BeerAdvocate.com published their annual list of the top 50 American craft beers just recently. There’s a lot on there I haven’t had, but I’m familiar with enough of it to think that there’s some really good beer on there. Have a look and see what you think.
There’s also a list of the 50 best places in America to have a beer. A couple of those are close to me–I may be making a field trip soon.
Interesting how many stouts and variations thereof are on that beer list.
I do appreciate the geographical diversity. They have entries from all over the country including the midwest and the east coast (although I see the Deep South is not well represented). A lot of times though lists like this refuse to acknowledge that there is good craft beer being brewed outside of California and the Pacific NW.
I’ve had about 20 of those Top 50. I’m a bit surprised to see that Stone Imperial topped Dark Lord, but Three Floyd’s did take two of the top three, so there is some justice. 
The only problem with lists like these, I find, is that they are pretty much solely dominated by BIG BEERS. The top five or ten are generally Imperial IPAs, Imperial Stouts (and often heavy, complex Belgians, when the lists aren’t domestic.) Of the top 10 beers, Masala Mama India Pale Ale is the only one with an alcohol content of under 8%.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Dreadnaught and like Dark Lord very much (enough to spend $90 on six 22oz bottles of the 2006 release), but these are not subtle beers. You NEVER see a clean, elegant pilsner or ESB or any type of session brew on the top of such lists. For every day drinking, my favorite on that list is perhaps Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (#22). It’s the IPA by which I judge all other IPAs. I like it more than Dogfish Head’s 90-Minute IPA (often regarded as America’s best IPA), which I find a tad too cloying.
Overall, not a bad list, and pretty predictable. However, I’ve kind of burned out on all these extreme beers, and would like to see a list of Top 50 session brews. Something like, best beers with alcohol content of under 7%.
Oh, hell no. Bells (Kalamazoo, Michigan), Three Floyd’s (Munster, Indiana), and Dogfish Head (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware) regularly fare well on such lists.
Here’s the Ratebeer.com list for comparisons’ sake.
Note that four of the top five beers are from either Michigan or Indiana.
One more list for you. Top 100 Brewers in the World
While AleSmith (San Diego, CA) takes the overall title, Three Floyds and Bells (my favorite) finish two and three. Looking further down the rest, it looks like the rest of the US is very well-represented.
Well, that one doesn’t give geographic locations and I don’t recognize all of them by name (hell, I don’t recognize most of them).
Sorry but that’s just been my subjective impression in years past: a distinct West Coast bias. I don’t have a cite.
In Key West Kelly Mcgillis,from Top Gun,has a bar oddly enough called Kellys. They brew on the premisis and usually have 3 or 4 on tap at once. Usually they are different grain beers.You pick what hits your pallette that day. You are in Key West which makes everything a little better.
I completely agree. Which is probably why I’ve never drunk any of these beers – they’re just not typical of what I drink.
Well, it looks like our next stop in San Francisco will be Toronado. I don’t think we’ve ever been there, and I don’t know why that is exactly, but it must be rectified immediately.
I’ve had exactly 10 of the Top 50 American beers, most of them, not surprisingly, from Russian River or Bear Republic.
Pliny the Elder is hands down my favorite beer, and my husband’s as well. Pliny the Younger, thankfully, is a small pour, because he packs a wallop, and it’s not always available anyway. It’s a real treat when it is. (And a guaranteed cab ride home for us.)
I’m glad they are both on the list, (as well as the other RRBC brews), but I’m surprised neither are in the top ten. Ahh well, maybe next year. 
Although they did just squeeze in at #9 on the list pulykamell linked to. Yay!
Russian River is ‘our bar’ in town, we’re there pretty often, sometimes as often as once a week, especially during the summer with the Farmer’s Market going on downtown on Wednesday nights. Best pizza and beer in town. We’re lucky to have them.