Which US breweries make the best/most basic styles?

hands down... Great Lakes brewing company. excellent examples of traditional styles

 

Well the description of “basic styles” is ambiguous.

As regards the list of: “But styles such as non-hop forward pilsners, Helles, hefeweizens, low abv American/English pale ales, bitters, brown ales....etc.”

Permit me to suggest that Sly Fox Brewery for the most part meets the criteria of the above list:

• Helles: Golden Helles Lager
• Hefeweizen: Royal Weisse
• Bitter Ale: Chester County Bitter (available on cask at the Brewpub)
• Brown Ale: Chester County Brown Ale (English Brown Ale)

I would recommend the OP to visit the Sly Fox Brewery website to see if there are other beers which he thinks are “basic styles”.

Cheers!

P.S. Sly Fox makes a tasty Pilsner of Pikeland Pils which is brewed as a Northern German style Pilsner (which is detailed on the label of the can). It is indeed a hop forward Pilsner consistent with the Northern German Pilsner style.

 

In my opinion, Long Trail does an excellent altbier and their Pale Ale is also very tasty. I long for the day when they try their hand at a lager.

 

While Flying Dog does a lot of lineup changes and way too many IPAs, their Old Scratch cali common (but marketed as an "Amber Lager") really nails the style. Right up there with Anchor Steam personally.

Oliver Ales non-seasonals are amazing examples of whatever style they're in.

 

Deschutes, New Belgium, and Sierra Nevada come to mind instantly.

 

SchlaflyEnglish Pale Ale
Dry-Hopped APA
Hefe
Koelsch
Pilsner
Oatmeal Stout
IPA (Can Sessions 4.5%)
American brown ale
Bourbon barrel aged Impe Stout
Bier de Garde
Tripel
Quad
Grand Cru (Belgian Golden)

All year-round and at the top of their styles. Funny (and unfortunate for some of us), no year round "regular" AIPA. Boulevard gives Schlafly some competition

 

Great Lakes, Wolverine State Brewing for Lagers only, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams and New Belgium all come to mind.

 

Being a lager nut it sounds like Sly Fox offers a couple of tasty lagers in their Helles lager and Pikeland Pils. And it also sounds like Schlafly offers a tasty pilsner based on the specs alone. Boulevard KC Pils sports a rather low IBU at 16, but it might still be tasty if it at least compares to Schlitz 60s formula. Along with the Victory lager beers, Anchor's California lager and other US craft lager beers it seems as though the US is starting to enjoy a craft lager beer revival. I'll be looking forward to seeing some of these brands on monopoly shelves here in the coming years as pale lager beer starts to get the respect it deserves.

 

Straubs Brewery made a Classic American Pilsner (again) that is called Straub 1872 Lager (Peter Straub started brewing in 1872 in St. Marys, PA). I intend to start a thread on this beer sometime next week.

Cheers!

 

Nice, I'll be looking forward to reading it. Untill then, I wish you a happy new year, Jack.

 

Founders, Deschutes, Bells

 

Another vote for Great Lakes, and I know I might not get the best response on this one, but Summit. I've had most of their year rounds and two out of four of their seasonals, and they do an excellent job with what they put out. You know what you're getting with them.

 

wolavers for me. hands down.

 

Definitely Great Lakes...I would also back up others that suggested Founders. Porter just behind Edmund, Dirty Bastard, Reds Rye, Centennial, APA...just no lagers from Founders...

 

New Glarus, they put out some of the most consistent and best examples of traditional styles, lagers, ales, and stouts, while still producing some of the best fruit beers on the market.

 

Its not American but Tuatara in New Zealand makes very nice takes on the classic styles, little deviation from the basic style guidelines except for the local hop character. Hefe, Helles, Czech Pils, English IPA, American (NZ) IPA, and a Dubbel that I have yet to try.
Deschutes is the American example that jumps to mind for me. I mean, they actually make a porter without some random spice or flavor addition to screw it up ... Haha.

 

Id probably toss founders out as an answer to that question. They do not really make a bad beer and everything, even the most basic of offerings, are of the highest levels of quality.

southern tier is a close second. They also make great offerings for the more simple stuff, tho they do excel far more in the x2 series and in their epic bombers.

and hey. All Anchor really makes IS classic styles, and they do a good job at them.

 

Good call on Anchor. Liberty Ale and Anchor Porter are both great.