For the past 11 years, we’ve asked Zymurgy readers to share a list of their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available in the United States. We tallied the votes, and here are the results for the 2013 Best Beers in America survey.
Top-Ranked Beers
For 2013, we have a five-peat! Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, a double IPA, claimed the top spot for the fifth straight year. Finishing second for the fourth straight year was Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, an IPA. (T indicates tie)
| 1. Russian River Pliny the Elder |
| 2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale |
| 3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA |
| 4. Bell’s Hopslam Ale |
| 5. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA |
| 6. Founders Breakfast Stout |
| 7. Arrogant Bastard Ale |
| 8. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA |
| T9. Lagunitas Sucks |
| T9. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale |
| T9. Stone Ruination IPA |
| T12. North Coast Old Rasputin |
| T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA |
| T12. Stone Enjoy By IPA |
| 15. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale |
| 16. The Alchemist Heady Topper |
| T17. Firestone Walker Double Jack |
| T17. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout |
| 19. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale |
| 20. Firestone Walker Wookey Jack |
| T21. Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA |
| T21. Three Floyds Zombie Dust |
| T23. Firestone Walker Union Jack |
| T23. Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ |
| 25. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout |
| 26. Surly Furious |
| T27. Deschutes Black Butte Porter |
| T27. Green Flash West Coast IPA |
| T27. Troegs Nugget Nectar |
| 30. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA |
| 31. Russian River Consecration |
| T32. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale |
| T32. New Belgium La Folie |
| T32. Russian River Supplication |
| 35. Avery the Maharaja |
| 36. Lagunitas IPA |
| 37. Stone IPA |
| 38. Odell IPA |
| T39. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald |
| T39. Left Hand Milk Stout |
| T39. Russian River Pliny the Younger |
| T42. Odell Myrcenary |
| T42. Russian River Blind Pig I.P.A. |
| T42. Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous |
| 45. Firestone Walker Parabola |
| T46. Ommegang Hennepin Saison Ale |
| T46. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro |
| T48. Ommegang Three Philosophers |
| T48. Deschutes the Abyss |
| T48. Green Flash Palate Wrecker |
| T48. Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ |
Brewery Rankings
Brewery rankings are based on total votes received by each brewery’s beers. This year’s top brewery is Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, Calif. Stone placed five beers in the top 50, including its Arrogant Bastard Ale. Best Beer in America producer Russian River Brewing Company finished second.
| 1. Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif. |
| 2. Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, Calif. |
| 3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, Calif. |
| 4. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del. |
| 5. Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, Mich. |
| 6. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif. |
| 7. Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. |
| 8. Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, Calif. |
| 9. New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, Colo. |
| 10. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore. |
| 11. Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins, Colo. |
| 12. Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Ind. |
| 13. Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, Colo. |
| 14. Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, Colo. |
| 15. Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego, Calif. |
| 16. The Boston Beer Company, Boston, Mass. |
| 17. Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Mo. |
| 18. Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Ill. |
| 19. New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, Wis. |
| T20. Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colo. |
| T20. Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, Calif. |
| 22. Troegs Brewing Co., Hershey, Pa. |
| 23. Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, Ohio |
| 24. Victory Brewing Company, Downington, Pa. |
| 25. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, N.Y. |
Best Portfolio
We also tabulate which breweries had the most brands represented in the results. The brewers at Boston Beer have been busy lately, with a whopping 40 of their beers receiving votes in the poll.
| 1. The Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) (40 beers) |
| 2. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (38 beers) |
| 3. Avery Brewing Company (35 beers) |
| 4. Cigar City Brewing (30 beers) |
| 5. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (29 beers) |
| 6. Bell’s Brewery (28 beers) |
| 7. New Belgium Brewing (27 beers) |
| T8. Stone Brewing Co. (26 beers) |
| T8. Goose Island Beer Company (26 beers) |
| 9. Boulevard Brewing Company (25 beers) |
| 10. Deschutes Brewery (24 beers) |
| T11. Founders Brewing Company (23 beers) |
| T11. New Glarus Brewing Company (23 beers) |
| T11. The Bruery (23 beers) |
| T11. The Saint Louis Brewery (23 beers) |
| T15. Rogue Ales (21 beers) |
| T15. Lagunitas Brewing Company (21 beers) |
| T15. Odell Brewing Company (21 beers) |
| T15. Great Divide Brewing Company (21 beers) |
| T19. Firestone Walker Brewing Company (20 beers) |
| T19. Three Floyds Brewing Company (20 beers) |
| T19. Manayunk Brewing Company (19 beers) |
| 22. Papago Brewing Company (19 beers) |
| T23. Great Lakes Brewing Company (18 beers) |
| T23. Southern Tier Brewing Company (18 beers) |
| T23. Victory Brewing Company (18 beers) |
| T23. Russian River Brewing Company (18 beerse) |
Top Imports
As in years past, there was a decidedly all-American bent to this year’s voting. Of the top 50 beers in the poll, none were produced by a foreign brewery. Orval claimed the number one spot among imports.
| T1. Orval (Belgium) |
| T1. Saison Dupont (Belgium) |
| 3. Guinness Draught (Ireland) |
| T4. Rodenbach Grand Cru (Belgium) |
| T4. Unibroue La Fin du Monde (Canada) |
| 6. St. Bernardust Abt 12 (Belgium) |
| 7. Duchesse De Bourgogne (Belgium) |
| T8. Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (England) |
| T8. Chimay Grande Reserve/Blue Label (Belgium) |
| T10. Duvel (Belgium) |
| T10. Cantillon Gueuze (Belgium) |
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