Brewery: Upslope Brewing Company City: Boulder, Colo. The hop used (Mosaic) is used in bittering and flavoring, as well as in dry hopping. Check out some more delicious ways to cook with beer. Dear Lord, no. Brewery: Cigar City Brewing City: Tampa, Fla. Check out the best bucket list item in every state in America. A pale ale that’s black seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but it sure is a tasty one. The beer is aged in wine barrels and is as sour as sour can be, with tart cherry and blueberry flavors. Make friends with someone who has a bottle, because it isn’t scheduled to be released again until 2016.—Don Ayres, Brewery: Cigar City? The reason they stood in line for less than a shot of beer was because they knew that this might be their only chance to try it. Chocolate, coffee, some dark fruits, oats…but everything in balance. 2 Miller … Weird. Nugget Nectar is brewed with fresh Nugget hops at the start of each year and is only available January-March, making it a special springtime treat. Others can hold their own, but earned a spot on this list because of the role they played in the craft beer movement. Brewery: Widmer Brothers City: Portland, Ore. It flies off the shelves weeks before its time is up.—Ian Anderson, Brewery: The Bruery City: Placentia, Calif. If that’s not frustrating enough, they love to produce beer styles that most of us have never heard of. However, our parent organization, the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group that protects and promotes small and independent U.S. brewers, defines an American craft brewer as a small, independent brewer. —Greg Eckert, Brewery: Founders Brewing Company City: Grand Rapids, Mich. It’s actually a blend of two vastly different beers—98% quadruple and a dash of kriek. Description: Alpine Great is an American Barleywine-style ale coined as “great” for being aged in Jack Daniels barrels. Description: Legend has it that Brown Shugga was an accident—a sort of Frankenstein of a beer that took on a life of its own. Best enjoyed with friends and a stack of pancakes. With flavors of malt, dark fruit and vanilla as well as lots of carbonation, the Double Vision is a good any season beer. Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Courtesy Surly Brewing Co. Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com,Courtesy Side Project Brewing Co. Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com,vCourtesy Lucky Bucket Brewing Co. Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Courtesy Smuttynose Brewing Co. Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Courtesy Bria Cagge at www.idringgoodbeer.com. Witbiers should be light, tart, crisp, herbal and spicy; it’s extremely difficult to get all those flavors in balance, but Allagash has it figured out. But this was something clearly and distinctively different, at once the best chocolate beer, the best coffee beer and the best oatmeal beer I’d ever had. This beer has become such a phenomenon for Three Floyds in the Indiana and Chicago areas that it never stays on the shelf anywhere—not even at the brewery. They forgo making anything easy or quick: all their beers are barrel-aged, including the heavenly Fuzzy Wild Ale. This crisp, well-balanced brew is perfect to pair with pan-fried trout or pork chops. The heavy flavors of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley are balanced out by the bubbly nitro tingle, making it a delicious beer that won’t fill you up. Bell’s brews Two Hearted Ale with 100 percent Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest and rounded out with the fruitiness of Bell’s house yeast, resulting in a brew that’s not too bitter and not too sweet. The amazing thing is that whether you’re drinking it from the can or a glass, the bold citrus and pine flavors overwhelm your palette in the best way possible, leaving you wondering if you’ve actually been alive up until this point. Of Craft Beers. This has more depth than most American lagers you’ll come across—more malty amber than crisp lawnmower beer. Description: Every beer style needs a great commercial example to eventually come along and push it into the limelight, and for saison/farmhouse ale, that beer is Boulevard’s Tank 7. Brewery: Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. City: Saint Louis, MO Description: Sometimes, it’s just about doing an old-school style better than any of your competitors. You just have to. Getting hungry? If you’re craving a full-flavored stout, and winter is nowhere in sight, Old Rasputin is just what the doctor ordered.—Don Ayres. It’s the king of imperial stouts, and if you can find its retired Canadian cousin, CBS (aged in maple-syrup-bourbon barrels), you’re in for an extra-special treat.—Josh Jackson, Brewery: The Alchemist City: Waterbury, Vt. It’s a problem. Don’t make the mistake of thinking witbiers are only for newbies, or worse yet that they’re “chick beers”; Belgian wits are refreshing brews made for the outdoors, and they’re unexpectedly versatile with food.—John Verive, Brewery: Anchor Brewing City: San Francisco, California Description: An American original style that harks back to the era before the scourge of prohibition devastated the country’s brewing industry, steam beer is fermented with lager yeast at warmer temperatures more common to ale brewing. I could feel the hops in my teeth. Colorado is a craft beer heaven, so the best beer out of the state is a topic of much debate. This flavorful beer could make a delicious addition to any Mexican dish, and could even make a good marinade for steak fajitas. Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery City: New York City Description: Consider this the antithesis to all of the super-hopped IPAs you’ll find on this list. A staple in most Chicago fridges, this tasty wheat ale from Goose Island Beer is perfect for sipping on a summer day. As one of the first true “whales,” those beers that the truly geeky and dedicated go out of their way to track down at any cost, Dark Lord established the patterns and expectations that all the other whales have followed. Their specialty is the Belgian pale ale/IPA, in which they typically mix Belgian yeast strains with aromatic American hops. A crisp, mellow beer for drinking on a sunny day. Description: In terms of “influential beers” for the current craft beer landscape, it would be difficult to pick a single more important beer than Bourbon County Stout. Make sure you track this down the next time you find yourself in Georgia.—Josh Jackson, Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery City: Longmont, Colo. Everett owns its “porterness,” boasting layers of chocolate and coffee, a tinge of hops and a smooth, medium body that keeps the package moving down your gullet, one bottle after the other. Every beer ranking site in the world puts Hanahpu near the top of the pecking order, and the hype is well-deserved thanks to the balance between cocoa, vanilla and chilis. It’s never been easy to find, but thanks to some tank generosity by Alpine’s San Diego neighbor, Green Flash Brewing, a couple hundred additional kegs will make it into the world this year. If you raised your hand, please go elsewhere. Brooklyn’s Vienna-style lager is mellow, subtle, biscuity but not bland. Description: Most West Coast bottle shops place a two-bottle limit on Pliny the Elder, which is the only reason its ever possible to find 16-ouncers of this limited-batch Double IPA. Description: If you’re a fan of John Cusack movies, then you know that Serendipity is a “happy accident.” Well, this is New Glarus’ “hoppy” accident—a beer brewed out of desperation after a severe drought knocked out some of Wisconsin’s fruit crops. Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company City: San Diego, Calif. Brewery: Avery Brewing Co. City: Boulder, Colo. Not everybody likes fruity beers, and that’s okay. Get it if you can. Brewery: Half Acre Beer Company City: Chicago, Ill. But this list will get you started. So do these other best gifts from each of the 50 states. … This Imperial IPA earns its name from the 90 minutes of continuous hopping that it goes through—a process originated by Dogfish Head. City: Marshall, Mich.? With a mellow wheat backbone and aromas of sweet cranberry, this brew is a perfect compliment to watching the game after Thanksgiving dinner. Description: Craft beer drinkers are a dedicated bunch, and no year-round beer inspires as much devotion as The Alchemist’s Heady Topper. Brewery: Firestone Walker City: Paso Robles, Calif. And look at the cat on the label. Not surprisingly global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev brands dominate this Top 10 which includes a Hard Seltzer. City: Holland, Mich.? 98. Dale’s Pale Ale. While the addition of salt may sound strange, it adds a pleasant twang to an otherwise mellow brew. This medium-bodied American-Double has a smooth floral finish that is sure to please.—Greg Eckert, Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Co. City: Cleveland, Ohio Description: Access to fresh Edmund Fitzgerald might very well be the most agreeable thing about living in Cleveland. At least once. Louis Beer Co. City: St. Louis, Mo. Taprooms could fuel a rising tide of new drinkers that lifts all boats. Just try to make sure you have a few other drinkers on hand, or things could go very badly.—Jim Vorel, Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. City: Chico, Calif. City: Hershey, Pa.? As Forbes put it last year, “the craft beer revolution is still going strong.” The craft brewing industry’s market share reached 13.2% in 2018, and sales grew 7% over 2017, to $27.6 billion. Description: This year-round release is a relatively easy-to-find Quadrupel for East Coasters. Is this a definitive list of beers everyone should try? Description: While many beers on this list attain some prestige because of rarity, North Coast’s Old Rasputin is so available that its inclusion is a testament to the quality of the brew. Brewery: New Belgium Brewing City: Fort Collins, Colo. Talk to craft brewers and you’ll hear it again and again: there’s still no better American pale ale; Sierra Nevada Pale Ale might even be the best craft beer being brewed today.—John Verive, Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company City: Portland, Maine Description: The Belgian witbier is the Rodney Dangerfield of the craft beer world—it gets no respect. It doesn’t seem like it should work—a stout combining ancho chiles, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks? The official beer of the hit series The Walking Dead, the Blood Orange IPA is an annual brew made by the Athens-based Terrapin Brewery. For decades, Boston Lager was essentially your only craft beer option. Brewery: Cascade Brewing Barrel House City: Portland, Ore. Craft beer makes a great hostess gift. But in any blind tasting, Anti-Hero would quickly be identified as an exemplary beer.—Jim Vorel, Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. City: Kalamazoo, Mich. A good winter brew, the White Russian has huge flavors of coffee and bittersweet chocolate, with notes of vanilla, sweet cream, and plum. Some don’t have any real “pumpkin” flavor, while others are overflowing with spices or cloyingly sweet. Here are 19 beers you should try right now. Brewery: Funky Buddha Brewery City: Oakland Park, Fla. While it generally has an alcoholic content of anywhere between 4 to 6 percent, there are brands … It’s the perfect dark beer in its modest alcohol range, the kind of thing a lover of porters and stouts could quaff all night long. If the name isn’t enough to make you want to try this fruity American Wild Ale from Allagash Brewing, then maybe the mouth-watering aromas of green apple and peaches is. Brewery: Dogfish Head City: Milton, Del. Description: Prior to drinking this beer, it seemed like every bar I had visited had an owner or bartender that raved about this IPA. It’s hoppy but with a complete absence of the grassy/pine flavors of certain hops, making it an IPA that may even please people who don’t think they like IPAs.—Josh Jackson, Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. City: Grand Rapids, MI Description: Founders Breakfast Stout may have been the first beer I ever truly adored. I am haunted by how unbelievable this beer is—both on tap and in the bottle.—Greg Eckert. The first sip overwhelms your palate like a double IPA, but the back end offers a more relaxed caramel and citrusy flavor.—Greg Eckert, Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits? Is it good enough to deserve that kind of attention and obsession? Description: Look, this is the beer that started the can-revolution. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Brooklyn Brewery Lager… KBS spends a year in bourbon barrels stored in cool, dormant gypsum mines under the streets of Grand Rapids. City: Alpine, Calif.? It’s new, it’s hot, and now you can find it in cans…if you’re in Vermont and happen to catch one of The Alchemist’s pop-up can sales. If it’s known for a second thing, it’s doing interesting things with those leftover bourbon barrels, including using them to brew Alltech’s delicious Bourbon Barrel Ale. is one of the finest examples of an American kriek. Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz We hope you’re thirsty. The flagship White from Allagash may be America’s best example of the style that prizes complexity and drinkability equally. At least once. Mexican lagers are a warm-weather classic, and few have stood the test of time like Modelo Especial. Okay, that’s two words. Drinking one Prima Pils should be enough to convince most nascent beer geeks that pilsner is a worthwhile endeavor after all.—Jim Vorel, Brewery: The Lost Abbey City: San Marcos, Calif. View All. La Folie falls into that limited, big bottle, kind of weird, Lips of Faith Series of beers. Description: If more people drank Prima Pils, they would have a better understanding of what the word “pilsner” truly meant. Once you’ve felt it warm your chest like a dram of whiskey, it’s hard to think of many comparable brews.—Jim Vorel, © 2021 Paste Media Group. Craftsman’s Mark Jilg is the godfather of craft in L.A., and he’s spent nearly 20 years chasing elusive brews he calls “complicated beers.” His Cabernale is a marriage of wine and beer that predates the current popularity of these hybrid brews. The 23-year-old craft brewery is updating its logo and all packaging with a cleaner, leaner look that communicates its heritage with a pointed focus towards the future. What more could you want?—Jim Vorel, Brewery: Schlafly/St. Yeah, it’s that fancy. Brewery: Avery Brewing Company City: Boulder, Colo. It tastes like nothing so much as a “Brown Sugar Cinnamon” flavored Pop Tart.