What state is the best for local craft breweries?

colorado also has more breweries per capita than any other state. with the exceptions of the larger coors and budweiser breweries located in colorado most are locally grown breweries that are or started as micro breweries (although coors started as one as well). many of these micro breweries are now gaining much recognition like new belgium.

 

To all the states out there, raise your hand if you are the best. Michigan I see your hand..... anyone else? Wisconsin, is that a hand or..... No one else? I guess Michigan it is, no other state wants to challenge apparently.

 

Pretty much explains why the BA "regions" need review, if you just take the three west coast states together with Alaska they trump nearly the rest of the country combined.

 

I'm partial to my home state of Pennsylvania. You have some old vanguards of the craft movement (Victory, Troegs, & Yards) with some great new up and comers (Prism, Tired Hands, Forest & Main). I feel like the local craft industry moves so quickly it's hard to stay on top of.

My adoptive home state of Maine is pretty amazing too...Allagash, Maine Beer Company, Marshall Wharf, Baxter. The whole state is lousy with fresh, local craft beer.

 

I'm pretty sure NJ is better than North Dakota. Other than that, I'm just happy living between PA and NYS.

 

My heart says MI, but my mind says Cali.


PA, OR, and CO get honorable mention.

 

Bavaria.

 

North Carolina has some good shit. Fullsteam in Durham pumps out some good stuff. Triangle in Durham also cranks out some fantastic brewery-only stuff (BBA sour dubbel and lambic), and Bull City Burger & Brewery has some damn good British styles with one hell of an American IPA. Top of the Hill makes a great Irish Stout on cask, and Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill makes a good coffee stout (Jumpin' Bean). Now Ive forgotten the big boys and their taprooms (Foothills Jade, Highland Cold Mountain, Olde Hickory everything).

 

...and Olde Mecklenburg makes the best German-style beers (along with New Glarus) in the U.S.

 

you forget Great Lakes. I challenge you to find me a better Dortmunder or Vienna Lager than Dortmunder Gold and Eliot Ness.

 

Interesting. I don't have time to run the numbers, but by eyeballing it the winner in terms of per capita medals (deliberately not controlling for overall craft beer consumption in the state) is Alaska followed by Colorado.

 

http://www.sloshspot.com/photos/blog/full/photo_1239657592.png
found this with2008 census data.

 

my state, my state............actually its not. mi and ca have my favorite breweries

 

For my money, California. Followed closely by Oregon.

 

California
Oregon
Colorado
Michigan
Pennsylvania
North Carolina

In that order---roughly---

 

Not to mention most of our cities are fairly easy to navigate and lighter on traffic backups than cities in other states. Chicago was a nightmare the one time I have been in recent years, and I have heard that New York, LA, Pittsburgh, and others are worse.

 

My favorite breweries are located in Calif. Sierra Nevada, Russian River, Lagunitas, I buy more of their stuff than any other, but Oregon is an easy second with Deschutes, Boneyard, Block15, Ninkasi and a list that goes on and on. The only problem for me is that it's a one hour drive to the nearest great selection. The one good bottle shop in town does a yeoman's job but the cooler space is limited.

 

The state I'm in. Where ever that is. For the most part.

Was just in OR, then WA for the NHC. Liked both of those.

I think I could retire in Bend.

 

If Cascadia were a real state, we'd have seceded by now.

Truth be told, I probably drink more beer from California than from any other state (as I sip my Bruery Mischief). But since this question is about best "local" brewery it's a toss-up for me between California, Oregon, and Washington. So much going on right now. Colorado and Michigan deserve mention, but the West Coast is a beer-making juggernaut.

 

No state comes close to California IMO. Alpine, Ballast Point, Green Flash, Russian River, Stone, Firestone Walker, The Bruery...

Second by a long shot is Oregon with Cascade and Deschutes.

Close third for me is NY with Captain Lawrence and Ithaca.

Then maybe IN.