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Best of 2018: Who Brews It Best?

Since any general “top breweries” list will inevitably be dominated by breweries who make IPAs, we asked our readers about their favorite beers and brewers in these eight specific styles.

The Readers of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Nov 14, 2018 - 6 min read

Best of 2018: Who Brews It Best? Primary Image

Here's what the readers of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine selected as the top beer makers, by style, for 2018. (2017 rank is listed in parentheses)

Favorite American IPA Brewer

  1. Stone (1)
  2. Russian River (2)
  3. Sierra Nevada (11)
  4. Bell’s Brewery (7)
  5. Dogfish Head (3)
  6. Lagunitas (10)
  7. Firestone Walker (9)
  8. Ballast Point (8)
  9. Odell (15)
  10. Melvin (17)
  11. Green Flash (new)
  12. Founders (13)
  13. Maine Beer Co. (new)
  14. Surly (16)
  15. Half Acre (new)
  16. Cigar City (new)
  17. Boneyard (new)
  18. Breakside (new)
  19. Deschutes (new)
  20. Societe (new)

Favorite Hazy IPA Brewer

  1. Tree House (new)
  2. Trillium (new)
  3. The Alchemist (new)
  4. Sierra Nevada (new)
  5. WeldWerks (new)
  6. Old Nation (new)
  7. Great Notion (new)
  8. Hill Farmstead (new)
  9. Modern Times (new)
  10. Other Half (new)
  11. Hop Butcher (new)
  12. New Belgium (new)
  13. Bissell Brothers (new)
  14. Fieldwork (new)
  15. Tired Hands (new)
  16. Monkish (new)
  17. Samuel Adams (new)
  18. Alvarado Street (new)
  19. Odd13 (new)
  20. The Veil (new)

Favorite Belgian (or Belgian-Style) Brewer

  1. Ommegang (1)
  2. Chimay (2)
  3. Allagash (3)
  4. Westvleteren (4)
  5. St. Bernardus (5)
  6. Westmalle (8)
  7. New Belgium (6)
  8. Duvel (9)
  9. Unibroue (13)
  10. Rochefort (7)
  11. The Lost Abbey (10)
  12. Boulevard (11)
  13. Brewery Vivant (16)
  14. La Trappe (17)
  15. Avery (15)
  16. Delirium (new)
  17. Leffe (new)
  18. Orval (12)
  19. Weyerbacher (14)
  20. Three Taverns (new)

Favorite Sour or Wild Ale Brewer

  1. Cantillon (1)
  2. Jester King (2)
  3. Jolly Pumpkin (6)
  4. Crooked Stave (8)
  5. Wicked Weed (4)
  6. Cascade (5)
  7. Russian River (3)
  8. The Rare Barrel (new)
  9. New Belgium (7)
  10. Side Project (9)
  11. The Bruery Terreux (12)
  12. Allagash (14)
  13. de Garde (16)
  14. Destihl (new)
  15. New Glarus (17)
  16. Avery (11)
  17. Casey Brewing & Blending (18)
  18. Rodenbach (10)
  19. 3 Fonteinen (new)
  20. Hill Farmstead (new)

Favorite Saison Brewer

  1. Brasserie Dupont (1)
  2. Boulevard (2)
  3. Ommegang (5)
  4. Funkwerks (4)
  5. Hill Farmstead (3)
  6. Allagash (6)
  7. Jester King (7)
  8. Brewery Vivant (16)
  9. Burial (new)
  10. Tired Hands (8)
  11. Crooked Stave (new)
  12. Brasserie Fantôme (10)
  13. Side Project (12)
  14. Perennial (new)
  15. Sante Adairius (13)
  16. Goose Island (new)
  17. Blaugies (new)
  18. Blackberry Farm (9)
  19. The Lost Abbey (new)
  20. The Bruery (20)

Favorite Stout or Porter Brewer

  1. Founders (1)
  2. Guinness (2)
  3. Left Hand (3)
  4. North Coast (9)
  5. Goose Island (4)
  6. Deschutes (6)
  7. Bell’s Brewery (5)
  8. New Holland (13)
  9. Alesmith (8)
  10. Stone (14)
  11. Sierra Nevada (15)
  12. Firestone Walker (12)
  13. Avery (17)
  14. Side Project (new)
  15. Prairie Artisan Ales (16)
  16. The Bruery (new)
  17. Epic (new)
  18. Fremont (new)
  19. Modern Times (new)
  20. Tree House (new)

Favorite Pale Ale Brewer

  1. Sierra Nevada (1)
  2. Oskar Blues (2)
  3. Three Floyds (3)
  4. Trillium (5)
  5. Deschutes (4)
  6. Bell’s Brewery (9)
  7. Hill Farmstead (14)
  8. Toppling Goliath (12)
  9. Founders (8)
  10. Firestone Walker (7)
  11. Boulevard (new)
  12. Lagunitas (6)
  13. Odell (13)
  14. Tree House (15)
  15. Stone (11)
  16. Maine Beer Co. (10)
  17. SweetWater (new)
  18. AleSmith (18)
  19. Drakes (new)
  20. Summit (17)

Favorite Lager Brewer

  1. Samuel Adams (2)
  2. Jack’s Abby (1)
  3. Firestone Walker (5)
  4. Bierstadt Lagerhaus (new)
  5. Yuengling (3)
  6. Pilsner Urquel (6)
  7. Suarez Family (new)
  8. Weihenstephaner (11)
  9. Anheuser-Busch (20)
  10. Founders (new)
  11. Victory (4)
  12. Chuckanut (12)
  13. Brooklyn (7)
  14. Live Oak (new)
  15. Prost (new)
  16. Sierra Nevada (new)
  17. Von Trapp (new)
  18. Bell’s Brewery (new)
  19. Tröegs (new)
  20. Ayinger (new)

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