The USA’s Best Craft Beers

For much of the 20th century, beer choices for most of the country were limited to products by Anheuser-Busch, Miller/Pearl, and, if you lived west of the Mississippi River, the Coors Brewing Company. Most of their offerings were mild imitations of what beer should be. These brews were created during WWII when most of the men were off fighting the Nazis and Japanese, and women were doing most of the manufacturing work. Like their male counterparts, at the end of a hard day’s work, they wanted a tall, cold brew. But female tastes were a little different, and the major brewing companies responded by making their beers lighter and crisper—so much so that America became the butt of many European jokes, like, “Why is American beer like playing Tiddly-Winks in a canoe? It’s flipping close to water.” (I know, it goes a bit differently, but I had to clean it up a little to use it here.)

We put up with thin, watery beer for several decades, but then, in the early 1980s, something wonderful happened. Small breweries, often called “microbreweries,” began to market their special brews to the country at large, rather than just a few lucky locals. It mushroomed into what is now known as The Great Craft Beer Revolution. Now, it is possible to enjoy some of the finest beers in the world, available even at your local supermarket. No matter what your tastes are, chances are there is a craft beer somewhere that can satisfy them.

Before I dive into talking about these beers, you need to know a few things about beer to understand what I’m talking about. So, the first part of this article will be about the history of beer, types, and common terminology.

The actual invention of beer is shrouded in antiquity. We do know that beer was made as far back as 6000 BC. It seemed to come about very soon after cereal grains were cultivated. Beer is the second-oldest alcoholic beverage, right after wine. The difference between them is that wine is simply fermented fruit juice, while beer is made from fermented mash of cereal grains. Many different grains have been, and still are, used to make beer, but malted (sprouted) barley is the undisputed king of beer grains. To a lesser extent, wheat is used, and even lesser, oat groats, rye, and even rice and corn (mostly in cheap, mass-produced beers).

The beer-making process is not complicated. First, barley is allowed to sprout. Then, it is roasted to varying degrees, depending on what flavors the brewer is aiming for. The darker the roast, the darker the beer. The grain is then mashed (or crushed very finely) and flushed with water to form the wort, which is a thick, sweet, sticky fluid. The wort is boiled with different varieties of hops to add more flavors. The next step is to cool the wort and add more water to reach the desired amount of beer (there is really a formula for this). The beer is then allowed to ferment for a few weeks. The final step is to prime the beer with a little more wort (cheap mass-produced beers use sugar to prime, but good beers are all-malt), bottle it in individual bottles or kegs, allow it to age, and naturally carbonate for a few months. Mass-produced beers are often simply shot full of CO2 for rapid carbonation. After that, all that’s left is to ship it to its final destination.

So, what makes a good beer? Certainly, taste is a big factor, but not the only one:

• The foam head can tell you a lot about how the beer was made and treated during its infancy. A pearly-white head with big bubbles, like soda pop, is a sign that the beer was sugared and shot with CO2. These cheap beers also often have egg whites added to mimic the appearance of a natural head, but it doesn’t work. These heads will be thin and dissipate rapidly, which is likely to make for an unsatisfying beer. Natural heads are not white, but almost a light tan color. The head on a good Stout or Porter will actually be light brown.
• Bouquet—a good beer will announce its presence with wonderful aromas that can range from citrusy and woody in a good Pilsner to chocolatey and smoky in a good Stout. The bouquet of a beer is like a promise of things to come. Cheap beers will only have an aroma of sourness and fermentation. They do not promise; they threaten.
• Color—most good beers will be crystal clear, with obvious carbonation. A little sediment at the bottom of the bottle or glass is proof that it was naturally carbonated and properly aged. The sediment will not hurt you. In fact, it’s quite healthy to consume and not unpleasant to the taste. It is part of the beer.
• Hops—there are many varieties of hops, each with its own aroma and flavor characteristics. Hops are the female plants of the *Humulus lupulus* family. Some varieties are floral, fruity, and tart, while others are bitter and astringent. It is the combination of these hops that gives a beer much of its character. Some well-known hop varieties include Pilsner, Cascade, Tettnanger, Hallertau, Saaz, and Spalt. These are known for their lack of bitterness and wonderful aromas, often used in lagers. The famous Pilsner and Löwenbräu beers are lagers. Other hops, like Goldings, East Kent Goldings, and Fuggle, are renowned for their bitterness and are the hops of choice for fine ales. Like wine grapes, the areas where hops are grown also impact the final product.
• Yeasts—these microorganisms are responsible for fermentation. They convert sugars into alcohol.
• Body or mouthfeel gives the beer its characteristic impression. Light beers should have a light mouthfeel, while dark lagers and ales should have a heavier, more robust feel.
• Alcohol content also adds to the flavor, but it can be overdone. Most beers will average between 5%-7%. Some ales can go as high as 17%. As a rule, anything over 14% is considered a Barleywine or Malt Liquor.
• Bitterness is imparted by different hop varieties and is used to accent or offset other flavors and aromas in the brew. Bitterness is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBUs).

Beers can be broken down into two main types: Lagers and Ales. A Lager uses bottom-fermenting yeasts that work best at low temperatures (less than 50°F) and are fermented for extra-long times, sometimes for a year or more. This produces a remarkably well-balanced, smooth brew. Ales use top-fermenting yeasts at room temperatures. This produces a beverage with very complex tastes, sometimes pleasantly bitter, and very satisfying. There is, of course, a multitude of sub-styles within these two categories, such as West Coast lagers and ales, Bohemian lagers, Belgian lagers, and more. Most wheat beers are lagers.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the beer world, we can move on to the brews. When I said “best” earlier, I meant it in a relative manner. People have different tastes, and one person’s treasure can be another’s trash. However, I’ve selected the craft beers that I feel are great examples of the types they claim to be. I also didn’t rank them numerically because, once again, it’s all relative, and few would probably agree with my rankings. Keep in mind that I have not sampled every brew out there, so feel free to chime in with your favorite craft brew.

So, here they are: My picks for some of the best craft beers made in the U.S.A.:

• Anchor Steam Beer: One of my all-time favorites, and until recently, very hard to get outside of California. It’s not exactly an ale, nor exactly a lager, but possibly the best of both worlds. It’s brewed with lager yeast but at ale temperatures, producing a remarkably full-bodied, well-rounded beverage with a light, super-clean, crisp finish that leaves you wanting more. The aroma is enticingly herbal and woodsy, and the taste is not tart, but not sweet either, with light citrusy overtones. Very refreshing.
• Dale’s Pale Ale: This is the ale that started the can revolution. It was the first craft beer offered in a can, and believe it or not, it’s absolutely wonderful. It has just enough citrus and a little bitterness to offset the malty, almost biscuit-like backbone. One of the best brews I’ve ever had with outdoor BBQ.
• Brooklyn Brewery Lager: An amber Vienna-style lager with an outstanding malty taste and a perfect medium body. It’s mellow and subtle, with more depth of character than any other lager I’ve ever consumed.
• New Belgium Fat Tire Ale: A golden copper-colored ale with a nice creamy head and a medium malty body. It has just enough bitterness to offset its citrusy, fruity overtones. Definitely worth a try.
• Sam Adams Boston Lager: One of the oldest craft beer companies in the U.S., and for a while, often the only craft beer widely available. This brew is a great example of a pre-WWII American lager, with a wonderful malty smooth body and flavor. The bitterness of different hops complements it perfectly.
• Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA: The 500-pound gorilla of IPAs. This big beer has big taste and a big kick. With 90 IBUs and 9% alcohol, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but when you want a good, stiff brew with tons of flavor and depth, this is the go-to.
• Westbrook Gose: A very old German-style sour wheat beer using salt and coriander to create a light-bodied, slightly lemony, very refreshing brew. Westbrook’s version is true to the original, with an aroma that I can only describe as crisp, salty, and tart—like homemade sauerkraut. Extremely satisfying.
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: Bold but balanced, this is the textbook example of a West Coast pale ale. Wonderfully crisp, with overtones of citrus and pine and a nice medium-malty finish. A great beer for pairing with a juicy cheeseburger.
• Allagash White: This Belgian-style Witbier is a tart, crisp, and refreshing brew with plenty of hops. Its floral, citrusy aroma and light, crisp palate make it perfect for pairing with deli sandwiches or various cheeses.
• Stone IPA: A fine example of a West Coast IPA, this beer has complex citrusy flavors and a great astringent hoppy finish.
• Terrapin Wake N Bake: A robust oatmeal stout with aromas of fresh coffee, caramel, and cinnamon rolls. At a hefty 9.7% alcohol, this brew is in a class by itself.
• Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Ale: The world’s first beer made with pecans as a grain, creating a unique and nutty brew with tons of depth and character.
• Sweetwater Low RYEder IPA: A refreshing IPA with a dry, crisp finish, aromas of light rye and pine, and a great floral finish.
• Shiner Bock: An amber, wonderfully malty brew from Shiner, Texas, that pairs perfectly with bratwurst and beans or sauerkraut.
• Deschutes Black Butte Porter: A coffee-dark porter with aromas of chocolate, coffee, and walnuts. It’s full-bodied enough to be a meal on its own.
• Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro: A smooth, velvety stout shot full of nitrogen, creating a creamy, coffee-like aftertaste that makes you want another sip.

As I said, this list is by no means all-inclusive, nor are these necessarily the absolute best in their categories, but I feel they are good representatives of their styles and great places to start your journey into the wonderful world of craft beers.