What Beer Represents Your State?

How Yuengling for a contender? Yeah my tongue is in my cheek a little, but hear me out.... A very large percentage of Floridians moved to Florida from other states, many from northeastern US states... like how Yuengling moved into the former Stroh brewery in Tampa in 1999. Yuengling's only out-of-state brewery is in Florida for another good reason, they sell a shit ton of beer throughout Florida.

 

Really? To me Landshark is not a faux craft beer at all. It is directly marketed to beach goer refreshment and, unless I'm wrong, they never use the word "craft" in their communication.

 

Because of its placement in major chain beer sets. It is often given prominent location next to imports and craft beers. The big beer companies control the beer sets. This is the oldest tool in the tool box.

 

Never noticed.

I don't get involved in the politics of beer. I have enough hate streams. Also, it sort of irks me that so many can have such vitriol towards big beer, then they make a left and shop at Walmart for other things. So much false conviction.

 

Oh, I don't really dislike big beer, I just know their tactics well. I know the people well. I sold beer for over 40 years and watched many operators. I banged heads with big beer for most of that time and made inroads through ups and downs in the birth of what is now called craft beer. Anyway, I don't begrudge the big companies for doing business their way. In fact, their style opened opportunities for smaller more versatile and reflexive sales groups along the way to now.

 

I was thinking about which beers best represent each state, and was curious what some were for other states I'm not familiar with. I was also curious about others' opinions on states that I am familiar with.

These are beers non-beer geeks and beer geek folks would recognize. Here's a few examples to give you an idea of what I'm talking about...

CA - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I toyed with something like Anchor Steam, but I feel SNPA fits the bill here.

DE - Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

FL - Cigar City Jai Alai

IL - Goose Island...IPA? 312?

ME - Allagash White

MI - Bell's Two Hearted

PA - Yuengling Traditional Lager

MA - I went back and forth with this one between Boston Lager and Harpoon IPA. I settled on Harpoon IPA, because I feel you can find it at most restaurants but also at many beer bars in Boston. Boston Lager isn't as relevant today as it used to be. Also Boston Lager is technically brewed in Jamaica Plain, but that's an R&D brewery.

NH - Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA (does still apply though?)

NY - Brooklyn Lager?

RI - Narragansett Lager

TX - Shiner Bock

VT - The Alchemist Heady Topper. Probably Magic Hat #9 at some point in the past, but I feel like many people from Vermont know what Heady Topper is. And I also feel it really put VT on the map for craft beer.

I can easily be swayed on many of these, as these were just my knee-jerk reaction. But I'm looking for a blend of something that's relevant today, and that's iconic. But for the "iconic" part I realize some of these beers have been around longer than others.

Remember this is not what's your favorite, or the highest rated. But I also want to avoid someone mentioning something like Bud Light for Missouri. Also, I'm not looking for someone to mention Julius for MA.

 

Their AAL "Lager" is still primarily brewed in Rochester, NY at the Genesee brewery, isn't it? So, if Boston Lager can't represent MA...?

 

North Carolina might well be Highland Gaelic Ale or Red Oak Amber. These are two of our pioneers that presaged this great era of brewing.

 

NJ Bud Light or Kane Head High IPA

 

IA - Haywards 5000. Flat, with lots and lots of corn.

 

Heard or read quite awhile ago that Coors Light was the best-selling beer in NJ.

"No wonder AB wants to close Newark. They're annoyed with the state they chose for the first AB brewery outside St. Louis - formerly known as "The Eastern Home of Budweiser".

 

According to their site, it sounds like they're producing beer in RI.

Finally, in April of 2016, Narragansett announced plans to partner with The Guild to build a brand new facility in Pawtucket, RI laying out a strategy for ‘Gansett to brew beer in Rhode Island for the first time in over 30 years.

Construction of the brewery continued through 2016 and into 2017, transforming an old mill building into one of New England’s largest beer production facilities. With great pride and a slice of humility, Narragansett Brewery at The Guild finally opened its doors and brewed it’s first batch of It’s About Time IPA in March 2017, fulfilling its dream and starting a new chapter for the company.

The Next Chapter

And 128-plus years later, here we are. The present. The doors are open and we can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

AK would have be Alaska Smoked Porter, if it hasn't already been said.

 

Upstate NY would like to be Ommegang Three Philosophers. Kid from historic small town achieves international recognition for excellence; innovating while remaining true to roots.

Upstate NY is actually Genessee Beer. Mediocre, irrelevant, and gradually dying, hanging on primarily due to low cost and and memories of "the good old days".

 

Yeah, but I didn't say they didn't brew beers in RI, I said that the beer you picked, their flagship Narragansett Lager, was still primarily contract-brewed in Rochester- at least, that was the plan when they opened the shared facility, according to this Hopculture article:

That brewery's rated at 60k bbl/yr and in 2017 Narragansett total barrelage was 97k.

But that article is 2 years old so who knows. It's one of those things - I bet someone'll lists National Bohemian for Maryland...

 

If I go to a random bar in NY city, am I likely to see either of these on tap? Or Brooklyn Lager?

 

As I said, I could be swayed on many of these, and I wasn't quite sure myself about this. I googled it beforehand but couldn't tell either.

When I think RI 'Gansett is the first thing I think of. Otherwise I'm not sure what other beer is well known.

Maybe Two Roads Hefeweizen at this point?

 

Not long ago I would have said Fat Tire without a second thought. IMO that's probably not even close these days.

I'd probably go with Odell IPA at the moment. That beer marked a sea change in CO beers and it still sells really well. I can't think of any other CO beer that sold well for so long and has inspired so many other beers, too. CO is all about the "flavor of the moment," but Odell IPA keeps 'on keepin' on.

 

That's why I specified Upstate.
Upstate NY & Downstate NY are really two different states and, other than vacation homes or shipping trips, there's not much interaction between the two regions.
Politically upstate would be similar to Ohio.
Economically there are a few bright spots, but overall we are in a very prolonged downturn. Manufacturers and young people are abandoning the region and there are many small communities (particularly in the Catskills and Western NY) that area practically ghost towns.
It's still a great place to raise your kids, but there's little to keep those kids here.