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.
You actually nailed it on the reason why i prefer Green Flash over Stone.
I do enjoy some of the "Stone Collaboration" that they do. They did a holiday ale with Jolly Pumpkin that was really good.
What about AleSmith?
I guess it is considered a barleywine, but i thought Numbskull from AleSmith was pretty damn good.
New Belgium is overrated; Fat Tire and Ranger are both meh.
Suprised Russian River isn't on there, but then again, it has such a limited distribution that not as many people have partook. I think that's why you see Boston Brewing, New Belgium, and yeah, even Dogfish where they are ranked, distribution.
I've only had a couple of Founders (didn't really get big until after I left Michigan)...KBS, holy cow, packed a punch. I had Double Trouble out at Churchkey in DC; excellent, especially when their stock of Hopslam ran dry.
I'm a Bell's guy, both from nostalgia (Solsun, anyone?) and have drank most of their line.
Russian River is indeed on there, it is just too low. Also I don't understand all the hate for Sierra Nevada. All of their standard beers (stout, porter, pale ale, torpedo) are excellent. I'm not familiar with their smaller batch releases, but they definitely put out a great product. Granted I would not have it so high, but probably in the top 10.
I will echo what others have said in that Dogfish head should be probably somewhere in the middle of this list and new belgium toward the bottom, if on the list at all.
I like Ommegang too, but they don't brew a very diverse set of beers so I suppose that ranking might be just. Plus I think it's stupid that they have apparently teamed with Game of Thrones and released a beer together.
I'm going to defend New Belgium. The Fat Tire and Ranger are not anything too special these days, but they have some very quality brews. I absolutely love the black ale and the belgian abbey-style ale. Those are both winners, in my book, as far as major craft brews go. I don't see how you can judge an entire brand based on one or two of their products.
I actually think Fat Heads offers some that are just as good. They don't really distribute well outside of Cleveland and Pitt, but they're solid.
I don't think they distribute much. They've been all over Cleveland when I've been there, but I haven't seen them much outside of there.
I know you can get Fat Head's in Northern Indiana.
As far as Michigan I am not sure. I know Toledo has a few places that carry some beers. For the ladies it's Bumble Berry and the Gents go with Head Hunter or my fav Dark Helmet.
I don't mind dumbing down my tastes on a Bud Light or Labattes, but I prefer going the craft route. I think Bumble Berry is the first craft beer the future wife has actually really liked rather than the really commercial beers of the world. So Bumble Berry has really helped me out in that regard, though I myself wouldn't get it often.
Cigar City and Founders are overrated on that list
drink beers that are brewed in Michigan.
I think Bells makes better beer, both in the pub and bottled, problem is I never care for going to there pub, always over crowded, parking sucks...and the cash only thing is a pain. they just need to open a new brewpub twice the size outside of downtown. they have the name to pull people and would make twice as much money.
just look at founders as an example, not really arround anything, but huge brewpub great snacks/sammiches. and enough parking. still crowded as hell though lol.
Bell's is a fine establishment in my opinion. I've only been there in the summer when outdoor seating was an option, so maybe that helped. Their food does suck, that should be fixed. The parking lot fills up, but there's plenty of reasonable street parking since there is pretty much nothing else in the immediate vicinity.
maybe i'm just jelous of founders. everytime I go up to visit my brother we go there. mug club is nice, and just a better atmosphere to chill.
That is all.
Man I miss Boulevard. Glad to see it at #3.
Definitely in the top 5 things I miss the most about leaving Kansas City.
There's a little brewery down here in St Louis near where I live...maybe you all have heard of it. Its lack of presence on this list is very disturbing. Its quite popular and has a big following, served all over the place around here. I know you will all agree when I say that Schlfafly really should be included.
What. What did you think I was going to say?
I am not a beer drinker. I prefer liquor and wine. But I must say that Dogfish 90 min IPA is damn near the best thing I have drunk in the last 12 months. A phenomenal beer.
Big fan of what's going on up in MI as well - Bell's and Founders are in my top 5 as well.
Short's!
Joe Short makes some damn fine beer up in Elk Rapids, MI.
Agreed -- Shorts needs to be on that list. If they distributed outside MI I am confident it would be. They just have so many awesome and creative brews.
Btw, the original brewery and pub is in Bellaire, MI. Commercial brewing and bottling facility moved to Elk Rapids a few years back.
I actually met Joe Short last summer, on a tour of the Elk Rapids compound. He said they have no plans to distribute outside of Michigan and that's not likely to change. They want it to be great Michigan beer that stays in Michigan. Pretty cool.
I have heard the same from folks at the pub.
The Spruce Pilsner is pretty tasty as well.
That is strange. I have been buying Shorts ever since they started bottling several years ago and never had that issue.
A few of my craft favorites are spread out all over. I, too, like Ommegang and Three Floyds.
But a few others I haven't seen mentioned:
Coney Island (Albino Python....mmmm)
North Coat Brewing (god, Brother Thelonious is just incredible!)
5 Rabbit, which is brewed here Chicago (anything from them is awesome)
Allagash Brewing
And, for all of you in the Grand Rapids area, you need to check out Brewery Vivant. This is my new favorite.....I just love the Zaison, and the Solitude.
Okay.....I drink a lot of beer...that doesn't seem to be a problem to me!
Toppling Goliath out of Iowa will be on that list soon.
It's a survey; nothing scientific.
I've had Greenflash Palatewrecker on tap, and prefer Dogfish 90 Minute. ABV similar, but Dogfish was a more balanced, drinkable bite from the alcohol versus the bitterness from the hops.
Russian River and some of the more limited edition Stones are harder to find on the East Coast.
Darkhorse should be on that list... hopefuly some day
I agree. Darkhorse is one of my faves. As far as Michigan goes, Kuhnhenn is my #1 with DRIPA being my all time favorite beer, then probably a tie for #2 between Darkhorse and Founders. Bells and Jolly Pumpkin after that, but Bells has dropped for me after the last two years of Hopslam batches went down hill.
I'd drop Rogue, Green Flash, Anchor, and Sierra Nevada. Even though Boston is more or less not craft anymore, I think it does a really nice job. Deschute's (Oregon) deserves a spot on the list.
I actually had a Blue Moon last night at a baseball game and immediately remembered why I don't drink stuff from the mainstream breweries anymore. It either tastes stale (Budweiser) or just bad (Blue Moon). It's like being exposed to good wine and then switching back to Franzia.
I actually remembered Blue Moon as tasting okay, but I could barely choke it down last night. Maybe I got a bad glass or something.
Either a bad glass of Blue Moon or your palate/tastes have changed over time. Blue Moon is a nice light Belgian white. Slightly more citrusy than what you may be used to, which may be the cause of your distaste for it.
I wouldn't go as far as to say Blue Moon is bad, but I'd never order it if I had a choice.
Schnicklefritz. Very good beer.
It kind of blows my mind that Firestone-Walker and Deschutes aren't on that list.