What's your favorite Micro brewery.

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Hair of the Dog in Portland gets my vote. Every beer I've tried has been top notch. I toured it a few months back and was pretty impressed, it was like one guy on a 4 bbl system and he was very open with info on his recipes and techniques.

Got to try a couple special ones on tap that had been wood aged, one of them was even 4 years old. Would love to go back next time I'm in the area.
 
korndog said:
Stone and Bear Republic, dead tie.

IPA
Ruination
Bastard

Racer 5
Racer X
Hop Rod Rye

6 perfect beers from California. And you thought we only had pretty girls and sunshine.
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Sorry I think Bear Republic takes it. I have had some bad brews with Stone and I know people who have gotten really bad individual beers from Stone.
 
Fish said:
Sorry I think Bear Republic takes it. I have had some bad brews with Stone and I know people who have gotten really bad individual beers from Stone.
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I've never had a bad beer from Stone. What state are you in? Every time I have heard someone say they had a bad beer from stone they were at least 1500 miles away. I'd blame bad handling and not the brewery.










That or you're not worthy...;)


For me I'd have to say Stone. It's the closest microbrewery to me and the IPA is the perfect example of the style, IMHO. There are a couple great brewpubs around here, but I'll leave that for another thread.
 
Due to the very nature of micro's their limited disturbution I've never even heard of the vast majority of beers posted here with the exception of flying dog and Stone.

But the best beers I've had were draught beers and comparing them to bottled beer is a tough comparison.

But if we are chosing bottled beer then I'd have to say that Festive Ale and Sweet Ga. Brown Ale from Sweetwater are some of the best I've had.

On tap Kona brewing and Gordon Biersch really knocked my sock off.
 
Pabst Blue Robot said:
Hair of the Dog in Portland gets my vote. Every beer I've tried has been top notch. I toured it a few months back and was pretty impressed, it was like one guy on a 4 bbl system and he was very open with info on his recipes and techniques.

Got to try a couple special ones on tap that had been wood aged, one of them was even 4 years old. Would love to go back next time I'm in the area.
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I did a tour there as well, great atmosphere he has with the red light. Kinda like walking into some horror flick or something with the layer of steam hanging in the room.
 
Brewsmith said:
I've never had a bad beer from Stone. What state are you in? Every time I have heard someone say they had a bad beer from stone they were at least 1500 miles away. I'd blame bad handling and not the brewery.










That or you're not worthy...;)


For me I'd have to say Stone. It's the closest microbrewery to me and the IPA is the perfect example of the style, IMHO. There are a couple great brewpubs around here, but I'll leave that for another thread.
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I am in CA and I had a horribly skunky metalic beer from them. I couldn't finish it. My friend is in Santa Fe and he said he has had a few really rancid A.B.'s. And he told me of other people who have had bad bastards. Now I am sure there are a lot of beers that go bad from a lot of brewery's but I have heard of more from Stone than any other. This is not to say I don't love a Bastard I really think its a great beer but I am not sure if I have had one since the bad beer I had. I reach for a Bear republic or a Drakes to get my hop on.
 
bigjohnmilford said:
sorry, too much good beer to answer that question.
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+1
If I have to buy some beers for a party or something I go with Great Lakes or Bells as I know they are great beer and most people like them. However I love trying different beers from all over the world. Rogue, Avery, New Holland, etc, I have had wonderful beers from all of them. However my favorite so far is BORIS the Crusher from Hoppin Frog brewery in Akron, OH. Talk about a beer that drinks like a meal!!!

Craig
 
Another +1 for Three Floyd's.. I can't get them here but my In-Laws live about 30 min so we swing by whenever wife and I go to visit.

I almost invested in their brewpub year's back, wish I had now.
 
Just had a preview of Black Panther 2008, Golden Valley's Oaked Imperial Stout. 9%, just out of the fermenter and smooth! There is NO alcohol edge. This will be a head knocker after 6 weeks in Pinot barrels.
 
I'll chime in for Two Brothers Brewing Co. (Warrenville, IL)

Their Cane & Ebel rye remains my all time favorite brew. A hoppy (Simcoe, Summit) Rye with thai sugar added. Like Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye only more complex and much better (IMO).

Their Domaine Dupage French Country Amber (Bronze at the 2007 GABF), their Heavy Handed IPA, and Bitter End Pale are all top notch brews in my opinion. The IPA even came in multiple hop lots this season. Though I was only able to try 3 of them. Hop Juice IIPA is pretty great as well.

They continuously experiment with their Artisan series brews as well. You never know what they're going to be coming out with next. Some have been great, some not so much, but they always keep it interesting and keep pushing the envelope.

They just expanded and moved their brewery into a new facility, are opening a brewpub there, and also operate a homebrew supply shop and run Windy City Distribution. Not only do they distribute their own brews, but they do a hell of a lot of work to bring great brews into the Chicago area. Not an easy task considering they shady politics and suspect distribution laws in this area.

Class acts all the way.
 
I have to go local here, too.

Four Peaks in Tempe, AZ is a fine brewpub, not just because of the beer (which is awesome), but also because of the food.
 
Love to support the regional stuff and, even though I am an Illinoisan, Schlafly's out of St. Louis gets my vote. I like most of all of the bottled stuff we can get and absolutely love their Pale Ale varieties on tap. However I will vote for Goose Island and Two Brothers as my home state choices.
 
I throw in a vote for Great Lakes too. IMO the best beer they make doesn't even get bottled and distributed. They make a seasonal pilsner named Prohibition Pilsner. I've only had it when I went to their restaurant and ordered it from the bar but it is awesome. They also make a very, very good Octoberfest.
 
I miss Flying Bison back in Buffalo. Sooooo Goooood! Can't get Stone down here in NC either. Damn, I miss those. Still my all time favorites however.
 
brewt00l said:
I know you always get the "woah they suck" kinda responses from these threads & it's nothing personal but I just don't get Breckenridge. The 471 small batch and Vanilla porter are good solid beers. I hear their small batch ESB is really good too. Had their sampler case: oatmeal stout, summerbright, avalanche & trademark EPA. Of those, only the oatmeal stout was decent & the rest were mediocre at best.

Now Bells OTOH.....
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I agree except I liked the beer when I was in Breckenridge and had some of their beers on tap. (handling/shipping problem I bet) For some reason the sampler packs always taste oxidized(?)/old/mushroomy(?) to me. I think the Vanilla Porter was the only beer I've ever thrown away though, out of probably thousands of beers I've tried it may have been the worst! It was very well made (not the taste I described from the sample pack), just not my thing. Not trying to diss Breckenridge Brewery though, I think maybe their beers just aren't my favorite because personal tastes vary.

Favorite Brewery: New Belguim, Sunshine Wheat just rules and everybody loves Fat Tire! I loved Celis stuff when I lived in Texas too, their white beer was awesome. Of course Ska here in Durango is awesome, probably just hard for people to find anywhere outside of this area.
 
Surly
Summit - although they are starting to get big and on the verge of "micro"
Finnegan's
FLying Dog
New Glarus
Bells
Ska
Stone
 
Man, that's a tougher question than it seems on the surface! My all time favorite, any place in the country would have to be Bridgeport Brewing, whose beers I can't get where I live. I had their Pale Ale several years ago and loved it. Ended up ordering case and had it shipped to my home! Hope it hasn't changed and I hope I get the chance to try some of their beers again in the future.

Locally, +1 for Two Brothers, Three Floyds and Great Lakes.
 
I'll chime in with a vote for Odell Brewing, in Ft. Collins, Co (Yeah, I know, the home of New Belgium, but I like Odell's beers better). My particular favorites from them are the 90 Shilling ale and the 5 Barrel Pale Ale. Although, I do have to say, having grown up in and around Durango pre-craft beer revolution, I was pretty impressed by Steamworks beers the last time I was through there.
 
dannypo said:
Jolly Pumpkin, Jolly Pumpkin and Jolly Pumpkin.

I absolutly love thier beer. They are doing something that only a handful of brewers are trying.:mug:
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You got that right pal. Voted in the top 25 in this months Beer Advocate mag. I visit Jolly Pumpkin, regularly.
 
As far as nationwide I'll go Odell brewing, too. Can't get it in richmond, cant get new belgium either, for that matter, but my best friend lives in Ft collins and brings me a 12 pack of easy street wheat every time he flys into town. I do have a sweet Fat Tire picture/poster in the kitchen,also. Ft Collins has some great beer. Thanks Scotty.

Locally, you can't beat legend brewing. The best brown ale I've ever had, and they host the local HBC meeting every month. Even though I've never attended.
 
Rogue, Stone, and Stoudts (got married there so I have to like them!)
 
Russian River is #1 in my book. They completely changed my perception of brewing.

Deschutes used to be my favorite when I lived in Bend, Oregon. Now they are a distant second. Ever since they moved their production from Bend to Colorado it just hasn't been the same.
 
it's so hard to pick local. . . do I go with stone, bear republic, ballast point?

I've been on a big ballast point kick lately and I love to go in and sample the stuff they are dabbling with when I go to the LHBM.

I'll have to put ballast point as number one right now because they did get me into brewing and I have yet to try a beer of theirs that I didn't like.
 
Can breweries like Stone, Sierra Nevada, and Sam Adams even be considered "micro" breweries any more? Granted they aren't as big as BMC, but they are all nation wide now.

My favorite micro of the moment has to be Great Lakes IPA, one of the best I"ve had so far. Got it in my Secret Santa package, wish I could find some around here.
 

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