2018 Best in Beer Issue

This beer will be smooth in the mouth and features aggressive late and dry hopping, making it more of a “New School” (hence the name) American pale ale.

Randy Mosher, the author, is also the creative force behind both Forbidden Root Brewery and 5 Rabbit Cervecería in Chicago. Here, here talks about beers he’s tasted over his career in beer that have helped form many of his memorable lessons.

Brewing with extract doesn't mean sacrificing flavor. Rather than going heavy on the chocolate malts, this recipe spreads the wealth and includes healthy additions of light crystal, dark crystal, and more.

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, answers an important question about triple-decoction mash.

Here’s a crisp, German-style Pilsner from Von Ebert Brewing in Portland, Oregon.

Test out your Sous Vide homebrewing skills with this recipe, which calls for just a 30-minute boil in an effort to save time.

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, tackles a question about head retention on your beer.

If you’re put off by long all-grain brew days and yearn for a faster and simpler way to make beer, Art Whitaker offers expertise and tips to get you started extract brewing with a sous vide machine.

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, is here to help you brew a great beer with fresh hops.

This beer has a big, clean, and chewy grain bill that explodes with hops notes of pineapple, blueberry, and pine resin.

In this Learning Lab column, Jester Goldman gives his full attention to dark malt. Settle in as he helps you understand how these grains differ and what they can bring to your beer.

Josh Weikert dispels myths of brewing dogma because “the way it’s always been done” doesn’t always work for you.

This might seem like just another hoppy session beer, but the regionally authentic ingredients do tend to come through even in the face of atypical hops.

The aim of the HopGun is to get more hop character into a beer in less time and with adding fewer hops. It provides better efficiency and quality, reduced dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the finished beer, and a safer working environment for the brewers.

While the focus for most homebrewers is brewing all-grain recipes, Josh Weikert argues that it’s not always necessary. You can benefit from having a bit less control (but no loss of quality) and a significant chunk of time back in your brew day.

From Fal Allen, this recipe is a combination of the traditional (the air-dried malt and the spices) and the new (the brewhouse souring).

The key to a proper gose, says Fal Allen, the longtime brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Company, is to go easy on the salt and don’t put too much stock in the fancy stuff.

In the city of Middletown, New York, the line forms early outside of Equilibrium Brewery on weekends for fans jonesing for a hops fix. This is what happens when professionally trained scientists get involved in brewing.

Knowing how to build a recipe for fractional distillation, how to use the process, and how to make a style into an “Ice Whatever” is a great tool to have in your bag.

A long-time dive bar in this college town got a tap makeover several years ago, turning it into the New York Capital Region’s premier craft destination.

Despite one of the most impressive beer lists in the city, this place tosses pretension to the curb in favor of living room–style comfort and camaraderie.

When you’re visiting the tropics, you want to drink beer al fresco.

Few brewers are more well-traveled than Averie Swanson, (the recently departed) head brewer at Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas. Here are five breweries she recommends.

We asked the readers of Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine to weigh in on their favorite homebrew brands, gear, and retailers for our best of 2018 issues. Here's the companies that rank high among our readers.

Josh Weikert—contributing editor and columnist for Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine®, the author of the Beer: Simple blog, and a BJCP Grand Master—offers some of his top picks and beer experiences from the past year.

Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine®’s senior editor and author of the new book, Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint, “poured” over his notebooks of beer notes and interviews to share what he’s enjoyed over the past year.

Yet again, we asked the blogger behind the irreverent site DontDrinkBeer.com (DDB) and the Malt Couture podcast to move from satire to critical thought and share his thoughts on all that’s good in beer.

Stan Hieronymus, one of the country’s foremost experts on beer and an authority on hops, gives us his annual look at what stood out while drinking beer and interviewing brewers around the world.

Emily Sauter, the author behind the Pints and Panels review site and author of Beer is for Everyone, shares her thoughts on what’s great in beer this year. Her insight into beer today is guaranteed to put some new choices on your list.

Jeff Alworth is editor of the Beervana blog and author of several books, including The Beer Bible and Secrets of Master Brewers. Here he offers up beer and brewing experiences that highlight his home in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.

The cofounder and editorial director of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® shares his highlights from the past year of beer.

Since any general “top breweries” list will inevitably be dominated by breweries who make IPAs, we asked our readers about their favorite beers and brewers in these eight specific styles.

We were busy this past year tasting beers that were sent to our office, shared at a bar, brewery or pub, and poured at festivals around the world. It’s difficult but rewarding work and we’re pleased to present our editors picks for top beers of 2018.

The results are in! We asked our readers to pick their best beers of 2018. From new and hazy IPAs to classic saisons and stouts read on to see if your favorite made the list.