OT: Beersnobs! Nonscientific survey; 25 best craft brewers
http://www.thedailymeal.com/25-best-craft-breweries-america-slideshow?tab=3
From Daily Meal, survey of 15,000.
Nice discussion point, regional breweries making the top25 include Great Lakes at 24, Bell's at 8, Founder's at 4. Not a bad showing.
Dogfish (Yay somewhat local!) is #1, Stone #2.
I would never argue with Frito anyway, but in this case I agree with him 100%.
A couple local (to me) individual beer choices:
Atwater VooDoo Vader and Vanilla Java Porter (that's for the ladies)
I just tried Vanilla Java Porter the other day and it is delicious, as are most java ports and stouts. I know of no reason that it would be "for the ladies", though.
indeed.
I've been to 106 (of 125+) breweries in Michigan, not counting the ones that have closed (cool starry bra). I haven't actually tried to write out a list, but Founders is #1 to me.
We are SO lucky to live in this great beer state. Perrin is moving up the charts very quickly and is near the top. Wolverine is damn good too, right in AA (Stadium). Greenbush, Kuhnhenn (sp), Pike 51, Bell's, Rochester Mills, and on and on.
Best growler price I've seen is $4.50 on Tuesdays (today!) at CJs in Commerce. Need not be a mug club member, and Vat 33 IPA is very tasty.
You can't beat Founders when it comes to Michigan Brewers, but thats not to say that nobody's trying. I'd estimate that I've been to about 3 dozen or so Michigan Brewpubs (the majority of them in one of these 3 areas: SW Michigan, Greater Grand Rapids area, and Ann Arbor area, and my favorites (other than Founders and The Livery) are Darkhorse (Marshall) and Greenbush (Sawyer). Arbor Brewing in Ann Arbor and Perrins in GR are a couple that I've only visited once apiece but have really impressed me, too.
Of those I listed above, neither Perrins nor The Livery bottle their stuff yet; Perrins plans to soon from what I've read, but The Livery seems to be content to stay small---last time I was in there a couple months ago, they still had no plans to start bottling. I never leave The Livery without a growler or two, though.
Despite greenbush also close, they've lost me due to QA issues. They sell it all no matter the quality. Sad.
Livery and Dark Horse of course! Can't even list all the ones we like. Cranker's near the Ferris State Campus in Big Rapids is also on our favorites list.
Talking about Perrin...the original plan was for CANS, not bottles. Not just cans though, but cans with the old style top that you have to PUNCH open. I'm sure some of you are old enough to remember the punched-out triangles in the top of your pop can...one to sip out of and the other to vent.
According to one of the bartenders, they still plan on this, but maybe other options too.
if for nothing other than their daring/unique recipes.
I can get these at the liquor store, out of a bottle, and Bell's, Founder's, etc all taste pretty good.
But getting a growler or a pint from some top notch Marquette breweries (Ore Dock or Black Rocks) taste far better IMO, if not just because of the freshness.
Black Rocks will begin bottling soon so watch out for their beers to hit the market. Ore Dock (my favorite) is planning on bottling next year. Look out for the yooper breweries!
I don't get the Sierra Nevada hype, and for someone that really likes Amber beer, Fat Tire is very overrated. I've had Rogue (don't really remember it) and enjoyed Devil's Backbone a bit. I just bought a Victory variety pack last night, looking forward to trying it.
What's great about SN is that they're NOT particularly hyped, at least not in the beer geek community; they're consistently one of the least expensive craft 6ers out there, and many of their beers are really good ones in their styles.
I've heard that Sierra Nevada on tap is much different than in the bottle. I'd assume that makes a big difference.
Fat Tire is overrated, but I'm fine with that, because the reason that it is overrated is that so many non-beer snobs enjoy it. It's like Oberon in that respect. Anything that gets people away from macrobrews and shandies is OK in my book.
I was going to declare your statement about Fat Tire being very over-rated as being completely FALSE!, but upon further reflection I would agree it's a little over-rated and therefore your statement is what I find to be a mere exagerration. Then again, I started with Fat Tire when I went to college in Colorado and will probably never judge it objectively.
Sorry, but with only one brewery from the state of Oregon, and none from the state of Washington, this list is simply incomplete.
To me Widmer Bros. & Bridgeport are very good craft beers. Too many others to mention in Oregon & Washington. Sounds like the list is as much marketing and name recognition as it is about the actual beer.
I never really got the big deal about them or Deschutes. They are all decent brews, but having tried most of the ones on this list, I'd rank them all consistently above the breweries you mentioned.
For what it's worth, my personal favorites:
Full Sail
Deschuttes
Rogue
Bridgeport
Widmer Heffe is good summer drinking but I haven't tried any of their others
August 1st, 2013 at 12:02 PM ^
Forgot about that one. That was one of if not the best of the pubs I went to in the NW.
Hard to argue with Dogfish at number 1. their 120 and 90 minute IPAs are hard to beat. Love founders, but they and Bells could flip spots. Also, no Saranac on that list?
I'm not a huge Saranac fan. Dogfish has some good beers, but I would put Bell's higher simply for Oberon and THA. The list is not loading for me, but I hope Lagunitas is on there. They are very good too, Brown Shugga, Lil Sumptin, Censored, their IPA, and they had a seasonal Vanilla Porter. My favorite brewery by far.
I absolutely love Hopslam!
Dogfishhead gets a lot of press and love for going to extremes and trying whacky stuff, but I don't find their beers particularly enjoyable other than the "gotta try it once" factor.
Delaware doesn't have much to hang their hat on, let them have this one. As of now they have
- #1 craft brewery
- Being the 1st state
- Location for Fight Club
I think they need this one
Lowest highest point of any state.
Respectfully disagree. Everyone has different tastes.
I think for a liquor / wine drinker, Dogfish makes some EXCELLENT beers.
If you're transitioning from Bud Light / Budweiser to craft beers, I agree that Dogfish's lineup might not be for you.
Calm down, mom.
I was not referring to you. Simply to anyone who drinks a mass produced beer who is trying a REAL beer like 90 min IPA.
At their brewpubs on the east coast, they serve black and tans made with 90 minute IPA and chicory stout. Those will change your mind.
While they are often known for their "gimmicky" stuff, I wouldn't say they're significantly overrated. Their standard offerings (like 60 and 90 minute) are legitimately excellent, and even their gimmicky stuff is usually good to very good. And I'm glad somebody out thre is wacky enough to try some of the things that they do - to me experimentation is the greatest thing about the rise of so many craft breweries.
I want variety and something new almost every time. I do buy some things over and over again (Sixpoint Resin I'm looking at you), but I like a good variety and to try new things. Craft beer gives me so many options that I am never bored.
Kentucky Breakfast Stout before I can render judgment.
You've never had KBS?
You need to fix that.
Ask your beer store if they have a presale and get on the list. Thats the best way to get some. It gets pretty crazy in West Michigan on KBS release day.
has left me in a quandary: to drink, or not to drink?
I have two bottles left in my beer cellar out of a 4-pack I acquired on 2012 KBS Day. I haven't had one to drink since last December and plan to consume these last 2 sometime between now and the end of the coming CFB season. So many upcoming big Michigan football games, and so few KBS Stouts to enjoy in celebration...
Dogfish #1? Meh. They do some interesting stuff, but I find a lot of their beers to be not very drinkable.
My take:
Breweries rated too high - Dogfish Head, New Belgium
Breweries rated too low - Founders, Avery, Three Floyds
New Belgium rides the hype train with very little standout product to show for it, a lot like Sierra Nevada.
I truly just don't like Sam Calagione's persona, which to me means this list is crap.
Agree in part - New Belgium makes solid, not great beers. I've never had one of their beers and not liked it, but I've also never been blown away. I'll have a 1554 any day, but my mindset picking up a six pack is "here's something I know I / my guests will like", not "this sounds awesome!".
In any case, ranking them above Lagunitas is a travesty.
Deschutes really needs to be on this list - Black Butte Porter is fantastic, and they make some excellent special beers in bombers.
Jolly Pumpkin ought to be here too. They're a bit of a niche, but damn do they own that niche.
I'd also consider Great Divide, North Coast, and Russian River ahead of some of the breweries on this list.
Note that I've seen all of these in multiple states, so the distribution argument is valid but overblown.
Fat Tire is a good standard flagship and definitely fills the roll of guests will like it, but IMO 1554 and Trippel are in the WOW category The rest of the beers they do are good, but I would rather go with the Bell's version in nearly every case. Oberon > Rolle Bolle especially.
And I like 1554, but I'd rather have a Deschutes Black Butte Porter, or a Bell's porter or Best Brown when I'm in the "quaffable dark beer" mode.
Founder's should be #1. Dogfish Head adds too much sugar and other junk to their beers in order to get high stats like ABV. I haven't heard of Boulevard.
Haven't had a lot of those. Have had (that I can recall):
Anchor, Great Lakes, New Glarus, Boston (Sam Adams), Victory, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Bell's, New Belgium, and Dogfish.
New Belgium is probably my favorite brewer on the list that's easily available. You can never go wrong with the 1554 black ale or the Abbey-style ale.
Rogue is my favorite overall.
IMO, Green Flash is better than Stone.
I tend to agree with you on most days, but I do sometimes like the heavy floral kick i get from Stone, because some of the Green Flash beers can be SO dry.