Brewer


For Yeast-Centric Shades, the Future is Bright

In South Salt Lake, Utah, the team at Shades Brewing has transformed a proprietary yeast culture and a dash of bad luck into brewery magic.

The Milk Stout Whisperer

Kelly Montgomery of Third Eye Brewing won four straight GABF gold medals for milk stout—and he did it at two different breweries, using two different recipes. We sent David Nilsen to get the insights on how.

Best in Beer 2022: Reader’s Choice Top 50 & Your Favorite Breweries by Size

You voted, and here they are: your top 50 beers of 2022, plus your favorite breweries by size, as decided by the readers of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®.

San Diego’s North Park Is Out Polishing the Cutting Edges of Bright & Bitter IPA

Kelsey McNair turned his West Coast IPA from one of the most-awarded homebrew recipes to a gold medal–winning commercial beer. At the helm of San Diego’s North Park Beer, he’s not done showing off his hoppy tricks.

The Juicy IPAs of Fidens Are a Product of Deep Study and Constant Tinkering

In upstate New York, Steve Parker and his team at Fidens Brewing are making the kinds of juicy IPAs that got them excited about beer and inspired Parker’s intense study of brewing. Now, people come from afar to buy Fidens beers—and the learning continues.

Breakout Brewer: Tripping Animals

These former homebrewers brought their talents from Venezuela to Miami, sharing a family-like conviviality while steadily dialing in their vibrant fruit beers and refreshing lagers.

Bygland’s Torkjel Austad is Brewing It for the Love of Kveik

From remote Setesdal, Norway, Torkjel Austad launched his Bygland Bryggeri so that more drinkers could experience those hard-to-find traditional farmhouse ales. Here, he explains how it happened—and shares practical tips for brewing your own.

Breakout Brewer: BKS Artisan Ales Is a “Little Beer Heaven” in Kansas City, Missouri

BKS has won national acclaim for its supple IPAs and gained ardent local fans for its classic ale styles and—now—for its lagers. Undazzled, the Rooneys say they are determined to grow slowly, keep a laser focus on quality, and continue to make beer in their own careful way.

Breakout Brewer: Métier

In the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, the people behind Métier Brewing believe that great beer is a bridge to more equitable, connected communities. This year, they’re taking that mission to the masses.

Breakout Brewer: Foam in Vermont Is Focused on Local Ingredients and a Quality Drinking Experience

After collective decades in beer, the team behind Foam Brewers are running their own show—and drinkers are seeking them out. “We never promoted anything; we just delivered,” says brewmaster Todd Haire. “If that travels by word of mouth, then that’s cool.”