What Beer Represents Your State?

I'm with you on this - Hop Devil is always a go-to for me when I want something just to swill and enjoy, not quaff and analyze.

 

Well that's nice to know, I just assumed. That makes it a little bit more appealing now!

 

Bourbon County Stout is for collectors.

Anti Hero is for drinkers. Thats my choice.

 

For New Hampshire, probably Smuttynose. It’s still the most ubiquitous of the NH craft breweries, especially with Finest Kind. I always thought FK was representative of the old-fashion nature of the state and the elderly taciturn rural Yankee.

As I have spent a lot of time in Vermont, allow me to contribute Alchemist and Hermit Thrush. Heady Topper is still highly-regarded, and the rest of Alchemist’s offerings hold practically legendary status. Hermit Thrush focuses exclusively on wild ales and I think captures the unconventional, improvisational culture of the state as a whole.

 

Fair enough, but your choice of the representative beer of California in the original post anchored this discussion (pun intended).

Based on your revised criteria, for Minnesota, I'll nominate Fair State Kazbek Kellerbier, the top-rated Zwickel/Keller/Landbier in the country (at the other site) and brewed in the unofficial beer style of the state of Minnesota. Fair State is a superb brewery that, while highly regarded, merits even more acclaim.

 

I think Texas is Shiner Bock. It's certainly the most prolific Texas brew.
Spoetzl is Texas's oldest independent brewery, and the flagship of said brewery is SB.

 

GL Blackout Stout in that case

 

You forgot rancid and sour

 

Yes and that has been already put out here, but when I read the OP's comment

I think of Yellow Rose, and what it has done for the region. Not to knock on Shiner, because I am a big homer, but I hate to think the beer that reflects our character is a bock that isn't a bock

 

Westbrook Gose.

 

For me, the iconic craft beer that has represented this state for a while is Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas. Honorable mention to Union's Duckpin which is a great pale ale that represents some of Baltimore's "quirky" culture

 

From SC, I’d say Westbrook is the brewery, the beer is a little harder to narrow down, maybe Mexican Cake?

 

Only had it once but I really liked it.

 

You can’t talk about Ohio beer without starting off with Great Lakes Dortmunder. It was the first beer from the oldest craft brewery in the state, and it put us on the map for great beer.

Today, I think Fat Heads and Jackie O’s produce some of the best progressive (and also traditional), nationally-acknowledged beers.

 

Great topic for convo @stevepat

My home state is Michigan, so I really enjoyed reading the comments from our Michigan Advocates. And for the record - the correct answer to OP's question is KBS for Michigan. Its iconic, its hyped, its widely known elsewhere in the US. Michigan is KBS.

For Texas - @donspublic is right with Yellow Rose.

I wish Jester King was somewhere in this topic but I cant think of a single beer by them that best represents the state in all ways. Obviously Atrial immediately comes to mind, but I believe the raspberries are sourced outside the state. JK being as focus as they are on "place", that somehow seems to take Atrial out of this discussion. All the other fruited sours - while incredible - dont seem to have that universal awareness outside of Texas that Atrial does.

 

I've had a lot of Michigan beer over the years and I've never heard of M43. No one thinks of Michigan on the topic of New England IPAs.

MA is obviously Boston Lager.

 

What about Westbrook Gose? Seeing as how you guys have miles of ocean shoreline, with that salty sea air. And a nice light beer goes good with high temps and humidity. When I think of SC, I don't immediately think of.... Mexican Cake.

 

I will play off this idea somewhat. You ever had something from Piney River Brewing? They are in the Ozarks, arguably the geographic icon of Missouri, and their beers are named as a nod to region and culture. Their beers represent the character of a region for sure. Good beer too!