together with some beer-tasting? The most scintillating city in Australia is home to some excellent breweries and a stable of fantastic beer bars. Pop by any establishment owned by the aptly named Good Beer Company for a quality craft pour.

Portland may have the highest count of craft breweries of any city in the USA, but Asheville has the highest per capita. While the average brewery-to-citizen ratio is low, the standard is sky high here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Spend your mornings enjoying the views from the hills and your afternoons enjoying the suds on a brewery tour.

Just because Italy is more known for its decadent food and abundance of excellent wine doesn't mean they don't know how to make beer.

In fact, the nation's expertise in the other fields has helped Italian craft beer become one of the most underrated in all the world. All roads lead to Rome, and the city is loaded with bars like Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa'-a dive with around a dozen taps of Italian and international beers.

Nestled beside the Rhine River, Cologne takes its beer very seriously. After all, it is the birthplace of Kolsch and there's no better place to drink it than at a local brauhaus. At these traditional brewery/pubs, no-nonsense waiters will keep bringing you a new Kolsch until you go out of your way to communicate with them to cease serving.

Spoiler alert: You probably won't tell them to stop.

All beer lovers should get to Sheffield on the double. This town in Northern England sits on the edge of gorgeous Peak District scenery and is full of characterful pubs.

No trip to Sheffield should begin (or end) without a stop at the train station for a pint at The Sheffield Tap. Here, beer fans can get an introduction to the city's excellent traditional ale right behind Platform 1.