Check the avatar... That doesn't mean I think Greenbush is the best brewery (yet), but they are my favorite none the less.
Hill farmstead certainly has a special place in my heart if only they would distro Edward. For stuff that doesn't require a pilgrimage to get it would have to be Cigar City or Founders. CCB for Jai Alai and Invasion IPA, Founders for Breakfast Stout. Honorable Mention to Goose Island for BCBS and BCBCS (I would drink them everyday but I value my lack of diabetes).
North Coast is one of my favorites as well but they have done a huge wrong. Closing on Monday and Tuesday since Sept. With my usual days off I can't make it. No likey! Also they have closed the taproom for renovation and can't really tell anyone when they are to reopen.
Have to give the nod to Three Floyds still. Although Ayinger and the Bruery are very very close behind, with the Bruery gaining ground.
Maine Beer Co is on their way to becoming mine. World class IPA: Lunch Excellent Amber: Zoe Excellent Pale: Peeper Very Good Porter: King Titus They just need a top notch Stout. Mean Old Tom doesn't do it for me.
I have a tie between Russian River and Cigar City. Unfortunately, I think they both might be equal distance away from me.
I'm in the Bell's camp too. They have perfect year round beer and even better seasonal/special releases.
Can't narrow it down to just one... Troegs cuz I can practically walk there, troegenator got me into craft, and I love most of their beers. Victory cuz they make great stuff and catered my wedding like a boss Sierra Nevada cuz they don't make a single beer I don't like (that I've tried anyway)
Hill Farmstead is my favorite. I like many others which include bells, lagunitas, founders, stone, firestone walker, 3 floyds, the alchemist, lawsons finest liquors. Hill Farmstead in my opinion is by far the best. Every beer he brews is great. I've tried a lot of what he brews and have not had a bad one yet. As a matter of fact they have all been in my top 10% of my best beers tasted. He is anal when it comes to his beers and the fact that you can't get them except in vermont makes it even more intriguing. I travel 5 hours every couple of months just to get a taste of greatness. I just got back this weekend from there and waited 2 hours in a line at his brew barn just to get some. i got home and i wasted disappointed one bit. If you ever get a chance to taste any beer from Hill Farmstead i suggest you do so at all costs. They will not disappoint.
Lagunitas, haven't had a bad beer from there and most are exceptional! Sumpin Sumpin, Sucks, Hop Stoopid FTW!
Firestone Walker has to be the one for me. Abacus Parabola Double Jack Velvet Merlin and Merkin Union Jack Wookey Jack The Anny Blends and now they are starting to play with wild yeast and bugs! I can't wait for the barrel works stuff to start surfacing.
Tough question, as there are a lot of good breweries right now. For price, availability variety and locale, Boulevard really can't be beat in my eyes. Living in KC I can get anything they release and they continue to impress with their new releases. Their "catalog" has some beers that I'm not wild about, but no bad ones. Plus the Smokestack Series is outstanding. Tank 7, Grainstorm, Dark Truth, Long Strange Tripel and others are excellent. That being said, there are a couple of breweries from which I have yet to taste a beer I don't like: Deschutes - It helps that they distribute pretty much all of their core beers and seasonals to Kansas City, so I have been able to try a lot of their beer and liked it. They have possibly my favorite porter in Black Butte, and a really excellent pale ale in the Red Chair NWPA. Green Flash - I'm currently obsessed with the Orval-inspired Rayon Vert, but focusing on that beer doesn't do them justice. I think their West Coast IPA is excellent, as are Le Freak and Palate Wrecker. Hop Head Red is a pretty interesting beer as well. This is another brewery that distributes their core bottles to Kansas City, allowing me to try a bunch of them. Honorable mention to Ommegang and Stone. I've liked what I've had from both, but haven't had near enough. Hill Farmstead is probably at the top of my "to try" list...
50 posts before anyone said Russian River? Color me surprised. Not saying its my favorite, I havent had enough to say that. Personally, I'd go with Weihenstephaner. They have pedigree, their entire line is world class, and I can get a bomber for less than $4 of the world's best Dunkelweizen at almost any decent bottle shop. Its less than $3 if you know where to look. I've shifted my palate away from wheat beers recently, but I still love me some steph dunkel. Honorable mentions: Goose, Founders, Bell's, New Glarus, Avery, Ommegang.
Can't have just one. Sierra Nevada, Stone, Deschutes, Ballast Point, and Lagunitas are my favorites. If it absolutely had to be one favorite, it would be Sierra Nevada.
1st: Southern tier all the way. They never cease to get the better of me, and I can think of nothing they make that is not delicious. (NOTE: I am really suprised that Im the only one so far to even list ST..........Odd) 2ed: Bells. I don't like EVERYTHING they make, but more often than not their brews occupy the "fantastic" range Runners up: Founders, Laginitias, Great Divide, and weyerbacher
New England Brewing Company. Fuzzy Baby Ducks, Gandhi Bot, 668 Neighbor of the Beast, Imperial Stout Trooper, Plus all their Small batch stuff. Glad to be 10 minutes away from the source. plus all their beer names are creative.
1. Three Floyds 2. Fat Heads (every beer they make is awesome, I have yet to taste a "miss") 3. Kuhnhenn
