The Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine seventeen best beers of 2017 are:
Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus Fortem
There’s no shortage of IPA in the marketplace. Walk into a bar and you’re likely to find several on tap, all showcasing different flavors, all (hopefully) hitting the mark of what a hop-forward ale should be. Some stand taller than others, but only rarely does a beer like this come along, crush the competition, and make us sit back and take stock on all we think we know about IPA. Then, collectively we stand and give this beer the ovation it deserves. It’s a melding of the traditions of old with the ones of new—crisp and creamy, full of a fruit salad of flavors from melon to ripe berries. Caramel malt is not a background player, but an equal collaborator, just like it should be. This IPA, the first in a new series from the long-respected, hop-bending brewery is a testament to how persistence, education, and never settling can create an ale worthy of applause and one that future brewers will cite as the platinum standard. We say this is an amazing time to be a beer drinker. This beer is why.
Rodenbach Fruitage
The skepticism was real when Rodenbach announced that not only would it be releasing a new version of its classic Flanders red with fresh fruit in America, but that it would also be canned. Happily, the beer delivered on the promise of the Belgian brewer’s tradition, and fears were abated. The addition of elderberry and cherries to the earthy stalwart created a bright vibrancy that made this a great alternative to the overdone shandies that have dominated the last few summers. Released as a limited edition, we can’t help but wonder if it will return, and if it does, if it’ll cast the same spell on us that it did the first time. When we know a beer will be fleeting, we tend to spend more time burning as much of the experience into our memory. It will live on in our notes, check-ins and the shared experience of clinking cans of a Flanders red with friends. If there’s a trend on the horizon, one where this assertive classic style get a modern upgrade, sign us up—but only if it can match this or go beyond it. It does no one any favors being stuck in the past just for the sake of things and with Fruitage it’s heartening to see there are traditional breweries are still looking to innovate without compromising integrity.