This bright and bitter American IPA—still with a light touch of caramel malt—won gold medals at the 2023 World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, then went on to become one of our Best 20 Beers in 2023.

From cofounder and brewmaster Matt Cole and his team at Fat Head’s in Ohio, here’s a recipe for the Bavarian-style weissbier that’s won three gold medals in the past four years.

“Rich, crackery malt bouquet elevated with lively carbonation and an herbal note. Crisp, cracker-like maltiness with spot-on hop bite to complement. Hints of banana peel. This is a doughy example of the style. Well-balanced and supremely drinkable.”

We tasted, we argued, and we tasted some more. You voted, we tallied. From the most exceptional beers we had all year to your favorite breweries, cities, bars, and more, here’s our annual map to the Best in Beer.

Since their start in 2009, Matt Cole and Fat Head’s have cleaned up in the major competitions with their German-style wheat beers, American-style IPAs, and closely related styles. In this episode, Cole pulls back the veil and shares some of the process and ingredient choices that set their beers apart.

Aroma: “Grapefruit and lemon with a bit of stone fruit. Pine and herbal behind that. Mostly Old School with a bit of New School thrown in. As it warms, melon, cucumber, and some tropical fruit with a touch of alcohol heat.” Flavor: “Citrus and pine. A bit of honey and caramel. Medium sweet into intense bitter that lingers. Really interesting grapefruit-pith character. Some significant alcoholic warmth. Smooth for a West Coast IPA.” Overall: “A dank, boozy IPA that is what this style is known for.”

This Cleveland brewery takes an intentionally small and sustainable approach to making creatively fulfilling beers, and it all starts with the flexibility of their 10-barrel brewhouse.

Fat Head’s Brewery in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has won more than its share of medals over the years. One of its most decorated beers is Goggle Fogger, the Bavarian-inspired hefeweizen that’s won three major gold medals in the past four years. Here’s how its pieces fit together.

The brewmaster at Cleveland’s Fat Head’s—best known for their award-winning IPAs—shares a six-pack inspired by German and Belgian brewing traditions, with beers that speak to flavor, technique, and the experiences that have shaped his own approach to brewing.

Aroma: “Light, clean pine hops aroma with a touch of lavender, oregano, and light stone-fruit character (fresh peach and cherry) mixed with low grassiness. As it starts to warm, an underlying candy sweetness emerges. Medium bready malt background. Massive head, so the initial impression has a considerable carbonic bite.” Flavor: “Soft, subtle light fruit from the malt (pineapple, candy sugar) pairs nicely with the rich hops character that displays pine, grass, strawberry, and hints of citrus and/or lemon balm. The bitterness is very restrained, but it works well in this case. Moderate carbonation helps keep the bitterness on top of the malt sweetness.” Overall: “Sessionable, very tasty, nicely balanced, and complex enough to be anything but boring. Easy-drinking but flavorful. Clean and subtle.”

“Subtle sweet lime meets coriander-like citrus in the nose. Concentrated lime pops in the flavor but leads down an astringent path. Tartness is moderate with a slightly milder salty quality. The bitterness is a bit strong in the mix, so you might not drink this all night, but it’s a good, brooding start.”

Here are some gift ideas from our resident homebrewing columnist. The homebrewer in your life can always use some new or upgraded equipment, and this is the perfect time of year to make it happen. Be generous and you’ll almost certainly sip the rewards.

When you’re more than 2,000 miles from the nearest country there’s a tendency to rely on all things local. That’s what Batch Brewing Co., a Sydney, Australia brewery has in mind when it is creating recipes.

Dogfish Head former head brewer talks through everything from the process of innovation to brewhouse key performance indicators, building beers from the simplest Pilsner to giant high-gravity beers, evaluating ingredients, reducing diacetyl, and much more.

Cofounder and brewer Leslie Henderson talks about changing perspectives, brewing with nuts, and how harnessing rain water might be one of the next big advancements in beer.

“Golden pour, firm white head. Soft biscuit-and-cracker malt aroma complements earthy, floral, piney, lightly woody hop notes. Complex and inviting. Elegant bready malt flows across the palate; a rounded underlying bitterness makes itself known. Light sense of dankness to the hop flavor—resinous, earthy, floral—balancing well with toast-forward malt character. Well-balanced and enticing. Bright yet bitter finish is pleasant, creates a sense of crispness and dryness, begging you to take another sip.”

**Aroma:** “Lemon zest and lemon juice dominate, with a very subtle hint of leather. A blend of fruity pineapple, earthy _Brett_ funk, and earthy and herbal tea-like hops. A light apricot note as the head starts to break.” **Flavor:** “Lemon flavors abound, with hints of lemon zest and lemon juice. When combined with tartness, it comes across as lemon drop or Warheads candies. Tartness is somewhat sharp and a bit lingering in the finish. Somewhat balanced (not too dry or too sweet), but tartness helps give a perception of dryness in the finish. Moderate sour lemon note up front with the sourness that grows throughout the sip to the end.” **Overall:** “Interesting take on the style, with a ton of lemon character from the _Brett_ and/or hops. Great showcase of pineapple fruity and earthy _Brett_ funk. An interesting profile with moderate grapefruit and raspberry notes. Tart but not overly sour and still very drinkable.”

Josh Weikert gets you started up the sour-beer mountain with a discussion of the basics of bugs, traditional and modern, and fast and slow ways of souring your beer, and how to bring your sours (stylistically) into the twenty-first century.

Here are the answers to the beer-tasting note pairings in “A Stout (or Is It a Porter) by Any Other Name.”

Fairly clear with a very robust head. Sweet biscuit-malt nose gives way to subtle but dank hops. Sweet caramel-malty flavor with firm bitterness and nice, light pine-resin hop flavor with sweet orange notes. Easy to drink.