Top 10 Beers of the Year
BreWskey Concept (Montreal) Huge, saturated New Zealand–hop notes reverberate at the ethanol-drenched triple-IPA scale, but the tight white floral notes firmly grip soft melon and tropical fruit for a dynamic but refined and clean flavor that feels much leaner than it is. The crisp, carefully structured floral-hop notes carve away at the bigger fruit tones, and the result is a stunning study in NZ-hop contrast.
Schneeeule Marlene (Berlin) I can’t not order Marlene if I see it on draft, as I did in June at La Fine Mousse in Paris. Light and tart, perfectly balanced, subtle malt, big lemony citrus—it’s a stunning beer and labor of love. Rather than mourn the brewery’s closing, I choose to celebrate the numerous times I’ve enjoyed it in bottle or on draft. I hope, for the sake of beer history and my own enjoyment, that this isn’t the last we see of the snowy owl.
Pinta Hopzz Sublime (Wieprz, Poland) Last December, I judged the medal round of the hazy IPA category at Poland’s Kraft Roku competition. Pinta won all three medals in the category, and this gold medal–winner stood out with bold, intense tropical-fruit notes and a clean gooseberry edge. It’s thoughtfully expressive in its understanding of New Zealand–hop flavors and aromas.
Dunham Sovy (Dunham, Quebec) A nutty, slightly rustic barley-stalk feature in the aroma of this Czech-style lager; a touch of bready sweetness sets up a remarkably refined sip, in which hops are clearly present but meld immaculately with the grassy malt for a rare unity in flavor. The drinkability is off the charts, yet it conveys clear personality.
Stu Mostów X Anniversary 3/10 WILD #29 (Wroclaw, Poland) A collab with Hudson Valley, this mixed-culture, farmhouse-inspired ale throws deep forest in the aroma with a mango-chutney highlight and fresh edge. Gorgeously balanced herbal flavors and a sweet mango-nectar softness play against a bit of expressive funk. Dry, organized, yet beautifully indulgent.
Zichovec Fresh Saaz Comfort 12 (Louny, Czechia) You’d expect a brewery this close to Žatec to know a thing or two about using fresh Czech hops, and you’d be right. Full-bodied Czech pale lager takes on vibrancy with fresh Saaz Comfort cones, doubling down on earthy and floral notes but with a rounded entry that pulls you in.
Kiitos Fonio (Salt Lake City) The most unique beer I’ve had this year—perfectly clear with pear esters, a light vinous note, sulfur structure, and a compelling argument for expansive opportunities in beer that we’ve only just begun to explore. Fonio with a mash-press filter opens up entirely new avenues for grain-based beers, and this was the most adventurous yet refined exploration I’ve tasted so far.
Grand Fir Lichen (Portland, Oregon) When I think of “forest” as an IPA flavor descriptor, it nearly always references some classic iteration of citrus and pine evoked by a blend of C-hops. But Grand Fir is writing new pages in the lexicon with this evocative exploration that feels both rooted and fresh. The hint of English refinement with a touch of petrichor, a woody crack of branches underfoot, and ferns and moss after a brief sun-shower layer in the metaphor without belaboring it.
La Cumbre Elevated IPA (Albuquerque) In an era when many West Coast–style IPA brewers fall victim to the tyranny of hegemony—lightest pilsner malt, 34/70 yeast, 40-ish IBUs, rinse, repeat—I find myself equally drawn to hop-forward expressions that eschew the latest dogma. Elevated has clearly evolved over the years, but it still lands the same way it did when I first had it circa 2012–2013, with big blueberry notes and a high lonesome twang that delivers serious bitterness with a soft but rugged hand.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Mills River, North Carolina) Whenever I’m in Atlanta, I make a point of visiting the Brick Store Pub because the care they show to curating the beer menu is unparalleled. One mainstay is a beer on cask from Sierra Nevada—typically Pale Ale, but sometimes Celebration when in season. While there in July, I made an honest effort to drink other beers from the expansive offerings, but the gravity of Pale Ale on cask proved a force I couldn’t resist. Especially when it’s served in that format, I wholeheartedly agree with the World Beer Cup judges who gave it gold as an American-style ESB.
The Beer I Probably Drank the Most this Year
Westbound & Down Select IPA became a staple in my fridge this year—a clean, punchy, modern IPA with very light body and the perfect balance of fruit and dank. I find myself driving from Fort Collins down to Lafayette about once a month just to enjoy it—and Westbound IPA, Spirit of the West, and their other standouts—on tap at the brewery, and maybe one of these days I can pull Stan away from Cannonball Creek to meet me there. (Very close behind it was Odell IPA, a beer that’s been on my most-consumed list every year for the past 15, and one that seems to defy aging.)
What Convinced Me that Craft Beer Is Not Dead
Data. In 2010, craft-beer production in the United States accounted for a bit more than 10 million barrels. In 2024, it was more than 23 million barrels. Craft beer went through an unprecedented growth spurt in that time, and while we’re a bit off the highest peak of that growth (circa 2019), it’s mathematically disingenuous to argue that what we’re seeing today is anything more than level-setting after such a historic run. Even better news: Beer quality is the best it’s ever been in the history of beer
A Song, A Beer, A Moment
The song is Elder’s “Blind” off the album Reflections of a Floating World—more precisely, the breakdown at eight minutes, 45 seconds—playing on vinyl (of course). The location is my basement, with a custom-colored lighting scene courtesy of Philips Hue. And the beer is probably a gueuze from Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, or Tilquin. I prefer drinking beer with friends, but I also love those moments where I can sink deep into music, into my own head, and into a glass of beer that takes me to another place and time.
