This is so hard. For context, I've been into craft beer for less than 10 years, so I didn't get a chance to experience all the groundbreakers and see how they've influenced beer overall. Therefore, I think I'm going to go for the breweries which have specifically impacted me the most. Here's my list, off the top of my head: - Tree House: This was the first time I traveled specifically to buy beer at a brewery (and the first time I experienced why people travel). It completely changed my perspective on beer. - Revolution: I happened across a can of Deth's Tar that someone had left in the fridge at Whistlepig Distillery in Vermont (when visiting); it was the first time that experiencing a beer made me aggressively look for a way to acquire more offerings from that brewery, because I couldn't access it myself (in this case, finding a friend of a friend in Chicago, who would swap TH for Rev). Then getting to experience Straight Jacket, as my first real barleywine, I acquired my new favorite beer and have yet to be disappointed whenever I revisit it. -Goose Island: BCBS was my first experience with barrel-aged beer, as well as my first experience with a beer that people would seriously "hunt" for (I believe my first experience was Black Friday 2017). When I cracked my first bottle, I was immediately hooked; I didn't know anything about InBev, or if there was a difference from the older 12oz bottles; all I knew was that I was blown away. -Other Half: I had a hard time deciding on # 4, but ultimately this is the first brewery that I went out of my way to visit while on a trip, and visited multiple times whenever I was in NYC, even though it was a giant hassle. They're still the only brewery that has made TIPAs that I actually love, and my first experience with pastry stouts. Some of their more recent releases have disappointed, but based on my criteria of impact on me, I think they need to be number 4. Honorable Mentions: Fox Farm (It almost knocked off Other Half, and might in a couple years; the first brewery I've had that does every style I can think of at a great-to-world-class level; CT's answer to Hill Farmstead, which I've had a couple offerings from, but never visited), NebCo/TwoRoads (G-Bot and Two Juicy were 2 of the 3 first beers I'd ever seen limited at a store - a buddy of mine brought me with him to a local store that was limiting the former to 1-can each, and I remember wondering "what madness is this?!"), Alchemist/Lawsons/Russian River (Heady Topper was the first hype beer I heard people talk about, and then Sip O' Sunshine was the other first limited beer I experienced; hard to beat the old, new-school Vermont places. I also include RR in this section, as they're another classic, old-school brewery, but by the time I tried them, it wasn't mind-blowing - I definitely appreciate the impact they've made on beer in the US and enjoy them, but there's no nostalgia), Anchorage (Endless Ending may be the best beer I've ever had, but I've had so few releases from them, and the cost is exorbitant, so they dropped off the list pretty quickly), Fremont (Brew 3000 is also in the conversation for best beer I've had, but again, I've had so few expressions from them, they didn't make the list either), and Monkish/Bottle Logic (When I visited LA in 2022, I knew immediately that I had to visit both locations, as I've loved everything I've had from them back here, and they disappoint. However, while great, they make exceptional expressions of beer styles that I've already had, and haven't made enough of a mental impression on me to knock off any of the top 4). TL,DR: There's a lot of good beer.
Revolution crossed my mind for sure but I actually didn't even consider Other Half, but that is a solid choice. In terms of "newer" breweries that could deserve this distinction, Fox Farm is a great choice! And you are absolutely right, lots of good beer out there!
Breweries, based on the importance of their contributions: Sierra Nevada (OG Craft Beer) Lost Abbey (Creative Craft Beer) The Bruery (Barrel Programs) The Alchemist (Hazies) Beers, based on fantascialnees and importance: Genesee Cream Ale North Coast Old Stock Alagash White BCBS
Great topic! I agree with almost all of the comments but I’m not seeing Lagunitas on any of the lists. They definitely need to be in the discussion based on consistency, quality, longevity, and price point. Significantly less distributed and not as nationally well known but Kuhnhenn should be an honorable mention.
Lagunitas is such a good answers and I didn't even consider them...probably because I am still mad that they haven't made Sucks in such a long time haha. Cheers!
Hm...I've only been into craft beer (as in started doing check in's on untappd and 'looking for cool new beer') since 2016/2017. But for me prefacing that, it's probably... ugh..if we're acknowledging problematic pasts and also the good...then it's Founders (i've lived in Michigan since 2008, KBS, CBS, Azacca got me into IPAs for the first time), Transient Artisan Ales (again michigan, one of my first/current loves for small craft breweries), Tree House (first brewery i really was desperate to try and took a few years before getting my hands on a true NE IPA), and Odd Side Ales (developed my early love and exposure to barrel aged stouts and their love of the show Its Always Sunny and beers they named after it). So three Michigans naturally and Tree House. Cheers man!
I watched to the end, awesome topic! The limit of 4 is tough and forces the tough choice of longer lasting great beer and influence versus younger breweries absolutely crushing it. Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada deserve it both for influencing brewers and giving craft beer fans some distributed craft beers before it was common. Goose Island certainly changed the whole game and kicked off the bourbon barrel aged stout so that’s definitely having a long lasting influence. Alchemist and then those partly inspired by alchemist (Tree House probably the most recognized and successful one) have pushed the hazy/NEIPA into almost a decade of being the most popular style. Tree House, having 70+ on draft and 90 ish cans to go is insane too! But then, just before Heady, Russian River really started the double ipa craze with Pliny the Elder, which I think was the top rated beer for quite a few years. Their sour program was also well ahead of the popularity in US craft brewing of that style. So tough to pick, and to avoid making the choice, I’ll change topics. It would be fun to make a local/regional Mt Rushmore as well to include locally important breweries that might have less fame and less overall influence. In the region where Kyle and I grew up, Ithaca Beer Company was the introduction to craft beer and certainly the highly hopped/bitter IPA (Flower Power) for so many of us in that area.
Mine would be goose island, founders, dogfish and new holland. I pretty much exclusively drink higher abv stuff because I need each beer to make a dent. Goose was the 1st to do bba, founders was pretty much the model T of BBA stouts as in very affordable and available pretty much anytime every where. Dogfish as the original and finally new holland made the variant popular to the point I can't remember the last time I had a regular dragons milk.
Russian River, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Goose Island (Due to the lasting effect of their BA stouts which is bigger than ever. So I agree with you). And maybe Stone or FW. Hard to commit to either.
These are all great and difficult questions … There’s so many differently ways to look at this and try and qualify breweries … hmmm Sierra, Founders, Allagash, Russian River? FAVORITE breweries ever I’d go Bissell, Tree House, Allagash, Trillium Yet how do I leave Alchemist off both lists lol
@@NoHypeBeerReviews I get that … being in Maine makes them feel way more important to me personally, although I rarely get their beers anymore, to this day they still nail the Belgian styles
:P Yes I did watch until the end. Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. I with you on both of them. I would have to go with Bells. They put out so much stuff. I wish distribution was bigger for experimental beers they make. As I love New England IPAs I would go Tree House. Good video Cheers
@@NoHypeBeerReviews yeah they’re always a great choice went up there awhile back. Never had a bad beer from them. This was super hard to narrow down to 4. Great topic
My mount Rushmore of breweries are seirea nevada Russian River north coast and firestone Walker. I know all these breweries are in California and they make great beers still cheers 🍻
It really bums me out. They posted recently asking which old beer you would want to try and Sahtea was one of them. I miss them doing beers like that. They should really go to their vault of recipes and at least bring some stuff back.
HHHHHMMMMMMM........... Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, 3 Floyds & Sam Adams. Dogfish Head is hard to argue against. I just went to Sierra in Ashville, it was incredible, coolest brewery I've seen. I'm a Chicago guy and Goose is just BCBS these days :(
3 Floyds is a cool pick that I didn't even consider! Famous for several beers, in very different styles. My mom and stepdad were just at that SN location and said it was great. Cheers!
This is so hard. For context, I've been into craft beer for less than 10 years, so I didn't get a chance to experience all the groundbreakers and see how they've influenced beer overall. Therefore, I think I'm going to go for the breweries which have specifically impacted me the most. Here's my list, off the top of my head:
- Tree House: This was the first time I traveled specifically to buy beer at a brewery (and the first time I experienced why people travel). It completely changed my perspective on beer.
- Revolution: I happened across a can of Deth's Tar that someone had left in the fridge at Whistlepig Distillery in Vermont (when visiting); it was the first time that experiencing a beer made me aggressively look for a way to acquire more offerings from that brewery, because I couldn't access it myself (in this case, finding a friend of a friend in Chicago, who would swap TH for Rev). Then getting to experience Straight Jacket, as my first real barleywine, I acquired my new favorite beer and have yet to be disappointed whenever I revisit it.
-Goose Island: BCBS was my first experience with barrel-aged beer, as well as my first experience with a beer that people would seriously "hunt" for (I believe my first experience was Black Friday 2017). When I cracked my first bottle, I was immediately hooked; I didn't know anything about InBev, or if there was a difference from the older 12oz bottles; all I knew was that I was blown away.
-Other Half: I had a hard time deciding on # 4, but ultimately this is the first brewery that I went out of my way to visit while on a trip, and visited multiple times whenever I was in NYC, even though it was a giant hassle. They're still the only brewery that has made TIPAs that I actually love, and my first experience with pastry stouts. Some of their more recent releases have disappointed, but based on my criteria of impact on me, I think they need to be number 4.
Honorable Mentions: Fox Farm (It almost knocked off Other Half, and might in a couple years; the first brewery I've had that does every style I can think of at a great-to-world-class level; CT's answer to Hill Farmstead, which I've had a couple offerings from, but never visited), NebCo/TwoRoads (G-Bot and Two Juicy were 2 of the 3 first beers I'd ever seen limited at a store - a buddy of mine brought me with him to a local store that was limiting the former to 1-can each, and I remember wondering "what madness is this?!"), Alchemist/Lawsons/Russian River (Heady Topper was the first hype beer I heard people talk about, and then Sip O' Sunshine was the other first limited beer I experienced; hard to beat the old, new-school Vermont places. I also include RR in this section, as they're another classic, old-school brewery, but by the time I tried them, it wasn't mind-blowing - I definitely appreciate the impact they've made on beer in the US and enjoy them, but there's no nostalgia), Anchorage (Endless Ending may be the best beer I've ever had, but I've had so few releases from them, and the cost is exorbitant, so they dropped off the list pretty quickly), Fremont (Brew 3000 is also in the conversation for best beer I've had, but again, I've had so few expressions from them, they didn't make the list either), and Monkish/Bottle Logic (When I visited LA in 2022, I knew immediately that I had to visit both locations, as I've loved everything I've had from them back here, and they disappoint. However, while great, they make exceptional expressions of beer styles that I've already had, and haven't made enough of a mental impression on me to knock off any of the top 4).
TL,DR: There's a lot of good beer.
damn kind of forgot about other half and i just had them again recently lol
Revolution crossed my mind for sure but I actually didn't even consider Other Half, but that is a solid choice. In terms of "newer" breweries that could deserve this distinction, Fox Farm is a great choice!
And you are absolutely right, lots of good beer out there!
Breweries, based on the importance of their contributions:
Sierra Nevada (OG Craft Beer)
Lost Abbey (Creative Craft Beer)
The Bruery (Barrel Programs)
The Alchemist (Hazies)
Beers, based on fantascialnees and importance:
Genesee Cream Ale
North Coast Old Stock
Alagash White
BCBS
I like these criterias! And Lost Abbey is a cool choice.
Sam Adams, Dogfish, Sierra Nevada and #4 is difficult. Want to say The Bruery but they have only been around since 2008ish. Great topic
Great list for sure. The Bruery definitely helped push beer to get bigger and experimental. Cheers!
Sierra Nevada, Bell's, Dogfish Head, Russian River. Honorable mentions: Boston Beer Co, Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Goose Island, Yuengling, Stone.
Man, super solid picks. I can't believe I didn't even consider Stone. Chees!
Great topic! I agree with almost all of the comments but I’m not seeing Lagunitas on any of the lists. They definitely need to be in the discussion based on consistency, quality, longevity, and price point.
Significantly less distributed and not as nationally well known but Kuhnhenn should be an honorable mention.
Lagunitas is such a good answers and I didn't even consider them...probably because I am still mad that they haven't made Sucks in such a long time haha. Cheers!
Hm...I've only been into craft beer (as in started doing check in's on untappd and 'looking for cool new beer') since 2016/2017. But for me prefacing that, it's probably... ugh..if we're acknowledging problematic pasts and also the good...then it's Founders (i've lived in Michigan since 2008, KBS, CBS, Azacca got me into IPAs for the first time), Transient Artisan Ales (again michigan, one of my first/current loves for small craft breweries), Tree House (first brewery i really was desperate to try and took a few years before getting my hands on a true NE IPA), and Odd Side Ales (developed my early love and exposure to barrel aged stouts and their love of the show Its Always Sunny and beers they named after it). So three Michigans naturally and Tree House. Cheers man!
Odd Side Ales makes some awesome beer for sure. Good call! And I love Sunny! Tree House crossed my mind a lot too. Cheers!
I watched to the end, awesome topic! The limit of 4 is tough and forces the tough choice of longer lasting great beer and influence versus younger breweries absolutely crushing it. Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada deserve it both for influencing brewers and giving craft beer fans some distributed craft beers before it was common. Goose Island certainly changed the whole game and kicked off the bourbon barrel aged stout so that’s definitely having a long lasting influence. Alchemist and then those partly inspired by alchemist (Tree House probably the most recognized and successful one) have pushed the hazy/NEIPA into almost a decade of being the most popular style. Tree House, having 70+ on draft and 90 ish cans to go is insane too! But then, just before Heady, Russian River really started the double ipa craze with Pliny the Elder, which I think was the top rated beer for quite a few years. Their sour program was also well ahead of the popularity in US craft brewing of that style. So tough to pick, and to avoid making the choice, I’ll change topics. It would be fun to make a local/regional Mt Rushmore as well to include locally important breweries that might have less fame and less overall influence. In the region where Kyle and I grew up, Ithaca Beer Company was the introduction to craft beer and certainly the highly hopped/bitter IPA (Flower Power) for so many of us in that area.
Get out of my head! The amount of time I considered Alchemist, Tree House, Russian River, and Ithaca was a lot. The limit of 4 makes this so hard!
Dude great topic. Definitely gotta great list for this. Cheers 🍻
Mine would be goose island, founders, dogfish and new holland. I pretty much exclusively drink higher abv stuff because I need each beer to make a dent. Goose was the 1st to do bba, founders was pretty much the model T of BBA stouts as in very affordable and available pretty much anytime every where. Dogfish as the original and finally new holland made the variant popular to the point I can't remember the last time I had a regular dragons milk.
New Holland is such a good choice that I didn't even consider. Cranking out Dragon's Milk on the regular. Cheers!
Holy smokes this is the hardest question ever. I need to take some time to think.
Right?! It is soooo hard to narrow down.
Russian River, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Goose Island (Due to the lasting effect of their BA stouts which is bigger than ever. So I agree with you). And maybe Stone or FW. Hard to commit to either.
I considered Russian River for a while for my list. Oddly Stone never crossed my mind but is a GREAT choice!
These are all great and difficult questions … There’s so many differently ways to look at this and try and qualify breweries … hmmm
Sierra, Founders, Allagash, Russian River?
FAVORITE breweries ever I’d go
Bissell, Tree House, Allagash, Trillium
Yet how do I leave Alchemist off both lists lol
Right?!?! These are sooo hard to do. Allagash is such a good choice and I never even considered them.
@@NoHypeBeerReviews I get that … being in Maine makes them feel way more important to me personally, although I rarely get their beers anymore, to this day they still nail the Belgian styles
:P Yes I did watch until the end. Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. I with you on both of them. I would have to go with Bells. They put out so much stuff. I wish distribution was bigger for experimental beers they make. As I love New England IPAs I would go Tree House. Good video Cheers
Bells is a great answer and one that I considered. Famous for several different styes and have been at it a long time. Cheers, Brad!
Personally, mine: Floodland, Casey, Side Project, Russian River / Honorable mention: Treehouse, Weldwerks, Goose Island
Very cool list. I considered Russian River a lot.
Mount Rushmore 1. Brooklyn Brewing 2. Firestone Walker 3. Ommegang 4. Anchor
I did consider Ommegang for my list. Good call!
@@NoHypeBeerReviews yeah they’re always a great choice went up there awhile back. Never had a bad beer from them. This was super hard to narrow down to 4. Great topic
My mount Rushmore of breweries are seirea nevada Russian River north coast and firestone Walker. I know all these breweries are in California and they make great beers still cheers 🍻
You got that right! They all make awesome beer. Thanks again for the topic, Billy!
Wish Dogfish Head still made a lot of those unique interesting beers that I haven't really seen since the merger
It really bums me out. They posted recently asking which old beer you would want to try and Sahtea was one of them. I miss them doing beers like that. They should really go to their vault of recipes and at least bring some stuff back.
If we are talking craft breweries I agree with you but consider Troegs and Bells and possibly fatheads
Man, those are good picks!
Damn I forgot Stone and Sam Adam’s
Russian river and alchemist
Fidens
Other Half
Tree House
Hop Butcher
North Park
Absolutely awesome list! I need more North Park in my life. Cheers!
HHHHHMMMMMMM........... Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, 3 Floyds & Sam Adams. Dogfish Head is hard to argue against. I just went to Sierra in Ashville, it was incredible, coolest brewery I've seen. I'm a Chicago guy and Goose is just BCBS these days :(
3 Floyds is a cool pick that I didn't even consider! Famous for several beers, in very different styles. My mom and stepdad were just at that SN location and said it was great. Cheers!