What's the best brewery in the world? | The Craft Beer Channel

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So! What's your favourite brewery, and perhaps more important what MAKES a great brewery? The beer, the vibe, the people, its influence?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Oh, and no fighting.

[@Christopowaaa]

I've only ever been to the brewery in my home town, so based on the rules you've laid out, the best brewery in the world must be... Arkells? That can't be right...

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@Christopowaaa Perhaps we'll have to bend the rules for you there.

[@JordanDerKaiserCoupe]

Left Handed Giant has to be up there for me (applying the "have to have been there" rule), lovely little brewpub on the water in Bristol, also maybe Cantillon just purely for the experience of drinking a cherry lambic whilst watching them mashing in right behind me, all the smells and hustle and bustle of a brew day was great.

[@grouloulle]

Cantillon. Wizards of sour beers.

[@MrTrystan2704]

honourable mention to Deya this year

[@bartdesmet2181]

Being from Belgium i would say Cantillon, De La Senne and Orval. The things i would do for a pint of cantillon from draft, now that we are in lockdown.... But old school Belgian brewers tend to pick one style. So overal best brewery, in no particular order: Alagash, De La Senne and The Alchemist. But recently fallen in love with Deya. Glorious pilsners, wild and ofcourse hoppy beers!

[@ChrisCrowe84]

My pick based on the rules would be Hill Farmstead, but I’m surprised to see so few mentions of Jester King. I love their beers, but the visit really puts the whole package together: farmhouse beers in a farmhouse setting, tons of ingenuity and variety, a lot of emphasis on the space and hospitality.

[@simontaylor3173]

Great shout for Paul and Cloudwater with their ethical approach to the rapidly evolving landscape we live in...bravo. The summer released single hop series was something else.

[@EdmundBaileyUK]

Siren!!! 🍺 🍺 Mainly as its local to me, has an amazing little tap room and great pizza!! Their barrel store is also awesome! 😎 Love the channel! 👍

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks Edmund- we love siren too. Fantastic brewery with an almost unrivalled spirit barrel program.

[@76phat]

Garage Project absolutely smashing it out of the park the last few years along with other great NZ breweries

[@mwhittle91]

Favourite in terms of vibes would be Manifest in Eugene. Mainly becuase as soon we walked in the owner clocked we werent local and basicly sat down with us and gave a guide to how he brews, where the best places in town were, top guy and some tasty beers indeed. In the UK I would vouch for Left Handed Giant, the brew pub is great and they make some great IPAs, sours and stouts.

[@raymondberrens2615]

Have to say that Avery Brewing Co. is still our favorite for best brewery in the world that we have been to in Boulder, CO. (Not just because our dog is named after them). The amazing vibe and stunning array of beer offerings are only the tip of the iceberg because they also have some of the best food I've ever eaten. Not just at a brewery, but anywhere. Cheers! 🍻

[@erehwon80]

Garage Project make some great beers, and I am really happy they are planning to set up a brewery in Australia to help supply the West Island.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

No way! That's cool, glad to see them expanding

[@erehwon80]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Yeah, we were drinking too much of their beer. 😂

[@JakeOBeer]

The Kernel are up there for me, as soon as it’s safe I need to get to their new tap room

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

It's ace! Always blows my mind the variation of beers they brew

[@pvacaesar2942]

they're the best. I live in SF now, and have been to russian river, but I still rate Kernel as one of the best, their taproom used to be amazing to visit in the morning on saturdays

[@migle21]

Did I miss or no one mentioned Modern Times from CA? I'm the one having hard time choosing one favorite brewery (or style), but MT does check all the boxes for me.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Not sure anyone has but it's a good shout!

[@adamallers1528]

Hard to pick just one. Hill Farmstead, Tired Hands, Other Half, Tree House, Cellarmaker

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Enjoyed visits to all of those but I think Tired Hands was the best - partly for the great food

[@joshnusbaum234]

Other half is sucha vibe, treehouse is just magnificent to look at..would love to visit hill

[@diaryofwalkingdeath]

Would never put Other Half in that ranking personally

[@darrencampbell6266]

Hey guys, what was the Czech Lager brewery you mentioned should be on the list?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

The one that sadly closed? Koutske Na Sumave.

[@darrencampbell6266]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel One that's not on the top 100 list, after you mentioned Jack's Abby. Was it Unitecky? I really want to try their stuff.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@darrencampbell6266 yeah Uneticky. Amazing beers.

[@baerlauchstal]

Good case for Mahr's Bräu in Bamberg?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Certainly!

[@MrBsHomebrewsandBeerReviews]

I have to go with Cloudwater, was lucky enough to visit the tap on their 5th Birthday last year, I think they brew amazing beers and different styles, I'm lucky to be local and cant wait to go back again after the pandemic situation eases, I think that Manchester is the place to be for great breweries and you dont have to walk far from Piccadilly Station before you hit a great tap room, I also believe Manchester Union Lager are unique and offer a different option for the craft beer lover.

[@Belabor92]

I'm a big fan of bold beers and as far as boldness goes, I really want to give a shout-out to Wylam and Vault City. Really loved a lot of their recent releases. Also: Central Waters deserve way more appreciation in Europe. Their Brewer's Reserve range is out of this world!

[@gurevm]

What about Treehouse or Trillium? Other than fantastic IPA’s, their stouts and sours are amazing.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

They are great breweries but I think both have only just started to diversify and we havent tried their wilder stuff yet. Hope to soon.

[@dkel8795]

See long live beerworks for fantastic stouts in new England. Trillium...too pretentious. Treehouse...too hyped.

[@gurevm]

@@dkel8795 That’s one opinion. I may agree with you about the Trillium attitude, but that doesn’t have any knock on the quality of their brews. Treehouse is as advertised. Is it worth standing in line for hours to get their beer? No, nothing is. But that’s actually one benefit during the pandemic. They’ve made curbside pickup a breeze.

[@indiekiduk]

I would say Ballast Point in San Diego. What makes it great is its journey from home brew shop, to tap room, to household name with beer in every bar in the city, anniversary party in local maritime museum, biggest multi-million dollar destination brewery in the USA and a billion dollar acquisition which ended in epic failure lol! Now on its way back to independent... Its tap room in Little Italy next to the airport is always my first stop to meet friends after flying in, everyone is excited about it and loves going. A mystery is why it has never expanded out of the city. I've been to Russian River pub and enjoyed the massive flight missed the pepperoni pizza though lol, they built a new brewery now so I'll check it out on next trip. Alvarado St and Fieldwork are others on my list up that way.

[@jamescollett1586]

Late to the party, but wanted to shout out some amazing Canadian breweries that often get overshadowed by the Titans south of the border. Top two for me would be Bellwoods Brewery and Collective Arts Brewing out of Toronto and Hamilton Ontario, respectively. Both make a wide range of styles with lots of successful experimentation as well as great offerings of the more common styles. Honourable mentions to 2 Crows Brewing Company from Halifax, Nova Scotia (never been to the brewery, but nearly all of their beers that I've tried have been top notch) and Bannerman Brewing Company from St. John's, Newfoundland.

[@matthewhaas3263]

I’m curious to know your opinion on this hypothetical...say Russian River goes big like Sierra Nevada, or how Goose Island was bought by InBev. If the beers stayed exactly the same, but distribution increased and the “vibe” changed at the brewpub, do they fall off this list for you?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Well, just to be clear we think Sierra Nevada are an absolutely incredible brewery - making amazing beer still and having a very ethical and open mindset. So if Russian River grew to their size with the same quality of beer, the world would be much richer for it. If they sold to a macro, that would depend which macro and what happened to the culture and the beer. But to AB InBev....that would be a real shame.

[@stripeyjoe]

I do have a fondness for Redemption’s Big Chief IPA, more of a traditional one than new world but hits the spot every time and, with 5l kegs of it at £20, remarkable value for money. Their Porter is spot on too.

[@BenPaganelli]

I’m absolutely loving Brad’s shirt. Milton Glaser was not only a great graphic designer but a true NYC hero having been one of the founders of New York Magazine and of the Underground Gourmet column which has since become Grub Street. He got the idea for the Brooklyn Brewery logo from the old Brooklyn Dodgers logo. He also is the one who convinced Steve Hindy to change the name from Brooklyn Eagle (Not a bad name, but not as catchy). He is most remembered for two things: hid Dylan poster from the 60s and, of course, the I ❤️ NY logo. Waaaaiit a second.......... you guys are selling that??

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Brad is a designer and it is his homage to his favourite designer

[@BenPaganelli]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Awesome.

[@theproceedings4050]

I'm from Connecticut, but my favorite brewpub hands down is Cushnoc Brewing Company in Augusta Maine. Fantastic food (and pizza) as well as great craft beer.

[@blacky5464]

I'm a huge fan of the DIPA style so Garage Project from down in New Zealand are the best and most consistent for me.

[@filmscorefreak]

You guys should visit St Peter's in your country. Haven't been there, but the way artisan meets traditional is sublime. Don't commonly see their beer in the US but came across the jackpot from a NYC outlet, snagged probably half a dozen different brews, loved them all. The ones we can sort of find regularly, Organic Ale, Cream Stout, Porter, are ridiculously good.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

THey used to have a fantastic tiny pub in the centre of London that we drank in all the time. I believe COVID killed it.

[@seanwinter4784]

My all-time favourite brewery is Feral Brewing in the Swan Valley, outside Perth in Western Australia

[@oscarBot-bf8ck]

Wow was getting so wound up that you hadn't mentioned Kernel... Good save chaps haha

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So weird how we got so blinkered on the day. When I was editing it I was just like "WTF past Jonny and Brad".

[@Ona1000]

Why no side project?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Because we have only tried one or two beers from them - would love to try more and indeed visit

[@DigiDudeMI]

Where can we get those beer glasses?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Afraid they are sold out at the moment but we are getting some new ones in asap and will let our subs know!

[@clintsimmons3122]

You'll think I don't get out much, but two of the best breweries I've ever been to are local to me, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. I love equally Level Crossing and Salt Flats

[@nicholaswoodward8191]

Nice vid. If you get a chance try the beers from Soul Barrel in Franschoek near Cape Town. There beers are really really good. Cheers.

[@hirdeshbajwa8906]

I haven't been to many breweries but in British Columbia, Canada I know that Fernie Brewing Co, Crossroads Brewing, and Barkerville Brewing are the best to me. Fernie Brewing Co makes a awesome coffee stout and my favourite IPA. Crossroads Brewing makes many different beers and has a fantastic menu. Barkerville Brewing was my first love when I was still a beer noob. I still gladly drink those sometimes!

[@ryanpratthall9119]

You’ve got to try Cloudwater’s barrel aged stuff at the moment. The pale ales that they fruit and barrel are just awesome👌🏻

[@MispeledStalion]

Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgeman, MI, USA is my fav. They make some of my favorite pastry stouts, barleywines, and helles lager, plus some bangin' IPAs, open- and mixed-ferm sours, and others. If you have the means, I highly recommend, but it's got a 15 mile distro circle with some exceptions so it's not exactly easy to get. Else, 3Floyds (Munster, IN) and Burial Beer Co. (Asheville, NC), a shout from me for their diversity+quality+accessibility, and Bell's (Kalamazoo, MI) also needs props for being diverse as a big-distro company. Hoping to fall in love with some non-Americans when we can travel safely again :)

[@ChristianAltenhofen]

I'm a bit late to the party but New Belgium in Fort Collins, CO is definitely a great brewery with a great culture and a good variety of beers.

[@PorkyRidesBikes]

Mikkeller Baghaven are something special. The blenderia itself has a great atmosphere with all these amazing barrels and foudres everywhere you look. Not to mention that the beers themselves are absolutely top drawer.

[@MikeJackson690]

My favourite breweries who are always dependable in no particular order: Polly's Verdant Cloudwater Wylam Kernel Deya Think that's it. Not able to get my hands on US beers often enough to put them in my definitive list. Soft spot for: Arbor Hawkshead Northern Monk Brew By Numbers

[@Christopowaaa]

100% this. Agree with every single pick. Polly's DIPA's are right up there, and Arbor's NZ pale is probably the most easily drinkable beer I've ever had

[@joecoupe5841]

May not be the best in the world but the Homeland brewery in Amsterdam is incredible. Stumbled across it on my brother in law's stag do without knowing it existed. Amazing selection, amazing quality and the friendliest of people.

[@DoctorBenc]

Interested as to why you say Cloudwater are "strong sustainability-wise"? Great vid!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You know what, I cant actually find online sources but we have discussed it at length with the brewery before. We will find something to link to

[@kevinpayne3482]

Of the breweries I’ve been to, it’s a close call but I’ll go with “thin man” brewery here in western New York. A very close second is my local, brickyard brewing company here in Lewiston New York. Honorable mention goes to funky Buddha in Florida

[@tobbemann]

The best brewery I've been to must be Dieu du Ciel in Montreal. Every beer I had there was amazing! With their stouts being my favorites!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We haven't been but LOVE the beers

[@beergood4me]

Haven't had a bad beer from Trillium. Most have been NEIPAs but the stouts, Berliner Weiss, and Pilsners have been among the best I've had. Have only been to one location but it also had a great vibe and the people working were awesome.

[@khristianperdue1478]

Coopers Brewary I'm South Australia . Best best Coopers Vintage comes out once a year every July . Fantastic . Every year it's different slightly .

[@JS-vn9we]

With the comments being very US/UK/Belgium centred, I am going to throw in Põhjala. They also have a super friendly tap room/chef who let us try for free and asked for our opinions when he was test-cooking a new menu on a super quiet Tuesday.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Ace brewery - great quick sours and big stouts!

[@michaellacy8510]

From California: Russian River Brewing has to be at the top for Pliny. Anchor is up there too. Personal local favorite for sentimental reasons is Lagunitas. Love to try some of your other choices!

[@hencepence]

Dieu du Ciel (Quebec) definitely deserves more of a mention. Ridiculously high level overall. Also makes several different styles.

[@rscott2247]

Vrema, ou veh in Quebec is this brewery ? When ju think of bien beire in that province, Boreal comes to mind.

[@schweigsamerdan]

Attitude wise and impact on the European market: CW - US -> Russian River ?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I don't think CW could claim that level of influence yet, particularly as they did a lot of their best work at the same time and hundreds of other breweries. But there is no doubt they led from the front.

[@pommiedownunder1]

Theakston Old Peculier but I now live in Australia and there are way to many to choose from. :-) Colonial Pale ale is up there as well as Otherside Indie XPA, goes down great.

[@colinharkins6023]

Sir John's Lachute QC, messorem Montreal, bas du Canada Gatineau, Side project STL, Jackie O's, Trillium personally. Need to get to Belgium to visit the Trappists. Big fan of the channel cheers!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Cheers! And thanks for the comment! Some new breweries to us there so we will look them up.

[@SpookySSBM]

Dieu du Ciel in Quebec is the best for me. Bourbon barrel aged Peche Mortel and the base are some of the best stouts I've ever had, moralite and immoralite are some of the best IPAs I've ever had, Solstice d'Hiver is an amazing barleywine, etc. Jean Francois Gravel is one of those brewing wizards who comes up with great recipes really consistently. Their brewpub is my favourite ever and they hold a ton of awesome events that are all so memorable.

[@remifjelldal7299]

where is the mike murphy Lervig on that list? or any list? highly underrated globally. Granted their imp stouts are their best cards, but great BW, pales, neipa, table beers, etc. But the little brother from around the corner is if not anything at least the most improved up and coming brewery, Salikatt! Makes absolutely world class neipa, fantastic fruited sours, berliner weisse, and even some fantastic stouts. Maybe a bit biased and local, but still world class stuff! Surprised not a mention of Northern Monk btw. to stop myself from going too long, i'll just add some Honorable mentions: 3F (although only lambic), Trillium, Founders, Omnipollo, Monkey Brew, Northern Monk, Cloudwater

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We had lervig down as a surprise omission on the brewery list - they have definitely been on it in past years

[@stanbashaw1365]

It would be useful if you would summarize your picks in the video description. And, De Dolle is my best brewery.

[@chrisfrazel6272]

Monkish Brewing out of Torrence California is amazing.

[@anthonyscalese5455]

Def my favorite right now for Hazies... Almost have to break best Brewery into categories cause alot of them stick to a particular style!

[@MurrayFrancis]

Brewing consistently great beers across a wide range of styles is what I think makes a great brewery. Northern hemisphere for me is Hill Farmstead or Russian River. The Southern hemisphere secret though is Garage Project, how consistently they deliver sensational beers across such a diverse range of styles is world class. Cheers

[@MBr___]

Was vibing a lot with Arpus and Zagovor the last year. Oh and De Moersleutel have some silly (good) beer as well, maybe not always that consistent but trying a lot of fun stuff :)

[@thomasvandzura4848]

Some of the best ive been to, no specific order: Tired Hands, Dancing Gnome, Warwick Farm, Bissel Brothers, Other Half, Troon, Resident Culture, Arizona Wilderness, Long Live Beerworks, & Stoneface

[@mdot23]

Troon makes amazing beers but you can’t really visit them unless you eat at Brick Farm and get their stuff on tap. They’re in need of a proper tap room and much deeper accessibility instead of relying on quick fingers when they post to IG.

[@dominiccristinzio6001]

I would have to say Troegs, which is fairly local to me. Been there almost more than any other brewery I've toured & its a consistently great experience w/lovely staff! Solid variety of brews + great barrel aging program. I also gotta mention Human Robot in Philly, which I highly recommend a visit to if you's ever get back to Philly. Really exciting place..big focus on lagers! 🍻

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We fuckin LOVE Troegs. One of our favourite ever beer tours and one of our best videos - lovely people, amazing beer, great philosophy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4q8dGitmZKbf7c

[@dominiccristinzio6001]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Wholeheartedly agree 💯 I learn something new every time I go there. I ran into you guys at Monk's Cafe I believe the night before you's went to Troegs. Was very happy to see that video!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@dominiccristinzio6001 oh shit! Hey! Was a good night! Great to hear from you.

[@dominiccristinzio6001]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Indeed! I was pretty sauced up that night lol. Always following the Channel & the Instagram, hopefully will run into ya's for some pints in the future.

[@ConradoDucommun]

3 fonteinen and Cantillon have my vote. Both amazing places with amazing beers! 🍻

[@pjwillsr]

Hop Butcher for the World, Darien, Illinois has fantastic beers and extremely hard to get.

[@gunnerdom78]

Well I think you guys need to come to Canada. I live in Ottawa and we have tons if great breweries. Brasserie du Bas-Canada, 5e Baron, Beyond The Pale, Dominion City, Small Pony Barrel Works... tons around southern Ontario as well like the great Badlands. Insane IPAs.

[@saynotofasttravel5279]

My favorite brewery is Amundsen and my favorite UK brewery is BBNO

[@jcinsaniac]

3 Floyds is rarely disappointing. I also love me some Ballast point - Victory at Sea - especially anything barrel aged. Beer is so regional - how can you expect to sample the very best? For me, the Maltiest, best aroma, tastiest...anything that makes me want to go find MORE...that's the GREAT STUFF!

[@TrevsTravelTales]

Ballast point are good

[@mazerickd]

I love 3 Floyd's but it's disappointing I can't get it outside of Indiana.

[@Bfordandafter]

I'm going to call it a three way tie between Live Oak Brewing in Austin, New Glarus in Wisconsin and Ayinger in Aying, Germany.

[@lucidhoody4208]

U boys gotta try Mountain Culture brewery if u ever come to Australia, Widely considered the best craft brewery in Oz right now! They don't miss!

[@alexanderwoods4625]

Hey guys! Speaking from Georgia, in the U.S. (which does have a killer beer scene), I highly highly highly recommend Creature Comforts, in Athens, Georgia. There's a reason it's what Thor drank in Avengers Endgame.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Ooooh yeah we have had quite a few of their beers and LOVED them. One day we will come by

[@ramondekoster71]

It really depends on what you define as the best brewery, especially when you only know your local or national breweries. There might just be an undiscovered pearl which only brews small local batches. Moreover is the best brewery one who overall rates the best? Or does it need the best beer? The best mainstream/underground style? The nicest brewery? The best location? The nicest beer can/bottle/jug? The best story or the riskiest methods or inovativeness? All things rank different for each person due to memories, personal tastes or good/bad experiences. That said I agree you have to look further than you own country and as a Dutch would choose Cuillin, the isle of Skye.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I thought we asked all those questions in the video! We hoped it would provide more questions than answers

[@dharmon66]

another good example of the internet's current bias against some more traditional styles, Weihenstephaner isn't in the top 100 on ratebeer which is absurd to me ! their hefe, dunkel, weizenbock, dopplebock, helles and pils are all absolutely world class and usually pretty cheap and easy to find as well

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

This is a great point. They make a wide range of German beers and all are easily good enough to get them on the list - it's part bias against style but I think it's also bias against regions of the world that don't really use RateBeer!

[@TrevsTravelTales]

You forgot their best beers.

[@anarchodandyist]

Track Brewing - Manchester. The masters of hoppy IPA and sours.

[@josephbridges7470]

My personal favorite brewery is Urban Artifact in Cincy, OH. Reasons: 1)They easily make the best fruit beers in the world. There are maybe singular beers that are better than anything they make, but overall, you cant beat UA for a broad array of beers. 2)Their yeast strain is local to Cincy. Therefore, no one else can make the same recipe taste the same elsewhere. 3)Their taproom and event center (a late 1800s former Catholic church) has some of the best events I have ever been to. Not just beer related events-any events. 4)Its located next to the best donut shop in Ohio (per Food and Wine magazine), another great brewery across the street (Humble Monk which focuses on Belgian beers), one of the best bars in the US (Higher Gravity) which also has a fantastic bottle shop, one of the best record stores in the world (Shake It Records), and on and on. Northside is a great part of Cincy full of interesting stuff. 5)They also serve some of the best pizza in Cincy. Ive had better in other places, but if you're going to drink for hours, their pizza is a perfect compliment.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Sounds like we need to come to Ciny... I'm assuming that's Cincinnati?

[@josephbridges7470]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel yes. Cincy is chock full of great breweries. I think most people would be higher on Rheingeist, Mad Tree, Brink (2 time GABF Small Brewery of the Year), or nearly any of the other several dozen choices, but Urban Artifact heavily has my vote.

[@colinmurphy2127]

Hi guys How about a best UK brewery listing?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey Colin! Well I can tell you right now it is either the Kernel or Burning Sky - with DEYA coming up fast behind them as they diversify. We also do a video every year picking our ones to watch - and have picked out Verdant, DEYA, Pollys, Little Earth and more before they go big. You can see this year's here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWfFiYhsh7hkp9U

[@colinmurphy2127]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel have either of you guys ever been to the Independent Salford Beer festival?

[@ASMRPeople]

I'll mention two breweries from my back yard. Bells and founders. Bells has some of the best ipas imo & founders the king of barrel aged stuff. Both are very affordable too. You can get a Bells two hearted ale for $2 per can & one can get a founders kbs for less than $5.

[@jasone7624]

New Holland isn't far from them either and also quite good.

[@petergaboury9300]

Having visited Alchemist, it's gotta be in the list !! I vote in the end for Allagash.

[@markgatti9928]

Hill Farmstead is the fine wine of beer. Best all around selection and quality.. Honorable mentions are Tree House and Trillium

[@Peter-sx2cj]

Another great reason to love Alchemist is affordability, you can grab a 4 pack at the brewery for $12.70...for any of their styles.

[@nicksmith371]

As a lager lover, Notch was the best brewery I've ever been too. Breweries that I've been to in my home state, I highly recommend Cinderlands, Levante, and New Trail as honorable mentions. They are all known mainly for their hazy IPAs (who isn't anymore). But, after visiting each of the taprooms, they are making world class beers in pretty much all styles.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Love Notch more than I could say - and New Trail are great too! Had a memorable trip and tour there in 2019

[@triaxe-mmb]

Considering Beer + Vibe only: Sante Adairius, Russian River, Lanikai, Cellarmaker, Monkish, Faction, Altamont, Freewheel (cask brewer), Yorkshire Square (cask brewer), Humble Sea

[@beardown2489]

There are 8K breweries in America. And all of your choices are incredible and worthy. The crazy thing is we could easily give shout outs to like 300-500 stellar and well rounded breweries in the country that you could call world class. That’s would be like 5% of the nations options. I feel like innovation is almost done. It’s time for American breweries to truly refine their craft and continue to strengthen their relationships within their own communities

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks for your comment! We actually talked about it in our podcast because you raised some interesting points. I like to think we could whittle the 300 or so down pretty easily but your point stands! And as for innovation we totally agree - time to go deep into quality and leave the diversity to come across all the other 8000 brewers

[@zabuzamomochi2323]

I'd like to address that you mentioned IPAs, Wild Ales, Lambics and Sours for virtually all of the mentioned breweries. What about people who are more into Doppelbocks, Dubbels, Quadrupels, Imperial Stouts and all that sweet and strong goodness? What is the best brewery for people like me who are more into sweet rather than sour and bitter?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Fair question! For us, for big sweet stouts it's Omnipollo, for big Belgian ales it's St Bernardus and Westmalle, for big German beers it's Ayinger.

[@zabuzamomochi2323]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Wow thanks! I love St Bernardus and Westmalle! Definitely I have to try Omnipollo.

[@HollowHandCollective]

If it goes down to breweries that I've actually visited then I'll have to go with Kingdom Brewery from Cambodia. It's a small craft brewery put together by some Ex-Pats in Phnom Penh. Not the best beer in the world but the best beer in Cambodia by far. Would hit up their tap-room weekly as it was a short tuk-tuk from where I lived. Their pilsner was one of the freshest tasting beers I've ever had; most probably because they hand delivered it to all the bars and shops in the area.

[@mickporter84]

I can dance around the topic and debate with myself as long as I want but I'll always come to the same conclusion. For me personally it just has to be Kernel. No hype, almost zero marketing, bog standard branding but the most incredibly consistent and amazing quality beers you will find. They just can't do wrong for me.

[@rogernovrit7803]

My two favorites in the world are Lawsons finest and Tired Hands right outside of Philadelphia

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Love both those breweries! Had a memorable visit to tired hands back in 2015

[@fleekwoodmac3705]

They have a brewery in fishtown (Philly proper) called St. Oners with a beer garden across the street. I live like 5 blocks away. I'm going fucking broke .....

[@martinkirsch5969]

Based on my personal experience (I sadly haven't visited many breweries), I'd say Bendorf (Strasbourg, France) or Elixkir (Dijon, France); they both make wonderful beers and always have a large selection of different styles.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

And both new to us! We'll look into them, thanks!

[@catherinefuller25]

I haven't traveled far for breweries but living in CT I have the benefit of being able to drive to Maine, NYC, Mass all very easily. I might say Trillium because they make a great variety with no bad beers I might say Two Roads for being a big little brewery that has great people and great events and is not too corporate yet. I might say OEC for some of the hardest working brewers and the hands down best people to drink with I've ever met.

[@fit_by_fifty]

Can you send some CT and Maine beers for me to review on my craft beer review channel? Please? You just need to send them to Australia.

[@tyrannosaurus696]

I think one of my criteria is that the brewery should make affordable beer. The two US breweries you mentioned produce great quality beer that anyone can afford. Although availability may be limited in the case of RR and Alchemist, once you're there, it's cheap as chips. My only knock on Cloudwater is that a lot of their beer is prohibitively expensive. My personal favourite UK brewery is DEYA. 500ml cans, a can of Steady for around £3. Loads of experimentation with different styles and processes. Cannot go wrong. I loved the two breweries you visited in Florida, Green Bench and 7venth Son. The passion, beliefs and approach of their owners gave me back a lot of my faith in humanity!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I agree - and price is going to become a much more talked about part of the craft beer world as recession bites. We need to remember though that British is HAS to be more expensive due to the tax paid on it (roughly 10 times that of America on a DIPA) and the extra costs of the hops travelling and being bough via resellers. That said, DEYA offer unbelievable value.

[@tyrannosaurus696]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel is Cloudwater's brewing capacity significantly less than DEYA's? Just wondering if scale is an explanation for the disparity in price.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@tyrannosaurus696 their capacity is, but their output isn't (yet). There are several great reasons Cloudwater are pretty expensive - one is that the starting salary at the brewery for any job is (I believe) £30,000. DEYA might do the same thing, but not sure.

[@tyrannosaurus696]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel thanks for replying, much appreciated. I think greater transparency with the costs behind their pricing will help breweries going forwards.

[@daryldoyle9850]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel that's brilliant. Makes me want to support them more now.

[@jonathanguach4709]

Other Half brewing company. Great beer, awsome environment, attention to detail.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I think Other Half make fantastic IPA, but we've had some pretty dire beers in other styles, especially on the sour side.

[@kcbeerguy4525]

Side Project definitely goes down as one of mine. There's just simply nothing like the brewery or the cellar. Both are incredible spaces. Obviously all the wild and oak stuff is incredible. I hope they continue to expand on Shared and make more lagers, but as a whole there's just simply nothing like Side Project.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We would love to visit. It is on our bucket list.

[@WWCLife]

Not sure if you’ve covered them (new to the channel) but check out Many Hands Brewery from Devon. Fantastic beers! Some award winning. Love this channel. Top work.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We haven't had any beers from them so will look them up, thanks for the tip and glad you like the channel!

[@simoncross40K]

For the UK 'Craft' overall for me its between Deya and Verdant and Deya edges it. I have tried most of the major UK Craft brewerys and thats accross the board.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

For hazy it has to be those two- for variety very much not!

[@simoncross40K]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel faie enough shows my taste range lol! Variety I think Siren does well.

[@dominicwilliams3543]

A tricky pick but off the top of my head I'd say Brauerei Keesmann in Bamberg, Germany. A tough pick for even that town as there are so many great old school breweries in that town. If you like German beers then you have to go to Bamberg, it's epic

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We had to cancel a 2020 trip there. Maaaaaaybe we will manage it in 2021

[@dominicwilliams3543]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel it's great, especially if you can go when the beer gardens are open

[@stefanmccurley5951]

Imo it's Cloudwater but since Brexit it's impossible to get their beers so it kind of changes my opinion on that the further that goes on. Zichovec in the Czech Republic are outstanding

[@xander1052]

Cloudwater is definitely in my top 10

[@yoann5934]

The Buxton Brewery, in the peak district! Obligatory stop when going on a hike :p

[@DrZoi08]

I’ve tried plenty of “accessible to Australia” USA and UK beers that have been stellar. Cloudwater comes to mind as some of the best beers I’ve been able to taste. Down here in Australia it’s pretty hard to get some of the top shelf imported brews. But, Australian craft brewers are very underrated and I genuinely feel would sit equally amongst some of the best brewers in the world. We have so many great brewers here and the craft scene has exploded in the past few years. Two of the best currently would have to be Mountain Culture and Range Brewing. I have had beers from these two breweries I rate higher than Cloudwater IPA. Absolutely amazing beers produced by these breweries and they continually push the envelope for quality beer.

[@blacky5464]

Range and Mountain Culture are both fantastic, Deeds would be another name i would throw up with them, maybe even One Drop, and then Garage Project from across the ditch.

[@SocialMediaDale]

I love my dark beers. If it's breweries I've been to, then it has to be Brooklyn Brewery (New York) & Prancing Pony (Adelaide, AUS).

[@MAVJ]

If you can overlook the crazy pricing, Equilibrium makes fantastic brews with a real unique and scientific approach.

[@johnoberto2659]

Allagash, Oxbow or Hill Farmstead for me being from new england usa

[@adamlowe9214]

Minnesota has a fantastic beer scene. Dangerous Man, Barrel Theory, Hammerheart, Modist, Bad Weather, Venn, Indeed, and notice I haven't even mentioned the Surly elephant in the room (which I would recommend skipping quite honestly. The owners are just not good people)

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey Adam thanks for the comment - we haven't come across any of these breweries! Seems they keep to their area a bit. Maybe one day we can come and explore it.

[@adamlowe9214]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Of course! Thanks for making great beer focused content to get us through these lock down days!

[@MrTrystan2704]

forgot stella (uk export)

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We didn't forget Stella.

[@sambloke1327]

By making one beer are the lambic breweries not allowed into consideration? 3F make some of, if not the best lambics out there with all sorts of variations. Great to hear de dolle getting the recognition they deserve.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Oh they can totally be allowed! Lambic isnt a style of beer - or at least it is but you blend it to make lots of very different beers. 3F have made some extraordinary stuff.

[@melterl1234]

Founders brewery in Grand Rapids Michigan makes great tasting bourbon stouts

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

They do! But unfortunately they were sued for racial discrimination and despite settling have never apologised or attempted to make amends so we cant recommend them to anyone.