N°1. Dogfish Head
Location : Milton, Delaware
In the brewery business for almost two decades,
Dogfish Head is one of the most popular breweries in the country. It was
Delaware’s first brewpub, and when it opened in 1995, was the smallest
commercial brewery in America. But, this small brewery now packs a giant punch,
as they now operate out of a 100,000-square-foot converted cannery and sell
their beer, including their original 60 Minute IPA, to more than 25 states.
Under the direction of Sam Calagione,
Dogfish Head will continue to be the gamechanger — and leader — when it comes
to the world of craft beer. "When I think of 'craft beer,' Dogfish Head is
the first brewery that pops into my head," says Jason Morgan, the founding
partner of Craft Beer Business. "Their creativity and dedication to the
craft beer tradition is inspiring."
N°2. Stone Brewing Company
Location : Escondido, California
There are more than
enough accolades and recognition for this Californian brewery. "No brewery
in San Diego — and perhaps the world — pushes more envelopes or thinks outside
so many boxes," says Peter Lowe of UT San Diego. If topping the 2008 list
of All-Time Top Breweries on Planet Earth by Beer Advocate isn’t enough for
you, perhaps a bit more information will convince you that Stone Brewing
Company is one of the best craft breweries in America. Stone Brewing Company is
the 10th largest brewery in the United States, with 55,000 square feet. The
99-rating on Beer Advocate calls this brewery "World Class." And it’s
beloved for much more than the beer. "I love Stone's attitude as much as I
love their beer," says Jason Morgan of Craft Beer Business. "Big and
bold, their craft beer always sticks with you long after the six-pack is
gone."
N°3. Boulevard Brewing Company
Location : Kansas City, Missouri
Boulevard Brewing
Company is not only the second largest brewery in Missouri, but also one of the
largest specialty brewers in the Midwest. Founded in 1989, Boulevard’s mission
consists of producing fresh and flavorful beers, by using the finest traditional
ingredients. The company uses old and new techniques, but is always known by
their full flavors and high quality. "What really sets Boulevard apart for
me is the Smokestack Series," says Tom Rotunno, of CNBC. "I haven’t
had one I haven’t liked. They constantly surprise with a great variety of
styles and each is as good as the last with releases like Love Child,
Saison-Brett, Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale and Coffee Ale. The consistency in which the Smokestack
Series delivers amazing results is impressive."
N°4. Founders Brewing Company
Location : Grand Rapids, Michigan
Founders
set out to make "complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger
body, and tons of flavor" — and they’ve just about done it. The founders,
Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, say their beer is for the renegades and the
rebels (because that’s how they describe themselves). And boy, does Founders
have some pretty big fans of their brews. "I've probably have drank
gallons of Red's Rye PA and Centennial IPA," says Mike Sweeney of St.
Louis Hops. "And don't even get me started on Breakfast Stout and its
bigger brother KBS. While KBS may not be the best bourbon barrel-aged imperial
stout in America (that goes to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout), it's
damned close. Oh, and Founders Porter is easily the best porter made in the
world."
N°5. Cigar City Brewing Company
Location : Tampa, Florida
This brewery started
with two things in mind, according to its website: to "make world's best
beer" and "to share with people near and far the fascinating culture
and heritage of the Cigar City of Tampa." The self-proclaimed
"world’s best beer" is made in a 6,600-square-foot warehouse, which
includes a tasting room open to the public. But Cigar City, a Florida favorite,
has fans from far outside the Panhandle state for their unique lineup of beers.
Gerard Walen, of Roadtrips for Beer and Beer in Florida, notes that his
hometown favorite is a notch above the rest. "[Cigar City Brewing is]
currently making some of the best beer out there, many of which you can't find
outside of the tasting room," he says.
N°6. New Belgium Brewing Company
Location : Fort Collins, Colorado
Started in 1989 with
the founder delivering beers on his bike, New Belgium quickly turned into a
microbrewery and then surpassed the microbrewery mark to become one of the most
respected and loved full breweries in the country. They now offer free tours of
their facility, which produces "Fat Tires," the very brew that was
transported on bikes more than 20 years ago. While Fat Tire is the solid flagship
beer of New Belgium, the brewery still takes risks with its seasonals.
"New Belgium has a huge lineup of beers and [is] best known for their Fat
Tire Amber Ale," says Dave Butler, Colorado beer blogger for Fermentedly
Challenged. "In particular I love their Lips of Faith series of beers, and
one of my favorites there is their La Folie Sour Brown Ale." New Belgium
takes the Colorado lifestyle and transposes it to a larger audience, and many
agree that the brewery doesn’t just make great craft beer — it makes a
eco-friendly and community-friendly impact. "When it comes to the melding
of craft beer, the arts, lifestyle, eco-consciousness, and community, this Fort
Collins, Colo., brewery has few peers," says Tom Bobak of American Craft
Beer. "I like what New Belgium 'does' almost as much as I enjoy what they
brew."
N°7. Lagunitas Brewing Company
Location : Petaluma, California
Founded in 1993,
Lagunitas Brewing Company has a core of supportive beer lovers who want to
nurture the creation of consistently good beer. The brewery is willing to do
anything, "capable of making beer out of goat’s milk, brambles, and
asphalt on the surface of the moon, if need be," according to its Facebook
page. And it’s the brewery’s dedication to experimentation that has won over
beer lovers across the company. "Tony Magee's vision and 'the glass is
always half full' attitude toward life is reflected in his beer," says Liz
Garibay of the blog Tales, Taverns, & Towns. "I don't think I've ever
had a Lagunitas beer I didn't like." The California-based company recently
made an announcement that it would be opening a 250,000-barrel-a-year facility
in Chicago in order to cater to the Eastern U.S. With creative brews,
passionate employees, and a commitment to serve, Lagunitas is definitely one of
the best.
N°8. Bell's Brewery
Location : Kalamazoo, Michigan
What started with
merely a thirst for better beer and a gallon soup kettle in 1985 has turned
into a regionally known craft brewery. Bell’s Brewery is a dedicated company
that believes in brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality, and small-batch craft
beers. Bell’s currently has more than 20 brews for distribution, as well as
some select options served at their pub. "Far fewer [breweries] have a
roster [of beer] as deep and consistently excellent as Bell's," says Chris
Van Orden, co-founder of DC Beer. "No matter what style you're in the mood
for, Bell's has a great take on it." Bill DeBaun, the other co-founder of
DC Beer, agreed that its variety is unlike any other brewery. "I normally
have breweries I trust for stouts, some I trust for wild ales, and some I trust
for hoppy beers," he says. "The intersection of all three being in
one brewery; Bell's, is a real rarity." The Bell’s pub, The Eccentric
Café, was founded in 1993 and was the first brewery in Michigan to serve beer
by the glass. The brewery also has a general store with beer-to-go, and home
brewing supplies to help you on your own beer endeavor.
N°9. Russian River Brewing Company
Location : Santa Rosa, California
Russian River Brewing
Company focuses on "traditional aggressively hopped California-style"
ales, Belgians, and barrel-aged beers. Originally owned by Korbel Champagne
Cellars, the brewery became its own entity in 2003. Founder and brewmaster
Vinnie Cilurzo came from a winemaking family, but has established himself as a
craft-brewer full of innovation and willingness to share his knowledge. Today,
he and his wife Natalie serve the brews fresh at their brewpub in downtown
Santa Rosa, Calif. "Many credit Russian River’s founder/brewer Vinnie
Cilurzo with pioneering the 'hopped-out-of-its-mind' West Coast Imperial that
went onto set the standard that so many other breweries (like Stone) would
later build their reputations on," says Tom Brobak, of American Craft
Beer. "And now he’s redefining the American Sour." And the list of
not-to-miss Russian River brews is a mile long. "The Plinys, Elder and
Younger, are stunning achievements, but don’t overlook Russian River’s superb
lineup of barrel-aged sour ales," says Peter Rowe, blogger for the San
Diego Union-Tribune. "One favorite: Consecration, an earthy, fruity, and
dry sour red that’s aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels."
N°10. Sierra Nevada
Location : Chico, California
Sierra Nevada beers
mimic the mountains for which they are named, "bold, wild, and unwavering
as those storied granite peaks," according to their website. Sierra Nevada
brews use only the best ingredients, are created by traditional techniques, and
are made by brewers who pay close attention to detail. The "Hop
Torpedo," a stainless steel device packed with whole, cone hops, is the
brewery’s unique way of adding hop aroma to beer with no additional bitterness.
Because of it, the Hop Tornado and Sierra Nevada get credit "for putting
hoppy pale ale on the map for American craft beer drinkers," says Lucy
Saunders, the author of five craft beer cookbooks. Sierra Nevada is a "big
boy that stays true to classic products," says Peter LaFrance of Beer
Basics, a food and beer blog.
Source : The Daily Meal
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