6 Craft Beers You Should Know About

We all know the drill. You walk into your grocery or liquor store and head directly towards your standard ale. Before you repeat that routine for the umpteenth time, consider that it might be time to change things up! Perhaps it’s the time to be a little more adventurous and finally peruse the craft beers you’ve been tempted to in the past.

If you’d like to freshen things up and broaden your horizons but are struggling to muster up the courage to take that first step into the unknown, Zazzle is here to give you a friendly nudge in the right direction. We’ve brewed up a tasty list of recommendations that will help you navigate the winding path to beer geekdom one step, or rather one hop, at a time! 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

One of the most important microbreweries in the United States just turned 40! In 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. burst onto the scene and emerged as an early leader of the burgeoning craft beer revolution with the release of its flagship pale ale. The brew was a game-changer – its piney and citrusy hop character wowed consumers who had never before experienced such aromas or flavors in their beer.

All these years later, despite the constantly changing and innovative nature of the industry, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale remains as popular as ever. In 2018, readers of Beer and Brewing Magazine voted it their favorite, and it still boasts a sterling score of 87 out of 100 on the Beer Advocate website. The ultimate craft beer, this is perfect for newbies to try before progressing to towards more complex brews, while its balance and drinkability also satisfies craft beer connoisseurs. Undoubtedly, this is a bonafide classic.

Founders Breakfast Stout

One of the world’s most celebrated dark beers, the coffee and chocolate-infused Founders Breakfast Stout, is the result of an epiphany.

Speaking to All About Beer Magazine in 2014, the Michigan brewery’s then Vice President, Dave Engbers, revealed that he got the idea for the beer when he washed down a couple of chocolate-covered espresso beans with a mouthful of Founders Porter and realized that they were wonderfully complementary. Somewhere along the way, the idea was refined and the decision was made to brew the beer with oatmeal, as had been done with stouts in Britain for centuries. This added extra body and a sumptuously smooth texture to the beer, rounding off a masterful blend of innovation and tradition.

With a perfect score of 100, Founders Breakfast Stout is currently number 88 on Beer Advocate’s list of the top 250 beers. Don’t take the name too literally though, because at 8.3% volume, this is not a suitable accompaniment or, dare I say it, substitute for a hearty breakfast!

Firestone Walker Pivo Pils

With such an abundance of styles on the craft beer market, simple lagers often get overlooked and underappreciated. Some on the craft beer scene even ridicule these styles because they have become synonymous with big corporations and mass-produced beer. However, when done correctly, lagers are clean, crisp, tasty and refreshing. One only needs to look to the classic German and Czech brews that continue to stand the test of time, for proof of that.

It was from these European classics that California brewery, Firestone Walker, drew inspiration when they first produced their Pivo Pils. Now a classic in its own right, this beer is brewed in a traditional fashion, but with the addition of a modern flourish. It’s dry-hopped with German Saphir hops to give it a distinct aroma and a delightful depth of flavor. Easy to drink, it’s a great choice for anyone transitioning to craft beer from mainstream light beers and pale lagers.

Heady Topper

It wouldn’t be hyperbole to call Heady Topper the most influential beer of this century. Before a fledgling Vermont-based brewery known as The Alchemist began brewing this punchy trailblazer in the early 2000s, IPAs characterized by tropical bouquets, juicy appearances and even juicier flavors were uncommon.

Heady Topper garnered such hype and praise, however, that brewers everywhere soon set out to mimic its hazy magic. Now, the market is flooded with beers of this style that have since become known as New England IPAs. Heady Topper, which retains a little old-school bitterness and is not quite as mellow as its many imitators, remains the best. It’s still the number-one-rated New England IPA on Beer Advocate to this day and is ranked as the fifth-best beer in the world overall.

In the early years, part of Heady Topper’s mystique was that it was only available at The Alchemist brewery in Stowe, Vermont. This led to all sorts of shenanigans, with some people going so far as to wearing a wig or bringing a change of clothes in order to exceed the per-person limit for one day. These days, it’s not quite as elusive, with the first cans of the beer hitting the market in 2011. Still, this hoppy nectar remains hard to source outside of its home state. It sounds like a good excuse to take a (post-pandemic) trip to the northeast if you ask us!

Saison DuPont

Another beer that has spawned many imitations and lent inspiration to generations of brewers in the US, and the world over, is Saison DuPont.

Brewed on the DuPont family farm in Belgium since 1844, this beer was originally used to quench the thirst of the seasonal workers or “saisoniers” during long, hot summer days. That origin story explains a great deal about this brew’s character: light-bodied, beautifully crisp and dry at the finish, this is pure refreshment. It’s also complex, however: the citrus flavors and bitterness of the hops are deftly balanced by delicate malt notes, peppery yeast character and a heavenly mouthfeel.

In the eyes of many, the saisons of great modern US breweries like Trillium, Jester King, Side Project Brewing, and, perhaps most notably, Hill Farmstead have since surpassed DuPont’s classic. Still, the archetype of the style remains popular and highly-regarded today, boasting an outstanding score of 94/100 on Beer Advocate.

Pliny The Elder

Named after an ancient Roman author and naturalist whose works included some early writings on hops, Pliny the Elder is the quintessential west coast IPA. A showcase of fresh Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ and Simcoe hops, this copper-colored beauty from Russian River Brewing Co. is very bitter but nicely balanced with piney notes, delightful hints of grapefruit, a touch of pineapple and a dry finish.

Brewed in very small batches to ensure a high level of quality and freshness, supplies of Pliny the Elder are quite limited—a fact that has only added to its allure. Incredibly, this beer doesn’t fail to live up to its enormous hype. With a flawless score of 100 on Beer Advocate, it is ranked the fourteenth best beer on the planet today.

We’ve given you the rundown on six of the finest craft beers out there, with something to suit all different tastes and a variety of moods. Armed with these suggestions, we hope you have the confidence to stride straight past your old go-to brew and over to that once daunting craft beer fridge during your next visit to the store. If anyone feels we’ve left a worthy addition out of our list, and we know that we have, leave your suggestions in the comment section below. Cheers!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Seamus R

Seamus is a Content Specialist at Zazzle. He is quite happy in the role. So, if you’re following, that makes him a content Content Specialist. Seamus likes to write, read, watch sports, drink good beer/coffee, and spend time with his two beautiful kids. To say that he doesn’t like ketchup is an understatement.