The 25 Best American Breweries of the Decade (2000-2009)

[Banjo]

From: Paste beta Magazine
The 25 Best American Breweries of the Decade (2000-2009)
By Josh Jackson
Link (http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/the-25-best-american-breweries-of-the-decade-2000-.html)
Years ago, I used to argue that Belgium was the best country for beer, not my birth country of Germany which everyone assumed. But lately I’ve come to believe we were all wrong. Despite making nothing but the worst mass-produced horse swill for the half-century that followed Prohibition, the U.S. is now the greatest nation on earth when it comes to beer. The craft brewing movement that picked up steam throughout the ’90s came to beautiful fruition this past decade, and no where else on earth will you find the variety of beers to match the quality.

Paste may specialize in music, film, TV, books and video games. But we’ve also got a special place in our heart for beer. It’s been a tremendous amount of fun compiling this list with the help of our readers and our two favorite pubs. Mike Gallagher from The Brick Store Pub in Paste’s hometown of Decatur, Ga., and Eric Johnson of the nearby Trappeze Pub in Athens both lent us their time and expertise to make sure we got this as close to right as we could. But of course, we missed your favorite American brewery. Tell us what it is in the comments section. And then go convince them to sell it here in Georgia.

p.s.: all apologies to our neighbors up north at Unibroue, who’d most certainly be on this list if we extended it to North American breweries.

More here (http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/the-25-best-american-breweries-of-the-decade-2000-.html)

[Mill Rat]

One of the better "Best of...." list that we're sure to inundated with in the coming weeks.

[beerking]

Interesting article, which has been debated on another board I frequent.

It appears the list is very much slanted by the availability of beer in the locale of the magazine (GA, IIRC, I know it was deep south). There are some obvious missing breweries (Port Brewing anyone? How about Elysian, twice brewpub of the year?), and some that I feel are great breweries but don't belong as high (or as low) as they are placed on the list when considering the whole decade.

Also note that this is a music magazine putting out a best brewery list. Wonder what the reaction at Paste would be if AAB or BYO put out a "Best Albums of the Decade" list.

We could also get into a discussion about this article being a year too early, since the decade actually runs 2001-2010.

[Banjo]

Truly, all these articles should have a disclaimer...the best I have tried and find appealing to my particular tastes

[unkle bik]

Great Lakes - Cleveland, OH.
Church - Pittsburg, PA.
Ellicottville - Ellicottville & Fredonia, NY

All of them offer quality brews (seasonal & regulars). And Quality food.
The peanut soup @ Ellicottville is the bomb.:cool:

[Mikegobrew]

I'm confused. Weren't the majority of the breweries listed in the North? :confused:

[fretlessman71]

All I know is I counted FOUR Colorado breweries on the list, and my heart swells with pride. :D

[chazwicke]

Also note that this is a music magazine putting out a best brewery list. Wonder what the reaction at Paste would be if AAB or BYO put out a "Best Albums of the Decade" list.
.


Hmmm that would be tough... :)

[BrewDog]

Wonder what the reaction at Paste would be if AAB or BYO put out a "Best Albums of the Decade" list.

We could also get into a discussion about this article being a year too early, since the decade actually runs 2001-2010.

Honestly, Is there any album that is any good this decade?
All the stuff my kids listen to is crap.

[Mill Rat]

Brewdog, my kids have found a whole bunch of great stuff to listen to. It means though, that I have trouble keeping track of where my Zeppelin, ELP, Yes, Tull, and other discs are. Careful what you wish for.

[chazwicke]

I'm still in the process of transferring my music to MP3. Today 31,675 songs. Still have a pile more to add.

[BrewDog]

Brewdog, my kids have found a whole bunch of great stuff to listen to. It means though, that I have trouble keeping track of where my Zeppelin, ELP, Yes, Tull, and other discs are. Careful what you wish for.

Yep. They are very willing to listen to my music. They have said several times "I wish our music was as good as yours". Sad.

[Mill Rat]

"They have said several times "I wish our music was as good as yours".

Dig through YouTube for some of the more wretched disco and bubble gum pop, by acts whose names I blessedly turned into repressed memories, that afflicted the airwaves a couple of decades ago and play that for them. Every generation turns out its own fair share of dreck marketed as music. Most of "our" dreck was left by the side of the road in a vivisected 8-track, never to inflicted upon younger generations. Remind them that "our" music that they continue to hear has had the dreck filtered out by the slow, steady application of musical taste. They get to hear their own generation's music in all of its adulterated gory.

[beerking]

Brewdog, my kids have found a whole bunch of great stuff to listen to. It means though, that I have trouble keeping track of where my Zeppelin, ELP, Yes, Tull, and other discs are. Careful what you wish for.

I've even gone to the extent where my son and I have gone together to concerts by David Bowie and King Crimson.

[unkle bik]

I've even gone to the extent where my son and I have gone together to concerts by David Bowie and King Crimson.
...and the Black Keys...:cool:

[beerking]

...and the Black Keys...:cool:

:confused: Never heard of the Black Keys. Definitely haven't seen them with my son.

OBTW, I should mention, my son is 24!

[Mikegobrew]

:confused: Never heard of the Black Keys.

I think it's a Jonas Brothers' song. (I have 6 and 10 year old girls) :o

[unkle bik]

:confused: Never heard of the Black Keys. Definitely haven't seen them with my son.

OBTW, I should mention, my son is 24!
Then turn off the klassik rokk station and find something that will play more than 20 different songs all day. :(

The concert I went to had the demographics of 40-50 yr old white males who enjoy classic rock along with 20-25 yr olds who appreciate newer music. If you like garage band music & blues (think Buddy Guy) you might appreciate the Keys. They have a stripped down sound (guitar & drums. no bass) that reminds you of early ZZ Top at times. (before they got commericialized)

http://www.theblackkeys.com/

[beerking]

Interesting about the Black Keys.
As for "klassik rokk," I don't listen to music on the radio...too damn many commercials. The only radio I listen to is traffic reports during commute, and talk radio (still too many commercials, but not the kind of thing you can listen too other than live with any meaning).

Pandora rarely repeats any song in a day. Plus, my most recent listenings, while similar in sound, is hardly what one would call "klassik rokk." Tangerine Dream, Porcupine Tree, and even Pendragon and RPWL are well after both "my time" and the era generally considered "klassik rokk."

To loosely quote Steve Howe (loosely only because I cannot remember the exact words), "classic rock" is not a good term. It doesn't really mean anything. It is about as meaningful as "strawberry brick."

I much prefer progressive rock, which does not really have a specific timeframe. Admittedly, the late 60s through the very early 80s were kind of the "heyday" of progressive rock, but there has been a lot of prog rock groups since then. The genre has undergone a pretty good revival since the mid-late 90s.

[Mikegobrew]

We could also get into a discussion about this article being a year too early, since the decade actually runs 2001-2010.

I was listening to Sports Talk Radio on my work commute (as I always do) and they were talking about this as well. I'm supposed to think that 1980 is part of the 70's and not 1970? Really? And I missed the Millenium apparently because I celebrated it in 2000, not 2001. Ugh.

[beerking]

I was listening to Sports Talk Radio on my work commute (as I always do) and they were talking about this as well. I'm supposed to think that 1980 is part of the 70's and not 1970? Really? And I missed the Millenium apparently because I celebrated it in 2000, not 2001. Ugh.

Well...think about it. A decade is ten years. The "first" decade was the years 1-10, not 0-9, RIGHT? (technically, there never was a "year zero") If you put year 10 in the second decade, then there is no first decade, since 1-9 is only 9 years. Likewise, the first century was years 1-100.
How can the first decade be years 1-10, and the second decade be years 11-19? That is only 9 years in a "decade." Doesn't work. As long as you put the even ten years into the next decade, there will be a decade of only 9 years somewhere.
The confusion is really semantics. If we are talking about "the 1900s," then that would be 1900-1999. BUT, if we are talking about the "twentieth century," then that would be 1901-2000.
For New Year's Eve, you can celebrate the end of the "twenty-Os" (2000-2009) this year, and next year you can celebrate the end of the 211th decade (2001-2010). :rolleyes:

[Mikegobrew]

I'm going to assume (for my own sanity) that they started at zero. One month, two month, etc. just like we do our own lives. "1" was recorded after a year passed. There. Problem solved. :D

[beerking]

I'm going to assume (for my own sanity) that they started at zero. One month, two month, etc. just like we do our own lives. "1" was recorded after a year passed. There. Problem solved. :D

But there is never a "year zero," even in the way we count our own lives. The "1" that is recorded after a year passes is the END of "year 1." You are not "1 year old" until AFTER the first year has passed (year 1, get it?). Once that "1" is recorded, you are in your SECOND year. It is not complete, but you are in it.

[Mikegobrew]

I think they came up with the year numbers after it all actually happened. I'm pretty sure that B.C. and A.D. were developed by Christians and "0" is thought to be around Christ's birth (which actually is believed to have occured in the summer, not December 25th.) So maybe someone just didn't include the zero? I existed before I turned one, and when I turned one directly after the exact minute of my birth I was no longer one. Ok BK, my head is starting to hurt. :D

[beerking]

I think they came up with the year numbers after it all actually happened. I'm pretty sure that B.C. and A.D. were developed by Christians and "0" is thought to be around Christ's birth (which actually is believed to have occured in the summer, not December 25th.) So maybe someone just didn't include the zero? I existed before I turned one, and when I turned one directly after the exact minute of my birth I was no longer one. Ok BK, my head is starting to hurt. :D

Actually, you were slowly turning one during your entire first year! ;)

[Mill Rat]

The best attempts to sync the birth accounts in Matthew and Luke with other (mainly Roman and the writings of Josephus) records from that time puts Jesus' birth at about 3 BCE.

[unkle bik]

Interesting about the Black Keys.
As for "klassik rokk," I don't listen to music on the radio...too damn many commercials. The only radio I listen to is traffic reports during commute, and talk radio (still too many commercials, but not the kind of thing you can listen too other than live with any meaning).

Pandora rarely repeats any song in a day. Plus, my most recent listenings, while similar in sound, is hardly what one would call "klassik rokk." Tangerine Dream, Porcupine Tree, and even Pendragon and RPWL are well after both "my time" and the era generally considered "klassik rokk."

To loosely quote Steve Howe (loosely only because I cannot remember the exact words), "classic rock" is not a good term. It doesn't really mean anything. It is about as meaningful as "strawberry brick."

I much prefer progressive rock, which does not really have a specific timeframe. Admittedly, the late 60s through the very early 80s were kind of the "heyday" of progressive rock, but there has been a lot of prog rock groups since then. The genre has undergone a pretty good revival since the mid-late 90s.
Sounds like you & I would get along musically.:)

Give the Keys a try...

[beerking]

Sounds like you & I would get along musically.:)

Give the Keys a try...

I will. Thanks for the tip.

BTW, I mentioned Tangerine Dream in my post, which is a group I have been enjoying for decades, but meant to type Dream Theater, a group "after" my time which is doing some good Prog Rock these days.

[dkreidler]

My first post here is actually a mention of *why* I'm here: I graduated to the joys of great craft and micro-breweries thanks to a friend who is now a senior brewer at Avery. So, its nice to see them on the list, and its great to have found this resource!

As for the music discussion, I like pretty much every style, while loathing 99% of the practitioners of each style. From classical to country to viking metal to pop, I'm there. ;)