America’s craft beer scene commands over 7,400 breweries nationwide and one of the best ways for a brewery to gain recognition is through a beer tasting contest. There are many such contests and most of them rely on the casting and counting of votes to select a winner.
Zymurgy magazine, the publication of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), is an organization that ranks the Best Beers in America based on the votes of its members and just recently, the AHA revealed the results of its 17th annual Best Beers in America survey. AHA members were asked to nominate and vote for the best beers among thousands of entries and the beer that came out on top was Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. AHA director Gary Glass points out that, considering the sheer number of entries, a number one ranking really says something extraordinary about the beer.
“Being selected as a winner for this esteemed list is no small feat. All of this year’s winners showcase exceptional flavors, expertly crafted by some of the greatest talent in the brewing industry,” said Glass. “I’d like to extend congratulations to all of this year’s winners and toast to their exemplary beers favorited by homebrewers and beer lovers alike.”
John Mallett, Director of Operations at Bell’s Brewery, says the recognition of Two Hearted by AHA as the best beer in the USA is a prestigious honor that he and his fellow Bell’s employees appreciate to the extreme.
“It is an honor to once again be awarded the top-ranking spots among so many great breweries and beers. Only the best Centennial hops, a commitment to quality by the entire Bell’s team, and the splendor of our home state are all part of the beauty of Two Hearted Ale. There is one other vital component, the beer lover,” said Mallett. “We are truly humbled to be recognized by the finest palates in homebrewing.”
Here is a quick wrap- up of the Top 10 Beers and Breweries as selected by AHA members:
Top Ranked Beers
- Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
- Russian River Pliny the Elder
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
- Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)
- The Alchemist Heady Topper
- Founders CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)
- Founders All Day IPA (Tied for #7)
- Bell’s Hopslam (Tied for #7)
- Founders Breakfast Stout (Tied for #9)
- WeldWerks Juicy Bits (Tied for #9)
Top Ranked Breweries:
- Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Comstock, Mich.
- Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa and Windsor, Calif.
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, Calif. and Mills River, N.C.
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.
- Tree House Brewing Co., Charlton, Mass.
- The Alchemist, Stowe, Vt.
- Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.
- Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colo.
- Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif. (Tied for #10)
- Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif. (Tied for #10)
The majority of the top rated beers and breweries above are well- established members of the craft beer community, but this is to be expected considering that AHA members were asked to select the best based on what they have tried and enjoyed the most. The more popular a beer, the better its chances to land near the top of the rankings. Not to take away from the winners- every beer and brewery listed above is deserving of recognition. But it should be obvious to anyone that ranking the best beers and breweries based on a survey is going to be biased toward what is most popular.
To see a complete listing of Zymurgy;s Best Beers in America, visit HomebrewersAssociation.org.
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