Companies and Brands

Michigan Kicks Ass in Top Craft Beer Ratings by State

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: July 2, 2017 10:20 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 10:30 am

The 15th annual Best Beers in America survey conducted by Zymurgy magazine was released earlier this month.

Two Michigan breweries captured top spots in new ranking: Bell’s Brewery of Comstock and Founders Brewing of Grand Rapids. In fact, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale was selected as the best beer, dethroning Russian River Brewing’s double IPA Pliny the Elder, which had reigned since 2009.

Michigan’s estimated population of about 9.9 million people in 2015 makes it about 3% of the total U.S. population. Of the top 50 beers on the list, seven came from Michigan, giving the state 14% of the total by representation.

Bell’s got its start in 1985 when Larry Bell opened the brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His daughter Laura is the chief executive officer today.

“We got our start as homebrewers — that’s how my dad got going — so we really identify with the homebrewing community,” said Laura Bell. “We take a lot of that spirit into what we do today.”

Bell’s began selling beer out of state in 1990 and now sells the potable in 31 states, according to its website. Growing sales led to the opening of a 35,000 square foot brewery in 2003.

Below is a look at the seven Michigan beers that made this list, but be sure to check out the full list of the top 50 beers in America.

Source: YouTube

New Holland Dragon’s Milk
> Brewery: New Holland Brewing
> Rank: Tied for 47th
> Type: Bourbon barrel stout
> ABV: 11.0%

If you’re looking to get buzzed and are short on time, this brew should do the trick! New Holland Brewery’s Dragon’s Milk has a whopping 11% alcohol by volume (ABV)! Delay the buzz from escalating by accompanying the stout with one of New Holland Brewing’s suggested food pairings such as, red meat, rich cheeses or even dark chocolate. The hints of vanilla in Dragon’s Milk will mesh well with any of those delicacies.

Source: foundersbrewing.com

Founders Backwoods Bastard
> Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
> Rank: Tied for 27th
> Type: Scotch Ale
> ABV: 11.2%

Aged in oak and bourbon barrels, Backwoods Bastard has an earthy essence and a smoky flavor that complements notes of sweet caramel. On Beer Advocate, the scotch ale scored in the world-class range with rating of 95.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/veisto/

Founders All Day IPA
> Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
> Rank: Tied for 13th
> Type: IPA
> ABV: 4.7%

You can always tell if there’s a fellow Founders Brewing beer drinker around. The brewery encourages imbibers to check-in when they drink one of the brews. The brewery lists many awards for its eight brews and, as of this year, they can say that achieved a very respectable rank of 13 among America’s best beers. The fellow brewers at Founders say the IPA, “Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp.”

24/7 Wall St.
California Dominates States for Best Craft Beers in America

Source: Courtesy of edwin via Flickr

Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)
> Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
> Rank: Tied for sixth
> Type: Stout
> ABV: 11.8%

The Kentucky Breakfast Stout, another palatable entry from Michigan’s Founders Brewing, is brewed with coffee and chocolate, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year. The stout’s bourbon undertones must be irresistible because it received a perfect overall score of 100 on BeerAdvocate.

Source: Peter Anderson / Flickr

Bell’s Hopslam
> Brewery: Bell’s Brewery
> Rank: Fifth
> Type: IPA
> ABV: 10.0%

Another top beer hailing from Michigan, this time from Bell’s Brewery, Hopslam consists of a heaping malt bill, as well as, a lavish dollop of sweet honey. The brewers at Bell’s Brewery suggest that you pair the IPA with pork and rib-eye steak, grilled asparagus and fennel bulbs.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/

Founders Breakfast Stout
> Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
> Rank: Third
> Type: Stout
> ABV: 8.3%

Pumping out delicious beers for two decades, Founders Brewing Company’s Breakfast Stout scores the second spot on this list. You’ll notice it’s the fourth beer from Founders to have made the cut in the country’s best brews. The founders of Founders, Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, have created the perfect concoction of coffee and beer with this particular stout. The company says of their prized stout, “Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and two types of coffee, this stout has an intense fresh-roasted java nose topped with a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that goes forever.”

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dubswede/

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
> Brewery: Bell’s Brewery
> Rank: First
> Type: IPA
>ABV: 7.0%

The top beer in America, according to the American Homebrewer’s Association is — drum roll please — Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. Curious about the name? The brew is named after the Two Hearted River in Northern Michigan, and it solely consists of Centennial hops, which is sourced from the Pacific Northwest.

To identify the best beers in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the results of the American Homebrewers Association’s annual poll of Zymurgy magazine readers. The poll results reflect the most popular beers over 2,185 survey responses (each person only allotted one vote) collected over a three-week period. 24/7 Wall St. then retrieved the state of origin, the type of brew and the ABV content of each beer from the website of each brewery.

Be sure to see the full list of America’s 50 best beers, as well as whether your state is one of the nine that drink the most beer.