I'm probably as much or more of a place ticker as I am a beer ticker. I got to thinking what the most rated places were in the US so I pulled the list. Place, average rating, total ratings 3 Floyds Brewing Co., 4.49 1420 Founders Brewing Company, 4.53 1164 Russian River Brewing Company 4.57 1039 Stone Brewing 4.58 995 Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store 4.36 808 Cigar City Brewing 4.52 801 Tree House Brewing Company (Sturbridge Rd in Charlton) 4.68 748 Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.67 747 Monk's Café 4.45 583 Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown 4.31 572 Wicked Weed Brewing 4.52 572 Great Lakes Brewing Co. 4.35 569 Lagunitas Brewing Company 4.44 552 The Bruery 4.59 531 Toronado 4.3 511 Tröegs Brewing Company 4.38 477 New Glarus Brewing Company 4.6 468 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 4.52 447 Prohibition Pig 4.46 432 HopCat 4.52 419 Few questions for the BAs (answer one, none, all, whatever you fancy) How many have you been to? Any on your beer bucket list? Any surprises? Any place you're surprised isn't visited more? --- I've been to 3 Floyds, Russian River, Stone, Cigar City, Monk's Cafe, Lagunitas, The Bruery, and Toronado. I've been to alternate locations of Tree House and Victory. Looks like I need to Visit Vermont and Michigan (One I've only ever had layovers at the airport and the other I've never set foot in). I'll be ticking off Prohibition Pig and HF come Summer. I think the most bucket list one here for me though is Dogfish Head.
What do you know. I've been to 13. More than I would have expected. I've been to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9,10, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 18. I've never heard of 19 or 20. I guess I'm surprised Ebenezer's isn't on the list. That was considered quite the destination for a number of years. Also thought the Brick Store Pub in Decatur might be on this list. Do closed places not count on this list? I would have expected Falling Rock and the Maproom to be on here as well.
Closed places aren't on here. I would be curious if there were a way to pull the list like that. I think what surprised me is when I expand it to the whole world the first international entry was #39. I had guessed it would be Cantillion, but I didn't expect it to be so far down.
Looks like Falling Rock would have made the list, but not the Map Room. Also thought maybe the Moan and Dove would be on the list. At one time, back in 2006 I think, it was rated the number one place to grab a beer on BA. For the life of me I could never figure out why (after visiting), but there it is.
Hold on. I know someone... Top 20 Most Rated Places All-Time (includes closed) 3 Floyds Brewing Co., 1420 Founders Brewing Company, 1164 Russian River Brewing Company, 1039 Stone Brewing, 995 Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store, 808 Cigar City Brewing, 801 Tree House Brewing Company, 748 Hill Farmstead Brewery, 747 Monk's Café, 583 Wicked Weed Brewing, 572 Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, 572 Great Lakes Brewing Co., 569 Revolution Brewing - Brewpub, 563 Lagunitas Brewing Company, 552 The Bruery, 531 Toronado, 511 Tröegs Brewing Company, 477 New Glarus Brewing Company, 468 Goose Island Beer Co. - Clybourn, 466 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 447 Top 20 Most Rated Places (active as of this post) 3 Floyds Brewing Co., 1420 Founders Brewing Company, 1164 Russian River Brewing Company, 1039 Stone Brewing, 995 Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store, 808 Cigar City Brewing, 801 Tree House Brewing Company, 748 Hill Farmstead Brewery, 747 Monk's Café, 583 Wicked Weed Brewing, 572 Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, 572 Great Lakes Brewing Co., 569 Lagunitas Brewing Company, 552 The Bruery, 531 Toronado, 511 Tröegs Brewing Company, 477 New Glarus Brewing Company, 468 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 447 Prohibition Pig, 432 HopCat, 419 Looks like I've been to at least 14 on the list.
Surprisingly I've only been to 5. Maybe I'm just not a mainstream kind of guy. Monk's RR in Santa Rosa Hill Farmstead Tree House Charlton Victory in Downingtown
Are you sure the Maproom has closed? Their website is still up. I don't remember anything on the Web about them closing, as opposed to Falling Rock.
Been to: Cigar City, Monk's Cafe, Wicked Weed, Toronado, Dogfish Head On Bucket List: 3Floyds, Russian River, Bell's, Tree House, Hill Farmstead, Lagunitas, New Glarus. Stone will get knocked off this Feb when I'm in SD Not on my bucket list per say, but I imagine I will eventually get to Victory, Troegs and Great Lakes
It's 7 for me and I have to say I enjoyed every one of them. Tree House Brewing Company Hill Farmstead Brewery Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown Great Lakes Brewing Co. Tröegs Brewing Company Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Prohibition Pig
#20 HopCat isn’t a brewery. It’s a Michigan based restaurant and bar chain. Basically a Yard House. Not sure why they’re on the list.
I've been to 10 on the list, and Hill Farmstead is probably the one that is highest up on my bucket list. I'm surprised at the three non-brewery locations being on the list, but that's just me because I focus on going to breweries when I'm planning a trip. EDIT: surprised at two non-brewery locations (didn't realize that Prohibition pig is a brewery)
0. The only ones I'd be likely to go out of my way for are New Glarus, OG Toronado, and Russian River. And, for the life of me, after all the horror stories about the terrible service, I can't understand why folks make a pilgrimage to Three Floyds.
Been to 9, and then 5 more of that brewery but another of their locations. Missing the Californians, cigar and somehow never actually went to Hill Farmstead even though we love Vermont and have visited much of the state frequently
HopCat used to brew and that's why they have the Brewery designation, but it's probably been over 10 years since they quit.
The last Place rating is from May, 2024, since the pub was closed. No more horrible service stories unless it's standing in line in frigid weather for a special release.
Even so, when they were open, even the most dedicated fanbois here would complain about them, and then give them a high score. I don't understand. Unless metalheads just feel like they have to stick together, no matter what.
Shockingly none of them. Your list is a good bucket list for me! yet I've had beers from like 14 of them. Surprised a wee bit that Sierra Nevada (Chico) didn't make the roll call.
