Friday, February 12, 2016

Top 50 Breweries in the World (according to me)

I try to post this list once a year in late winter.  More than anything else, it always interests me to see how breweries change in my opinion and how new breweries enter the fray.  My criteria is that I have to have consumed at least 3 beers from a brewery.  I give favor to brewers that can do a wide variety of beers well.  Without further ado, the list with comments at the bottom.  The parenthesis show last year's ranking.  Who do you think I am missing on the list?  Any ratings you disagree with?

1. Side Project Brewing (2)
2. Brasserie Cantillon (3)
3. de Garde Brewing (15)
4. Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen (16)
5. Tired Hands Brewing Co (11)
6. Perennial Artisan Ales (4)
7. Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (10)
8. Hill Farmstead Brewery (9)
9. Firestone Walker Brewing Co (14)
10. Jester King Brewery (18)
11. Cigar City Brewing (5)
12. Westbrook Brewing Co (44)
13. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co (1)
14. The Bruery (13)
15. 3 Floyds Brewing Co (12)
16. Trillium Brewing Co (40)
17. 18th Street Brewery (NR)
18. Goose Island Beer Co (8)
19. 4 Hands Brewing Co (31)
20. Casey Brewing and Blending (NR)
21. Crooked Stave Brewery (6)
22. Tree House Brewing Company (NR)
23. The Lost Abbey (17)
24. 2nd Shift Brewing (NR)
25. Russian River Brewing Co (20)
26. New Glarus Brewing Co (32)
27. Allagash Brewing Co (36)
28. Funk Factory Geuzeria (42)
29. Alpine Beer Co (7)
30. Surly Brewing Co (29)
31. Central Waters Brewing Co (19)
32. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales (28)
33. Evil Twin Brewing (27)
34. Wicked Weed Brewing (38) 
35. Hair of the Dog Brewing Co (22)
36. The Alchemist (NR)
37. Modern Times Beer (NR)
38. Forest & Main (NR)
39. Midnight Sun Brewing Co (30)
40. Off Color Brewing (NR)
41. Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel (24)
42. AleSmith Brewing Co (26)
43. FiftyFifty Brewing Co (39)
44. Fremont Brewing Company (NR)
45. Omnipollo (NR)
46. Terrapin Beer Company (NR)
47. Stone Brewing Co (21)
48. Avery Brewing Co (37)
49. Founders Brewing Co (47)
50. Mikkeller (41)

Others receiving votes:  Olde Hickory Brewery, Al's of Hampden/Pizza Boy Brewing, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co, De Struise Brouwers, Cascade Brewing, Anchorage Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, Maine Beer Co, Lawson's Finest Liquids, Prairie Artisan Ales, Deschutes Brewery and Funky Buddha Brewery

Dropped out:  Bell's Brewery (23), Kuhnhenn Brewing Co (25), Bullfrog Brewery (33), Cascade Brewing (34), Prairie Artisan Ales (35), Dark Horse Brewing Co (35), Destihl Brewery (43), Upland Brewing Co (47), Six Point Brewery (48), Olde Hickory Brewery (49), Maine Beer Co (50)

Comments:
-A new #1 with Side Project, which is very well deserved
-After drinking across more of their portfolio, de Garde was well deserving of the huge jump with great diversity
-Westbrook probably made the overall biggest jump.  Great diversity with some home run beers
-Toppling Goliath fell hard after 2 years at number 1.  This brewery has really lost it's identity over the past 18 months
-Trillium was another big jumper just crushing it with their hoppy portfolio
-There are 4 new entries on the list in the 18-25 range.  All very deserving and likely to continue to move up the list
-Crooked Stave dipped big time, I think their quality has taken a hit in the past 12 months
-Hard to argue if Alpine should even be on the list with their merger with Green Flash. They are living historically and will likely fall off next year
-Another set of new breweries to the list in the upper 30s, mostly fanboy breweries for me
-Founders is hanging on for dear life with a couple of really nice releases this year in their backstage series
-For the "Other receiving votes" section, I had a really hard time with the 45-50 range, may bump the list up to 100 breweries next year
-Bells has been completely stagnant for years now, hard to tell how far they would fall in a list of 100