Best Year for Beers

Im going to go ahead and say 1933, ill give you an exact date as well, December 5th- The end of Prohibition

 

Between the popular media attention and the even wider availability of great beers, an argument could be made for 2014

 

Weren't rare and bcbs vanilla both released in 2010? That sounds like a good year.

 

1994 was probably the best year for movies, hands down.

Beer? If we're going with the current wave of the craft beer boom then I'd vote for whenever Shawn Hill opened up shop?

 

I'll vote for 1982, the year that brewpubs became legal in California and a few other states (not sure of the exact timing of Oregon and Washington, but I think they were also 1982).

 

Since it was mentioned by both OP and another, I have to disagree with the 1994 as best year in movies. Just browsing through a couple years, 1996 was much better. As for beer, who knows? I would say 1992.

 

2015. And after that, 2016.

 

In my opinion, the best range of years were 2008-2010 and I say this because during this time bars that had a good selection of beer were finally starting to pop up in my area. Founders limiteds would be on draft for a week or so at a good price and it was just a normal crowd of people enjoying good beers and good food. There was also no need to harass the few local stores for anything limited because it usually was not gone from the shelves.

The other nice thing about this time period was that cantillon was actually available and accessible for a good price where I could get a bottle every week. When I needed my Three Floyds kick, I could just hop the border and head into Indiana. Beer above 12%, hop the border into Michigan when it was freely available.

This is just near where I was though and there was barely anything besides macros to drink and the only place to grab something different was one bakery.

 

2014

 

not sure of the best year, however the best day is, well today!

 

For Michigan 2014, our governor signed a law to help microbreweries allowing them to increase production. And in the same law if you make less than 1000 barrels you can self distribute!

 

2014 for all the incredible Beers Released I know some are yearly releases but there are subtle differences and this past years beers were so fantastic and I was able to try so many of the heavy Hitters if not for the Industry as a whole 2014 will be tough year for me to top personally quick run down of the deliciousness Parabola, Sucaba, Velvet Merkin, Mocha Merlin, Bretta Rosé,FW XVIII , KBS, FBS, the small re release of CBS, Bells Black Note, Great Lakes BA Black Out Stout, BCBS, BCBCS, Vanilla Rye, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout, BA Narwhal, Marshal Zhukov's, Jay Alai, Heady Topper, Ghandi Bot, Prairie BOMB! and Christmas BOMB!,and Locally AZWBC Barrel aged Presidential, and Fate's Candy Bar Milk Stout

 

Today today, tomorrow tomorrow; the number of available beers keeps growing...

 

According to my Delorean , flux capacitor and 88 mph. 2034 is going to be a stellar year for beer

 

^This. As long as "We" (humanity) progresses with different grains, hops, yeast strains or know how, beer will forever progress. Or will Degress, then we can find a vintage year when beer stopped getting better.

 

The early 90's were astounding, say 93 through 98. For one I got into a much wider range of styles, and two, nice vintage bottles of Thomas Hardy's were available for a good price. There was also some great breweries available that have gone the way of the dinosaur. An experimental time in brewing with wide range swaths. That said, not much compares to the selection available the past 5, from brewers from all over the US and the globe in general we live in a great time for a wide range of flavors to suit most anyone's taste buds.

 

ambiguous criteria, but for me it was late 90's to early 2000's because virtually all of the beers I love were brewed then, including American IPAs, but without the ills of craft beer having gone more mainstream as it is now.

Beer bars also seemed to carry more of the best that was in a region, and then very good imports from Belgium, Germany, etc. Today it is messed up by comparison as there's less focus on the best, and more focus on having a wide variety of local - even if local isn't very good. This is a big negative for me. Even if someone has gripes about my comments on the local part above, I think it is undeniable that there's fewer quality imports occupying tap handles now than a decade or so ago.

 

Permit me to suggest 1965: the year that Fritz Maytag purchased Anchor Brewing and saving that brewery from closing. IMO, 1965 was the seminal moment of the US craft beer movement.

Cheers to Fritz!

 

1986, the year Pete's Wicked Ale was first brewed...that was my gateway into American Craft beer, and in my opinion, a damn fine ale