Craft breweries are opening in record numbers in the United States, hundreds each year. USA TODAY 10Best wanted to find the best new breweries in the country, ones founded in the past two years (since the beginning of 2016), so we asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their favorites. For the past four weeks, our readers have been voting daily for their favorites, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best New Brewery are as follows:
- Barrel Theory Beer Company - St. Paul
- Outer Range Brewing Co. - Frisco, Colo.
- Dancing Gnome Beer - Pittsburgh
- Bearded Iris Brewing - Nashville
- Odd Breed Wild Ales - Pompano Beach, Fla.
- New Image Brewing - Arvada, Colo.
- HOMES Brewery - Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Eight & Sand Beer - Woodbury, N.J .
- New Park Brewing - West Hartford, Conn.
- Speciation Artisan Ales - Comstock Park, Mich.
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 Ruth Berman (Bon Beer Voyage), Gary Monterosso (What’s On Tap), Jack Muldowney (The Hop Review) and Ale Sharpton were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the North American beer scene.
Congratulations to all these winning breweries!
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The Experts
Ruth Berman
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond... Read More
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning international beer-centric vacation company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts. Bon Beer Voyage was created by Ruth and her husband, Mike Arra, as the beer lover’s casual but exclusive version of elite wine tours. They offer high-quality, small group, gourmet Beercations in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, brewery insider visits and VIP beer tastings. Ruth is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server and has served as one of the beer experts for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Beer awards since 2014. She is member of the Pink Boots Society, Brewer’s Association, Florida Brewer’s Guild, North American Guild of Beer Writers and World Food Travel Association.
Ruth Berman
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning international beer-centric vacation company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts. Bon Beer Voyage was created by Ruth and her husband, Mike Arra, as the beer lover’s casual but exclusive version of elite wine tours. They offer high-quality, small group, gourmet Beercations in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, brewery insider visits and VIP beer tastings. Ruth is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server and has served as one of the beer experts for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Beer awards since 2014. She is member of the Pink Boots Society, Brewer’s Association, Florida Brewer’s Guild, North American Guild of Beer Writers and World Food Travel Association.
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, a.k.a. Ale Sharpton is a... Read More
Dennis Malcolm Byron, a.k.a. Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, copywriter and creative director. He has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites while traveling the globe to cover the world’s best beverage. His current media outlets include Thrillist.com, Southern Craft Beer Magazine, CraftBeer.com, Beer Advocate, USA TODAY, Lifestyle Publishing, Upscale, Ebony and others. Along with his several appearances 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. Ale also owns AllWays Open, and agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, video production, photography, social media and event production, working with names like with Eric Nine, C. Flux Sing, Alexi Torres, Joseph Guay, Dubelyoo and Hebru Brantley. A native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on Twitter (@alesharpton) and captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron, a.k.a. Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, copywriter and creative director. He has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites while traveling the globe to cover the world’s best beverage. His current media outlets include Thrillist.com, Southern Craft Beer Magazine, CraftBeer.com, Beer Advocate, USA TODAY, Lifestyle Publishing, Upscale, Ebony and others. Along with his several appearances 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. Ale also owns AllWays Open, and agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, video production, photography, social media and event production, working with names like with Eric Nine, C. Flux Sing, Alexi Torres, Joseph Guay, Dubelyoo and Hebru Brantley. A native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on Twitter (@alesharpton) and captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).