http://www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/bestbrewers_012012.asp
My buddy Brian (Stillwater Artisinal Ales) made the list this year at #58 - Not too shabby at all! I think this is his second pro year.
Not that I don’t think all three are “solid” breweries but Bells, Founders and Cigar City in the top 5 or 6??? they are good breweries but i can’t see them ranking that high, personally.
Not one brewery from Wasington state? ??? ??? WOW
Yeah, well RateBeer is kind of the lowest common denominator of the upper echelon of beer sophistication anyway. If that makes any sense. Grain of salt, man. Grain of salt.
I just like seeing him get recognized. He’s cooking up a lot of good stuff.
They should call it “RateImperialStout” instead of “RateBeer”
It is a nice list though.
Man. You really nailed that! Seems like RIS is all a lot of these “beer snobs” care about.
And Nate, I didn’t mean to take anything away from your friend. While I haven’t had his beers there are a lot of great and deserving breweries in the list that should be in the top 5 or 10 that aren’t.
“RateImperialStout” and RateImperialStoutsandDIPAs" would sum up the rating sites.
It should be titled “The World’s Best Breweries According to American Beer Snobs”.
I think I have some Stillwater beer I picked up in Alabama, I’ll check when I get home. As for your buddy making the list that’s great that american beer drinkers think highly of the brewery. He’s in very good company.
most likely you had Sweet Water. Never seen Still Water here.
If you are commercial brewer never pay attention to beer rating sites.
They will always underrate your best sellers and overrate your speciality beers.
anonymous people will write things that they would never tell you in person.
like ‘you burn your mash man’.
Well my mashtun is not heated.
We don’t have any good breweries 
Stillwater is distributed here, the beers I’ve had have been very good. Your friend is doing a good job 
Just like the AHA contest the bigger the better, why be bitter unless you are into IPA’s or Pales.
Some interesting WA stats:
Number of breweries: 123
Capita per brewery: 54,671
Production in 2010: 4.15 million barrels
Consumed per capita in 2010: 19.1 gallons
Bud and Coors aren’t brewed here and much of Washington doesn’t seem to mind. Craft beer alone holds 25.5% of the beer market in the Seattle area, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights, which is more than MillerCoors’ 25.3% share and A-B’s 23.8%.
First of all, that’s awesome. But what does it leave? The non-AB InBev brands?
I don’t know. Do imports count as craft?
I found this when i googled "Beer Marketer’s Insights and searched for Seattle.
http://www.beerinsights.com/index.php?option=com_php&Itemid=17&aid=9301&pagesize=20&recordstart=0&search=seattle
[quote]In Seattle, craft also gained 3 share of $$ to 25.5, and imports down double digits on volume, but retained 20 share of $$. MC had 25.3 share of $$ in Seattle, compared to AB’s 23.8. They lost 2 share between 'em. MC volume down 5% in Seattle supers, while AB down 9%. Perhaps AB and MC trends not quite as bad in other channels (INSIGHTS doesn’t have that data), but these #s paint fascinating picture of what AB/MC now face in advanced urban coastal markets: declining clout in a declining mkt while consumers embrace more and more choice.
[/quote]
So imports aren’t included. Between AB, MC, imports, and craft that’s ~95%. I don’t know what the rest is.
We maybe gaining! keep the fight!
I can’t even get it where I am in Jersey, but a lot of that is probably due to the wacky distribution laws here and a perceived lack of local interest. He’s based out of Baltimore, but he travels all over brewing on other people’s equipment. Spends a lot of time in Belgium, obviously.
It’s distributed by 12% Imports if you want to ask your local watering hole to procure some.
I didn’t take it that way - I was just agreeing with the criticism of RateBeer. Like I said, I’m just happy to see the press for someone who is actually deserving of it.
Like any poll…this one is subjective all the same, but I must admit there are some really fine breweries on the list. There are a few that didn’t make the list, but that’s part of the subjectivity. I would like to know the criteria used to make up the list. I wonder if they looked at the total number of GABF medals?
I was under the impression it was user content, but what do I know.