Our Favorite Beer From Each of the Fifty States in 2019

In 2018, we created the #FiftyStatesChallenge. The goal was simple: have at least one craft beer from every state in America. Last year, we didn’t finish the challenge until year’s end, but in 2019, with the help of Instagram friends and several beer festivals, we’d accomplished our goal by mid-October! In commemoration of this accomplishment, we’ve decided to share with you the best craft beer we had this year from each of the fifty states.

Obviously certain states will feature more beers than others– there are several states from which we only drank a single beer. We’ll try to remedy that next year, but for the sake of transparency, we’re including next to the state in parentheses how many craft beers we had from each state. Still, every beer we added to this article was delicious and worth writing about– there was at least one state where we didn’t really like what we had, so we made it a point to seek out another! We’re proud to be supporting craft beer from all over the country, and we’re hopeful we’ll get to cover even more ground in 2020.

This is our first Best of 2019 article– be on the lookout in the coming weeks for more lists of our favorite beers and breweries across America in 2019. For those interested, be sure to check out our list of our favorite beers from every state last year. Thanks to everyone who follows us, and please join us in 2020 as we’ll try to complete the #FiftyStatesChallenge once again. Cheers!

Alabama (3)

Kaleidoscope by Ghost Train Brewing

We’re normally pretty lukewarm on kettle sours, but Ghost Train Brewing in Birmingham delivers one of the best of the year in Kaleidoscope, a kettle sour with bright berry flavor and a nice pucker on the finish.

Alaska (8)

Expel by Anchorage Brewing

Last year, we were taken with Anchorage Brewing’s IPAs. This year, we shift focus from Alaskan hops to Alaskan stouts, as Anchorage’s Expel was one of the better coffee stouts of the year– chocolatey, bitter, and rich.

Arizona (2)

Dry Hopped BWBW by Arizona Wilderness Brewing

We encountered our only Arizona beers of 2019 at Firestone Walker Invitational, where we had Arizona Wilderness’s Dry Hopped BWBW, a refreshingly light and tart Berliner Weisse with some Ekuanot and El Dorado hops splashed into the mix. We’ll be sure to have more from Arizona in 2020.

Arkansas (1)

Snake Party DIPA by Lost Forty Brewing

Luckily, the only beer we had from Arkansas this year was a doozy: the Snake Party from Lost Forty. It’s a sticky, full-bodied double with a nice dry finish– good enough to make us wonder what other quality beers Arkansas is selfishly hoarding.

California (783)

Okay, so as you can see, we drank an ABSURD amount of California beer this year… so keep your eyes peeled for our Best California Beers of 2019 article, coming soon!

Colorado (65)

Antiquarian No. 6 With Blackberries by Fiction Beer

“We have special affinity for their incredible Antiquated No. 6 with Blackberries, because we love our sours extra sour, and this beauty delivers the goods.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Connecticut (8)

Burst by Fox Farm Brewery

A very kind Instagram friend helped us obtain our first Fox Farm IPA, Burst, and it lived up to the hype we’d heard across the country. It’s a gorgeous, juicy, almost soft hazebomb with bright carbonation and some welcome dankness. Connecticut knows how to haze.

Delaware (2)

Nashville Hot Fried Chicken and Waffles by Dewey Beer Company

Look, we didn’t have as much beer from Delaware as we’d have liked, but make no mistake, even if we’d tried hundreds, this still would’ve been the most unique beer in the state. It tastes like syrup, spicy honey, and, yes, as strange as it sounds… actual fried chicken. Salute to Dewey Beer Company.

Florida (19)

Juice Lab: Passionfruit, Blood Orange, Raspberry by Ology Brewing

“We’re not sure any single beer at the festival made an impact on us the way Ology’s Juice Lab did. It’s intensely fruity, has real sour bite, and was phenomenally refreshing.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Georgia (15)

Galactic Space Circus by Creature Comforts

“A showcase for the galaxy hop, it contains oats and a splash of lactose making it ultra smooth and slightly creamy— it’s like the Georgian Other Half.” Read more about this beer in our Firestone Walker Invitational coverage.

Hawaii (1)

Imperial Coconut Porter by Maui Brewing

We listed a Maui Brewing beer as our favorite during our visit to Hawaii last year. This year, no visit, so way fewer Hawaiian beers– but thank God the one we had was their famous Imperial Coconut Porter, which is toasty, warming, and smooth.

Idaho (8)

2018 Elixir of the Gods by Barbarian Brewing

“Not only do they make elite-level hazy IPAs, they make some of the best sour beers in the country. The 2018 Elixir of the Gods is aptly named, an incredible pomegranate sour.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Illinois (48)

Arketype: Coco Flux by More Brewing

“The Arketype: Coco Flux is one of the best beers of the weekend of any style, with chocolate and coconut flavors so rich that they’re currently throwing election fundraisers.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Indiana (17)

Pillar of Beasts by 3 Floyds Brewing

“If you asked Russell what’s on his dream Christmas list, he’d probably say “drinks with Nicolas Cage” or “salted caramel barleywine from 3 Floyds.” One out of two ain’t bad!” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Iowa (13)

All the Goodness by Gezellig Brewing

“All the Goodness is a saison giving you a lovingly complex mix of passionfruit, grape, and spices— and we cheered when we watched Gezellig take home *two* medals Saturday morning.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Kansas (3)

Munsterlander Maibock by Happy Basset Brewing

“Happy Basset is home to terrific beer. We were especially fond of the bock– malty, smooth, and surprisingly strong at nearly 8% ABV. This dog’s bock is better than its bite. (Sorry.)” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Kentucky (5)

TDH Tropic Flare by Braxton Brewing

Second year in a row that, surprisingly, our favorite Kentucky beer contains no bourbon! Instead, we’re all about the impressive Kentucky haze at Braxton– the triple dry hopped Tropic Flare is straight-up juice, admirably disguising its 9+% ABV with luxurious pineapple and grapefruit flavor.

Louisiana (3)

DDH Nova Vert by Parish Brewing

What can we say about Parish Brewing’s IPAs that hasn’t slready been said by others– or even by us, this time last year? This year, we got our hands on DDH Nova Vert courtesy of Tavour, mailed out impressively shortly after its bottling. It’s a smooth citrus crusher and another insanely high quality IPA from some of the best IPA manufacturers in America.

Maine (5)

First Fruits by Oxbow Brewing

“A barrel-aged farmhouse that hits you with smooth and tart raspberry, strawberry, and cherry juice… but it makes sure to include a little bit of that trademark farmhouse funk on the finish.” Read more about this beer in our Firestone Walker Invitational coverage.

Maryland (8)

Double Carrot Cake JREAM by Burley Oak

Easily the best JREAM we’ve ever had (which is really saying something), the Double Carrot Cake JREAM isn’t the most tart sour you’ve ever had, but the balance between the cinnamon and carrot flavors and the creaminess of the finish both truly must be tasted to be believed.

Massachusetts (83)

Curiosity 58 by Tree House Brewing

Our entire excursion to the Tree House Brewing taproom in Charlton was a delight– keep your eyes peeled for more on that in our upcoming Best Brewery Experiences of 2019 article!– and it was impossible to single out just one of the incredible beers we enjoyed there. Gun to head, we choose to Curiosity 58, a sensationally smooth and creamy 8.1% IPA, rich with flavors of melon, mango, and bubble gum. Tree House is worth the trek.

Michigan (14)

Abiogenesis by Speciation Artisan Ales

“The hype is earned: Speciation is making some of the festival’s best sours— and Abiogenesis, a foeder-aged sour with passionfruit and strawberries, is one of the most impressive jewels in its crown.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Minnesota (14)

Pahlay’Ahlay by Fair State Brewing Co-op

We had several terrific beers from Fair State this year, including the sour U-Pick and the pecan pie stout The Duke of Bakesfordshire. Ultimately, we settled on Pahlay’Ahlay, a tropical, creamy, and sessionable pale that easily ranks among the best pales we had all year.

Mississippi (2)

The Norns by Southern Prohibition Brewing

Another year passes without trying as many Mississippi beers as we’d like. Luckily, the Southern Prohibition booth at GABF provided enough high quality beer to give us a variety of choices. Our preferences lean toward the Norns, their tasty blackberry farmhouse ale.

Missouri (7)

Pulling Nails (Blend #9) by Side Project Brewing

Thanks to the Firestone Walker Invitational, we were finally able to experience Side Project Brewing in 2019. Impossible to pick a favorite, but we’ll lean so slightly toward the world-class sour Pulling Nails (Blend #9), which we described as “a blackberry beauty that played our sour receptors like Victor Wooten does a bass guitar.” Read more about our Side Project experience in our Firestone Walker Invitational coverage.

Montana (7)

Ghost Town Coffee Stout by Bridger Brewing

We more than tripled our exposure to Montana beer this year (thanks, again, to GABF) and found several worthy contenders for this spot. End of the day, anyone who reads this blog knows of our affinity for coffee stouts, and Bridger’s Ghost Town was one of the better coffee stouts of the festival, from its massive roasty aroma to its surprisingly smooth finish.

Nebraska (5)

Gaze of the Basilisk by Cosmic Eye Brewing

“Cosmic Eye’s Gaze of the Basilisk is a tasty German black lager, crisp and roasty. We could pound these all winter.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Nevada (10)

Hops in a Can by Revision Brewing

We got to Highland Park for a Charly Bliss concert too early, so we wandered into a nearby watering hole. We were delighted to find Revision Brewing on tap, as we’ve loved their IPAs since our first exposure to them in Tahoe last year (they were our Best of Nevada pick last year as well). Hops in a Can was dank, citrusy, and absurdly smooth for 10.5% ABV. Don’t be surprised if Revision is our Nevada winner again in 2020.

New Hampshire (7)

King of Scots by Earth Eagle Brewings

New Hampshire offered several delicious traditional IPAs, but our minds keep going back to King of Scots. Described as a “Scottish export gruit,” this concoction from Extreme Beer Fest gives you that sweet botanical flavor that only a well-executed gruit can provide: think a molasses and juniper, and you’ll get the idea.

New Jersey (13)

Touching the Sun by Icarus Brewing

“The Touching the Sun triple IPA struck the best chord, giving us a luscious gulp of boozy juice. All Russell wrote in his notes was one word: ‘Big.'” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

New Mexico (8)

Murkito by Boxing Bear

“After singing endless praise for Boxing Bear’s Chocolate Milk Stout, one of the best in the country, we’ll instead express our newfound love for Murkito, a hazy pale that also ranks among the best we’ve ever had.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

New York (66)

Wham Whams by Prison City Brewing

Coin flip between Other Half and Prison City, both of whom tremendously impressed us this year. Wham Whams wins because it inspired two of the best notes Russell took all year: “I’m drinking a coconut” and “THIS IS A F***ING STOUT.” Need we say more? Read more in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

North Carolina (47)

Summer Jam: Mango Dragonfruit by Barrel Culture

“The Summer Jam: Mango Dragonfruit is as fresh and fruity a sour ale as you’re likely to ever try.” Read more about this beer, and about Barrel Culture’s terrific taproom, in our Durham, North Carolina coverage.

North Dakota (8)

Ectogasm by Drekker Brewing

We were privileged to enjoy several Drekker beers in 2019, but if we had to single one out, the Ectogasm represents everything we’ve come to love about Drekker: giant flavor, major fruitiness, creamy mouthfeel, soft finish. And, of course, exceptional can art.

Ohio (24)

The Gadget by Urban Artifact

“I had The Gadget, a beer I’ve had five or six times, at EBF– and I *still* found myself blown away by its absolutely brilliant fresh fruit tartness and its mouthfeel combination of effervescent and nearly-pulpy juiciness.” Read more about this beer in our Extreme Beer Fest coverage.

Oklahoma (3)

Basic Becky by Prairie Artisan Ales

We usually treat ourselves to a couple of bottles of Prairie annually, and this one came toward the end of our search for the best pumpkin beers of the year. Prairie obviously delivered, giving us the strong pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors that we long for in a fall beverage.

Oregon (31)

JB DIPA by Great Notion Brewing

Our festival coverage was riddled with delicious Oregon beers all year long– but when all the travel is done, there are few pleasures greater than a can of Great Notion haze enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home on a quiet night. Creamy and passionfruity, JB DIPA is yet another of Great Notion’s world-class IPAs.

Pennsylvania (9)

Refreshing by Tired Hands Brewing

Speaking of creamy haze, Refreshing is another banger from the good people at Tired Hands in Ardmore. It goes hard on the lemon and lime flavors, and while the oats keep the mouthfeel smooth, it sticks to the tongue in a glorious way, so that you can keep tasting it after you’ve crushed the can.

Rhode Island (5)

Tendril by Proclamation Ale Company

You’d expect this IPA from Rhode Island to be a classic New England IPA like so many in the wider area, but look closer: though lightly hazy and packed full of mango flavor, there’s also some serious pine action here– like IPAs from the west coast and the northeast got together and had a tasty baby.

South Carolina (9)

Keowee by Carolina Bauernhaus

Second year in a row that Carolina Bauernhaus takes the top prize in the state, and while we like to spread the love when we can, their sours are simply too good to ignore. This mulberry sour, aged in red wine barrels, packs a potent puckering punch while still allowing you to swim in sumptuous berry juice.

South Dakota (6)

Lord Grizzly by Lost Cabin

“The big winner here is the Lord Grizzly, a scotch ale whose ferocity matched the headware sported by its servers.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Tennessee (3)

Double Homestyle by Bearded Iris

This Nashville brewery has been crushing it about as hard as we crush their cans whenever we see them. Double Homestyle is an 8.2% ABV double IPA, but the alcohol is completely hidden with soft, dank juiciness. We’re expecting to see more and more beer traders in search of Bearded Iris as more people encounter their caliber of IPA.

Texas (20)

Snörkel by Jester King Brewery

There were many deserving Texas breweries this year– Turning Point and Red Horn, specifically– but Jester King’s Snörkel gets the nod because, well, when you have a delicious oyster mushroom and smoked sea salt farmhouse ale, it tends to stand out from the pack. As a bonus: if you buy Snorkel at Jester King this month, 10% of your purchase will go to the Central Texas Food Bank. Superb beer helping a superb cause.

Utah (6)

Big Bad Baptist Reserve by Epic Brewing

It’s not a year-end best of beer list if there isn’t an Epic Brewing Baptist variant on it. This whiskey barrel aged beaut is full of flavor: vanilla, cocoa, some coffee… look, if you’ve had any of Epic’s stouts before, you have some idea of what you’re in for, and you trust them as much as we do. So seek this out already!

Vermont (14)

Heady Topper by The Alchemist

Okay, we know this beer’s been a classic forever, and it’s far from “hip” for us to have such a massively known entity on our list here. It’s very possible that something newer from Vermont deserves the exposure more. But this was our first ever experience with Heady Topper. And it lived up to our lofty expectations. So here we are.

Virginia (43)

Dia de los Muertos (Ghost 781) by Adroit Theory

“It’s no surprise that Adroit Theory brought the stout heat, giving you coffee, macadamia nut, and coconut— and then putting it over the edge with a splash of honey at the end.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

Washington (9)

Brew 3000 by Fremont Brewing

“The Brew 3000 is a barrel-aged English-style barleywine with enough caramely boozy goodness to make any lover of Life find their jaw on the floor.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

West Virginia (1)

Devil Anse by Greenbrier Valley

We only had one beer from West Virginia this year, but it was a winner! The Devil Anse IPA from Greenbrier Valley brings the Pacific Ocean to the Allegheny Mountains with a crisp and resinous west coast IPA flavor so fresh and hop-forward that would it unite the Hatfields and McCoys.

Wisconsin (12)

Chocolate Macaroon Imperial Stout (w/ Cerebral Brewing) by Untitled Art

A 12% ABV pastry stout in a can usually sets off alarm bells– these tend to be cloyingly sweet and overwhelmingly sugary. Untitled Art, however, has mastered the (ahem) Art. This Chocolate Macaroon Imperial Stout is one of the best pastry stouts we had this year, rich with chocolate and coconut without sledgehammering the sugar receptors on our tastebuds.

Wyoming (2)

Speargun by Snake River Brewing

“Snake River brought masterful beer ranging from lagers to stouts, but this was our first encounter with Speargun, their GABF-medal winning coffee stout, and it did not disappoint.” Read more about this beer in our Great American Beer Festival coverage.

What was your favorite beer in each state? What are you looking forward to trying in 2020? Please let us know in the comments below! And check out the website over the next two weeks for more Best of 2019 lists! Cheers!