I love trying new beers. I’m more likely to walk into a liquor store and end up walking out with something I’ve never had before versus something that I already know that I like. Each time I find something new, I’m more likely to purchase it if I know it comes from a reputable brewery. These 10 breweries I have selected as the “never fail” gang. You (probably) cannot go wrong if you purchase beer made by the following breweries.
Great Divide - Denver, CO. Clean drinking and delicious beers, with a wide variety of styles. Fairly easy to get your hands on here in the midwest too.
Three Floyds - Munster, IN. Hard to find outside of Indiana, but remarkably good and different.
BrewDog - Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Easier to find than a lot of other good European beers. These guys know their stuff, and they like to use unique ingredients. Always an enjoyable drink.
Shorts Brewing Company - Bellaire, MI. Always willing to try something new, this company loves using unique ingredients as well (for example, try their Key Lime Pie beer). They put in the time and effort to make every one of their brews unique and delicious. Not too shabby for a small town brewery.
Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY. Big city folk can make a great beer too. Whether you try the simple Pennant Ale 55 or their extravagant Sorachi Ace, I think you’ll be impressed with the tastes they bring and the traditional, yet well executed brews.
Thomas Creek - Greenville, SC. The Up the Creek Extreme IPA was mind-blowing, then I had the Oktoberfest and fell in love. I’m excited to locate more brews from these guys. Not easy to find up here as it is a southern brewery, so buy it if you see it.
Jolly Pumpkin - Dexter, MI. The New York Times just ranked their Oro de Calabaza the #1 Belgian beer. I agree, except for the fact that it isn’t a Belgian beer. Still, all of their stuff is remarkably good and varied and the management and brew team are as friendly and professional as they come. I’ve got a bottle of their Weizen Bam waiting for me in the fridge right now (I’ll be in a better place around 5:30 this evening).
Victory Brewing Company - Downington, PA. I seem to find a new Victory beer everywhere I go. Victory gets around, but manages to put out top-notch stuff even if it is a little more easily accessible than some of the other stuff on my list. Try the Golden Monkey or the V-12 (if you can find it).
North Coast - Fort Bragg, CA. Definitely another one of the more widely distributed craft brewing companies around, but also one of the best. North Coast gives you a lot of great options to chose from, and they never disappoint. You gotta love the short bottles too.
Mikkeller - Copenhagen, Denmark. Whew. These guys are daring. Unique and moderately rare. Do yourself a favor and drink anything of theirs that you can. None of their beers could ever be described as boring. These guys gladly embrace the “beer geek” label.
