According to the Brewer's Association, we're now up over 5,000 breweries in the United States. That's bonkers. As an end of the year exercise, we combed through our data to reveal the top-10 most-searched breweries on BeerMenus during 2016. Check them out below, and be sure to check back throughout the week to see our parts 2, 3, and 4 in our 2016 Roundup.
10. Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
The east Iowa masters of Mornin Delight and King Sue come in at number 10. Headquartered in the college town of Decorah, TG has recently started contract brewing with Florida's Brew Hub. This brings tall boy Pesudo Sues and Golden Nuggets to many more folks, but the elusive question remains: has pre-contract quality been maintained?
Their coolship is legendary, as are the cobwebs above it. The only fully non-American brewery on our list, there's little wonder why so many folks search for awesome lambics from this iconic Belgian brewery. While extremely rare in the US, look out for it at some of your city's best beer bars. Believe us, they'll be sure to tell you if they've gotten their hands on it.
The first of many hazy, juicy, East Coast IPA experts on this list. Located in Southern Mass between Springfield and Worcester, it's middle-of-the-nowhere location doesn't jive with the lines that form on can release days. That beer nerd friend of yours might have a Julius or a Green in his fridge. Be sure to ask him or her nicely, though. They're known for being territorial.
What once was Gandhi Bot has become G-Bot, but we'll all survive. Especially since Fuzzy Baby Ducks is still so damn special. These guys pump out a ton of solid IPAs, and the best part? Provided you live in Connecticut, you can get a lot of 'em all the time, nearly anywhere. A rare thing for breweries on this list. (Photo courtesy of Beer Book Month)
Since we're headquartered in New York, we're very familiar with both the beer and the bar, Tørst. A favorite memory from the summer: surreptitiously cracking a few Geyser Goses at the Rockaways. A favorite memory from late fall: founder Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø’s strike back on an unfavorable online reviewer.
Hard to argue with a company whose slogan is “Do what's right.” They also put their money exactly where their slogan is: they're part of the 1% Percent for the Planet initiative, which sends 1% of their sales directly to one or more nonprofits in the 1% for the Planet network. The result: a meaningful amount of the price you pay for that Another One or Lunch goes straight to helping our planet. Cheers to that.
This now legendary brewery is only gaining more and more traction, especially with the recent enhanced push it has made into the New York City scene. Enjoying an Everett on a cool night (or a Double Citra on a not-so-cool one) is one heck of a way to get the most out of life. Photo courtesy of Boston Magazine
The wife-and-husband duo from Brooklyn continues pumping out great stouts (Double Negative), sours (Super Spruce), and, of course, East Coast IPAs and double IPAs. Most recent on the scene was Zap, a juicy double IPA that somehow fit right in with the holidays. Mele Kalikimaka, I guess. Also, excitement in NYC brews: a brick-and-mortar Grimm operation lies on the horizon. Location: Brooklyn.
Those with their beer ears to the ground in late November know exactly why Goose Island appears on this list: Bourbon County Stout or one of the many variants (Barleywine, Proprieter's Reserve, etc.). This delicious, viscous slime marks the turn from fall to winter for many beer drinkers. Given it's ability to warm the soul, it's little wonder so many search for it.
Our borough mates come in at number one. Few surprises there. They continue holding court over the IPA game in NYC, and despite expanding capacity, lines still form at their Saturday morning can releases. They're also prolific collaborators, which means new flavors from across the world end up within Other Half's limited distribution range (and vice versa). But still, their core offerings are hard to beat: even with the continued surge in IPA production, cracking a fresh Hop Showers or Green Diamonds is always one helluva good choice.
