American Beer, Bourbon and More
Alabama
Back Forty Beer Co. Naked Pig Pale Ale
Brewers Jason Wilson and Zach Folmar work with a local farmer to grow hops for this citrusy pale ale. Gadsden town laws won't allow the brewery to serve beer, so Back Forty gives visitors vouchers for a free pint at local bars.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Alaska
Alaskan Brewing Co. Winter Ale
Handpicked Sitka spruce tips give this rich, vintage-dated winter ale from Juneau a pretty floral note.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Arizona
Nimbus Old Monkeyshine
Tucson-based Nimbus's beers, like this English-style strong ale, are bottled on a 1950s Coca-Cola line.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Arkansas
Diamond Bear Pale Ale
The staff at this Little Rock brewery is so small that it solicits volunteers from the community to work the bottling line. Their pay: beer, like this ultra-refreshing pale ale.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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California
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
From perhaps the only brewery in the US with a fishing team (definitely the only one in San Diego), this fantastically hoppy IPA is even named for a fish.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Colorado
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Connecticut
Cottrell Brewing Company Mystic Bridge IPA
Charles Cottrell Buffum Jr. founded this Pawcatuck brewery in a printing press factory started by his great-grandfather in 1855. This nicely bitter IPA is the newer of Cottrell's two beers.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Delaware
Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout
Each batch of this smoky stout is infused with a pound of vanilla beans to give it a rich sweetness. This summer the brewery will release a special Kentucky bourbon-barrel-aged version.
Photo © Kyle Holtgren.
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Florida
Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai IPA
Once the country's largest producer of cigars, Tampa is heavily influenced by its large Cuban population, as evidenced by the local cuisine. Brewer Wayne Wambles takes inspiration from those flavors when creating his beers, among them this fresh, herbal IPA.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Georgia
Wild Heaven Ode To Mercy Imperial Brown Ale
This dense, malty brown ale is brewed with a blend of coffee beans from local Atlanta roaster 1000 Faces Coffee.
Photo courtesy Chris Rank.
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Hawaii
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Idaho
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Illinois
Two Brothers Cane and Ebel Red Rye Ale
Warrenville brewers Jim and Jason Ebel match rye's spiciness with hoppy pine notes in this robust beer. They also run a home-brew shop, called the Brewer's Coop, in front of the brewery.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Indiana
Three Floyds Gumballhead
Three Floyds' brewpub in Munster isn't the typical nachos-and-wings place. Try vegetables from the pub's 3,000-square-foot organic garden and dishes like mussels steamed in this tangerine-scented wheat beer.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Iowa
Third-generation distiller and former NFL player Keith Kerkhoff uses the same recipe his grandfather created during Prohibition to make this smooth rye whiskey in the small town of Templeton.
Photo courtesy of Templeton Rye.
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Kansas
Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Stout
Tall, eco-friendly cans hold this mocha-scented stout from the plains of Manhattan, Kansas.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Kentucky
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Small Batch is a gorgeous, caramelly blend of four bourbons picked by Lawrenceburg distiller Jim Rutledge for an ideal balance of body, richness and spice.
Photo courtesy of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon.
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Louisiana
Abita Jockamo IPA
Abita helped start the craft-beer movement in America, and its hoppy but balanced IPA shows why. The Abita Springs brewpub and tasting room pours special small-batch beers.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Maine
Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale
This tiny new Portland brewery is entirely wind-powered, gives its spent grain to local farmers for feed and donates part of its profits to saving the planet. No surprise this fresh ale tastes so grassy and green.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Maryland
Stillwater Cellar Door American Farmhouse Ale
Part of the growing ranks of so-called gypsy brewers, Brian Strumke spends half his time traveling around the world to collaborate with other beermakers, like Denmark's dynamic Mikkel Borg Bjergso. At home in Baltimore, he works on his own brews, like this white sage–infused one.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Massachusetts
Pretty Things Jack D'Or
Dann and Martha Paquette's Pretty Things in Somerville reflects historical European beer styles. The Jack D'Or is a layered, citrusy saison.
Photo © Carolyn Fong.
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Michigan
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
This piney, grapefruity ale from legendary Galesburg brewer Larry Bell is one of the country's top beers. Try it at the brewery's aptly named Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Minnesota
Surly Brewing Co. Furious Beer
Admission to Surly's popular Friday-night tours requires one non-perishable food item for the local food bank. In exchange: a taste of this roasty, fragrant IPA.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Mississippi
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale
For this toffee-scented beer, brewer Leslie Henderson infuses earthy brown ale with roasted pecans.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Missouri
Boulevard Brewing Co. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Along with making great beer like this citrusy ale, Kansas City's Boulevard also started a citywide glass-recycling program, with drop-off points for its bottles.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Montana
Ridge Distillery Silvertip American Dry Gin
Joe and Julie Legate use wild angelica foraged from the Rockies and cultivated juniper and coriander to make this clean, fragrant small-batch gin.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Nevada
Buckbean Black Noddy Lager
This dark, Bavarian-style Schwarzbier from Reno is surprisingly light and crisp.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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New Hampshire
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale
Dozens of dog lovers send photos of their old brown dogs to Smuttynose every year—a testament to the popularity of this roasty, nutty brown ale.
Photo © Robert Lussier.
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New Jersey
Flying Fish Brewing Co. Exit 4 American Trippel
Flying Fish, in Cherry Hill, is creating beers inspired by 18 of the exits along the New Jersey Turnpike. It's even taking recommendations on its website. In honor of exit 4, Mount Laurel Township, the brewery created a rich, nutmeg-scented Belgian-style trippel.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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New Mexico
Santa Fe Brewing Company State Pen Porter
Saturday tours offer standard beers like this robust, coconutty porter and also include tastes of one-off experiments by assistant brewers, like a Green Chile Pale Ale.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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New York
Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey
Second-generation distiller Gable Erenzo uses New York state corn to make this rich, slightly sweet whiskey, which he ages in oak for three months.
Photo courtesy Tuthilltown Distillery.
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North Carolina
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Brown Ale
Paul Philippon, a former philosophy professor, has made his name by producing only dark beers, like this toasty brown ale.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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North Dakota
Edwinton Brewing Company and Fargo Brewing Company
This summer, North Dakota will get its first craft breweries. Edwinton Brewing will specialize in Belgian beers; Fargo Brewing in American styles.
Photo courtesy Edwinton Brewing Company.
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Ohio
Greg Lehman left a career in professional volleyball to open this year-old Columbus distillery. His peppery gin is infused with eight different botanicals, including loads of juniper and citrus peels.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Oklahoma
Choc Beer Miner Mishap Black Lager
Black lagers (inspired by German Schwarzbiers) have suddenly taken off with US brewers. From the town of Krebs, Miner Mishap is dark and malty, like a stout, but still crisp.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Oregon
Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout
Visit Ninkasi's new Eugene tasting room for samples of the brewery's over-the-top beers, including this smoky, mocha-scented stout, plus snacks from a rotating lineup of food carts.
Photo courtesy Ninkasi.
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Pennsylvania
Tröegs Sunshine Pils
This zippy pilsner out of Harrisburg is bright and summery, and only available April through August.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Rhode Island
Thomas Tew Rum
In the 1700s, there were 22 distilleries in Newport; by 1872, there were none. Thomas Tew (named after a pirate) makes rum 18th-century-style, using a pot still, blackstrap molasses and barrels for aging. The result: a smooth rum with a long finish.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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South Carolina
Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale
Father and son duo Bill and Tom Davis create great beers like this dried-fruity red ale, and also spread the gospel of home brewing from their on-site supply shop.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Creek.
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South Dakota
Crow Peak Brewing Co. Pile O' Dirt Porter
Visitors to Crow Peak's brewhouse in Spearfish can try this coffee-scented porter, then shop at the farmers' market next door.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Tennessee
Yazoo Sue Porter
It would be hard to find a beer better suited for barbecued ribs than brewer Linus Hall's intense, cherrywood-smoked porter.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Texas
Real Ale Brewing Full Moon Pale Rye Ale
Rye is an increasingly popular ingredient with brewers, thanks to the alluring spiciness it can contribute to beer. In the town of Blanco, brewmaster Brad Farbstein's tangerine-scented, rye-based pale ale proves that Texas Hill Country can excel at beer as well as barbecue.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Utah
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Vermont
Whistlepig Straight Rye
Five years ago, owner Raj Peter Bhakta bought an old Vermont farm, where he plans to produce a single-estate rye. For now, he sources stocks of 10-year-old ryes, which former Maker's Mark distiller Dave Pickerell blends to make this spicy, vanilla-scented spirit.
Photo courtesy Whistlepig.
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Virginia
Blue Mountain Brewery Kölsch 151
This crisp kölsch (a light German-style beer) is a perfect summer drink. Also look for the brewery's small-batch harvest ale, made with brewery-grown hops.
Photo © Stacey Evans.
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Washington
Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA
In Seattle, Elysian's Capitol Hill outpost keeps 16 beers on tap, including this IPA brewed with jasmine flowers.
Photo courtesy Elysian.
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West Virginia
Smooth Ambler Whitewater Vodka
This new Appalachian distillery has a beautiful tasting room for John Little's mellow, hand-distilled vodka.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Wisconsin
New Glarus Brewing Co. Spotted Cow
Since Dan Carey's fantastic brews aren't distributed outside the state, beer lovers must make a pilgrimage to the town of New Glarus to try cult faves like this fruity farmhouse ale.
Photo © Theo Morrison.
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Wyoming
Snake River Brewing Lager
This toasty beer (made with German lager yeast) is ideal with the wood-fired pretzels from Snake River's brewpub.
Photo courtesy Snake River Brewing.
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High West American Prairie Reserve Bourbon
“High West’s new American Prairie Reserve is amazingly rich for its young age.” $40; highwest.com.—Michael EndelmanPhoto © High West Distillery & Saloon.
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