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HOPIQ SCORE

The Best American Beers

50beers · Ranked by style authenticity & award recognition

American craft brewing spans more styles per capita than any national tradition — a deliberate eclecticism born from a blank slate. When US craft brewers started in earnest in the 1980s, they studied every world tradition simultaneously and produced their own Altbier, Belgian Tripel, Kölsch, English Bitter, and — most famously — a new kind of IPA. The hopIQ Score across all US-brewed beers shows that the most decorated American beers are not always the most famous.

Zipline Brewing's Copper Alt from Nebraska leads — a malt-forward Altbier with strong award recognition that demonstrates American craft's range. Allagash Brewing's Tripel (Maine) places third, a Belgian-style ale that consistently outperforms many Belgian originals at international competitions. Pako's IPA and Night Shift's Santilli represent the home-grown IPA dominance mid-ranking. Schlafly's Kölsch from St. Louis rounds out the top five.

#2
Pako's IPA
Snake River Brewing · United States
American IPA
hoppyfruitycrisp
18 matches
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#1
Top Ranked
Copper Alt
Zipline Brewing Co. · United States
Altbier
maltycleanchocolate
193 matches
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#3
Tripel
Allagash Brewing Company · United States
Belgian-Style Tripel
dryhoneyhoppy
9 matches
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#1
Copper Alt
Zipline Brewing Co. · United States
Altbiermaltycleanchocolate
193 matches
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#2
Pako's IPA
Snake River Brewing · United States
American IPAhoppyfruitycrisp
18 matches
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#3
Tripel
Allagash Brewing Company · United States
Belgian-Style Tripeldryhoneyhoppy
9 matches
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#4
Santilli
Night Shift Brewing · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyclean
164 matches
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#5
Schlafly Kölsch
Schlafly Beer · United States
Kölschcleancrispfruity
25 matches
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#6
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat
Boulevard Brewing Company · United States
American Wheat Beerwheatbreadycrisp
15 matches
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#7
Gose
Reuben's Brews · United States
Gosecitrusysourcoriander
40 matches
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#8
Pluff Mud Porter
Holy City Brewing · United States
American Porterroastedchocolateclean
32 matches
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#9
2x4
Melvin Brewing · United States
Double IPAhoppycitrusyfruity
66 matches
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#10
Porter
Big Timber Brewing Company · United States
American Porterroastedcoffeerich
28 matches
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#11
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams · United States
American Wheatwheatrefreshingclean
147 matches
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#12
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Sly Fox Brewing Company · United States
German Pilsnercleanhoppycrisp
66 matches
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#13
SunBru Kölsch
Four Peaks Brewing Company · United States
Kölschcleancrispfruity
50 matches
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#14
Tenaya Creek Pilsner
Tenaya Creek Brewery · United States
European-Style Pilsnercleanbreadycrisp
3 matches
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#15
Pseudo Sue
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company · United States
American Pale Alehoppycitrusyclean
52 matches
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#16
Hop Drop 'N Roll
NoDa Brewing Company · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyclean
75 matches
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#17
Revision IPA
Revision Brewing Company · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyclean
65 matches
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#18
Schell's Deer Brand
August Schell Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
260 matches
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#19
Fernson Farmhouse Ale
Fernson Brewing Company · United States
Saisonfruityspicyclean
125 matches
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#20
Michelob Ultra
Anheuser-Busch · United States
American Lagercleancrispdry
121 matches
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#21
Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing Company · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyrich
205 matches
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#22
Boxing Bear Stout Bear Imperial Stout
Boxing Bear Brewing Co. · United States
Imperial Stoutroastedchocolatecoffee
201 matches
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#23
Washout Wheat
Holy City Brewing · United States
American Wheat Alewheatcrisprefreshing
40 matches
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#24
Bud Light
Anheuser-Busch · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
224 matches
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#25
Cerveza Chilebeso
Great Basin Brewing Company · United States
Spiced Beercrisplightclean
1 matches
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#26
Straub American Lager
Straub Brewery · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
281 matches
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#27
Creature Comforts Tropicália IPA
Creature Comforts Brewing Company · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyclean
114 matches
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#28
Hop Knot IPA
Four Peaks Brewing Company · United States
West Coast IPAhoppycitrusyclean
5 matches
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#29
Budweiser
Anheuser-Busch · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
306 matches
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#30
Miller Genuine Draft
Miller Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleansmoothcrisp
11 matches
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#31
Coors Light
Molson Coors Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
113 matches
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#32
Robust Porter
Reuben's Brews · United States
Porterroastedchocolatecoffee
63 matches
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#33
Coors Banquet
Molson Coors Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrispbready
33 matches
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#34
Shiner Bock
Spoetzl Brewery · United States
American-Style Bockmaltycleanroasted
78 matches
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#35
Miller High Life
Miller Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
145 matches
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#36
New Belgium 1554 Black Lager
New Belgium Brewing Company · United States
Schwarzbierroastedchocolateclean
53 matches
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#37
Miller Lite
Miller Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrisphoppy
27 matches
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#38
Genesee Beer
Genesee Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercleancrisprefreshing
133 matches
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#39
Lone Star Beer
Lone Star Brewing Company · United States
American Lagercrisplightclean
53 matches
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#40
Sneakbox
Kane Brewing Company · United States
American Pale Alehoppycitrusyclean
64 matches
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#41
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Great Lakes Brewing Company · United States
Dortmunder Exportcrispmaltyclean
0 matches
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#42
Wild Horse Ale
Great Basin Brewing Company · United States
Altbiertoastymaltyclean
47 matches
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#43
Karbach Hopadillo IPA
Karbach Brewing Co. · United States
American IPAhoppycitrusyclean
11 matches
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#44
Coco Loco Porter
NoDa Brewing Company · United States
American Porterroastedchocolaterich
85 matches
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#45
Yuengling Porter
D.G. Yuengling & Son · United States
Porterroastedchocolateclean
28 matches
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#46
Tiny Bomb
Wiseacre Brewing Co. · United States
American Pilsnercleancrisphoppy
31 matches
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#47
Mountain Momma
Bridge Brew Works · United States
American Pale Alehoppycitrusycrisp
14 matches
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#48
Ironbound Ale
Iron Hill Brewery · United States
American Amber Alecaramelmaltytoasty
61 matches
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#49
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
Left Hand Brewing Company · United States
Stoutroastedchocolatesweet
158 matches
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#50
Finestkind IPA
Smuttynose Brewing Company · United States
American IPAhoppycrisprefreshing
30 matches
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the #1 American beer an Altbier from Nebraska?

The hopIQ Score measures style authenticity and award recognition within each beer's own style, not across styles. Zipline Brewing's Copper Alt has accumulated competition medals and scores very highly against the Altbier reference — a malt-forward, clean ale with firm bitterness. The ranking does not privilege IPAs over other styles.

Does this ranking include mass-market American lagers?

No. The hopIQ database covers craft and specialty beers entered in international style competitions. Mass-market American adjunct lagers are a separate category that hopIQ does not currently rank.

Is this just the American IPA ranking broadened?

No — this ranking covers all styles brewed in the United States. IPAs appear prominently but the top five alone includes Altbier, Belgian Tripel, Kölsch, and American IPA. For the US IPA subset specifically, see the Best American IPA ranking.

Explore More Rankings

hopIQ Top 50 — Best Overall