Best of 2014 – The People’s Choice…..Part 1

A new year is quickly approaching and there’s no better time to reflect on the past year than during the changing of the Gregorian calendar. With this changing of the year, Brewpublic has taken this time to round up its “Best of the Year List”. Many times these year-end lists include the Top 5’s of the year in a few various categories. And to keep with tradition, we’ve rounded up this year’s superlatives in a multi-part series that will bring you to a mindset on recapping the top beers and trends in 2014 and what lies ahead in 2015.

When compiling these year-end lists there is no correct or wrong answer. With well over 3,000 craft breweries in the United States there is no scientific measure to come up with a definite set of top choices. We will not hold these reputable individuals to their beer choices with absoluteness, because we realize, as mentioned in the past, that choosing just one beer, or even only five for that matter, as a favorite, can be as constrictive and limiting as choosing a favorite song, work of art, or even a close friend.

With 2015 on the horizon, lets take a look back at what stood out in 2014 to many in the craft beer industry along with what trends to look forward to in 2015. You may agree with some and you may begin yelling at your screen with others. But be certain that these lists may open your taste buds for something new and unique that you may not have enjoyed just yet.

Enough of this prelude, let’s now hear what these industry folks have to say about the year 2014.

 

Name: Brian Yaeger

Position/Company: beer writer, self-employed

Website: BrianYaeger.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Homebrewing again. And, quite likely, visiting one of the last 3 states I haven’t been to–Florida–and checking out this little beer scene they’ve finally got going.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• Block 15 Gin’n’Juice
• Ex Novo Cardinal Sim IPA
• Lompoc Pamplamousse
• Emelisse Earl Grey IPA
• De Garde Earl Dessay

 

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Emelisse 2.5 IPA (a 2 1/2% IPA?!? Crazy.)

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)? (Keep in mind I lived in Europe most of the year)

• Copenhagen Beer Celebration (Denmark)
• Borefts Beer Fest (Netherlands)
• Brussels Beer Weekend (Belgium)
• Berlin Bier & Wurst (Germany)
• Holiday Ale Fest (Great to be back in the PDX/USA)

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Flavored IPAs. Granted, I think most of the citrus ones work since it enhances the citrusy hops, and some other work well like the Earl Grey IPA from the Dutch brewer Emelisse, but I think it’s time to drop those letters from the beers when hoppiness isn’t front’n’center. But as for Session IPAs continuing to take-off, I’m a fan of that trend. And generally, high flavor/low-ABV beers are good.

 

Name: Dan aka The Hopfather

Position/Company: Resident Brewpublic IGer

Website: twitter.com/@thehopfather

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Enjoying the excellent beer of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014. (Dan seems to count double)

• Urine Trouble from Surly / Three Floyds
• Rum Barrel La Tache with White Peaches from Ale Apothecary
• Backyard Rye BCBS from Goose Island
• Rue D’Floyd from The Bruery / Three Floyds
• 3-Way IPA from Fort George / Block 15 / Boneyard
• Hi-Res from Sixpoint
• The Brother Imperial IPA from Fremont
• Proprietor’s BCBS from Goose Island
• Berry Whiskey Bu from de Garde
• Maple Samson from de Garde

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

3-Way IPA from Fort George / Block 15 / Boneyard

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Brews For New Avenues
• Fort George Festival of the Dark Arts
• NWIPA Triple IPA Fest
• de Garde Winter Release Party

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

The improvement and prevalence of Sour/Wild Ales and how they are really taking hold in the craft beer industry.

 

Name: Shane Welch

Position/Company: Sixpoint Dude

Website: www.sixpoint.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Looking forward to seeing what our colleagues in the most vibrant craft beer community the world has ever seen have come up with!

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014 (for brewers, feel free to include your own if you like). Special PNW Version 🙂

• Avec Les Bons Voeux – Brasserie Dupont
• Boneyard Bone Light
• Reverend Nat’s Bartlett Galaxy (Yes I’m Including A Cider – It Has Hops!)
• Sixpoint Hi-Res
• Ale Apothecary – Sahalie

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

• The Crisp
• Pallet Jack

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Holiday Ale Fest
• Beer For Beasts
• Great Taste of the Midwest
• Sydney Craft Beer Week
• Stone Street Oktoberfest

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

• Brewery Buyouts, Mergers, and Acquisitions
• Number of Breweries Operating/Opening At An All-Time High
• The Emergence of the “Session IPA”
• Passing of Jack Joyce
• The Coming Online of Major Breweries As They Expand Eastward
• The Little Brewers Making Big Noise!

 

Name: Jim Bonomo

Position/Company: Taproom/Events/Social Media Manager, Rev. Nat’s Hard Cider

Website: revnats.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Bu Weisse and Sticky Hands in cans

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014 (for brewers, feel free to include your own if you like).

• Baerlic Old Blood & Guts Barleywine – this sits atop the hoppy barleywine category with other greats like 3F Behemoth and Avery Hog Heaven.
• Fremont Cinnamon B-Bomb – nitro barrel-aged strong ale with cinnamon infusion, tastes like dessert without being cloying, thick, or sticky. Perfect dessert beer if there ever was one.
• Alpenfire Calypso – rum barrel-aged blackberry cider. it’s a cocktail in a bottle and the best thing that Running Man is selling (sorry, Shane!)
• Lagunitas Scare City 1 – hoppy imperial pilsner. super grassy and floral with just enough hop spice, brilliant appearance, frothy, aromatic, drinkable yet complex. it is a perfect example of how this maligned style can shine when brewed with a balanced hand.
• Flying Dog Dead Rise Summer Ale – sessionable summer ale with Old Bay seasoning. road soda of the year. especially whilst riding in the backseat of an SUV through Maryland.

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Nectar Creek Sting (ginger session mead). Great balance of sweet and spicy, zesty carbonation, crushable in hot weather, and usually on tap at my local (Tin Bucket).

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Dogfish Head Intergalactic Bocce Tournament
• The Legendary Boonville Beer Festival
• Brouwers’ Cafe Big Wood
• Festival of the Dark Arts
• Beermongers/Rev. Nat’s Barrel-aged Cider Event

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

• Oregon breweries embracing wild fermentation
• Doggie Claws controversy
• 10 Barrel/AB
• Ale Apothecary Pediococcus freakout
• Cider growth
• Beermongers losing their best bartender

 

Name: Paul “Fruit Trees”

Position/Company: Founder of The Northwest Beer Guide (aka, The Pickled Liver) & Freelance Writer

Website: The Northwest Beer Guide http://nwbeerguide.blogspot.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

I expect continued growth by established brands (e.g. Elysian, Deschutes, Ninkasi, Silver City, Fremont Brewing, etc), increased production by fan favorites (e.g. de Garde, Ale Apothecary, Reuben’s, Stoup, Breakside, Crux Fermentation Project, Gigantic, etc.)

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• Hair of the Dog Fred
• Reuben’s Brews Crikey India Pale Ale
• Fremont Bourbon Barrel Age Abominable Ale
• de Garde Hose German-style Gose
• Ale Apothecary Sahalie

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Boneyard RPM India Pale Ale / Ballast Point Sculpin India Pale Ale

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Seattle Beer Week
• Holiday Ale Festival (in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square)
• The Festival of Dark Arts Stout Festival (in Astoria)
• Strange Brewfest (in Port Townsend)

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

• ‘Session’ beers
• Wild Ales (aka, sours)
• An increase in the number of breweries producing barrel-aged beers
• The term slowly disappearing from common language, as it relates to privately held companies (see Founders’ recent sale, 10 Barrels’ sale, etc.)

 

Name: Matt Van Wyk

Position/Company: Brewmaster, Oakshire Brewing

Website: www.oakbrew.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

I’m looking forward to, with slight trepidation, this year’s Craft Brewers Conference hosted by Portland. While its always fun to travel across the country for this event, it will be fun to be involved in so many events and projects leading up to it.

Personally, at Oakshire, I look forward to increasing our barrel storage and having many more special releases this year.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014 (for brewers, feel free to include your own if you like).

• Trinity Brewing Red Swingline.
• Breakside’s La Tormenta
• Oakshire Brewing’s Hermanne 1882 (a wine beer hybrid released in June, is one I love to drink and am proud to say it will be a yearly release)
• Ninkasi’s Lux Helles
• Firestone WalkerPivo Pils

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

I really don’t have a go to because I always like to try something different, but if you make me pick, see the Firestone Walker or Ninkasi comments above. (Also, excited to have two different types of pilsners see rotating draft production at Oakshire in 2015. I’ve been researching!)

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

GABF in Colorado, Festival of Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago, SAVOR in DC are three national events that I always love to attend and they were great in 2014.

Locally, I always enjoy the Fruit Beer Fest and Holiday Ale fest, but wasn’t able to attend this year. In lieu of the latter, I attended 50/50 Brewing’s Eclipse Release in Truckee CA, which was great.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two Eugene events. Sasquatch Fest was moved back outdoors, hosted by Ninkasi and it was a great fest. Finally, Oakshire’s 1st annual Hellshire Day set the bar high for Barrel aged events in Oregon.

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Many will likely say brewery mergers and buyouts OR the opening of so many new small breweries across the country, so I won’t say that. What I will mention is a result of those two big trends, and that is a leveling off and a redefining of business plans, goals, and expectations. There is just too many breweries making quality beer for so many breweries to have the meteorological growth that has been seen in recent years. I think what you will see is more and more craft breweries figuring out where their sweet spot is in terms of size and growth and what makes sense for their company. What many people don’t realize is that volume growth does not mean profit, and sometimes it is just the opposite. There is a lot of capitol to be invested to be able to grow. You might even see less stressed out brewery owners in 2015!

 

Name: Ezra Johnson-Greenough aka Samurai Artist

Position/Company: Founder of The New School/Portland Beer Week/Fruit Beer Fest/ Breakside etc.

Website: www.newschoolbeer.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

More of, and more affordable and high quality sour and farmhouse ales

• Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.
• Deschutes Cultivateur
• Anchorage / Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Boreal
• Breakside Passionfruit Sour
• Upright Jeux d’eau
• Reverend Nat’s 3-pepper Tapache

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Breakside Passionfruit Sour

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• GABF
• Brouwer’s Hard Liver
• Portland Fruit Beer Festival
• Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival
• Portland Beer Week

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Return to popularity of lagers as well as session beers, sour beers continually increasing in popularity and of course the corporate sell-out

 

Name: Jesse Valenciana

Position/Company: President/Founder, ManBQue

Website: www.manbque.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

I like where barrel aging is going. More and more breweries are dabbling in barrel aging which really kicks open the doors of creativity. I especially like that so many brewers are not getting stuck in the crowded bourbon barrel beer scene, they’re out there using other barrels like mescal and rum to come up with some great stuff.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• Proprietors from Goose Island Beer Company
• Unholy Mole from Lake Effect Brewing
• Barrel-Aged Abraxas from Perennial
• Hose by DeGarde Brewing
• Zarabanda by Deschutes

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

It started with Anderson Valley Brewing Gose then moved to their Blood Orange Gose as soon as it was released.

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• FOBAB
• Great Taste of the Midwest
• Single, Fresh, Wet & Wild

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

As far as trends, I see breweries not being afraid to seek for help outside of their comfort zone. 10 Barrel Brewing Co. in Bend was acquired by AB and many thought it was the worst move, but nobody put themselves on the shoes of the brewers and owners of 10 Barrel. This will allow them to grow and make the best possible beer. Founders was the most recent, large brewery to sell off a percentage of their brewery. Running a successful and profitable brewery is an enormous task; help and funds will always break a brewery if there is not of both. As long as they’re not cutting corners, changing recipes or sacrificing the quality of their beer, breweries shouldn’t be afraid to look for help from bigger financial entities.

 

Name: Ben Edmunds 

Position/Company: Brewmaster, Breakside Brewery

Website: breakside.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Our continued expansion at Breakside– more cellar capacity, our own packaging line. Also, having the CBC in Portland is going to be a lot of fun!

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014 (for brewers, feel free to include your own if you like).

• Deschutes Cultivateur
• Laurelwood Pale Pony ISA
• Fat Head’s Pimp My Sleigh
• De Garde Nelson Hose
• Pelican Poire de Pelican

**These are five awesome beers that come to mind; in addition to these ones, I can also think of beers from numerous other breweries that I loved that could just as easily be on this list.**

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Not sure…I’m pretty promiscuous when it comes to drinking beer.

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)? 

• Willamette Week Pro-Am
• Lundi Gras Beer Dinner at Tapalaya
• Oregon Brewers Guild Annual Meeting
• Seattle and PDX Beer Weeks (numerous events)
• Monthly Brewers Night and Grill at Interurban during the summer

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

I think that a lot of craft brewers in Oregon have long felt that craft beer was in the mainstream, but I think that if you look at the way that the OR (and whole Northwest) market has grown in the last year or so, it’s clear that craft beer is only now becoming mainstream. The same is true nationally. The fear about market saturation from a few years ago seems to have given way to a new feeling about the market. Hardly anyone is now asking “are there too many breweries?,” but rather “wow, how large is the craft segment actually going to get?”

 

Name: Ashley Rose Salvitti

Position/Company: Founder, Tour guide and Beer Lover, BREWVANA Portland Brewery Tours

Website: www.brewvana.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Being able to drink beer again(I’ve been prego for the last 1/2 of 2014), CBC coming to Portland, expanding our network of beer friends, doing tours all over Oregon, beer festivals, the new Portland Craft Beer Festival, my new baby girl and my wedding! It’s gonna be an AWESOME year!

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014. (I don’t remember it’s been so long.)

• Breaksides Bourbon Barrel Aged Aztec
• Deschutes Green Monster

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Gigantic IPA or Boneyard RPM, how can you say no?

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

I missed SO many of them this year. Of the ones I went to:

• Fort George’s Festival of the Dark Arts was HUGE and awesome
• Hood River Hops Fest
• OBF

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Ashley Rose participating in #TapintoPDX with Travel Portland in NYC, Beer tourism being at an all-time high, record breaking sales for BREWVANA July 2014, Dutch brewers here for OBF, craft beer sales exceeding the masses, 10barrel selling out

 

Name: Kendall Jones

Position/Company: Freeland writer and blogger

Website: washingtonbeerblog.com, kendalljones.net

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Something other than “Bourbon-barrel aged” becoming cool. Please? I don’t care what it is, but Bourbon-barrel beers are so 2012.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• Sierra Nevada / Russian River, BRUX Domesticated Wild Ale
• Half Acre Brewing, Hayoka IPA
• Stoup Brewing, Porter
• Airways Brewing, Beer Church IPA
• Holy Mountain Brewing, King’s Head Double Oat Brown Ale

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Georgetown Brewing, Eddie IPL (Wednesday night band practice beer).

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Craft Beer + Food, Seattle. (September)
• Whistler Village Beer Fest, Whistler BC. (September)
• Hop Mob Triple IPA Roadshow, Seattle (February)

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Simply that the local brewing industry continues to grow at this rate. Washington now has more than 250 breweries with many more in planning. Because there are more and more people getting turned on to good beer, there may be no end in sight. This is not a “beer bubble” as many people want to suggest; it’s more like an expanding universe with new galaxies popping into existence all the time.

 

Name: Kim Sharpe Jones

Position/Company: Co-Publisher, writer, photographer, First Draft Production

Website: www.WashingtonBeerBlog.com and www.GoFindBeer.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Checking out the Austin, TX beer scene for the first time.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• Bale Breaker High Camp Winter Warmer
• Georgetown Eddie IPL
• Standard Brew Bees Wine
• Elysian Space Dust IPA
• Three Floyds Alpha King (fave from our beer trip to Chicago)

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Bale Breaker Field 41 Pale

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Washington Brewers Festival
• Elysian’s Great Pumpkin Beer Festival
• Hop Mob Triple IPA Festival

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Defining moment: it was interesting to see the hoopla around the 10 Barrel ownership change. I would have thought that after the Goose Island ownership change, the topic wouldn’t be so sensitive, but I was definitely wrong about that.  My first instinct was to think, good for the ownership, they made it big. Obviously other craft beer fans felt otherwise. It will be interesting to see how ownership changes and big beer expansion continues to roll out and surprise us in 2015.

 

Name: Mike Haines

Position/Company: Owner/Brewer Vertigo Brewing

Website: www.vertigobrew.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Brewing more one-offs

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014 (for brewers, feel free to include your own if you like).

• Boulder Beer – Chocolate Shake
• Vertigo – The Dude
• Vertigo – Uno MAS
• Barley Brown’s – Pallet Jack
• Breakside – Aztec

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Vertigo – Friar Mike’s IPA

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Oregon Brewers Fest
• Holiday Ale Festival

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

India Session Ales

 

Name: Hilda Stevens

Position/Company: Proprietor / Bazi Bierbrasserie

Website: www.bazipdx.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Traveling to Belgium to brew Bazi’s 4th Year Anniversary beer with Jef Goetelen of T Hofbrouwerijke, Women’s World Cup and drinking beers from the various nations

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• 10 Barrel Black Currant Crush
• Straffe Hendrik Brugse Zot Unfiltered
• DeProef & Cigar City Tropical Tripel
• Double Mountain Sacre Bleu
• Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Upright 7

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Cheers to Belgian Beers
• PDX Beer Week
• Holiday Ale Festival
• Brewpublic’s KillerBeerWeek
• World Cup with the beer drinking fans!!!!

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

Recipe swap between breweries (e.g. The Commons and Upright, Deschutes and Goose Island, etc), 100% Brett experimentation by Breakside brewing, and the opening of two Monk breweries in the US (Benedictine in Oregon and Spencer in Massachusetts)

 

Name: cat stelzer

Position/Company: Brewpublic Fangirl

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

Celebrating Beer Day in Iceland this coming March, which commemorates the end of their prohibition in 1989.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.

• 10 Barrel Black Currant Crush
• Double Mountian Fresh Hop Killer Red IRA Cask
• NOLA/Brew Dogs Collaboration Peetermans
• Gigantic Red Ryder BB Gun
• Georgetown Brewing Le Coq Rouge Saison

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

A saison by Upright, Commons, or pFriem

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Hood River Fresh Hops Fest
• Killer Beer Week
• Upright & Commons Recipe Exchange at Saraveza

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

I thought the Upright/Commons recipe exchange took the collaboration concept up a notch and was brilliant.  Hope to see more of this kind of event in the future.

 

Name:  Sean Jansen

Position/company:   2Beerguys.com/Co-Founder  & NH Craft Alliance/Craft Brand Manager

Website:  www.2beerguys.com & www.nhcraftalliance.com

What do you most look forward to in 2015?

I am looking forward to beer traveling with my friends and family, which will include a trip to the Oregon, North Carolina and throughout New England.  In addition, I am excited for new interviews/episodes on the #SBLPodcast.

Name 5 of your favorite craft beers of 2014.
Hard to pick five, but here are 5 beers that I enjoyed in 2014.

• Earth Eagle Wormhole Verte (absinthe beer)
• Stoneface IPA
• AleSmith Speedway Stout w/Vietnamese Coffee
• Founders All Day IPA (crushed the cans this year)
• Otter Creek Double Dose

What was your go-to beer of 2014?

Either a session IPA (the hoppier the better) or a sour beer (tongue twisting tart)

What were your favorite craft beer events of 2014 (name up to 5)?

• Portsmouth Beer Week/ Seacoast Winter Brewfest
• Extreme Beer Fest, Boston
• Stone Brewing 18th Anniversary Celebration
• Beer Bloggers Conference San Diego

What are trends or defining moments in craft beer that have emerged or stood out to you in 2014?

• Fewer articles/mentions about the “bubble” (phew!)
• The current definition of a “craft brewer” has become very foggy.
• Breweries are continually opening across the county, while the number of breweries in planning has not slowed down.

 

In the coming days we will have the Best of 2014 – The People’s Choice…..Part 2.

**And if you have received our questionnaire and have not gotten back to us at Brewpublic, please do so quickly so we can get these all posted.**