Top 50 U.S. craft breweries

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by BBThunderbolt, Aug 4, 2014.

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  1. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    BMBCLT and AdmiralOzone like this.
  2. sefus12

    sefus12 Pundit (938) Sep 7, 2006 Wisconsin
    Trader

    Sierra Nevada at #40? PLEASE. Pretty solid list, but having Southern Tier so high w/SN at #40 is a big mistake, in my humble opinion.
     
  3. Mebuzzard

    Mebuzzard Grand Pooh-Bah (4,290) May 19, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I love the Maine photo
     
  4. CraftFan5

    CraftFan5 Pooh-Bah (2,264) May 14, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hill Farmstead at #28? Problematic.
     
  5. tdmccarthy

    tdmccarthy Initiate (0) May 6, 2010 Illinois

    It's just another list but I disagree with your premise. I much prefer Stone to New Glarus. NG is solid but 22 seems about right for them. Founders at 1 is spot on. I think Surly is waaay too low and New Belgium isn't top 50, but otherwise not a lot stood out as huge problems for me though I've never had anything from Hill Farmstead, Crooked Stave, Maine and others.
     
  6. AnalogErik

    AnalogErik Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2013 Minnesota

    "My favorite home state brewery is under-rated!"
     
  7. DelMontiac

    DelMontiac Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2010 Oklahoma

    A good list if you disregard placement.
     
  8. SeanBond

    SeanBond Pooh-Bah (2,904) Jul 30, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think that list is pretty shitty, but it's impossible to put out one that everyone would agree on. For example, I'd put Goose Island at #1 (it's my favorite brewery), and a lot of people don't even consider it a craft brewery anymore.

    In short, the list is subjective, and there's going to be a LOT of differing opinions.
     
  9. orcrist_cleaver

    orcrist_cleaver Initiate (0) May 3, 2014 New York
    Trader

    Neither Terrapin nor Sweetwater get the recognition they deserve for their domination over the region...just like the Atlanta Braves.
     
  10. CraftFan5

    CraftFan5 Pooh-Bah (2,264) May 14, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Maybe BA should have a list of top breweries in the same style as the list of top beers.
     
  11. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah, I don't think NB belongs in a serious discussion of the top 50 U.S. brewers. For me, Stone has had too many experiments go awry for them to be top 10, I'd put them in the 15-20 range.
     
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  12. tkdchampxi

    tkdchampxi Pooh-Bah (2,473) Oct 19, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm a little confused. Was the list a popularity contest (13,000 voters mentioned in the article)? The use of the phrase "Once the nominations were in (all 118 of them), we asked you, dear readers, to weigh in on which breweries deserved to be recognized. And you responded with a deluge of your well-researched opinions: we received over 13,000 votes, and many write-in opinions" suggests that the voters only weighed in, but did not entirely decide the list.

    Anyway: Avery at #12 is WAY too high

    Yeah, because it shouldn't even be on this list.
     
  13. BH712

    BH712 Initiate (0) Jan 29, 2014 District of Columbia

    Notable absences (some may be on here and I just missed them):
    Russian River
    Troegs
    Goose Island
    Jester King
    Perennial
    Boston Beer Co (let the flame war begin)
    Bear Republic
    Lawson's
    Midnight Sun
    Hair of the Dog
    Brew Dog
    Left Hand
    Pretty Things
    Smuttynose
     
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  14. WillieThreebiers

    WillieThreebiers Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,203) Apr 26, 2012 Connecticut
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    12 of the top 20 beers in New England are Hill Farmstead. HF does not have a single beer rated below 4...They don't rate top 10....give me a break...another list thaqt doesn't know a hole in the ground from its a**.
     
  15. richobrien

    richobrien Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2013 California

    With some of the beers they are putting out, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tree House and New England Brewing on a list like this in the next couple years (hopefully sooner!)
     
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    RR is at #3.
     
  17. wcu80

    wcu80 Pundit (967) Feb 2, 2005 Georgia
    Trader

    This is like arguing over "who's the prettiest woman in the world?"
     
    Dello, Ranbot, loweball727 and 7 others like this.
  18. tylerstravis

    tylerstravis Pooh-Bah (2,487) Feb 14, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    "WAY too much love for Colorado breweries." - Said the guy from Colorado
     
  19. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    Only one Portland brewery on the list (and at #49) ... Just the way we like it.
     
  20. RobinLee

    RobinLee Maven (1,423) Feb 15, 2012 Wisconsin

    Would Brew Dog even count? They're Scottish. Evil Twin's in a somewhat grey zone
     
    AdmiralOzone likes this.
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