[eric strt6]

How close to legit is this list, twenty best states for beer


http://www.sfgate.com/food/slideshow/America-s-best-states-for-beer-92406/photo-6780502.php

 

[StiHacka]

Where's Oregon in this list? http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/top/

 

[eric strt6]

Where's Oregon in this list? http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/top/

1. Oregon
Deschutes, Rogue and Ninkasi are mainstays. Then you've got Full Sail, Widmer Brothers and Bend. Also Pelican, Breakside, Hair of the Dog, Cascade -- OK, Oregon. We'll let you have it this time. Just this once.

 

[Nick]

I'd say those top three are legit picks, regardless of order.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Since I have become of legal drinking age, I have lived in CA, OR, WA, and CO. I can't speak for any states east of the Rockies, but as far as west coast states go, that list seems pretty legit. While new breweries are spreading in CO like a outbreak of Ebola, CO is still a long way short of OR and WA in terms of number of breweries, and I hate to say it, but quality too. While there are certainly some great breweries here, the number of dubious quality breweries is shockingly high. In OR and WA, if your beer wan't fantastic, you didn't last long, yet it seems that here, as long as you can produce something fizzy with alcohol in it, your going to be able to make a run of it. I'm actually hoping that legal pot will weed out (no pun intended) some of the mediocre breweries.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Whatever you do, don't bother with Vermont. There's no beer here.

 

[jackalope]

Can't speak for the western states, other than to say I generally love their many offerings, but I did find it amusing they only listed one brewery (Highland) for Asheville in the NC summary. While Highland has been around for awhile and they make a fine beer, there are certainly several newer breweries in Asheville that have far surpassed them IMO...

To wit - http://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/how-does-lil-ole-asheville-keep-winning-the-beer-city-usa-poll

 

[HAB]

I'm pretty okay with that top 5.

 

[ICEBALL585]

New York made the top ten, I'm happy with that.

 

[dante]

I'm a bit annoyed that VT beat out WI, but otherwise it seems like a pretty solid list. If anything MI should be higher (Bells, Founders, Shorts, Dark Horse, etc) and crack the top 3.

Wisconsin's craft beer scene is certainly beyond the "New Glarus and Leinenkugels" mentioned in the list, but Madison is really the only real concentration of breweries/brewpubs in the state (12ish Brewpubs, 4 full production breweries, although I'm probably forgetting a couple). Everything else is spread out around the state (Central Waters, Tyranena, New Glarus, etc being a half hour to an hour away) so it's easy to forget that not *everywhere* is like here.

 

[stevew]

I'm a bit annoyed that VT beat out WI, .

this is not pandering.....but....

when i think of beer swilling falling down drunk alkies....i think wisconsin.

fvck those other states.

sincerely,

beer nazi.

 

[dante]

this is not pandering.....but....

when i think of beer swilling falling down drunk alkies....i think wisconsin.

fvck those other states.

sincerely,

beer nazi.

You do have a bit of a point...

 

[Beef Supreme]

I'm a bit annoyed that VT beat out WI, but otherwise it seems like a pretty solid list. If anything MI should be higher (Bells, Founders, Shorts, Dark Horse, etc) and crack the top 3.

Wisconsin's craft beer scene is certainly beyond the "New Glarus and Leinenkugels" mentioned in the list, but Madison is really the only real concentration of breweries/brewpubs in the state (12ish Brewpubs, 4 full production breweries, although I'm probably forgetting a couple). Everything else is spread out around the state (Central Waters, Tyranena, New Glarus, etc being a half hour to an hour away) so it's easy to forget that not *everywhere* is like here.

The thing that drives me crazy about lists like this is it doesn't really take availability into account. I don't care if you make good beer if I have to show up at the dock on a specific day or wait an hour to get a growler filled. I'm not going to do it. Oregon and Washington win because they have good beer everywhere. Sh!tty dive bars, restaurants, 7-11s and grocery stores pretty much all have a good beer selection. I can get beers with a 95 rating within 100 feet of my house. I can get beers that are better than Pliney or Heady Topper with a short drive at any time. Having stand out breweries is good but it doesn't add quality of life if it is a pain to get them.

 

[blindboxx2334]

im with beef. im not that far from russian river, but their stuff is hard to come by, other than the store that is 40-50 miles away that usually has some.

if your beer is hard to get, i wont be wasting my time trying to get it. there are others out there to try that will satisfy mah needs.

btw, i like how 6ish months ago, i was only seeing pliny referred to as the holy grail of craft beers. now im seeing pliny and heady more and more.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Lists are dumb.

HTH.

 

[jackalope]

Says the guy who only drinks New Castle.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Says the guy who only drinks New Castle.

 

[jstuhlman]

cackalacka du nord has come on strong in past few years. i say it should crack the top 10. ton of breweries in clt, avl, rdu area, bunch of others scattered around too. flame on