Best Midwest Craft Brewery ?
Submitted by Dan on March 28, 2009 – 12:24 pm 273 Comments
Cast your vote for the Best Midwest Craft Brewery. Represent your favorite local beer by not only casting your vote, but leaving feedback using the comment feature. There are 30 breweries to choose from, but sure enough, somebody will comment on the fact that a great local craft brewery is missing. If there is a large number of write ins, we will tally them up.
Learning from previous polls, we have added more breweries than any other poll we have run. Voting ends April 28, 2009 3PM PDT.
Please note that this is done in the spirit of loving beer and having pride in your local craft brewery. The comment section is underneath all 30 of the nominated breweries.
Best Midwest Craft Brewery?
- Schlafly Brewery (25%, 2,052 Votes)
- Great Lakes Brewing (24%, 1,892 Votes)
- New Glarus (11%, 855 Votes)
- Lakefront Brewery (7%, 525 Votes)
- August Schell (6%, 496 Votes)
- Hoppin' Frog (5%, 411 Votes)
- Bell's Brewing (5%, 369 Votes)
- Surly Brewing (3%, 259 Votes)
- Three Floyds (2%, 196 Votes)
- Boulevard Brewing (2%, 191 Votes)
- Founders Brewing (2%, 147 Votes)
- Summit Brewing (2%, 144 Votes)
- Goose Island (1%, 118 Votes)
- Free State Brewing (1%, 65 Votes)
- Columbus Brewing (1%, 45 Votes)
- Captial Brewing (1%, 43 Votes)
- Jolly Pumpkin (1%, 42 Votes)
- Shorts Brewing (0%, 37 Votes)
- Tyranena Brewing (0%, 36 Votes)
- Two Brothers Brewing (0%, 29 Votes)
- New Holland Brewing (0%, 27 Votes)
- Dark Horse Brewing (0%, 18 Votes)
- Arcadia Ales (0%, 15 Votes)
- New Albanian Brewing (0%, 12 Votes)
- The Livery (0%, 5 Votes)
- Flying Monkey Brewing (0%, 5 Votes)
- Waterstreet Brewery (0%, 5 Votes)
- Oaken Barrel (0%, 4 Votes)
- Firehouse Brewing (0%, 4 Votes)
- Backroad Brewing (1%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 8,048
Loading ...You Might Also Find These Interesting:
- Best Southern California Craft Brewery?
- Best Mountain West Craft Brewery?
- Best Pacific Northwest Craft Brewery?
- Vote For The Best Craft Beer Of 2009
- Best Northern California Craft Brewery?
BTW, Schlafly Pumpkin Beer is on tap for the season
My vote is for Great Lakes…. I just love to find it on tap.. the food is always secondary to the beer. “I don’t care where we go honey… do they have Great Lakes.” A secondary benifit is the Conway’s dedication to the triple bottom line philosophy and their support of the sustainability movement. They are talking the talk and walking the walk of sustainability. They have integrated into their business model long term planning for green sustainable business practices. Every time I finish off a Burning River Ale, I feel the earth thank me.
I have tried most of the beers listed here, and I always go back to Summit. They brew a Extra Pale ale that sets the standard! They also just introduced a Red ale that is GREAT, lots of hops dancing on a wonderful malt finish! If you are ever in St Paul Mn they offer tours that are fun,and free! Cheers all!
Goose Island, Harvest Ale really a treat for the hop lover
My vote goes to Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, WI.
The MudPuppy Porter is so delicious..it will make you happy!
I will write in for Leinenkugel’s. I love their Fireside Nut Brown.
Great Lakes makes some of the best beers I’ve tasted, especially their Elliot Ness and Burning River. 23 MVP!!!
Does that mean Schlafly Won?
I have toured and eaten at Great Lakes Brewing Company and couldn’t be more thrilled with their beer quality.
I now live in Los Angeles and miss Great Lakes beer deeply ;-(
Please let me become a distributor out here in Los Angeles!
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is the best!
[...] Click Here to check out the Best Midwest Craft Brewery Poll Share with Facebook,Twitter, Digg and more! [...]
Schlafly’s Dry Hopped IPA is a hophead’s dream.
And when you visit their restaurants their food is supplemented by local farmers and growers.
And they have festivals year round to support the arts, film, charities and sporting events, where they open their doors to the community with live music and great hospitality.
Anybody that visits St. Louis needs to stop by the Tap Room and have their beer cheese soup. It’s the best!
And still the beer is amazing.
Big fan of Great Lakes Brewing Company. I’ve been brewing my own beer and getting good advice via their quarterly “Advanced Beer School” sessions. Burning River Pale, Commodore Perry IPA & Grassroots Ale are good ones to try!
Wow, you guys are hardcore about your beer. After reading this entire thread, I feel like I have quite a list of beers to track down and try.
- Dan
thefullpint.com
No Furthermore? No Minneapolis Town Hall? That’s 2 of the best brewers in the country and you can’t even get them on your midwest list?
great lakes beer by far the best in the country. try it and end the argument
As mentioned above this is not a very complete list of Brewers in the Midwest. It would have been nice if users could have requested ADDS to this list, as a Midwestern brewer, its not easy to get your name out there! Maybe next time.
Wish it would have been possible to vote for the Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant in Topeka. They have great beer. Ten awards from GABF and World Beer Cup in the last 8 years. Usually at least 12 beers on tap. Wonder why they were left off the list?
AUGUST SCHELL has my vote!!
Have been going to Schlafly Taproom since it opened and these people are the best. And the make hard cider, too. Cask-conditioned, organic and serious bitter varieties above and beyond anything I’ve seen elsewhere!
Great Lakes has my vote. I hope this is how to vote. I didn’t find another place to click my vote. Maybe I need a beer!
I went to a wine verses beer dinner put on by Schalafy and a wine distributor for the Leukemia Foundation. Schlafly’s beers were great with the meal….better than the wine with some of the courses. My vote is for Schlafly Brewery.
Great Lakes brewery is of the best in the country,let alone, the midwest!!I have tried just every beer on this list and still have to say G.L.B. all the way!!!Go Tribe;-)
I am voting for Schlafly. These folks love beer, beer drinkers, and talking about beer with beer drinkers. I love the variety and craftsmanship in what they offer.
New Glarus, and founders, how am i sudpose to choose between the two? Alright alright… The winner is…. drum role please… … … New Glarus. I have had every one of Dan’s Unplugged beers since Enigma was released and i’ve been hooked ever since. Always an excellent style and always true to the representation of that style. New Glarus rules! But Founders is also a supreme brewery, I have a couple of KBS’ in my cellar right now. If you have never had kentucky breakfast stout. Than please do yourself a favor and find some. One of the best imperial bourbon barrel stouts in the world.
Another vote for Schlafly. Would love to try GLB though.
Great Lakes!
Consistently high quality over an incredibly broad range of styles.
AUGUST SCHELL’S BREWERY!!! For sure!!!
I’m not sure why Great Lakes isn’t leading the pack by leaps and bounds. In my experience and travels, there is simply no equal. While I always search out the local stuff whenever I travel, Great Lakes is always the yardstick and thus far, no one else tops them. It’s a shame there’s not a branch of GLB in St Louis for all those folks there who have to be content with their sub-standard suds
peace, my beer drinking brothers and sisters, and if you have not yet had the pleasure of GLB’s wonderous brews, get yourselves to Cleveland or get someone to send you some.
I don’t have the explanation for it, but GLB simply cooks the best beer.
One brewery that should be on your list is South Shore Brewery out of Ashland, WI.
August Schell Brewery has my vote not only can you have a great beer but Lake Maid rules I love the caps & have made a fun game of who can catch the biggest fish. Can’t wait to get my hands on more. Please send some to TX.
Great Lakes brewing for sure!
An ice cold Schlafly hefeweizen is hard to beat on warm summer evening.
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
always support the locals, love the beer, can’t drink any thing else, born and raised… everyone we get to try it, likes the flavor, we get them hooked to. good job Schells, keep up the good work. Don’t change a thing…
I vote for the August Schell Brewing Co.
Great Lakes Brewery is by far the best local brew out there. No contest. Not only their regulars like Dortmunder Gold or Commodore Perry, but the seasonal brews such as Black Out Stout and Nasferatu. Incredibly good. Rachael Ray thought so too when she came to Cleveland.
August Schell has to be the best local craft brewery in the Midwest. Schell’s variety of beers appeal to people both near and far…Nothing beats a poked Dopple Bock at Schell’s annual Bockfest on a cold February day. It is also the 2nd Oldest Family Owned Brewery in the US and has been around for almost a century and a half. I have to say all of my visiting German colleuges and friend are excited and pleasantly surprised when they taste Schell Beer for the first time. Schell’s also supports the community and helps remind our quaint little city New Ulm of our deep German history and culture. Traveling to New Ulm to visit our fine August Schell Brewery is a day well spent….
What a great lineup! I voted for Schlafly, but Goose Island, Arcadia, New Glarus, Dark Horse, Bells…that’s a lot of really good choices. I once had a guy (very nice guy, by the way) tell me that there were no interesting beers in the Midwest. BAH!
Any company that would go head to head against AB Inbev (ouch!) in their home market has got to be great!
If you have not had Schlafly beer, you are missing out on some incredible variety. (over 30)
If you want hops, the dry hopped APA may cause permanent dis-satisfaction with every other so called “hoppy” beer.
Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis has to be in one of the toughest markets in the whole country. Who could compete with the WORLD’S LARGEST BREWERY right in their own home town? Having lived here most of my life and witnessed how Schlafly started and has grown, I’ve seen how they conduct themselves in business and how they treat their customer. Whether it’s because they’re mimicking their classy, colossal competitor or because they themselves have all the character they need to run their business successfully, I’m proud of Schlafly as a St. Louis based business.
And as far as the quality of their product, I’ve had beers from all over the world and used to travel all over the US and Canada, sampling the local beers and craft of the hometown breweries. I havea beer bottle collection of over 700. There are no other breweries that exceed the diversity and quality tastes that come in any bottle or growler of Schlafly beers, ales, and other fermented drinks.
My vote is for August Schell all the way!
August Schell all the way! Why yes I’ll take a Lakemaid!!!
Great Lakes Brewing, by a long shot. I am proud to say that, I am a distant cousin of the brewers, living now in Spain. I know how hard they worked to perfect their beers over the years. When visiting my muggy native city, they never charged me for a cooling brew. Who wouldn’t vote for that?
I love Schlafly!
A definitive vote for Summit EPA, and seasonals.
I occasionally stray, but always come back.
I voted for schell’s because I distribute their products
Schlafly, I simply love schlafly beer
Summit. Their EPA is a “classic” english style pale ale. One of the few session ales in the midwest.
Schell’s, Had a few Schmaltz’s Alt this weekend. This is not some trendy brew pub beer that bottles a bit every so often. Not drank by yuppies but buy true beer drinkers, dirty mouths and purple noses. These are stong beers with a very consistant taste due to 150 years of family tradition. Da Kill
My vote is for August Schell Brewery as they are the sponsor for my women’s bowling team.
August Schell lots of excellent choices, my favorite, Pils no, firebrick,,no, Maifest,, no Grain Belt Premium,,no Oktoberfest,, no well you get the idea!1
Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul rocks, from their EPA and ESB to great seasonal brews like Maibock, Scandia and Oktoberfest. Nice folks, too, who stay involved in the community. Cheers!
Schlafly Brewery is wonderful.
Schlafly’s is the best and since I am from St Louis but now live in Fla. but I miss going to their brewery/restaurant. I miss going in and looking at the chalkboard to see several beer choices and drinking my favorites and trying new ones. Tom Schlafly is the new King of Beers in STL.
The great thing about Schlafly’s is they keep making new and seasonal brews all the time-many of which are never bottled. They were also able to succeed in a city where a huge corporate brewery monopolized beer production for decades. Now Schlafly’s is ironically the ONLY American beer made in St. Louis….
Would love to try Great Lakes. Cleveland is a cool city.
[...] http://thefullpint.com/2009/03/28/best-midwest-craft-brewery [...]
Great Lakes rules, with Bells a distant second.
Without a doubt it has to be Schell’s beer – almost 150 years of satisfying thirsty Germans and others with refined taste. There’s a craft brew for every palate at this brewery!
Long before Budweiser’s hostile takeover by Belgium’s INBEV, I was, and remain most impressed with Schlafly. In other words, my choice of Schlafly doesn’t stem from my rage concerning the loss of STL’s second “landmark,” after the Gateway arch, mediocrity of “King of Beers” products notwithstanding.
Schlafly will eventually grow to be the true, undisputed Saint Louis Brewery it already calls itself, and hopefully will remain as consistently innovative, cranking out consistently excellent beers, ales, etc. It’ll do the entire Midwest proud (although last time I checked, the Dakotas are in the Great Plains region both by classification, topography, and culture, but, hey, the more states the better).
I’ve lived in 12 states, three of them in the Midwest. To me, Schlafly’s mind-boggling array of superb brews and rapid growth makes voting for it a no-brainer. Mark my words, it’s the next big regional and then national brand.
And, no, I don’t work for Schlafly. I’m a doc, so please drink in moderation
All Schafly’s products are excellent but the pale ale is my favorite. I was introduced to the brewery by my daughter and son-in-law who have since moved to North Carolina. Now I am “required” to take them some Schafly’s whenever we go visit them.
I guess since there really isn’t any criteria given for what constitutes “best,” then I suppose people can make up their own. It seems to me, in order to qualify as “best,” the main criteria should be best tasting. I live in St. Louis and love Schlafly and am proud that they are here but anyone who thinks their beers are even remotely close to the taste/quality of Founders, Three Floyds or Bells, has no business judging beer.
I wish I could try some more of these, had most of the Noreaster Illinois area and they are all some of my favorites, but I have to go with New Glarus since I really (I mean really) like all of the beers I have tasted from them, and they have my current favorite “Stone Soup”.
Its is great to have so many options when it comes to craft beers!
Without a doubt, it is Schlafly. Not a bad beer in the bunch. Nothing better than a fine Kolsch on a summer eve!!!
I totally MISS New Glarus. I would KILL for a ‘Spotted Cow’ or a ‘Fat Squirrel’ right now.
VOTE NG!
I vote for Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee WI. I have celiac disease and they have a gluten free beer, New Grist.
Schlafly ,Just laugh the others away.Schlafly has great taste and taste great.If 75th Street brewery KCMO bottled,They WOULD BE A CLOSE SECOND.
I’m currently living in Spain, but I can’t proclaim loud enough how much I miss Schlafly’s variety of beers. So much love, care, and dedication go into their beers, whether it’s a year-round hefeweizen or a seasonal Belgian ale. I’ve tried a lot of beers around the midwest in my journeys, but Schlafly has my vote, by far.
Schlafly, hands down. BTW, the real name of the brewery is St. Louis Brewery. Schlafly is the brand of beer they make and the name of the owner (Tom Schlafly). I travel a lot in the midwest (and elsewhere) for work. It’s always good to be in St. Louis to have a brew from the best (and largest, now) American-owned brewery in St. Louis.
I agree that Great Lakes makes some great beer, but New Glarus is amazing. Since they only distribute in Wisconsin, I’m sure many have not had the oportunity to enjoy their beers. Dan Carey plays by his own rules and you can taste it in his beer!
Yeah, I too expected to see Bell’s with more votes. I’ve never been, but have heard wonderful things about their beers. I actully live in Houston but visited Schlafly during a trip to STL in 2007, then was in STL again over this past Christmas and insisted that a large group of my family members go for a visit.
I thought for sure Great Lakes would be dominating. Recently got the opportunity to try out some of their beers at the Cleveland brewery and everything was great. So i was quite surprised when I saw that my hometown Schlafly was now in the lead. Huge fan of both thought.
Another vote here for Schlafly. I think they do a great job with all of their beers. Wide selections and top quality. What more could you ask? They have a couple of brewpubs in STL. Going to the downtown location offer an opportunity to drink ale from the cask. A truly amazing experience.
Had to vote for Schlafly, since, as a St. Louisan, I frequently enjoy their products on tap (as well as in bottles). Great Lakes isn’t in distribution here, as far as I know, so I haven’t tried it, but I look forward to the opportunity. I’m pretty surprised that Bell’s isn’t getting more votes; I’ve had some truly top-notch brews of theirs. Hats off to all these breweries, actually; I’d like to visit every one of them!
Looks like a two horse race. Go Schlafly!!!
If you simply personally don’t care for the 24+ styles of beer that Schlafly bottles and the 20+ additional styles that are brewed in smaller batches at their breweries and only available on draft, then that is one thing. That is your opinion. This is a fun beer poll and it’s all about personal taste. However, it certainly is not accurate for “Schwags” to claim Schlafly doesn’t “care about the environment.” Schlafly’s plastic cups are #1 recyclable, their new tap handles are made from recycled/sustainable materials, both of their breweries were built out from existing abandoned buildings in St.Louis and rehabbed, they are one of the larger companies working with Pure Power that works with Ameren UE to purchase renewable energy credits (from wind power, etc.) to offset their electrical needs (Pure Power states that Schlafly’s enrollment “prevents 312,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year which is the equivalent of preserving 118 acres of forest storing carbon for one year or taking 30 cars off the road each year.”) Etc., Etc. Shoot them an email, I’m sure they would be happy to speak with you at length about everything they are trying to do as well as things they hope to be able to do in the future.
Could they be doing more, sure…everyone could be doing more, but the keyword here is TRYING and they are certainly trying to do as much as they can to be responsible towards the environment and give back to their community as often as possible while still being realistic about the fact that they are running a business and have to make Payroll twice a month. Schlafly Beer isn’t going to save the world or stop global warming, but they are certainly going way out of their way to do the right thing. Believe it or not, but it takes far more than a desire to be “green” when you’re a relatively large company (especially in this economy,) it’s takes a lot of time, education, communication and money to essentially work against a system that rewards businesses who send work overseas. Schlafly may not have the means or scale of New Belgium or Sierra Nevada, but all things considered Schlafly is busting their butts to do everything they can to have as positive an impact on their community and as little of an impact on the environment as possible and I’m proud to have them as my local brewery.
They also throw great parties and brew great beer.
+1 for O’Fallon. Also, where is Sprecher?!! Sprecher needs to be there!
http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/tours.php
Drink Schlafly or the terrorists win!
I vote for Schlafly.
Three reasons:
1) Triple
2) Barleywine
3)IPA
I don’t what kind of stuff people are smoking up in St. louie but Great Lakes takes the cake. Schlafly, disappointing collection, and you don’t even care about the environment!
Even if Schlafly didn’t brew several excellent beers they get kudos for surviving in the land of A-B. Perhaps, now that A-B is no longer an American Company, those die-hard lemmings swilling bud-light will look around town and notice a world class brewery in their midst.
Even if they didn’t brew several excellent beers they get kudos for surviving in the land of A-B. Perhaps, now that A-B is no longer an American company, those die-hard lemmings swilling bud-light will look around town and notice a world class brewery in their midst.
O’Fallon should be on the list. Give them a few more years and they will be bigger than schlafly. But right now schlafly gets my vote.
Schlafly!!!!!!!!!
not a fan of Great Lakes at all.
Schlafly brews some of the best beer I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling. Wish they’d bottle and distribute so that I could get it out of state, rather than on occasional visits to St. Louis.
There is no better dark beer than Dragon’s Milk Ale by New Holland Brewing Co. A full flavored, sipping Ale that rivals anything put out by the vineyards. I only wish the brewery would expand its distribution, as it’s hard to find.
Schlafly, Schlafly!
Winter ESB!
Why isn’t O’Fallon on the list?
Schlafly is the best! Delicious, great variety, wonderful seasonals… and a fantastic craft brewery experience.
Schlafly in St. Louis is not only a great brewery, but a huge contributor to the local community and regional brewing community. My vote goes to Schlafly Another notable brewery is the Black Lotus Brewing Co. in Detroit.
The voting feature on this site is not very easy to use, as a matter of fact, I have no idea how to vote for Schlafly on this site, there is no way I can tell to vote! There is no button to click on, and there are no instructions on where on the site you actually cast a vote. I may be blind and tech-dumb too.
I’m very sorry to see that Weston Brewing Company in Weston, Missouri was omitted from the list. It is one of the nation’s oldest breweries and will soon be premiering as the brand-new Wizards stadium beer of choice in Kansas City. Hopefully that gets us on the list next time!
The new Summit Red Ale is most excellent.
Schlafly Brewery by far is the best!
Schlafly Beer is the absolute best beer in St. Louis. Always has been, always will be better than the so-called “beer” produced by a local brewing giant.
Schlafly my favorite!!
If you haven’t tried Schlafly’s then you are definitly missing out on one of if not the best..they brew the best Dry Hopped I’ve ever had (I was in the Air Force for 21 years and stationed in Europe, Asia and Central America). Their Oatmeal Stout is also beyond compare
August Schell Brewing company in New Ulm by far is one of the best
Midwest Craft brewers. Check out there website http://www.schellsbrewery.com for all of the different types of craft beers they offer. And they do also brew Grain Belt beers.
My favorite craft beer is there Schell’s Firebrick along with
there seasonal lakemaid beers. Try some you will enjoy! Paul
How were these companies chosen? Where is Sprecher and Leinenkugel? Both companies have great brews and wide selections.
Schlafley!! Raspberry Rules!!
I live in St. Louis and still enjoy A-B In-Bev products but Schlafly is my favorite beer. My favorites are the Scottish Ale and the Octoberfest. Worth a visit if in St. Louis!!!
Schlafly Hefeweizen in St. Louis is a great beer. They make also make a saison ale that has terrific flavors in it.
Schlafly brewery for sure. You have to love all of the variety and special events that they put on. This is real beer made by real people with real heart.
Love the Folks, and the Beer at Schlafly’s and being from STL I vote for their brews. I am surprised that Boulevard in KC is not doing better. They make a great wheat, and I have had other good products from them as well. Comeon KC get in the game!
I venture out and try a lot of different brews. Sometimes I forget about Great Lakes since they are local. But then when we have people in from out of town that are beer fans, I always get an assortment of Great Lakes and I remember just how good they are!
Bells
Hop Slam. best beer ever… EVER
Expedition Stout. A meal with a good buzz at the end
Two Hearted. excellent
Beer for people who love beer.
Schlafly’s – hands down.
God how I miss Great Lakes Brewery! I love living down here in Florida, but really miss Dan and Pat’s fine concoctions!!!!! I agree with Cogs comments, probably more Chrismas Ale consumed in Cleveland in December than any other beer. And rightfully so! Not to mention their great Green work ethics! Elliot Ness and Christmas Ale and Conway’s are some of my favorites. Someone please ship some down!
I have been to a lot of these breweries, as well as many others. There are some really good one. Schlafly beer is as good as the best and has the most styles. Additionally, they have 3 great beer fests throughout the year. Cheers to Schlafly.
Schlafly Brewery gets my vote. With 10 regular beers on tap year round, and an additional 30 small batch brews offered seasonally throughout the year, variety is the name of the game. There is always something new to try and all of their beers are solid. They now have two brew pubs in the st. louis area and their food is as good as their beer. On your next trip to St. Louis feel free to take in the Arch, Zoo, Science Center, Museums and such if you have time, but definitely make sure you visit the Schlafly Tap Room and/or Schlafly Bottleworks. Grab a meal, take a tour and lift a few pints – you won’t be disappointed.
I used to live in Cleveland & loved Great Lakes. But I gotta cast a vote for Schlafly (and that’s not 100 percent just because I’m in St. Louis now!). They are absolute sticklers/perfectionists when it comes to the brewing process, but still have an adventurous spirit when it comes to creating new beers … the only one so far I have not been able to get really excited about is the maple-flavored “Maplewood,” beer, but everything else is just top-notch.
Having grown up in the Cleveland area, I agree with many of the commenters that GREAT LAKES is one of the top breweries in the US. Consistently exceptional quality beers. They make, quite possibly, the best Christmas Ale in the US. I actually have relatives buy me cases of it every year and then I have to figure out how to get the beer out to where I live.
Having lived in Kansas City for 8 years, I also agree that BOULEVARD should not be taken lightly. I still haven’t found a US micro brew that can top their wheat beer or their Pale Ale. I moved to St. Louis and I still get excited if a restaurant or bar there serves Boulevard.
But, ultimately, I voted for Schlafly Brewing in St. Louis because not only do they brew some truly stellar beers in the usual styles, but they brew so many different styles of beer so well. Getting to taste all of them at their Hop in the City event every year really allows you to compare them. I always come away with at least three or four beer styles added to my mental list of “the all-time great beers.”
I’ve tasted beers in at least 10 other Midwest microbreweries, and I think these three are the best. All three are World Class. You can’t go wrong picking either one of them. Prost!
Grew up in Milwaukee and worked for Miller Brewing.
Lakefront is my favorite Milwaukee brewery.
You have to do the tour/fish fry/beer boat along with the great beers.
Spent ten years in Ohio and I do like the Great Lakes offerings.
However, having lived in Kansas City for over five years now, the most under rated brewery thus far in this poll is BOULEVARD here.
They are world class- wheat, pale ale, IPA, the incredible Smokestack Series (Sixth Glass Quad is my choice).
Great Lakes is the yardstick by which I measure all others. When I travel I always seek out the craft-brewed beers. While there is some good beer out there, nothing quite compares to Great Lakes. I don’t know how they manage, but it’s just simply the best beer. Goose Island comes in second, in my book, also with some good beer, but in the end, glass for glass, every time, it’s Great Lakes Brewing. Thankfully, it’s only an hour away from my house!
I used to be a home brewer. I made my first trip to GLB the second week they were open (good news travels fast) and I’ve not brewed a drop since. They cook the best beer.
I think the main thing Great Lakes has going for it is the strength of the entire catalogue. Not really a bad beer in the bunch, and pretty much all of them are notably excellent. Plus there are a few real standouts. Amongst the regulars is what most consider the best American Porter in the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the classic Dortmunder Gold (not one of my favorites anymore, but a pretty great beer for those who haven’t had a thousand of them). The Burning River is a fantastic summertime beer, and the Elliot Ness Lager, the closest thing they have to a session beer, is a real winner too. About the only one that isn’t outstanding is the Holy Moses — it’s just merely good. Now the real standouts: Blackout Stout, Moondog ESB, Nosferatu, and Christmas Ale. Oh, and the Commodore Perry is a very solid IPA.
There are no doubt some amazing breweries on that list, some with several outstanding beers on a par with (and perhaps even better than) anything Great Lakes does. But front to back, Great Lakes has more better beers than just about anyone in the country.
As predicted, mine isn’t here. Bloomington Brewing Co. Best pale I’ve had. This “Great Lakes” must be something! A lot of you seem to like it. I’m sure they must make a pale ale or an IPA…whats the word on those?
Edmund Fitzgerald is better than Guiness!
Great Lakes – their “staples” such as Dortmunder Gold are day in and day out favorites, and then their seasonals like Christmas Ale and Conway’s Irish Ale are absolutely fabulous. I bet that in the month of December more Christmas Ale is sold/consumed in NE Ohio than Bud or Miller Lite… would love to see some statistics on that one.
Spotted Cow is The best. No question about that. It is just hard to find outside of Wisconsin. Go to WI and try it. You will agree
Is there any other beer worth drinking besides Great Lakes?? Still have some Blackout Stout saved to drink another day!
Well, my vote is definitely Great Lakes, but hey, I’m 40 minutes from the brewery. This is all just a celebration of great beer; it makes me want to get to some of the other high ranked pubs and try them out someday. I love to find different brew-pubs when traveling; sometimes not-so-good beer, sometimes good beer, sometimes great beer. I’m sure many of the other top rated make great beers. Great Lakes doesn’t have just a small number of great beers, most of what they make is great. Liquid bread. Yum.
Lakefront Brewery IPA is one of my favorites.
Great Lakes – fantastic,handmade brew
Great Lakes is The Best! No words needed,just damn good beer.
Great Lakes #1