The Top 50 American Breweries of 2007

There’s no denying that American brewers are crafting some of the best and most exciting beers in beerdom today. It’s just a fact. If you think otherwise, you 1) have never been to America, 2) have failed to truly experience American beers and culture or 3) are in a beer coma. There are currently about 1,400 craft breweries and brewpubs in the US. Recent stats released by the Brewers Association (beertown.org) list the top 50 craft brewing companies in the US, based on sales. It makes for some interesting reading—but we wondered what beer geeks think are the top American breweries in US. After all, taste is more important to most beer lovers than the volume of beer a brewery produces.

To kick off our American Beer Fest celebrations (June 15 and 16, in Boston), we thought we’d unleash our own list of the top 50 American breweries, based on BeerAdvocate.com user reviews.

The Top 50 American Breweries

1. Surly Brewing Co.
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

2. Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, California

3. AleSmith Brewing
Co. San Diego, California

4. Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Lyons, Colorado

5. Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Pleasantville, New York

6. Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey
San Marcos, California

7. Alpine Beer Co.
Alpine, California

8. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Dexter, Michigan

9. Live Oak Brewery
Austin, Texas

10. Three Floyds Brewing Co. / Brewery & Pub
Munster, Indiana

11. Midnight Sun Brewing
Anchorage, Alaska

12. High Point Wheat Beer Co.
Butler, New Jersey

13. Brewery Ommegang
Cooperstown, New York

14. Russian River Brewing Co.
Santa Rosa, California

15. Thomas Hooker Ales & Lagers
Hartford, Connecticut

16. Ballast Point Brewing Co.
San Diego, California

17. Baron Brewing
Seattle, Washington

18. Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.
Portland, Oregon

19. Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown, Pennsylvania

20. New England Brewing Co.
Woodbridge, Connecticut

21. Berkshire Brewing Co. Inc.
South Deerfield, Massachusetts

22. Sixpoint Craft Ales
Brooklyn, New York

23. Great Divide Brewing Co.
Denver, Colorado

24. Central Waters Brewing Co.
Amherst, Wisconsin

25. Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Cleveland, Ohio

26. Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Paso Robles, California

27. Moonlight Brewing Co.
Fulton, California

28. Allagash Brewing Co.
Portland, Maine

29. Drake’s Brewing Co.
San Leandro, California

30. Tröegs Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

31. East End Brewing Co.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

32. Pisgah Brewing Co.
Black Mountain, North Carolina

33. Defiant Brewing Co.
The Pearl River, New York

34. Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Healdsburg, California

35. Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Lakewood, New York

36. Lake Louie Brewery Co.
Arena, Wisconsin

37. Tuckerman Brewing Co.
Conway, New Hampshire

38. Climax Brewing Co.
Roselle Park, New Jersey

39. Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
The Farmville, North Carolina

40. Bristol Brewing Co.
Colorado Springs, Colorado

41. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, California

42. Tyranena Brewing Co.
Lake Mills, Wisconsin

43. Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Marshall, Michigan

44. Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer’s on the Bay
Newport, Oregon

45. Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire

46. Goose Island
Chicago, Illinois

47. Alaskan Brewing Co.
Juneau, Alaska

48. Fish Brewing Co. / Fishbowl Brewpub
Olympia, Washington

49. Pennsylvania Brewing Co.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

50. Cape Cod Beer
Hyannis, Massachusetts

This is certainly not the definitive list, but it’s a great snapshot of the most popular breweries among the community of reviewers on BeerAdvocate.com. If your favorite brewery didn’t make the list, don’t get mad: Start reviewing!

Respect Beer. ■