In honor of the Brass City Brewfest, which I attended this past weekend, I am going to do a top 5 favorite independent brewers. I thought of doing top 5 beers, but thought this would be a little more interesting and let me include more of my favorites, since some of my favorite beers are made by the same brewers and some wouldn't make the list just by shear numbers. In all honesty, I could have just called this list top 5 favorite brewers and the list would have been the same (yes, I'm a beer snob... if by beer snob you mean, I refuse to support the bullshit cooperate tactics used to try to squash small business just because you can and I refuse to drink beer that taste like bad water) but I figured others might need it to be more specific...
5. Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY
Really these guys make the list based on one brew, their Double White. It is similar to Blue Moon (Coors), a white Belgian, but the flavor is much more complex and the double means stronger alcohol content. I really taste the citrus and coriander in this, more so then other Belgian whites I've tried. It might be my favorite beer. They also make a Altgier and an IPA and a few seasonal beers, all of which are good but nothing that knocks my socks off. Just go try the Double White and you'll understand.
4. Matt Brewing Company (Sarnac), Utica, NY
Sarnac's core beers, the one's they make all year round are solid. I enjoy their Black Forest, a Bavarian Black beer, Black & Tan and Brown ale. But the real reason they got on this list is their seasonal beers. They make an excellent Irish Red. They also make what is probably my favorite of the Pumpkin Ales. The Oatmeal Stout is awesome. The Pomegranate Wheat is interesting if you like a more fruity beer. The cream of their beer crop, though, has to be the Carmel Porter. It's like drinking beer candy! You can really taste the kale.
3. Stone Brewing Co, San Diego, CA
If you're looking for your beer to drop you on your ass, this is the company for you. These beers, with names like Arrogant Bastard, Levitation Ale, and Vertical Epic Ale, are not for the faint of heart. The alcohol per volume on these starts at 7.2 and goes up (major brand beer is 4.5-5). If you really want to get your ass kicked the Double Bastard is 10.5. That's not saying anything about the bitterness. If you don't like bitter beer, you should probably stay away. But if you like a strong, well crafted beer, you need to give these guys a try.
2. Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Boston, MA
The king of independent beer makers. You can't go wrong with a Sam Adams brew. They pretty much hit everything there is and do them all well. I really enjoy their Irish Red, Honey Porter, Summer Ale, Cream Stout and Scotch Ale. My favorite is hands down the Cherry Wheat. Some people don't like the fruit beers, and I agree some of them get to sweet (I'm not a fan of the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier), but I love this one. Probably would be in my top 5 beers.
1. Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA
To me, there is more flavor in Weyerbacher beer then any other brewery I've tasted. The Merry Monks Belgian is probably my favorite beer. Its another beer with an alcohol content that might knock you on your ass. They have an excellent Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Autumn Fest, Winter Ale. Under the great named beer category, they have one called the Blithering Idiot, which is a barleywine and taste as good as it sounds. You can never go wrong with Weyerbacher and they are by far my favorite brewer.
Honorable Mention: Hooker, Bloomfield, CT. Riverhorse, Lambertville, NJ. Dogfish Head, Milton, DE
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