Best of the craft beer scene in the United States? Vote now
We can’t deny that Americans have fallen in love with craft beer. The nation is home to nearly 10,000 craft breweries (and that number continues to grow), as well as thousands of beer bars and brewpubs. Just the sheer variety of quality beer on the market today can be overwhelming.
So, we’ve set out to find the best of the beer scene across 10 categories: beer bar, beer city, beer club, beer festival, beer garden, beer label, brewery tour, brewpub, new brewery, and best small-town beer scene. Voting ends on Monday, February 26 at noon ET, and you can vote once per day, per category.
Click on each category below to vote:
Best Beer Bar
These beer bars offer winning selections — Photo courtesy of Nastasic / E+
It’s no easy task to choose just one beverage at these 20 bars, nominated as the best in the U.S. by a panel of beer experts. Each offers a stellar selection of draft, bottled, and canned beers, many with a focus on local or regional selections. Pair that with a relaxed atmosphere and knowledgeable bar staff ready to help any guest become a beer connoisseur, and you’ve got a recipe for a great beer bar.
Which beer bar is your favorite?
Best Beer City
Which U.S. city is the best for beer? — Photo courtesy of LeoPatrizi // Getty Images
These 20 cities from across the United States were chosen by a panel of beer experts for hosting the best beer scenes in the nation. That means stellar collections of established and up-and-coming breweries, beer bars, brewpubs, beer festivals, and even thriving homebrewing communities where novice brewers can get their foot in the door.
Which city do you think is the best for beer?
Best Beer Club
Which beer club would you most like to join? — Photo courtesy of wanakit waeonphachai / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Beer clubs can be a great way to try new and exciting brews from across the United States (and sometimes from around the world). Whether you’re a fan of hoppy IPAs, sour ales, or rich stouts, there’s a beer club for you, curating a selection of beverages and shipping them right to your door.
To narrow the field, we asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their favorite beer clubs. Now, it’s your turn to vote for your top picks and choose the winner.
Which beer club do you like the most?
Best Beer Festival
Sample multiple beers at these top events — Photo courtesy of ViewApart / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Beer festivals not only offer attendees the chance to sample numerous brews (sometimes even rare and one-off pours), but also allow beer fans to get to know their favorite brewmasters, sample paired foods, and learn all about beer and brewing.
We asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their 20 favorite beer festivals across the country, and now we need your help picking a winner.
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Which beer festival is your top pick?
Best Beer Garden
Where’s the best place to enjoy a beer outdoors? — Photo courtesy of Kar-Tr // Getty Images
Love sipping a drink in a gorgeous outdoor space that’s surrounded by nature? Then you’ll want to check out these 20 beer gardens, nominated by a panel of beer experts as the best spots to enjoy a beer outside in the United States.
Which beer garden would you most like to hang out at?
Best Beer Label
Which beer label would you pick? — Photo courtesy of lechatnoir / E+
Oftentimes our first impressions of a beer, chosen out of the myriad options available, come from the branding. A good beer label stands out from the crowd, piques our curiosity, and represents the brew behind the label.
We asked a panel of experts to nominate 20 of their favorite labels, and now it’s your turn to vote for your top pick.
Which beer label do you love?
Best Brewery Tour
Go behind the scenes at these breweries — Photo courtesy of vgajic / E+
The only thing better than sipping a pint of your favorite brew is getting a behind-the-scenes look at where it’s made. To determine which breweries offer the best tour experiences, we asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their top brewery tours across the country.
Now, it’s up to you to decide the winners. Which tour is your favorite?
Best Brewpub
These brewpubs combine top-notch beer with good eats — Photo courtesy of Drazen Zigic / iStock / Getty Images Plus
What’s better than a craft brewery? A craft brewery with an on-premises bar where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a cold one. These 20 brewpubs, nominated as the best in the U.S. by a panel of beer experts, serve their own house beers — often alongside guest taps or cans — and a menu of tasty food options.
Which brewpub do you enjoy the most?
Best New Brewery
These emerging breweries have the right stuff — Photo courtesy of ViewApart // Getty Images
Craft breweries are opening in record numbers in the United States, at rates of hundreds each year. 10Best wants to honor the best new breweries in the country that opened in the past three years (since the beginning of 2021), so we asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their top picks. Now, it’s up to the readers.
Which new brewery do you think is the best?
Best Small Town Beer Scene
These towns may be small, but they’re big on beer — Photo courtesy of gradyreese / iStock / Getty Images Plus
These 20 U.S. towns, each with a population of less than 30,000, were chosen by a panel of beer experts as having some of the best beer scenes in the nation. That means these locations have plenty of festivals, great breweries, brewpubs, and/or beer bars to enjoy.
Which town is your favorite to frequent?
Vote: Best Small Town Beer Scene »
Remember, you can vote once per day in each category. The 10 nominees with the most votes in each category will be announced on Friday, March 8.
