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It’s been another year of great beers—and we’ve tasted thousands—but they can’t all be “the Best.” What sets certain beers apart, to not only light up our palates and our senses, but also our brains and our conversations? Winnowed down by a year of our review panel’s blind judging, and then selected by more blind judging among our editors and top writers, our Best 20 Beers in 2023 represent the highest levels of excellence, character, and drinkability.
In this special once-per-year episode, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® cofounder and editorial director Jamie Bogner convenes with managing editor Joe Stange to share results of the annual Readers’ Choice poll—including your Top 25 beers and favorite breweries—as well as their Best 20 Beers in 2023, discussing each beer in turn and what made them shine at the table and in the glass. And, as they do every year, these results represent a snapshot of the best of the craft today—whether we’re brewing them, drinking them, or some of both.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers
For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country. They are proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built – offering 24/7 service and support. G&D builds with non-proprietary parts, expert craftsmanship and constant innovation! G&D’s in-house Engineering crew have been piping breweries, wineries, and distilleries for over 30 years. They offer FREE piping design and consultation with the sale of every chiller they build. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.
Support for this episode comes from BSG. Looking for a sustainable way to increase fermenter capacity? Try FermCap™ Eco from Kerry. Developed as a part of part of Kerry’s Eco Brewing range, FermCap™ Eco is a plant-based alternative to traditional silicon-based products. FermCap™ Eco increases fermenter capacity by reducing foam height to improve beer foam stability and enhance hop utilization. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com or contact your BSG Sales Rep to get started.
Scheduling freight carriers should be the last thing on a brewer's mind, so why not trust the experts to handle freight for your ingredients? Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your flavored craft concentrate blends. When you order two pails or more from Old Orchard, you qualify for freight quotes. To get started, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer.
ProBrew is excited to announce that we are currently featuring short lead times, between 2-4 weeks, for our in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Fillers! These can fillers run at speeds between 100 – 600+ cans per minute while achieving precise and consistent filling volumes not achievable by most inline and mobile fillers. For more information, fill out our contact form on www.probrew.com or email [email protected] to learn exactly how we can take your operations to the next level. ProBrew, brew YOUR beer.
Oh you like wildly aromatic IPAs and tropical lagers? Good thing Omega designed Thiolized yeast for just that reason. Thiolized yeast are a new tool for brewers to bring intense guava and passionfruit aromas out of your malt and hops. And wait, there’s more! Omega Yeast makes yeast-to-order with a consistent one week lead time ensuring peak freshness and reliability.
“Who doesn't love free samples? The Perfect Purée is offering a free sample box of their frozen fruit purees, concentrates and blends to professional brewers. Picked at the peak of ripeness, their fruit is pureed and frozen for optimal fresh flavor and color. Explore classics from Red Raspberry and Blood Orange to unique fruit juice blends such as Yuzu Luxe Sour. Choose from 40 plus flavors and build a free sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer. That’s perfect P-U-R-E-E dot com forward-slash beer. Complimentary to professionals only.”
This episode is brought to you by Yakima Chief Hops. The 7th Annual Pink Boots Blend is now available for pre-order! $3 of every pound of the Pink Boots Blend purchased will be donated to the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit organization that support women and non-binary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic industry through education. Place your orders from Yakima Chief Hops and secure your volume of this limited blend for your Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day on March 8th, International Women’s Day. Learn more at www.yakimachief.com/pink-boots-blend