After eight years, the Russian River Brewing Company’s much-ballyhooed Pliny the Elder has lost its ranking as the nation’s best commercial beer.
Instead, a beer from Comstock, Michigan, has captured the palates of the American Homebrewers Association, whose members voted in the 15th annual Best Beers in America survey.
Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale edged out Pliny, which came in second. And another Bell beer, Hopslam, took fifth place.
“This is an incredible honor for us. We got our start as homebrewers — that’s how my dad got going — so we really identify with the homebrewing community,” said Laura Bell, CEO, Bell’s Brewery, in a statement. “We take a lot of that spirit into what we do today.”
Larry Bell started the brewery in 1985 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
For the survey, members of the AHA, which publishes Zymurgy magazine, were able to vote online for up to 20 of their favorite beers. All of the brews had to be commercial ones sold in the United States.
Here is the top 10; there were two ties, indicated by the letter T.
1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (Comstock, Michigan)
2. Russian River Pliny the Elder (Santa Rosa)
3. Founders Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust (Munster, Indiana)
5. Bell’s Hopslam (Comstock, Michigan)
T6. Founders KBS, Kentucky Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
T6. The Alchemist Heady Topper (Stowe, Vermont)
T8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (Bend, Oregon)
T8. Sierra Nevada Celebration (Chico)
10. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (San Diego)
Stay tuned for more results from the survey.
