Most Important American Craft Beers Ever Brewed

I kept getting a virus warning/notice on that site and it kept shutting down everytime I tried to read

Can someone quickly paste the listing of beers on here to look at?

 

Good list, but I'd have worked in Stone Enjoy by for its influence in the raising awareness and standards around IPA freshness.

 

No Pete's Wicked Ale or Catamount?

 

Wow, you are like the elder statesman of beer!

As far as the list goes, IMO Samuel Adams really brought "craft beer" into the lime light. We didn't call it craft back then, just... good American beer. Something that, at the time, I thought was a misnomer. I think I had Anchor not long after. I was so damned happy... I knew that good beer could be made here, but hadn't had any until then. Those two beers will always be close to my heart. I am not a big fan of Boston Lager these days, but still love Anchor. So, I think that BL should be first and ASB should be second.

 

There are certainly beers on the list you can argue about. But I think they got all of the beers that HAD to be in the list:
SNPA
Anchor Steam
Pliny
Heady
BCBS

The list made nostalgic for how good Flower Power used to be.

 

SABL and Celis White are also in that category when you get down to it. If there wasn't a Celis White I doubt there'd even be a Blue Moon, so that legacy is pretty huge.

 

Pliny the first double IPA ever made of course.

 

Yup, Flower Power was indeed a quality beer 'back in the day'. It is a shame what it is today.

Non-cheers to this.

 

I was lucky to travel early on; and my Dad loved good beer. He brought home Lowenbrau, said he could keep Leyte at bay by communing with his son. I easily learned to like beer, traveled later, and knew fermentables to be a huge piece of my future/life/destiny.....Looking back, Anchor Steam from a Chapel Hill James Taylor friend/neighbor connection, began to chip away at the notion of German beer superiority. Anchor Steam sits right there making me remember the thrill of something nice and new. We loved the Ballantine beers and ales, Red Cap Ale, Black Horse Ale, National Premium, anything different. We drank Schlitz, Michelob, Encore, Erlanger, Rheingold, and every German and English thing that we could find. And Ringnes in Richmond! My beloved Mother in Law, Corky -from Bethlehem- brought back cases of Yuengling Porter from Pottsville. I am no beer historian, but all of what I do remember is a fine trajectory of my regional specifics littered with beers from the world, travel, and an abiding love for BEER writ large! Sierra Nevada cut closer to the entire national nerve and so here we are. Cheers all!

 

Well sort of. Historically I believe there may have been a few hefty IPAs that weren't technically labeled "double IPA".

But yes, as far as what we know of in modern (as in 1960 - present in the US) US brewing history, it was likely the first that called itself a double IPA.

Have you had it recently? I honestly don't think I've had it in years, so I can't speak to it. I always figured it fell out of favor because IPAs have changed so dramatically since it was popular.

 

Good list, but I agree anchor steam should have been numero uno, and a list not inncluding the ubiquitous fat tire may need a revamping.

 

I had an Allagash White the other day with a friend and I felt that same new taste feeling. These danged white ales, well rendered, are close to perfect beer for me. Close.

 

Agree with this list for the most part. It would have been nice to see Harpoon IPA or Ballantine IPA. I also think DFH 60 minute IPA should replace 90 minute on this list but that's just my opinion

 

It's worse than that. Edison tried to work around Joseph Swan's patent but after a short period came to an agreement to manufacture Swan's design.That didn't stop Edison from giving the impression that he was the inventor
A bit like brewing somebody else's brewing recipe and claiming to be the innovator.

 

Kristen England of the BJCP , wrote this about a recreation of a 1868 Scotch Ale , William Younger No. 3 Export “This one for sure looks just like the very first double IPA ever made.A crap ton of hops,a good amount of alcohol,100% focuses on the hop”

 

Feel like I need to add 'ya sure you betcha'
NW pioneer from Redhook

 

I agree that 60 min. would be better than 90 as well. For me 60 min IPA at the time was the best representation of a well crafted standarad American IPA. It was the benchmark IMO.

Why are there 4 different Anchor beers on the list? If Steam was the originator keep that one and move it up into the top 5 (I'd bump down Allagash White out of top 5).

Also agree that Stone should have something on the list. Either Arrogant Bastard or Enjoy By. Both were groundbreaking beers in different ways.

 

A glaring omission of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout....