Best Beer-Related Experience of the Year
Brewing a barrel-aged barleywine with the guys at Highland Park Brewery (Los Angeles, California) was extremely fulfilling, and I look forward to being involved in more collaborations in the near future. In terms of events, I always love meeting the brewers and seeing the disappointment on their faces (as they realize it’s me) at the Firestone Walker Invitational every year. It is an annual highlight.
Most Underrated Brewery
Revolution Brewing (Chicago, Illinois) is upsetting the apple cart in so many ways. They consistently brew one of the best barleywines in the entire world, in massive volume, and send it out to wide distribution and ensure that the public is dripping in quality barrel-aged wares. As if this weren’t enough, they announced that they are taking their most coveted deep wood entries, canning them, putting them in 4 packs, and lowering the price. Where other breweries are shifting to gimmicks for releases—long lines, raising prices, lowering limits, or online sales—Revolution is eponymously creating an uprising and bucking market trends.
Top Breweries of the Year
Homage Brewing (Pomona, California): Tucked away in Pomona, this reclusive gem has turned out some magnificent sleeper wild ales without lotteries or hype-driven online sales. As LA’s beer moves east, Homage focuses on refined, delicate, oak-aged beers with an emphasis on grace and understatement.