Over the past few decades, beer brewing has grown exponentially. Today, you can find thousands of amazing beers on tap from breweries from all over the world in your favorite pub. If you struggle to pick a favorite beer, we’re here to help.
Below we’ve highlighted some of the best beers on tap from around the world.
AleSmith IPA
IPAs have quickly become one of the most popular draft beers for beer aficionados. They provide a pleasant yet strong aroma with floral, citrus, piney, or sulfur-like characteristics. The flavor of an IPA usually is quite bitter but can also have sweet caramel flavors.
AleSmith has outdone themselves with their stellar IPA. This San Diego-based brewery has crafted one of the all-time highest-rated beers on RateBeer.com. The brewers at AleSmith have spent over 25 years perfecting the recipe for their award-winning IPA.
An IPA with west coast flavors, AleSmith IPA will please you with its aromas of grapefruit, pine, and tropical fruits. You’ll also enjoy a smooth yet slightly bitter finish with every sip of this IPA.
AleSmith IPA is available year-round, has an alcohol content of 7.25%, and IBU of 40.
Three Floyds Alpha King
Our choice for the best American-Style pale is Three Floyds Alpha King from Munster, Indiana. The flagship beer of this Indiana brewer, Three Floyds Alpha King, will please the most critical of beer enthusiasts.
Inspired by the English pale ale, this American-style pale ale uses a combination of herbal hops and citrus flavors and gives off pine aromas. The American pale ale is a medium-bodied beer, and its flavor profile has quickly made it one of the most popular craft beer options for beer drinkers in the U.S.
The beer features a combination of Centennial, Cascade, and Warrior hops that provides it with a unique flavor profile. With an ABV of 6.66% and IBU of 68, Alpha King is full-bodied and quite bitter but still one of the most enjoyable craft beers on our list.
Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian IPA
If you are interested in trying IPAs, but the taste or bitterness turns you off, consider trying a Belgian-style Saison. This craft beer style originated from farmhouse brewers in Belgium, who would create lighter-bodied Saison-style beers for summertime in Belgium.
Pale in color, a Saison often features low bitterness and medium alcohol content. They may have widely different flavors based on the ingredients used during the brewing process as well. From spices to citrus, Saison-style beer lets brewers create truly unique draft beers.
Our pick for the best Belgian-style Saison has to be the Raging Bitch Belgian IPA from Flying Dog. Flying Dog has been releasing some of the best beers on the planet for over 20 years. Their Belgian-Saison IPA is no exception.
Fruity and funky, the Raging Bitch Belgian IPA is the perfect example of a masterfully crafted Belgian Saison. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience this aromatic beer on your next trip to your local pub.
Hills Farmstead Mary
As the most iconic beer of modern times, pilsner beers are an industry standard. The light-body and flavor of pilsner beers make them ideal for cookouts, parties, or other gatherings.
Luckily, these days you don’t have to settle for mass-produced pilsners from mega-corporations. Craft breweries from around the world have been stepping up and crafting fantastic pilsners that will amaze you.
If you are looking for the best pilsner on the market, look no further than Hills Farmstead. Based in Greensboro, VT, Hills Farmstead Brewery combines American two-row malt, German specialty hops, and classic German lager yeast to create this perfect pilsner.
Drinking a Hills Farmstead Mary, you’ll experience a golden-colored draft with a smooth and foamy white head. The light-bodied flavors are crisp, with hints of honey and floral notes.
Funky Buddha Morning Wood
Deep in color and rich in flavors, American imperial porter beers are a beer lover’s dream. The combination of roasted barley, black malt, and caramel flavors make an imperial porter the perfect drink for dinner or dessert.
While the dark color might put off some beer drinkers, the aromas and flavor can quickly change your mind. You’ll experience a combination of warm flavors and aromas that will have you ordering another round.
The team at Funky Buddha outdid themselves with their version of the classic American Imperial Porter. Morning Wood is a whiskey barrel-aged porter that flawlessly combines coffee, maple, bacon, and smoky flavors to create a unique flavor profile. Whoever says you can’t have beer for breakfast has never tasted Morning Wood from Funky Buddha Brewery.
Side Project Bier Blanche
Popularized by the introduction of Blue Moon Belgian White, Belgian-style witbier grew in popularity in the early 2000s. Light and refreshing, witbier makes it easy for non-beer drinkers to enjoy a beer.
Witbier is brewed using unmalted wheat, giving it a cloudy yet bright appearance. Brewers also use citrus and spices to liven up the flavors. A slice of orange often accompanies this beer style.
If you want to step up your Belgian Witbier game, Bier Blanche from Side Project Brewing is your best bet. This beer is filled with flavor, it’s crisp, and it features low bitterness, making Biere Blanche an ideal beer for people interested in learning about craft beer but hesitant to try some of the other unique flavors available.
Super Session #5 from Lawson’s
What makes session beers unique is they can be almost any flavor or style of beer. A session beer is crafted when a brewer creates a version of their beer that is more refreshing or drinkable. This may involve lowering alcohol content, reducing bitterness, or slightly changing ingredients.
Session beers can be any style from IPA to porter, but our choice for best session beer is Super Session #5 from Lawson’s Finest Liquids. This session IPA is packed full of flavor yet light and refreshing. The lower alcohol content means it’s perfectly fine to have one more as well.
Sixpoint Alpen Flo
American lagers are nearly crystal clear, highly carbonated, and give you a crisp and refreshing drinking experience. They are generally low in bitterness and alcohol content. This makes the American lager one of the most popular beer styles for parties and gatherings. They also make a great addition to almost any meal.
The best American lager you’ll find on the market is Alpenflo from Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, NY. Sixpoint has crafted one of the smoothest beer-drinking experiences with their lager.
Alpenflo features all-malt, two-row barley, and hops sourced directly from Bavaria. These ingredients are combined and cold-stored to finalize the flavor profile.
Don’t hesitate to pick up an Alpenflo for your next frothy refreshment.
Shakespeare Stout Nitro
While a pilsner is clear and crisp, an American Stout is dark and filled with flavors. American stout features a distinct hop aroma and medium to high bitterness. There are also hints of caramel, chocolate, and coffee added to increase the richness and flavor of an American Stout.
For fans of American stouts, Rogue Brewing has outdone themselves. Their Shakespeare Stout Nitro is fantastic. This beer combines the old-world charm of an English-style oatmeal stout with a wide range of American flavors. With each sip, you can experience the combination of chocolate, Munich malts, Cascade hops, rolled oats, barley, and yeast.
Like most stouts, Shakespeare Stout Nitro is a meal in a pint. If you are looking for an award-winning stout to try, Rogue Brewing has the best stout on tap ready for your tastebuds.
Victory Summer Love
The majority of craft beers are ales, and blonde ales are one of the most easy-drinking beers available and perfect for a summer day. They offer a bright golden appearance, smooth white head, and a refreshing taste. Blonde ales are ideal for beer drinkers who prefer little bitterness in their beers.
Victory Brewing is no stranger to making fantastic beer, and they outdid themselves with their blonde ale. The recipe for Summer Love by Victory is the perfect accompaniment to any cooler party, concert, or BBQ.
Summer Love features a wonderful combination of earthy and citrus aromas combined with lemon and pine flavors. The brewers have spent over 20 years perfecting the recipe for Summer Love, and you can taste the craftsmanship with every sip.
Brooklyn Brown
If you are hesitant to try porters due to their heaviness, consider a brown ale. Brown ales are the perfect combination for beer drinkers that want to try something heartier but want to avoid the heaviness of a porter.
Brown ales feature a darker yet transparent color and medium to fast-rising bubbles. They often feature rich flavors like chocolate and caramel as well.
Brooklyn Brewery has been crafting the perfect brown ale for years. This American brown ale is refreshing yet hearty. Perfect for grilling at home, after dinner, or a night on the town, Brooklyn Brown will satisfy your thirst.
New Belgium Sour IPA
Do you like bitter flavors? American Sours have quickly become one of the most sought-after craft beers. These beers can vary greatly in color, bitterness, and alcohol content but feature acidic flavors.
A sour ale can get its unique characteristics from organic acids used to create distinct flavors. Other ales will gain their sourness during fermentation. Aging can also significantly affect the acidity of the beer, changing its sourness.
With over ten years of experience dry-hopping sours, New Belgium Brewing is the best at crafting the perfect sour IPA. This draft beer is filled with flavors.
The secret to this beer’s amazing taste is the combination of New Belgium IPA with their Foeder-Aged Golden Sour. The two drafts complement each other perfectly, creating the perfect balance of sour and hoppy flavors for you to enjoy.
Allagash Noble Blonde
If you prefer your beer easy-drinking but still want some of the sensations of drinking a full-bodied IPA, Belgian-style ales can fill the niche.
These drafts will have a light to medium body that makes them easy to drink. Sugar is sometimes added to reduce the bitterness associated with many Belgian beers. The result is a refreshing beer filled with hops, malt, and spicy flavors and aromas.
The Noble Blonde from Allagash Brewing Company is one of the best Belgian-style Blonde draft beers. This beer combines pilsner grains, Nugget hops, Hallertau hops, and Saaz hops to create its distinct body, flavor, and aroma.
Great Divide Mexican Chocolate Yeti
The pairing of chocolate and dark beers has been around for centuries. Recent trends in craft brewing have taken chocolate beers to the next level. Chocolate flavors are a perfect compliment for stouts and porters but work well in pale ales or lighter beers.
If you are looking for a flavor explosion in your beer, pick up a pint of Mexican Chocolate Yeti. This special, limited edition chocolate beer combines Yeti Imperial Stout and spiced chocolates. The combination of flavors is jaw-dropping and will have you coming back for more.
Founder’s Breakfast Stout
What do people enjoy drinking as much as beer? Coffee. The smoothness and aromas of a good cup of coffee are a perfect complement to a wide range of beers. From stouts to porters, craft brewers have been perfecting the combination of beer and coffee for years.
Founders Brewing Company might have found the perfect combination of flavors in their Breakfast Stout. This beer is a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout. This beer is filling, and even the description is a mouthful.
If you want breakfast in a bottle, the Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing might be the best coffee beer on the market.