5 Best/Favorite Breweries

Toppling Goliath
HF
Treehouse
La cumbre
De Garde

I could easily name 10 more!

 

Russian River, Santa Rosa, CA
Lagunitas, Petaluma, CA
Swamp Head, Gainesville, FL (homer, but I do love the place)
Widmer Brothers, Portland, OR
Crazy Donkey, Island of Santorini, Greece

 

In no order.

Founders
Three Floyds
The Bruery
Stone
Country Boy

 

SARA
De Garde
New Glarus
Perennial
Side Project

TG isn't on the list because I'm not sure where their behemoth stouts are headed following the loss of Mike. I enjoy their hoppy stuff, but it's those monster stouts I love.

Goose Island fails to make the list because I'm in a shit snit over the cavalier way those fucks dumped poor Iowa on the BCBS release...2013 was really bad. 2014 was much worse. Love BCBS & variants but the GI expanded distro is something I've got zero love for. (Note, I'm not bitching about getting less. I'm pissed at getting practically none.)

 

Revolution
Metropolitan
Oskar Blues
Westbrook
Off Color

 

Half Acre
Pipeworks
Three Floyds
18th Street
Lagunitas

 

Based on a combination of beer quality and diversity in addition to my experience either at the brewery or interacting with the owners/staff in some way:

1. Victory
2. Bell's
3. Barley Brown's
4. Westvleteren (will always have a soft spot in my heart regardless of shifting trends)
5. Carton

 

in no order

Ommegang
Firestone Walker
DC Brau
Dogfish Head
St. Bernardus

 

Founders
Shorts
Three Flloyds
Lagunitas
Deschutes

 

Stone, Bells, Victory, Sierra Nevada, Sixpoint