In a recent post, Forbes assembled a list of the 13 Best Craft Beers in America. The rankings were based on reviews from beer concierge Matt Canning of Burlington’s LEED-certified Hotel Vermont.
A quote from the beginning of the listicle speaks volumes:
“Full disclosure, though: I’m partial to Vermont beers. In particular, I’m partial to hoppy Vermontales,” says Canning. “But this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a Bavarian masterpiece or a Belgian classic. My palate is a product of my surroundings—and Vermont brews worldclass IPAs.”
With 7 of the 13 beers selected coming from the Green Mountain state, partiality definitely played a role in the creation of this list. While Vermont leads the nation in breweries per capita (8.6), not a single beer from Oregon (7.4) or Colorado (6.1), the second and third highest, made the cut. In fact, 10 of the brews came from the Northeastern United States and one from Quebec (not exactly in America).
The outliers were Supplication (#4) by Russian River Brewing in California and Bourbon County Stout (#8) by Goose Island Brewery.
Canning’s top selection went to Lost Nation Brewing’s Gose from Vermont. A gose is a top-fermented ale that originated in Germany and is characterized by lemon tartness, strong saltiness and moderate alcohol content. PA Eats Editor-in-Chief Amy Strauss agreed with Canning on his top pick, calling it “seriously amazing!”
The list includes seven hop-forward beers, with three India Pale Ales (IPAs), three Imperial or Double India Pale Ales (DIPAs) and a single American Pale Ale (APA), Maine Beer Company’s Peeper Ale (#2).
On the malty side, two Belgian Quadrupels cracked the list, with Three Philosophers (#3) by Ommegang in New York making the bigger splash.
Overall, the list seems too Vermont-heavy, with three beers coming from the renowned Hill Farmstead Brewery and another two from The Alchemist, including Heady Topper (#10), a DIPA considered by some to be the world’s best beer.
Do you think this list covered the best of the best America has to offer? Who would you add and which would you replace?
Check out the full list and let us know your thoughts!
- Lost Nation photo: Amy Strauss
- Maine Beer Company photo: Nina Lea Photography
