Russian River Brewing / Facebook
Pliny the Elder is a Double IPA brewed by Russian River Brewing, Co. in Nothern California’s wine country (Santa Rosa). For the past 8 years, it has been named as the ‘Best Beer in America’ by the Home Brewer’s Association, a group of 4,000 members that each year rank the best beers on American soil. By all measures, this is the *official* ranking of the best beer in America and it has been for quite some time.
If you’ve never had Pliny the Elder that’s most likely because you live in the South, Midwest, Southeast, or Northeast (with the exception of Philadelphia). Pliny the Elder is only sold in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Philly. I forget which bar in Philly has it but I remember ordering it there once, and I also remember that it’s a Belgium beer spot that serves dope mussels. Though I reckon there’s a solid chance that more than one bar in Philly carries it if they’re willing to ship the beer all the way across the country. Anyway, I digress….
Pliny the Elder has been ranked the #1 beer in America for the past 8 years and it has just been unseated by Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, the flagship beer from Bell’s Brewery in Galesburg/Kalamazoo, Michigan. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale has been the second-ranked beer for years, and it finally got the push it needed to unseat the champ. You can see the top 50 ‘Best Beers in America’ on the Home Brewer’s Association website, but here’s a look at the top 22:
1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
2. Russian River Pliny the Elder
3. Founders Breakfast Stout
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust
5. Bell’s Hopslam
T6. Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)
T6. The Alchemist Heady Topper
T8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA
T8. Sierra Nevada Celebration
10. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
T11. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
T11. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
T13. Founders All Day IPA
T13. Lawson’s Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine
15. Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
16. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
17. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout
18. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
T19. Lagunitas IPA
T19. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
T19. Stone IPA
T22. Tree House Julius
T22. Odell IPA
T22. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
T22. Toppling Goliath pseudoSue
The Home Brewer’s Association also ranks the best brewery in each state, as well as the top imports and the breweries with the ‘best portfolio’. You can find all of the 2017 Best Beer rankings HERE on their website.