Years ago, I used to argue that Belgium was the best country for beer, not my birth country of Germany which everyone assumed. But lately I’ve come to believe we were all wrong. Despite making nothing but the worst mass-produced horse swill for the half-century that followed Prohibition, the U.S. is now the greatest nation on earth when it comes to beer. The craft brewing movement that picked up steam throughout the ‘90s came to beautiful fruition this past decade, and no where else on earth will you find the variety of beers to match the quality.
Paste may specialize in music, film, TV, books and video games. But we’ve also got a special place in our heart for beer. It’s been a tremendous amount of fun compiling this list with the help of our readers and our two favorite pubs. Mike Gallagher from The Brick Store Pub in Paste’s hometown of Decatur, Ga., and Eric Johnson of the nearby Trappeze Pub in Athens both lent us their time and expertise to make sure we got this as close to right as we could. But of course, we missed your favorite American brewery. Tell us what it is in the comments section. And then go convince them to sell it here in Georgia.
p.s.: all apologies to our neighbors up north at Unibroue, who’d most certainly be on this list if we extended it to North American breweries.
25. Great Divide Brewing Company
Headquarters: Denver
Established: 1994
Our Favorite Beer: Yeti Imperial Stout, Titan IPA
If the U.S. is becoming the beer capital of the world, ground zero might be Colorado, where breweries are churning out a crazy variety of beer. One of the first was Great Divide, who like a gourmet chef takes basic ingredients and transforms them into unforgettable treats.
24. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Headquarters: Chico, Calif.
Established: 1980
Our Favorite Beer: Bigfoot
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22. Brewery Ommegang
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