Cheers for the Best Beers (And a New #1!)

Boulder, CO • June 19, 2017—The streak is over! After eight straight years of Russian River Brewing Company’s double IPA Pliny the Elder dominating the top spot, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale was named number one in the 15th annual Best Beers in America survey, conducted by Zymurgy magazine.

“As homebrewers, Zymurgy readers have more refined palates than most for tasting beer,” said Gary Glass, director, American Homebrewers Association. “The Best Beers in America survey reveals which beers are leaving the biggest impression on the minds—and mouths—of these discerning beer drinkers.”

Members of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA)—which publishes Zymurgy—were able to choose up to 20 of their favorite commercial beers available for purchase in the United States in an online voting system.

“This is an incredible honor for us. We got our start as homebrewers—that’s how my dad got going—so we really identify with the homebrewing community,” said Laura Bell, CEO, Bell’s Brewery, whose father, Larry, started the brewery in 1985 in Kalamazoo, Mich. “We take a lot of that spirit into what we do today.”

Top-Ranked Beers (T indicates Tie):

• 1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
• 2. Russian River Pliny the Elder
• 3. Founders Breakfast Stout
• 4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust
• 5. Bell’s Hopslam
• T6. Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)
• T6. The Alchemist Heady Topper
• T8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA
• T8. Sierra Nevada Celebration
• 10. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Top-Ranked Breweries:

• 1. Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Comstock, Mich.
• 2. Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.
• 3. Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, Calif.
• 4. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, Calif. and Mills River, N.C.
• 5. Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif., Richmond, Va., and Berlin, Germany
• 6. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif.
• 7. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.
• 8. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.
• 9. Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, Calif. and Chicago, Ill.
• 10. Ballast Point Brewing, San Diego, Calif.

Top-Ranked Beer Portfolios (T indicates Tie):

• 1. Stone Brewing (31 beers)
• 2. Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (27 beers)
• 3. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (25 beers)
• 4. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (24 beers)
• T5. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (22 beers)
• T5. Lagunitas Brewing Company (22 beers)
• T7. Boulevard Brewing Co. (21 beers)
• T7. Founders Brewing Co. (21 beers)
• 9. Avery Brewing Co. (19 beers)
• T10. New Glarus Brewing Co. (18 beers)
• T10. Odell Brewing Co. (18 beers)

The complete list of Zymurgy’s Best Beers in America is available at HomebrewersAssociation.org. For homebrewers interested in replicating some of the winningest beers at home, the AHA also provides clone recipes in Zymurgy.

Contact: Jacob Streiter, on behalf of the American Homebrewers Association, (646) 695-7047