2016 Up-and-Coming Breweries

Love it when people from the breweries chime in with such thoughtful responses. I had Frederic C Noir at FOBAB this year and thought it was phenomenal. Look forward to what the future brings.

 

Good People out of Birmingham, AL has some great beers. Ones that I highly recommend are, their El Gordo (RIS) and Snake Handler (DIPA). I visited them last week during the Birmingham Bowl and the brewery and the people are top notch

 

Casey Brewing and Blending might have already blown up, but they are new to me on the east coast. Incredible beer and started in 2013 I believe

 

coastal empire

 

I wouldn't call Barrier up and coming - they've been at it since 2009. They are just a bit under the radar because they make so many different styles of beer - not just IPAs, BA stouts, sours. Give the other ones they make a try too. Of course they make great IPAs too - Dunegrass DIPA is my favorite

 

I think it's unfair to say HH's beers are "visually repulsive." I'd agree that what HH labels an IPA or IIPA would not meet the visual requirements in a beer competition for those styles, but, if I were to guess, I would assume HH cares very little about whether or not its able to meet the visual characteristics of a style that predates some of the techniques used in beers akin to HH's hoppy offerings. Truthfully, the categories used in beer competitions are often far behind the innovative skills of brewers. But, back to the point, calling a murky, hazy, unfiltered hoppy ale labeled as an IPA or IIPA as visually repulsive if it tastes and smells amazing (the two HH beers I've had do) focuses too much on just the look of a beer--and, frankly, is like putting a square into a circle cut-out.

HH is not a one-trick pony. They do several varieties; a simple look at their BA page would tell you that. And a simple google search and five minutes would tell you they're growing both their business and their brand. Yes, that brand plays on a humor you appear to be calling "stoned frat boys making dick jokes," but I, for one, enjoy the humor. I also enjoy their confidence in selling a great product whilst displaying their own personality (you do get that Hoof Hearted sounds like "who farted" when you say it, right? ).

I can only hope that those breweries befitting of your "JV league" categorization are this good and are as business-savvy as to partner with a respected Columbus restaurant group in a joint effort to create a branded brewpub so that they can expand and continue to grow. It would sound to me like these "stoned frat boys making dick jokes" are doing it right.

 

While I realize they've been in business since 2009, the point I was trying to make was that they are still flying under the radar and haven't truly broken out like the other local breweries have. That being said, I am definitely interested in trying their other styles, and am in the process of planning a trip out to the brewery with some friends.

 

Selfishly - I wouldn't be so happy if it got really busy there with beer geeks needing to get the latest thing because of FOMO (something I learned from this site) - its a relaxed, local place making great beer for everyone not just hopheads. I like that you can get a porter, kolsch, cream ale, etc and your IPAs of course. They have flights but I find it hard to taste one beer after another from a 4oz or so glass, go for the 10oz glass. LIRR stop nearby and great food truck too.

 

These may sound crazy but some of the locals have a chance for big years.

Alchemist - New facility opening this year to expand capacity
Foley Brothers - If they could start canning they could make a big jump

And the Mass. big boys are similar:

Tree House - Huge hype. If capacity allowed them to be distributed they would blow up
Trillium - Canning operation would go a long way to their further success

 

I will be raiding them in the spring. I'm afraid there won't be too much left afterwards...

 

anyone say cycle yet?

 

Wooden Robot out of Charlotte is new but Ass Clown just north of CLT has some funky brews.

 

I hope that Funk out of PA and Forgotten Boardwalk in NJ take off.

 

They know what they're doing at Copperpoint. I cannot wait to go back next summer on my annual business trip to that area.

 

Bourbon Barrel Cavatica Stout

 

I think there are levels of up and coming. There's your local brewpub about to embark on regular bottling, then there's my a cult or local fave which seems destined to expand their distribution footprint the way Prairie or Founders have in recent years. I'm also curious about people's opinions of the latter. I feel like a lot of these might be on the East Coast, and I'm not even talking about the NE cult beers. But I could also just be a little tipsy.

 

Ballast point 2.0!

 

Free Will Brewing. This guys have some nice local collabs in the works. Hope to see some more robust stouts and quads from them.

 

Great raft brewing out of Shreveport, la is my pick. There beers are on point and they will be releasing their first spur soon, collab wth. Upland

 

I completely agree with Foley Brothers. A very underrated VT brewery that is churning out some serious IPAs such as Fair Maiden, Prospect and Pieces O 8. These rival the big guns coming out of the state.

I'll also give a nod to Fiddlehead as well. Really love their stuff.