Zymurgy Magazine's "Best Commercial Beers in America"

Zymurgy, the journal of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), announced the results of its annual reader survey of the “Best Commercial Beers in America.” The 2010 winner for the “Best Commercial Beer in America” for the second straight year is Pliny the Elder, a double IPA brewed by Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa, California.

Zymurgy has been conducting the annual survey for eight years, inviting readers to send in a list of their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available beers in the United States. Votes were received from Zymurgy’s 22,000 readers around the world.

“We are flattered to be voted Zymurgy’s number one beer for a second year in a row,” said Russian River owner and brewer Vinnie Cilurzo. “Russian River is so blessed to have such a great customer base that seeks our beer out and often travels from all over the country to visit our brewpub. We are very appreciative of the homebrew community and the support they give us!”

Pliny the Elder narrowly edged Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, an IPA brewed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by two votes. Stone Arrogant Bastard, an American strong ale from Escondido, California, finished third for the second straight year. Following recent trends, six of the top 10 vote-getters in the competition are IPAs, proving that hoppy beers are still king among readers.


“As homebrewers and beer lovers, Zymurgy readers are some of the most knowledgeable beer connoisseurs on the planet,” said Jill Redding, editor of Zymurgy. “This is a very prestigious list to be on if you’re a professional brewer.”


See the complete Zymurgy “Best Commercial Beers in America” list.

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