According to the The Most Popular Beers by State Slideshow from The Daily Meal, the favorite beer in Washington (behind Bud Light) is Bourbon Barrel Aged Abominable: Coffee and Cinnamon. (I believe they mean Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Ale with Coffee and Cinnamon from Fremont Brewing.) The United States of Beer: The Best Brew From Each of the 50 States put out by First We Feast focuses on craft beer. The list, compiled by people in the beer in the industry - local experts, writers, and seasoned drinkers - puts Fremont's Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star: Coffee Edition at the top of their list. The consensus is Fremont Brewing and boozy, bourbon barreled beer. At 13% and 14%, respectively, these beers give you a reason to look forward to winter!
In Oregon, the favorite (again, behind Bud Light) is The Abyss from Deschutes Brewery. This beer is aged 50 percent in bourbon, Oregon oak, and pinot noir barrels for 12 months. At 11.4% ABV, this is another cellerable beer and makes for a good winter warmer. The Broken Truck, an American Wild Ale, from de Garde Brewing is the top craft beer.
I'm currently in California where beer drinkers prefer Blue Moon and Stella Artois. First We Feast picks Supplication, another barrel aged beer, by Russian River Brewery as the top craft beer. Supplication is a sour brown ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels with sour cherries and fermented with 100% brettanomyces. Blonde in color and 6.75% ABV, this is a refreshing beer.
May will bring me to Arizona where, again, Bud Light is the favorite beer. Other favorites are Tower Station IPA (by Mother Road Brewing in Flagstaff) or Dragoon (by the Eponymous Brewing) according to The Daily Meal. I found an Eponymous Brewing that is due to open soon in South Dakota so perhaps they meant Dragoon IPA, a highly popular beer made by Dragon Brewing in Tucson. The top craft beer is American Presidential Stout by Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company in Gilbert. A Russian Imperial Stout at 11.4% ABV, it tastes of coffee and chocolate with a slight spiciness from peppers and cacao nibs. It seems that Arizonians have good taste in beer and like to keep it local!
June will take me to Illinois. There, Coors and Guinness are the top choices - opposites, it seems. Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island makes the top of the list for craft beer even though it’s owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. (A good beer is still a good beer.) Another barrel aged beer (bourbon), this 14.1% ABV Imperial Stout is available annually by limited release. It's worth getting your hands on a few. Drink one now but put the rest of this award-winning beer in your cellar for a few years.
Finally, we plan to take a trip to Denmark in August. There, the beer market is dominated by Carlsberg ("Probably The Best Beer In The World") and Tuborg while the most influential craft brewer is Mikkeller who plans to open a location at the Copenhagen Airport. I'm sure I'll be able to get their beers elsewhere but finding good, craft brew at an airport makes a long trip more enjoyable.
It seems I will be busy this year! Where will you go and what will you be drinking?
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