Favorite Local Beers and Breweries

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by drmcleod10, Nov 7, 2013.

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  1. drmcleod10

    drmcleod10 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Missouri

    Hey all,

    Just wanted to start a thread that discusses peoples favorite local beers and breweries from around the Country.
    List your Favorite beers locally + their style as well as the brewery.

    Wanted to broaden my scope in beers around the country beyond the higher rated and hyped up beers.

    Thanks.
     
  2. mrcraft

    mrcraft Grand Pooh-Bah (3,396) Dec 15, 2012 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    My favorite by far in the Los Angeles area is Beachwood in Long Beach (also in Seal Beach). They do many styles well. Not sure why they don't get the recognition that others do, but they put out IPA's that are on par with Kern River, Russian River, Alpine, etc. in California. They won the midsize brewpub of the year award at GABF this year, so that should help them become more known outside of California.
     
    T_Hass likes this.
  3. SirBottlecap

    SirBottlecap Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2013 California

    Santa Clara Valley Brewing Company, San Jose, Ca. The Peralta Porter is excellent and the Electric Tower IPA is exceptional! I haven't tried the Saison yet (tap only), but I hear it is great as well. No pub yet, but hopefully next year!
     
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  4. GreesyFizeek

    GreesyFizeek Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,026) Mar 6, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    My favorite in the Rochester, NY/Finger Lakes Area is Naked Dove Brewing. Their porter, 45 Fathoms, is one of the best porters I've ever had. I had a great Munich Helles Lager from them last time I was there.

    I also really dig Three Heads, they have one of my favorite hoppy reds, Loopy, and a great, insanely drinkable IPA called The Kind. Their black IPA, Skunk Black, and their Belgian IPA, Ontario Coast, are also quite delicious. These guys do hops well.

    Horseheads Brewing, down near Corning, is also a pretty solid brewery. Their pumpkin beer is third for me behind Pumpking and Schlafy, and their IPA and Barleywine are world class as well. They do have god-awful labels, though.

    It's a bit outside of the scope of "local" for me, given that they're from Buffalo, not Rochester, but Community Beer Works is awesome. "The IPA" might be the best IPA made in the state not named Flower Power or Higher Standard.
     
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  5. ThickNStout

    ThickNStout Pooh-Bah (2,142) Mar 8, 2011 Georgia

    My favorite local brewery by FAR is Burnt Hickory Brewing. They are a nanobrewery now but you will all know that name someday. They are doing outstanding work. While I've loved almost everything I've had, here are a few noteables:
    Old Wooden Head - an incredible double IPA
    Big Shanty Graham Cracker Stout - thats right, an imperial stout made with graham crackers!
    Killdozer - bourbon barrel aged barleywine.
    Charred Walls of the Damned - a huge double barrel aged quad.
    Noggin Knocker - imperial eggnog milk stout aged in rum barrels.

    And a few other favorite local brews:
    Terrapin Wake n Bake (coffee oatmeal stout)
    Terrapin Hopzilla (DIPA)
    Sweetwater IPA
    Wild Heaven Eschaton (quad aged on pinot noir oak)
    Red Brick 20th Anniversary (RIS aged in Buffalo Trace barrels)
    Jailhouse Breakout Stout (straight up roasty delicious stout)

    Georgia breweries are getting better and better!
     
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  6. drmcleod10

    drmcleod10 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Missouri

    Awesome. Thanks for the replies. Will have to check some of these out.

    For me. I bounce back and forth between St. Louis and Columbia.

    Enjoy the obvious Perennial Beers(May be getting the 2013 Abraxas and Coffee Abraxas)
    4 Hands - Volume 1
    4 Hands - Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown
    Civil Life - Brown
    Exit 6 - Vanilla Cream Ale
    Schlafly - Barrel Aged Imperial Porter
    Square One - Maple Stout
    Cathedral Square Stouts
    Urban Chestnut Brewing Co - Zwickel, Triticum, STLIPA (Awesome German Beers)
    Schlafly - Cask Cream Ale

    There are some others I am leaving out. But Side Project Brewing has come out with some awesome beers lately.

    Columbia Has:

    Broadway Brewery with some solid beers
    Prison Brews is close by (Had several of these at a Beer Festival)
    Flatbranch Brewing - Brown Ale

    I'm a sucker for BA stouts and Darker beers
     
  7. drmcleod10

    drmcleod10 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Missouri

    Brother Just arrived in LA today. Will have to mention this to him to see if he can bring some back.
    Which would you recommend?
     
  8. mrcraft

    mrcraft Grand Pooh-Bah (3,396) Dec 15, 2012 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    They bottled and released Udder Lover (milk stout-won silver medal) recently, if your brother can find some that'll be a good one. Also, I thought I saw Thrillseeker IPA being sold in bottles which is good. I would recommend your brother to visit the brewery for bottles/growlers and great food. They're not pouring now but Mocha Machine, Hop Ninja, System of a Stout are their more famous highly-rated beers.

    http://beachwoodbbq.com/brewery.html
     
    #8 mrcraft, Nov 8, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2013
  9. DrStiffington

    DrStiffington Grand Pooh-Bah (3,740) Oct 27, 2010 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I love Kane Head High and Overhead, IPA and DIPA, respectively. Also love Carton Boat Beer, which is now canned and is a hoppy session ale. These two are great newish breweries so they're mostly available only here in NJ. Both of these also have other beers I dig but I thought I'd leave at my faves.
     
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  10. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    What he said
     
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  11. FlakyBiscuit

    FlakyBiscuit Initiate (0) Sep 11, 2012 Pennsylvania

    East End brewing in pittsburgh. Almost all keg volume with some special bottles now and then. Big Hop IPA, Big Hop harvest Ale and Blackstrap Stout are exceptional.
     
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  12. carlitos92

    carlitos92 Zealot (599) Jul 12, 2012 Texas

    Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Texas has no shortage craft beer, but if you can, you MUST try:

    * Revolver Blood & Honey: It's like unfiltered Blue Moon that someone dissolved crack cocaine into. Effing GREAT.
    * Anything by Lakewood Brewing. These guys are solid all around. Their seasonals/limiteds are truly SPECIAL.
    * Rahr & Sons bombers. Regular offerings are so-so, but they damn well know how to barrel age a winter stout.
    * Jester King Black Metal from Austin. Imperial Stout, but with farmhouse yeast. I like it as much if not more than Ten Fidy.
    * Seasonals or limited releases from Saint Arnold in Houston. They have some interesting ones. Their Pumpkinator was the best pumpkin brew I had this year, and I had a few.
     
    #12 carlitos92, Nov 8, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2013
  13. Ilovelampandbeer

    Ilovelampandbeer Pooh-Bah (1,719) Aug 25, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    if you havent tried these already i recommend you try them...they might distribute to you im not sure

    resin-sixpoint
    sweet action-sixpoint
    bengali tiger-sixpoint
    witte-ommegang
    three philosophers-ommegang
    abbey ale-ommegang
    flower power- ithaca
    toasted lager-blue point (on tap only)-tastes like burnt mashmallows
     
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  14. BalancingBrooms

    BalancingBrooms Pooh-Bah (2,894) Aug 22, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Two Brothers Brewing

    Sidekick- pale ale
    Revelry - Amber
    North Winds- imp stout
    Resistance IPA - ipa aged in fouders
    Tangent - wild ale
    Ebel's Weiss Beer- Hef
     
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  15. wiscokid920

    wiscokid920 Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2011 Wisconsin

    Back in my college town of La Crosse, WI= Pearl Street Brewery. They are the reason I got into craft beer in the first place so it will always be a favorite. I'll be honest, a lot of beers I enjoy on tap are awful bottled, ex Dankenstein, but their Brown Ale...Downtown Brown is solid bottled and on tap.

    Back in Green Bay = Titletown Brewery. Love their Green 19 IPA! Hinterland Brewery is another favorite hometown brewery. Their Luna Coffee stout and Bourbon Barrel Doppelbock are fantastic.

    In my new hometown of Baltimore I'm still exploring but Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon IPA and Evolution Lot No3 IPA have been great intros!
     
    BadgerBrewer16 likes this.
  16. GreesyFizeek

    GreesyFizeek Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,026) Mar 6, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader


    Blue Point bottles Toasted Lager, I've bought it a few times.
     
  17. Ilovelampandbeer

    Ilovelampandbeer Pooh-Bah (1,719) Aug 25, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    yea i know i meant only on tap as far as that roasted marshmallows taste goes...i dont get that in the bottled form for some reason
     
  18. GreesyFizeek

    GreesyFizeek Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,026) Mar 6, 2013 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hm, I'll have to try it again, never noticed a marshmallow taste on tap, then again, it's been a while since I've had it.
     
  19. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Arcadia is my local brewery here in Battle Creek, and of the regular menu beers that they bottle and distribute, I'm mostly partial to the Thunder Trail ESB, the B-Craft Black IPA, the Sky High Rye, the London Porter, and the Loch Down Scotch Ale.
     
  20. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,620) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Peekskill, Barrier and the aforementioned Kane, are all great breweries that are around an hour or less drive from NYC.

    Higher Standard, Money and Overhead (respectively) are all great beers. There are plenty of others
     
    pjkelley82 likes this.
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