Join us for our annual nod to these badasses as we raise our pints in their general direction, honoring them for their contributions to the beer industry and for giving beer the respect it deserves. Cheers!
California boasts a number of premier brewing regions; the base of Sequoia National Forest hasn’t traditionally been one of them. Kyle Smith is working to change that. His small brewpub, the Kern River Brewing Company, is cranking out buzzed-about beers at the edge of the wilderness.
Craft beer is dark, it is light, it is hoppy and it is sour. The one thing it is not, is mass produced. That fact is never forgotten at Old Forge Brewing Company, a small brewpub in the heart of Danville, Pa. Located on Mill Street, where local artisans craft virtually everything, craft beer fits right in.
COAST Brewing is a tiny brewery run out of an old navy yard in North Charleston, S.C. Its founders, David Merritt and his wife, Jaime Tenney, can only crank out big, hugely creative beers because they first led the campaign to liberalize South Carolina’s brewing regulations.
What started as “a tiny shop under a tarp lean-to in downtown Bamberg,” is now the world’s largest organic malt producer, supplying more than 80 different types of malts to clients in 115 countries—and they’re still evolving.
Since King opened the doors to Amnesia with his wife, Kristina, in 2004, the 1,700-barrel-per-year facility, located in an old ornamental iron shop, has been treating Portland beer lovers to King’s unique vision and approach to beer.
Dave Fleming, head brewer at Portland’s New Old Lompoc Brewery, commands respect in a town full of respected brewers. He does it by combining an openness to new flavors with a simple, straightforward brewing ethos.
Based in Butte, Mont., Quarry Brewing Company and owner/brewmaster Chuck Schnabel draw on the area’s rich geological resources and history for the company’s slogan: “We dig beer.”
Wayne Wambles of Cigar City was a cook before he was a brewer, and he applies the lessons he learned in the kitchen to the brew kettle. Now, the young Tampa brewery is taking Florida by storm.
In 17 years of operation, Mountain Sun has evolved into a spot where regulars and tourists alike congregate to see local bands play for free, where groups of friends can meet to catch up on the details of the week and where individuals can come burn off stress after a hard day’s work.
Stephen Hale of the Schlafly Tap Room has been brewing for over 30 years, and he oversees a brewing portfolio that’s both strongly traditionalist, and freewheeling and experimental.
Don’t expect to see Good People far from the source, as Malone and his partners are dedicated to taking care of their local community before they even consider expanding.
Thirsty masses still look to Plymouth for sustenance. And the Mayflower Brewing Company, brewers of traditional and hyper-fresh ales, are happy to oblige.
Regardless of whether it’s a one-off brew or one of Indigo Imp’s signature beers, it will have Matt and Kathy’s mark all over it. It can’t be helped, as everything from stirring the mash to filling the bottles is done by their hands.
Patrick Rue founded his California brewery, The Bruery, to make the types of high-quality beers he enjoys drinking. They’re also the types of beers that challenge the palates of the most passionate craft beer drinkers.
Mark Staples of Midnight Sun Brewing Co. reflects on his inspired journey from working computers for the Australian government to running his own brewery in Alaska.
