Introduction
Tens of thousands of brands make their way to shelves and taplines every year, but there are a few dozen stalwart beers from early craft breweries that played a massive role in converting light beer or wine drinkers into full-fledged beer nerds.
Many of these beers achieved legendary status and were highly coveted bottles or cans or draft pours. Some of these have led to beloved dates on the calendar, when intrepid beer geeks lined up in any sort of weather to obtain bottles of coveted stouts or cans of IPA. Some beers completely revolutionized brewing forever. A few of the most iconic brands are uncomplicated and dependable lagers or pale ales that gained notoriety for simply being well-made (or only available in a particular place).
Here are a few examples of top-rated beers that completely changed the game:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
If there’s an actual OG craft beer, this is it. When Ken Grossman launched Sierra Nevada in Northern California, he couldn’t have imagined the impact one of his initial creations would have on beer. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale dates back to 1980 and gained popularity with everyone from diehard Grateful Dead fans to the brewery founders worldwide.
The drinkable pale ale’s bready malt flavor and aromatic Cascade hops might seem tame by today’s standards. But back then? It was revolutionary. It’s delicious and reliable, and you can find it just about everywhere. Take a second break from your boozy imperial stout or hazy IPA and revisit this classic.
Russian River – Pliny the Elder
Another hoppy concoction out of Northern California, Pliny the Elder was one of the first beers to achieve mythical status. This double IPA was one of the first examples of the style to gain such notoriety, as beers this strong and flavorful were truly a rarity in the early 2000s. It was the first time a beer was viewed with such reverence, and the massive demand reflected that. While it’s a little easier to find these days, Pliny the Elder remains a bucket-list pick-up for anyone traveling through California and select markets.
The beer’s even more elusive and boozy sibling, Pliny the Younger, remains a “whale” for obsessives that make the pilgrimage to their special spring release event at their Santa Rosa and Windsor brewpubs.
Goose Island – Bourbon County Brand Stout
When inventive Goose Island brewer Greg Hall first brewed a molasses-thick imperial stout and decided to age it in used Jim Beam barrels, he probably didn’t think he was inventing one of the most important craft beer categories. But Bourbon County Brand Stout slowly became a massive sensation despite most aficionados having no clue a beer like this could exist.
This stout comes in at a whopping 14% ABV and boasts massive flavors of vanilla, cocoa, coffee, and the unmistakable whiskey aromas from the barrel. It’s a style that younger beer drinkers take for granted, but this innovation doubtless raised eyebrows back in 1995 when the “barrel-aged stout” debuted at the Great American Beer Festival.
The beer’s initial release eventually snowballed into the annual Black Friday event (complete with different variations on the original BCS) that transformed craft beer marketing as much as the product did for the category.
The Alchemist – Heady Topper
Your local hype brewer might be drawing “NEIPA” on their chalkboard tap menu quite a bit, but there was a time (more recently than you think) when the hazy New England IPA hadn’t been invented. Enter Vermont’s Alchemist Brewery. This enigmatic outfit, tucked away in an unassuming Vermont town, brewed a chewy and citrusy double IPA packed with remarkable amounts of hops and decided to forego much of the filtration other beers go through. The result was a beer with pillowy mouthfeel, cloudy appearance, and flavors that hadn’t yet been tasted.
Heady Topper immediately became a phenomenon. And with highly limited (distribution within a 25-mile radius) availability, 4-packs of 16-ounce cans of Heady Topper became highly coveted. This was one of the first beers to inspire the transactional world of beer trading and special trips to a brewery’s distribution footprint.
3 Floyds – Zombie Dust
Officially, this is an “Undead Pale Ale.” And while you won’t find that beer style listed in our guide, it’s one of the most iconic and revered pale ales. It drinks like an IPA and was a cutting-edge creation regarding its use of Citra hops.
The heavy metal-themed brewery’s iconography lent an edginess to the brand, only adding to its mystique. It’s an early example of a “hype beer” and was so popular among Chicago beer nerds that there are instances where thirsty customers would follow the delivery truck around to snag a six-pack.
New Belgium – La Folie
Belgian imports functioned as an introduction for early craft brewers and customers, and the Colorado outfit New Belgium is one of the most notable examples of a brewery taking inspiration from the sour ales produced back in European monasteries. La Folie was one of the first American-made examples of a Flanders Oud Bruin, a sour ale aged on cherries in French oak barrels.
La Folie exhibited an elegance that was rare in the nascent craft beer industry, where branding was geeky or abrasive. It elevated the category and proved that American brewers were for real. First brewed back in 1997, La Folie stands up to the Belgian beers that were its inspiration and the American imitators being released today.
New Glarus – Spotted Cow
One of the more notable examples of perceived scarcity driving demand is this unassuming cream ale brewed just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. The state is primarily known for the macrobrewing giant Miller, but the beer-loving culture has fostered a healthy craft brewing industry. New Glarus is by far the largest craft brewery in the state, but they are conservative with their marketing, so you cannot get their products outside the state. This has led to Chicagoans and anyone who visits to pack up their cars with cases of Spotted Cow.
Toppling Goliath – Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout
Few barrel-aged stouts have earned this hype, but the Iowa brewery aggressively managed to maintain its “white whale” status through consistently excellent releases year after year. The invariably excellent ratings it gets undoubtedly help as well. This is another example of a beer becoming a highly coveted commodity, with ludicrous secondary market dollar amounts or trades happening on exchange websites. The beer itself? It meets the unreasonably high expectations!
Bell’s – Two Hearted Ale
There’s nothing particularly flashy about this Michigan-brewed American IPA. It certainly felt hoppier than most beers in the ’90s. And now? Craft beer fans might take it for granted in their search for hazy IPAs. But this robust IPA’s malt backbone and earthy Centennial hops pressed the right buttons, and it’s been one of the ubiquitous examples of the style ever since. It perfectly encapsulates the Midwestern style of beer, where you push boundaries while maintaining approachability. Even better, you’ll find Two Hearted Ale just about anywhere. Plus, the ratings speak for themselves…
Great Lakes Brewing Co. – Christmas Ale
Holiday-themed beers are hit or miss, to say the least. Some of them, like pumpkin beers, can be overly gimmicky and rely too much on artificial sweeteners. Some are bland creations that merely make a tangential connection to the holiday they’re looking to celebrate. A rare few will completely capture the feeling you get during the holidays.
In 1992, Great Lakes Christmas Ale packed fresh cinnamon, ginger, and honey into a boozy dark ale that you could imagine the North Pole’s local microbrewery would have as its flagship. For Midwestern beer drinkers, tracking down six packs of Christmas Ale would become a seasonal ritual. Even today, there isn’t a beer better suited for cozy evenings by the fire or taking an edge off stressful gatherings with certain family members…
Honorable Mention
Tree House Brewing – Julius
Heady Topper walked so Julius could run. This New England-style IPA was one of the first brands to go to the extreme in terms of haze and punchy citrus flavors. It wasn’t the first hazy IPA out there but was by far the juiciest. In reference to a chain of juice stands often found in shopping malls, the name Julius also started the fad of creative and snarky naming of these hazy IPAs. In essence, so much of what you see on the shelves today has been inspired by the beer and its release.
Lagunitas – Waldos’ Special Ale
Certain corners of craft beer nerdom also partake in (since legalized) cannabis. No one was more brazenly outspoken about his dual passions than Tony Magee of Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California. He set out to brew a beer that captured his afternoon ritual with his drinking and smoking buddies (nicknamed “the Waldos”). He succeeded spectacularly by brewing a triple IPA (clocking in at over 11% ABV) so dank and hoppy that you can’t help but catch Reefer Madness after one or two.
