Best breweries that can "do it all"

Firestone Walker

 

Sam Adams

 

New Glarus is the right answer here.

They actually do everything exceedingly well, from cream ales (Spotted Cow) all the way up to limited release hyped-up fruited sours (VSB).

They do great traditional-ish lagers (Hometown Blonde, Two Woman, Totally Naked, Edel Pils, Yokel).

They have the best fruit beers in the county (Serendipity, Belgian Red, Raspberry Tart, Apple Ale, etc)

They do hoppy beers well (Moon Man, Scream).

Their sour program is on point as well, the majority of the R&D releases are super good, and their straight up berliner is one of the best no-frills Berliners I've ever had. Their Oud Bruin is a stunner as well, and they make many other great sours (Enigma, Wild Sour, Cran-bic).

Dancing Man is a great hefeweizen.

I guess they don't make any barrel-aged stouts, but do you get the point? They actually do everything style-wise, and they nearly always get it right.

 

The only one I can think of that "does it all" well is Deschutes because even though there are many like Founders, Sierra Nevada, Jack' Abby, Great Lakes ... and so on that make really good representations of about every style they brew, most of them are missing at least one or two that would cover prett much all of the commonly produced/readily available ones

 

God damn, how did I miss New Glarus! Moon man is one of the best pale ales on the market, they own the fruit beer game, all lagers are solid. Just really an awesome line up. I've never had a bad beer from them. I could go for a Fat Squirrel right now!

 

Block 15 & Pfriem

 

Goodness am I tired of this pimping of completely non accessible "boutique" breweries. OK they have their role in pushing the envelope but truly a <1%er. OP--great stuff but irrelevant, yes IRRELEVANT to the majority.

As far as someone making stuff that at least shows on the shelf and not keg/growler only, would agree with Wicked Weed and Westbrook for ones within a few hours for me. Not nationally available but at least not that hard to get.

On a even bigger level another nod to Sierra Nevada--the Ovila Saison is a solid saison. The Otra Vez a good shot at a gose but hard to say they have a real good sour. The other incredible number of other beers beers that are fantastic make up for it. They don't make a bad one.

And Wooden Robot locally--OK another keg/growler only but leaves me far from sweating out growlers from New England.

 

For here in Ohio, a few come to mind.

Hoof Hearted makes a lot more than just their juice bomb DIPAs. But some nice Saisons like SaiZzurp, Sidepipin, and Tube Life. Stouts you have Voltan and Miracle Toast, and Sours you have Skin Froot, and their Rose Gose.

MadTree is another one, in Cincinnati. IPA: PsycHOPathy, Citra High, Galaxy High. Saison: Tiamat and Tequila Tiamat. Stout: Axis Mundi and all its variants. And Sours with their Levanto Series, including Dead Flowers are all nice. MadTree easily makes the widest selection in SW Ohio, and most of them are damn good. Id put them up against any of the other bigger named Breweries out there.

And Finally Jackie O's. IPAs: Mystic Mama, Mandala Citra, the Grave. Saisons: Opulence, Providence, and Forescythe have all been lovely. Stouts: Dark Apparition, Oil of Aphrodite, Oro negro (BB as well) are just a drop in the bucket to all the great stouts they make. And Sours; any of their Cellar Cuvee, Berliner Weisse (and its many variants), and Evelyn are all exquisite.

Ohio has a lot of diverse breweries out there, and most of them are killing it by staying local. Cheers all!

 

From a Colorado/Midwest perspective, I think Avery do a great job at any style they brew.

 

After reading through everyone's thoughts - I'm not sure what sours Deschutes does, but would lean with many on Boulevard.

But also agree with what @TongoRad mentioned first - the OP is a bit focused on what "all" means - but what Saisons do FW produce? What sours do many (Founders, Bells) produce??

I can see a lot in what many of people have said, but I haven't seen a Wicked Weed Stout that people have posted about to grab my interest (not that they don't make them, maybe they do). As for the similar, more regional breweries I have no idea of, I might just have to take you posters' words for it .

 

While I generally agree with you, per the OP, not sure their Saison portfolio stands up as one of the four required categories.

 

I was thinking the Dissident kind of qualified as a Flanders, and considered that since they do a quad, belgian ipa, barleywine, saison, esb, and a couple of strong ales they are one of the most complete I could think of. I was just thinking that Lagunitas is probably up there too

 

As to Firestone Walker- I haven't yet had (or even seen) their sours that seem to be well regarded, but Opal (their saison) isn't uncommon.

ETA- plus with Pivo Pils, they totally clean up in the lager category! (if there was one )

 

Got me on Dissident, I agree it qualifies and did not think of it... as a single beer. Which may be good enough given the limited nature of the beers I recognize by some breweries mentioned.

Again, a single saison - does that make for "doing them well." I've generally liked the FW sours I've gotten hold of (all of 2 .

These comments are not to be snippy - just to be "argumentative conversational"

 

Well, by playing with the OP's rules, at least FW is in the discussion. And some might argue that their overwhelming success in other areas would make up for their deficiencies in the saison category. Me even, but then again I do have a thing for fresh Union Jack...

 

I think most of us replied that much more than just those 4 trendy styles make a great portfolio from a brewery.

 

Not to sidetrack this thread, but...

I do like Union Jack, but I have the same thing you describe for Double Jack... but where do people like us get it fresh (if I see it close to a month - it's a surprise).

I understand, and agree with many who posted on that front - but my intention was to bring it back to the OP, on his criteria. Or we can start a different discussion with whatever provided guidelines we desire.

 

FWIW- for my part I'd keep it simple:
do they brew convincing/noteworthy beers within the stylistic profiles of England + Belgium + Continental Lagers + US 'craft era' ? That would take some skill and understanding in and of itself. The more depth the better, naturally.

These are very broadly defined terms, but still my gut feeling is that most would fall short in the 'English' category.

 

You just have to keep checking and hope to get it at the 'top' of the cycle when your distributors and stores get it. After that it will sit around for months. This only happens a few times a year for me, but I do keep looking at those dates.

 

Founders does everything right, but w/o sours.

Otherwise, I'd have to say Wicked Weed. They can literally brew it all.

Runner up.. Prairie (although, pricing is insane!).