Best breweries in the US?

[chas]

All good entries so far. In my opinion - Bells in Kalamazoo, MI is the best brewery I have ever been to.

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

Montana has a some great little breweries, and make my favorite US brews.

Someone should do a case study of Trumer and how despite having the same techniques the American variant is nowhere near the Austrian original.

The Harpoon brewery in Boston has a tasting hour between 4 and 5pm where you can sample as much as you want. Their best beer, the black Bavarian lager, is oddly not sold to the public.

 

[Wallcloud]

Three Floyds Munster, Indiana http://www.threefloyds.com/index.html If ya dont know now ya know

 

[mikej77]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I've been several times. Some on the weekends, some of weeknights. Anyway, I go for good beer, not for the crowd. Goose Island is still there. They have a pub off of North & Clybourn. Pretty good pub food, and good beer.


Bear Republic sucks. We went to the bar in Healdsburg and got their tasting flight. Tasted every beer they had, probably 24 or so. I honestly don't remember a single one of them being memorable or even being worth buying a pint of.

Maybe you don't remember them because you sampled 24 in one sitting.

 

[pscolari]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I've been several times. Some on the weekends, some of weeknights. Anyway, I go for good beer, not for the crowd. Goose Island is still there. They have a pub off of North & Clybourn. Pretty good pub food, and good beer.


Bear Republic sucks. We went to the bar in Healdsburg and got their tasting flight. Tasted every beer they had, probably 24 or so. I honestly don't remember a single one of them being memorable or even being worth buying a pint of.

Originally Posted by mikej77

Maybe you don't remember them because you sampled 24 in one sitting.

Kwilk - you should go back and focus on the beers that people who are outside of Healdsburg do not have access to and which are the beers that pay the bills. Not saying you will like them, but out of the five beers that I see (and drink) on the east coast consistently: Racer 5, Hop Rod Rye, Black Bear Stout, XP, and Red Rocket, the first two are ranked in the Top 100 on Beer Advocate and they are not limited edition or seasonal beers.

 

[Ochowie]

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet, but I will nominate Allagash to be in this list. I love their belgian white and have enjoyed some of their other beers.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by mikej77

Maybe you don't remember them because you sampled 24 in one sitting.

They are one ounce pours- only tasting portions. Maybe it was just that I didn't get a big enough taste to really appeciate any of them.

Originally Posted by pscolari

Kwilk - you should go back and focus on the beers that people who are outside of Healdsburg do not have access to and which are the beers that pay the bills. Not saying you will like them, but out of the five beers that I see (and drink) on the east coast consistently: Racer 5, Hop Rod Rye, Black Bear Stout, XP, and Red Rocket, the first two are ranked in the Top 100 on Beer Advocate and they are not limited edition or seasonal beers.

I'll go back sometime and see. I'm not a fan of IPA in general, or hops for that matter, and their most popular beers are very hoppy. Of the other beers, they were solid, and not bad, but there are far better beers in their category around here. The only one I remember liking was one that was like Guiness but tasted very distinctly of coffee. It wasn't great, and wasn't the kind of beer you'd like to drink very many of, but it was memorable and interesting. (I was being sarcastic saying I didn't remember a single one, just meant to emphasize that I didn't find them to be anything special).

 

[Listi]

Originally Posted by Slopho

Their 90 minute IPA is insane.

Great beer. But there are so damn many good ones these days.

I'm missing out on a ton of these breweries because I live in Canada most of the year, in the US for maybe a few weeks and gruzzle a few good US micros.

Favourites at the moment are Stone, Dogfish, and Founders I suppose. Wanting to try Russian River ridiculously because Flemish ales are great and I've heard they make some great ones. Brooklyn has some great beers, I love their Locals.

I've got some Ommegang aging right now, going to open around Christmas

Also got an Allagash Tripel waiting for me at my parents place.

How about favourite Canadian breweries Dieu De Ciel anyone?

 

[airportlobby]

Two excellent Texas breweries - Live Oak (still only kegged, I think) and St. Arnold's.

 

[dusty]

Originally Posted by Listi

How about favourite Canadian breweries Dieu De Ciel anyone?

Unibroue

 

[CityWanderer]

+1 for New Belgium. Really like there Fat Tire beer. Wish it was available where I live in D.C.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

If I had to limit myself to beer from one brewery for the rest of my life, it would be Dogfish Head. They don't make a single bad beer.

 

[pscolari]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

If I had to limit myself to beer from one brewery for the rest of my life, it would be Dogfish Head. They don't make a single bad beer.


The pumpkin one they do is pretty bad. Like the rest of them though. One of the bars near my work had 75 minute on cask a month ago and it was amazing. Like the name says, it was a great balance between 60 and 90 mins.

 

[fdbaker]

I enjoy many of the beers mentioned. I would just point out that these brewers (and we) all owe a hat-tip to Anchor Steam. Until Fritz Maytag resurrected that company and proved there was a market for well-crafted brew, quality local breweries were all but extinct in this country.

 

[mrkleen]

Sam Adams
Harpoon
Magic Hat Brewing Co
Brewery Ommegang