In honor of American Beer Week, we celebrate the best of the beers from across the country. Here are 20 of the best brews from coast to coast.
(Joshua Berlinger/AP Photo, via goodtastetv.com)
Birthplace: Juneau, Alaska
Go-to Brew: Amber, a malty amber-colored "alt" style ale with hints of toffee and sweet bread. A true award winner, this beer has won 14 awards over the years, including gold at the 2009 L.A. county Fair, 2010 North American Brewing Awards and 2011 European Beer Star Awards, along with being named Best in the Northwest Amber Ale in 2009 by the Northwest Brewing News and winning Best in Show in the Amber/Pale category at the 2010 Capitol Food & Wine Fest. It most recently took home bronze for Irish-style red ales at the L.A. International Beer Competition in 2016.
Check them out at: alaskanbeer.com
(austindesign.biz)
Birthplace: Stowe, Vermont
Go-to Brew: Heady Topper Double/Imperial IPA, a flavor blend of citrus and honey to balance out the hops. Heady-Topper is considered one of the best beers in the country, scoring a Beer Advocate score of 100. In fact, Beer Advocate named it the fifth best beer in the world in 2015.
Check them out at: alchemistbeer.com
(1morebeer.wordpress.com)
Birthplace: Portland, Maine
Go-to Brew: White, a Belgian-style ale packing a slightly spicy punch thanks to the addition of coriander and orange. One of the most popular beers around, Allagash White was named the World’s Best Belgian-Style Witbier at the 2014 World Beer Awards.
Check them out at: allagash.com
(Four Brewers/ flickr.com)
Birthplace: San Diego, California
Go-to Brew: Grapefruit Sculpin, a fruity IPA that has gained popularity by being a go-to summer beer. The Grapefruit Sculpin took home two gold awards in 2016, at the U.S. Beer Open and the Australian International Beer Awards, along with a bronze at the San Diego International Beer Competition.
Check them out at: ballastpoint.com
(beersanddears.net)
Birthplace: Cooperstown, New York
Go-to Brew: Three Philosophers Quadrupel Ale, a dark brew boasting flavors such as caramel, malt and cherries. Three Philosophers took home bronze at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival for Belgian-Style Quadruple Ales along with a bronze at the 2006 World Beer Cup. In 2011, it placed second in the Belgian-Style Strong Ale category at the European Beer Star awards.
Check them out at: ommegang.com
(Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House/ Facebook)
Birthplace: Bend, Oregon
Go-to Brew: Black Butte Porter, an ideal cold weather beer thanks to the taste of roasted coffee and chocolate. Black Butte Porter has been a favorite of beer lovers for years now, taking home more than two dozen awards since 1996, including eight golds. Most recently, it was awarded a gold at the International Brewing Awards.
Check them out at: deschutesbrewery.com
(JD Whittington "Beers I Drink Frequently" via Pinterest)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Go-to Brew: Goose Island IPA, a light-colored ale boasting a hoppy and citrus-y taste. The perfect beer for any IPA lover, Goose Island won gold at the 2010 World Beer Cup for English-Style IPA. It also won gold in 2012 and 2000 at the Great American Beer Festival, along with three silvers and a bronze.
Check them out at: gooseisland.com
(knoxbeercrew.com)
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado
Go-to Brew: Yeti Imperial Stout, a dark and hoppy brew with hints of caramel and coffee. Few breweries have better deals than Great Divide, where you can get the Yeti, a beer that was rated the Top Beer in Colorado in 2014 by RateBeer.com along with the 36th best beer on the planet by Beer Advocate in 2010.
Check them out at: greatdivide.com
(beerchamber.com)
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Go-to Brew: Chillwave Double IPA. Formerly known as the "Alchemy Hour Double IPA," this copper-colored beverage is packed with tropical fruit flavor and major hops.
Check them out at: greatlakesbrewing.com
(redstonebeers.com)
Birthplace: Framingham, Massachusetts
Go-to Brew: TrIPL American Imperial Pilsner, a mix of pine and citrus. Sip slowly, as this brew boasts a 10 percent alcohol content, and it's a seasonal, so you can only get it March, June, September and December.
Check them out at: jacksabby.com
(untappd.com)
Birthplace: Dexter, Michigan
Go-to Brew: La Roja Sour Ale, an explosion of sour cherries in every ruby-red sip. Named one of the 10 best American Sour Beers by Paste, this beer scores high with beer lovers everywhere.
Check them out at: jollypumpkin.com
(vierbicher.com)
Birthplace: New Glarus, Wisconsin
Go-to Brew: Spotted Cow, an infamous Farmhouse Ale with a universally-enjoyed crispness. Winning nearly a dozen local awards, Spotted Cow has been named best craft beer, best ale, best local craft brew and more.
Check them out at: newglarusbrewing.com
(North Country Brewing Company/ Facebook)
Birthplace: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Go-to Brew: Wee Heavy Imperial Ale, a rich and malty beer with a hint of brown sugar. This Scotch beer is one of the top-rated beers around.
Check them out at: northcountrybrewing.com
(alesincomparison.wordpress.com)
Birthplace: Lyons, Colorado
Go-to Brew: Mama's Little Yella Pils, a mix of citrus and malts that makes it a great beer to pair with bar bites and tailgate foods. This beer won silver in the 2011 Great American Beer Festival Bohemian Style Pilsener category.
Check them out at: oskarblues.com
(insuranceguybeerblog.com)
Birthplace: Newport, Oregon
Go-to Brew: Dead Guy Ale, a "malt bomb" boasting hints of bread and honey. Since 1994, this beer has won more awards than one can count, most recently taking home first place at the 2015 Great International Beer & Cider Competition and gold at the 2015 World Beer Championships.
Check them out at: rogue.com
(blog.twobeerdudes.com)
Birthplace: Guerneville, California
Go-to Brew: Pliny the Elder Double IPA, the hoppiest Indian Pale Ale around. The distinctly named brew has been named best beer in America more than once, with a host of awards, and it’s easy to see why with one sip.
Check them out at: russianriverbrewing.com
(travelale.com)
Birthplace: Chico, California
Go-to Brew: Pale Ale — reportedly the second best-selling beer in the country. Taking home 2005 Great American Beer Festival gold, it’s no wonder.
Check them out at: sierranevada.com/beer
(craft-beer-ratings.com)
Birthplace: Hampton, New Hampshire
Go-to Brew: Baltic Porter, a heavy chocolate-y brew with a smokey aftertaste. The Baltic Porter was rated the No. 3 Baltic Porter in the World by Raebeer.com and listed as the fourth best beer by Wine Enthusiast in 2013.
Check them out at: smuttynose.com
(craftbeertime.com)
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Go-to Brew: Furious IPA, a curious mix of citrus and malt with plenty of hops. One of the most well-regarded and awarded breweries around, the IPA is perfect for pale ale lovers.
Check them out at: surlybrewing.com
(dailybeerreview.com)
Birthplace: Downington, Pennsylvania
Go-to Brew: Old Horizontal, a Barley Wine-style Ale packed with a malty graham cracker-like flavor. Old Horizontal has been named Best of the Mid-Atlantic Southeast Region three times, earning high marks for the suburban Philadelphia brewery.
Check them out at: victorybeer.com
Chelena Goldman grew up on a street where the boys played street hockey and yelling at baseball and football over the radio was a standard -- making life as a sports geek the perfect fit. She believes in dominance on the blue line, good red wine, and the theory that you can never be too overdressed for any occasion. You can find her gabbing away on Twitter at @ChelenaGoldman.
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