Oftentimes our first impressions of a new beer, chosen out of the myriad options now available at just about any grocer or bottle shop, come from the branding. A good beer label stands out from the crowd, piques our curiosity and represents the beer contained behind the label. We asked a panel of beer experts to nominate 20 of their favorite labels, and then we turned it over to our readers to vote for their favorites. The results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Beer Label are as follows:
- Captain Banana Unfiltered Wheat Beer - Three Heads Brewing
- Voodoo Ranger IPA - New Belgium Brewing Company
- Lily Flagg Milk Stout - Straight to Ale
- Saber Tooth Tiger - Rhinegeist
- Devil's Chair IPA - Red Cypress Brewery
- Downtown Brown - Lost Coast Brewery
- Dogzilla Black IPA - Laughing Dog Brewing
- Destination Moon - Hop Butcher For The World
- Foeder Brett Saison - Hi-Wire Brewing
- 1916 Shore Shiver IPA - Forgotten Boardwalk
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Gary Monterosso (What’s On Tap), Jack Muldowney (The Hop Review) and Ale Sharpton (AleSharpton.com) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience in the American beer industry.
Congratulations to all these crazy creative breweries for their winning labels!
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The Experts
Gary Monterosso
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who... Read More
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is the host of the popular radio show, What’s On Tap heard on 99.9 FM, 1240 AM in southern New Jersey, and online at snjtoday.com. He can be seen on the two-hour History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, Artisan Beers. Gary is currently teaching beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients
Gary Monterosso

Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is the host of the popular radio show, What’s On Tap heard on 99.9 FM, 1240 AM in southern New Jersey, and online at snjtoday.com. He can be seen on the two-hour History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, Artisan Beers. Gary is currently teaching beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and... Read More
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Jack Muldowney

Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a... Read More
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, copywriter and creative director for numerous projects. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles, to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Thrillist.com, USA TODAY, Lifestyle Publishing, City Lifestyle, Atlanta Magazine and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta, Georgia his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on Twitter (@alesharpton) and captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton

Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, copywriter and creative director for numerous projects. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles, to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Thrillist.com, USA TODAY, Lifestyle Publishing, City Lifestyle, Atlanta Magazine and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta, Georgia his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on Twitter (@alesharpton) and captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Lydia Schrandt
10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production... Read More
10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager Lydia Schrandt has sampled craft beers all over the world, but her favorites are brewed right in the USA. During her frequent travels, she loves nothing more than pulling up a stool at a brewery or beer bar to sample some new and interesting beers and make some new friends.
Lydia Schrandt

10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager Lydia Schrandt has sampled craft beers all over the world, but her favorites are brewed right in the USA. During her frequent travels, she loves nothing more than pulling up a stool at a brewery or beer bar to sample some new and interesting beers and make some new friends.