Craft Beer Power Rankings

No regards to the size? No Sam Adams?

Fail.

 

NO FOUNDERS! A travesty! A sham! A shibacle (thanks Deion)! How dare they!

I kid, seems like a good list. I would probably boot off New Belgium in exchange for Founders, put it at number 1, and just kick everybody else down a spot. But regardless, a good list with well-respected breweries, shows they're taking it seriously that we see the likes of 3 Floyds.

 

A good list. I was surprised that ninkasi was on the list (especially ahead of deschutes) as well as New Belgium. Both of them make decent beers, but nothing I seek out or regularly buy.

 

With greater than 1,900 breweries it's hard to nail down the "top ten" most influential breweries today. The list is solid but Founders not being among it is questionable.

So many great breweries.

 

No Founders or Bell's?!?!? Screw you guys...I'm going home........

 

yes, how the hell are Founders and Bells not on there? New Belgium shouldn't be on there

 

Agree with number 1 and 2, but in a different order. Seriously though, seems to be a pretty big California bias on that list. Also, no Founders like everybody has said, and NO CIGAR CITY!

 

Funny article, its like those guys invented those styles of beer, just a few years ago.

I know its all about American craft, but still it bugs me, its like we invented all those styles 30 years ago, NOT..

 

Others that should be considered: Victory, Port/Lost Abbey, Bruery, Goose Island (though really "craft" anymore per se), Cigar City

Though not all huge breweries, I think these guys have a lot of influence on the industry and push trends forward

 

Any list of influential brewers needs to include Sam Adams just for sheer size alone. Any bar/restaurant adding craft taps is probably going to add SA before anything else.

 

This seems like a silly idea. Plus there are a bunch left off that seem like they get more buzz than some on there. No GI and no Founders seems crazy after King Henry and CBS.

 

List seems pretty good. I think that about the top 20 breweries could all be swapped around on this list. Bell's Founders cigar Sam Adams Etc

 

Take out New Belgium and Ninkasi, they're just not good enough to be on this list.
Take out Surly and Three Floyds, you can't be a "power player" if you distribute in only one state, no matter how good you are.
Sub in Founders, Bell's, Boston Beer Co., and... I don't know - Boulevard? The Bruery? Ommegang? Take your pick.

 

Take this as a snapshot of some influential breweries on the market today, not a list intended to be entirely comprehensive (whatever that would look like). And by influential they don't seem to mean "good" or "big," but rather creating a buzz, influencing the culture in some important way, which I think just about all of those breweries do.

And New Belgium should definitely be on the list. Anybody who thinks the craft world would be the same without them is fooling themselves.

 

I think you have to put Allagash on a list like this.

 

Why is everyone knocking New Belgium? I can not remember a Lips of Faith beer that I did not enjoy. La Folie? Kick? The new Mole? Not to mention their pure size and influence here in CO. They absolutely deserve to be on this list.

 

It's probably just me, but when I think New Belgium I think Fat Tire, Ranger, etc. Average craft beers that got a lot of people off BMC, but nothing special in today's far more competetive market. Lips of Faith is essentially an entirely different brand. Just my impression.

 

why was the original thread about this deleted?

 

I see what is included, not what's excluded. This list is OK with me. And I learned something by reading it.