As marijuana’s legality expands nationwide, brewers are taking cues from buds, not Bud. To mimic the legendary G13 marijuana strain—minus its mind-altering effects—SweetWater paired dank Columbus and Simcoe hops with hemp flavor and terpenes, the essential oils that give pot its distinct aromas. The result is an IPA that tastes like a parking lot at a Phish concert—but in a good way.
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Imagine an Almond Joy candy bar. Now envision it transformed into a beer packed with hand-toasted coconut, with a taste not unlike a Hawaiian vacation on Halloween.
The “P” in this IPA stands for potatoes, specifically Idaho-grown russets. Tubers are trending in brewing because their proteins boost a beer’s body and foam retention, adding a fluffy head and fuller mouthfeel, as with this balanced, moderately bitter ale. French fries might have found a new best friend.
To give its products a sense of place, farm-based Scratch grows and forages the ingredients found in its beers, including the tart Spring Tonic. It’s flavored with bitter dandelion and carrot tops, while ginger adds a spicy zing.
For 18th Street owner and founder Drew Fox, crafting a broad-shouldered stout like the Hunter Vanilla Double Milk wasn’t just about creating a good beer—it was a matter of local pride. Fox grew up on the West Side of Chicago and moved to Gary 10 years ago, drawn by the affordable real estate and good schools in nearby Hammond. Having cut his teeth working at Chicago’s Pipeworks Brewing, he arrived with grand ambitions of opening Gary’s first-ever brewery. At the time, few residents were even familiar with the concept of a brew- pub, and the idea was initially met with some skepticism. But Fox was convinced that if there was anything that could give Gary, which has long struggled economically, a boost, it was beer. “Breweries,” he says, “have a long-standing tradition of bringing communities together.” So with the encouragement and backing of local leaders, Fox opened 18th Street’s first storefront in 2013, in a former dry cleaning shop.
At that time, there were only five businesses on the street; today, that number has nearly tripled, making the brewpub a poster child for entrepreneurship opportunities in Gary. A big part of 18th Street’s success are signature beers like the Sinister Double IPA and the Hunter Milk Stout, which boasts a creamy texture with a mix of smoky malts and chocolate and caramel flavors, thanks to cacao nibs and whole vanilla beans. “I knew in order for me to make my mark,” says Fox, “I had to come out of the gate swinging.”
As national figures, including Chicago artist Theaster Gates, have also helped spur development in downtown Gary, Fox has remained committed, coaching young entrepreneurs and offering his storefront as a free space for community events. “I wanted to show that an African- American brewery owner in a predominantly African-American city could showcase a world-class brewery in a Rust Belt town,” says Fox. “And that’s exactly what we did.”
To create beer that tastes a bit like tequila, Des Moines–based 515 brewed a wheat beer lightly sweetened with agave nectar and finished it with a little bit of lime—no salt lick needed.
Founded in 1989, Free State has continued to produce top-notch beers, like this bruiser (10 percent ABV) that’s a delicious collision of plums, citrus, and brown sugar.
Against the Grain, based in Louisville, conceived this beer as a rye-spiced dark sour that—like its state’s famous distilled spirit— contains corn, a style known as Kentucky Common.
Louisiana-grown rice gives this canned pilsner a light body and invigorating crispness that can slice right through even the steamiest days during the Southern summer.
This summer, Portland-based Bissell Brothers opened its long-awaited brewery in the founders’ tiny hometown of Milo, where it serves local food and a premium selection of beers, like this potent double IPA.
In Maryland, duckpin bowling—a quirky game with a softball-size ball and short pins—has a home in natives’ hearts. So does this double IPA, with hints of tangerine and grapefruit.
To recruit light-beer drinkers, craft brewers have turned to smooth lagers like Nite Lite, sold by the 12-pack and ticking every box: low alcohol, moderate calories, and—surprise!—loads of flavor.
Brewer Mitch Ermatinger makes small-batch, high-ABV beers, such as Saltation, with wild yeast and souring microbes. It’s aged in tequila barrels with limes, blood oranges, and guava puree.
When Fair State CEO Evan Sallee decided to open a brewpub in Minneapolis in 2011, he looked to a business model popular among Midwest farmers but practically unheard of in the beer world: the co-op, in which members own part of the brand, vote to elect a board, and get a share of the profits. Fair State began with about 250 members and now has more than 1,300, whose benefits include limited-production beers, a VIP happy hour at the tap room, and access to community events sponsored or put on by Fair State.
It’s been so popular that the brewery recently expanded to a new 40,000-square-foot facility to keep up with demand for brews like the tropical pale ale Pahlay’ahlay. It’s even offered counsel to other new co-op breweries, a growing roster that includes Seattle’s Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery, and Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op, in New Mexico.
“Once people see this model and realize that it can exist, they kind of have the same reaction we did,” says Sallee. “Which is, why doesn’t this exist where I live?”
Morning tailgating sessions are made better by Southern Prohibition’s easy-drinking Breakfast IPA, which owes its haze and smoothness (and name) to a healthy dose of oats.
This beet-infused sour is from founder Michael Crane, a brewer who never much liked drinking beer. As such, the beer tastes like a fresh juice, with a slight kick at the end.
Cold Smoke is a sure to be a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re hitting the mountain or the lodge. Local barley contributes to its smoothness and coffee-like finish.
The ultimate sausage pairing is the altbier, a cold-fermented ale with a balance of caramel sweetness and bitterness. This textbook take took top honors at 2015’s Great American Beer Festival.
Brewer Jeremy Warren has an uncanny ability to brew easy- drinking double and triple IPAs. The dank and tropical Dr. Lupulin might be his best one yet.
Smuttynose magnifies this strong and malty ale’s vinous charm with port-soaked oak chips, for a sublime sipper worthy of a snifter—and perfect with dessert.
Boat’s secret ingredient is its location: the New Jersey Highlands, right by the beach. Salt- tinged water mingles with kölsch yeast and American hops to create a grapefruit-flavored crusher.
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