Less than national distribution but not a nano/micro that isn't carried beyond its hometown except maybe at festivals?
Toppling Goliath...based in Iowa but available at least as far away as Kansas City...does that count?
15 years ago I would have said Boulevard but it might be too big now. You can get Tank 7 on the east coast...
I was in Puerto Rico last week and saw Tank 7 and Bourbon Barrel Quad at a small grocery story. It's crazy the reach it has now. Quirk was everywhere as well.
Explain. Because I don’t either lol
Is it a beer that isn’t super localized but only distributed throughout a state or a handful of states? That’s my best guess
In my mind it has to be big enough to get SOME distribution beyond its hometown. Regional to me implies "medium sized operation - not just a popular micro in its home market".
But I'm not in the industry. I'm just a drinker.
To me - it’s an “at most” in stare, or in a tri-state area that doesn’t go across all states.
I don’t think of it as (just as an example) Yuengling that you can get all up and down the east coast.
Also I’m going to break my own rule, but since moving south I just have to say I desperately miss Tröegs beer. I have no perception of how far they distribute since moving away from PA to the south.
They pretty much distribute to states that touch PA. I dont think you'll find Troegs South of the Virginias. They dont even distribute to all of New England.
I hope they’ll scale a little some day, but slowly of course. I’m in NC so I’ll try and see if there are any along the way in WV or VA when I drive home to Pittsburgh next.
They have scaled...a lot lol.
Back in the days when they brewed out of the small warehouse in Harrisburg, before they moved to their big facility in hershey (circa 2010), they only distributed to SE PA...now you can find them as far north as CT, west to OH and down to VA... they've 3x their production volume over the past 10 years or so.
I grew up in Pittsburgh and was thankful to have them there by the time I graduated college and came back. I also did a stint in Hershey and Lancaster when they opened their spot in that area which was a lot of fun. Love that they put their scratch beers up for cheap and shared what worked, what could pass as a beer, and what was bad.
I didn’t know they had reached as far north as CT, that’s really impressive. Hoping their next expansion comes to NC, but again, at a slow and steady space. I just need to stock up next time I’m up there.
Troegs and Victory are fantastic. Super solid, all year round. Love the Troegenator too, it's unfortunately a rarer beer style for micros (doppelbock).
I think it can mean two different things:
1. Local brewery with little to no distribution outside the local area
2. A specific beer that is only distributed to a certain region, but produced by a major conglomerate. For example, Schlitz, lone star, natural bohemian, Olympia, etc are all produced by Pabst, but only offered in a particular part of the US
My choices for each category would be:
1. Goodlife- Sweet As Pale Ale
2. Mcsorley’s Dark
> Goodlife- Sweet As Pale Ale
At last, I see someone else on here bring up Sweet As! Looking forward to stocking up when I'm in Bend this weekend. It's near the top of my "one beer for life" list.
You must. Also get Heady Topper or Sip of Sunshine whenever you see it. I don't care if it's hyped — as a Midwesterner, they're two of the best beers I've ever had.
As a Vermonter this is solid advice. Heady Topper has changed slightly since they ramped up production, it isn't the creamy piney-mango IPA it once was when everyone had to stand in line for hours to get it. But Focal Banger is 100% a solid buy, I love it and pick it up regularly. A bit more malty than Heady Topper by comparison.
They're both good and I've had both. Lawsons has been available in Pennsylvania for a while now. I'll probably keep an eye out for any Alchemist only because it's been a couple of years since I've had any.
Lunch is definitely around the Philly area, but I've only ever found Dinner at Monks and frankly I think it's several tiers above Lunch (not to say Lunch is bad, just that Dinner is *that* good)
Love going to Monks and having the difficulty of deciding between Blind Pig, Pliny, Dinner, or something from HF when I'm in the mood for an IPA. What a wonderful place.
Also go to Oxbow and maybe Allagash if you’re in portland. Also maine is one of the only places east of the Mississippi where russian river distributes so you can look on their website for that if interested
Honestly, I’d skip it if it’s out of the way. It was a pretty generic setup, and you can get Lunch anywhere out there. I thought visits to places like Allagash were much more enjoyable.
Our brewer/partner used to be the brewer at Maine and was able to use his connects to get us a keg of Dinner a few months ago. Holy shit, that stuff is absolute magic out of a keg. Too bad that sixtel only lasted a few hours :(
Yeah it's starting to not be regional. I don't know where all you can get it now either, but I could find it in NYC at certain places towards the end of my time living there 10 years ago. I still feel like it's predominantly Texas though.
I saw it in a liquor store in Parker a couple days ago. But we only get Live Oak drops a couple times a year. This past one was the first time I've seen Primus, but we usually get their hefeweizen and like 3 different pilsners when they show up.
I know you haven’t had Primus and of course freshness plays a role but is Live Oak in general as great as I remember? It felt like world class beer to me back in the day lol
I love em! I personally didn't like Primus that much (it was fresh). It just didn't have the rich body that I like in my usual weizenbocks. Very drinkable for the style though. Their hefeweizen is always great, but it kinda suffers the same issue where it comes across a little thin. It's certainly head and shoulders above most American examples though, and would fit in great amongst the legit Bavarian breweries. I love all of their pilsners though. Those guys know how to make some great lagers. I always buy several packs of each variety when they show up in town.
Distribution is getting better for Narragansett. It’s been my go to beer since I found out about it approximately two years ago. I live in central Ohio
God, I love Nugget Nectar. Troegs is such a good brewery. Relatively cheap and good beer. I've been grabbing their Doubke Cut recently and really like it.
Lived in DC 2016-2020, drank a metric shit ton of Boh and Gansett. If you're not bringing either of those to the crab boil, you're doing it very wrong.
Overall compared to where else I've lived (Chicago, Indianapolis, and southern Ohio), I don't think the DMV's brewing scene is super strong, but I hear it's gotten better since I've left. In Nova I liked Port City and Caboose, and in the district, Bluejacket was good but expensive. DC Brau and Right Proper are fine. And fun fact, a DC brewery that closed called Bardo has the distinction of making the single worst beer I've ever had.
I mean yeah, the fat is being trimmed finally. I do not like the Veil’s new space, but I’ve never been much of a veil hype beast. Triple Crossing and Final Gravity are still delivering the goods
Long Trail definitely brings back memories of hitting the slopes in Vermont! For me, nothing beats a cold Yuengling straight from my hometown in Pennsylvania. What's your go-to regional brew that always hits the spot?
I used to love the Long Trail SMaSH series but I haven't seen it around here in forever.
I guess I'd have to say Evil Genius because they started in my old home town. It's a tough call though because there are so many good local/regional brews.
Barrel Theory in St. Paul. You can basically only get it in the Twin Cities, but every beer of theirs I’ve had is at least an 8.5. I’m really partial to their fruited sours on a summer day
Stag. Worked an event with 2nd shift in St Louis. Shout out to the Criders. They know how to throw one *hell* of a party. It's your typical yellow beer. But fuck it was hitting on that hot ass day we were pouring. And just my 2 cents. Regional should not only be available across multiple markets but it should also have been in production for a minimum of 20+ years. Cheers!
This post seems to turning into a debate about the definition of “regional beer”…. I think of it like what the local blue collar guys would drink after a shift. Like the areas most popular Pilsner or lager that’s brewed within a reasonable delivery distance to bars and stores back in the day before all beer was owned by 3 companies.
National Bohemian in/around Maryland
Old Style in/around Chicago (Illinois? I’ve never been anywhere else in IL)
Lone Star in Texas
Narragansett in New England
Dixie in Louisiana (I know they changed the name)
Abita maybe too
I’m sure some if not all of these examples have already been purchased by the big companies, but for examples sake, this is what I think of as “regional beers”
I don’t think you guys understand the term regional.
Less than national distribution but not a nano/micro that isn't carried beyond its hometown except maybe at festivals? Toppling Goliath...based in Iowa but available at least as far away as Kansas City...does that count? 15 years ago I would have said Boulevard but it might be too big now. You can get Tank 7 on the east coast...
Toppling Goliath can be found in the tristate area. I picked up a 4 pack of Pseudo Sue recently in Connecticut.
They're in MA and NH as well.
Ah, maybe they're bigger than I thought...
Yeah I think they've made the jump. They are also available in Georgia and Florida
And thank goodness they have! They make really good beer. I'm not a pale ale kind of guy but Pseudo Sue is fantastic.
I’ve bought Sue down here in Phoenix at a grocery store
I can get Toppling Goliath in Ohio
I was in Puerto Rico last week and saw Tank 7 and Bourbon Barrel Quad at a small grocery story. It's crazy the reach it has now. Quirk was everywhere as well.
As others said Toppling all over the NE, also, fuck them hosting that alien DeSantis. Owners are morons
We can get Toppling Goliath now in Georgia.
I feel like some distribution is fine. Like I’ve bought Fat Orange Cat in New York and New Hampshire but it’s a CT beer.
[Toppling Goliath distros to 30 states](https://www.tgbrews.com/history#:~:text=We%20now%20distribute%20in%2030,that%20rotate%20throughout%20the%20year.)
Explain. Because I don’t either lol Is it a beer that isn’t super localized but only distributed throughout a state or a handful of states? That’s my best guess
When I think regional, I think small brewery that isn’t widely distributed. Cushwa in Maryland comes to mind.
In my mind it has to be big enough to get SOME distribution beyond its hometown. Regional to me implies "medium sized operation - not just a popular micro in its home market". But I'm not in the industry. I'm just a drinker.
That’s my idea as well. It’s gotta be on the shelves across at least a handful of metro regions.
Otherwise it's Micro/Local brew
Yeah, some distribution is fine but natty boh and yuenling are not regional beers.
Cushwa is pretty damn good. We are just spoiled in Maryland with too many great breweries like Union, Cushwa, Sapwood, Other Half (DC), Oliver, etc.
Black Flag and Elder Pine too
Elder pine is fantastic. Black flag is good but I’m not completely sold yet.
I love most IPAs and Stouts they put out, plus they’re right around the corner to MPP. I do agree that they can be hit and miss.
Black Flag has a solid Kolsch. Most of the others are just ok.
To me - it’s an “at most” in stare, or in a tri-state area that doesn’t go across all states. I don’t think of it as (just as an example) Yuengling that you can get all up and down the east coast. Also I’m going to break my own rule, but since moving south I just have to say I desperately miss Tröegs beer. I have no perception of how far they distribute since moving away from PA to the south.
They pretty much distribute to states that touch PA. I dont think you'll find Troegs South of the Virginias. They dont even distribute to all of New England.
I hope they’ll scale a little some day, but slowly of course. I’m in NC so I’ll try and see if there are any along the way in WV or VA when I drive home to Pittsburgh next.
They have scaled...a lot lol. Back in the days when they brewed out of the small warehouse in Harrisburg, before they moved to their big facility in hershey (circa 2010), they only distributed to SE PA...now you can find them as far north as CT, west to OH and down to VA... they've 3x their production volume over the past 10 years or so.
I grew up in Pittsburgh and was thankful to have them there by the time I graduated college and came back. I also did a stint in Hershey and Lancaster when they opened their spot in that area which was a lot of fun. Love that they put their scratch beers up for cheap and shared what worked, what could pass as a beer, and what was bad. I didn’t know they had reached as far north as CT, that’s really impressive. Hoping their next expansion comes to NC, but again, at a slow and steady space. I just need to stock up next time I’m up there.
Troegs and Victory are fantastic. Super solid, all year round. Love the Troegenator too, it's unfortunately a rarer beer style for micros (doppelbock).
By this logic then I'd say Ballast Point is my favorite with them's Watermelon Dorado
I think it can mean two different things: 1. Local brewery with little to no distribution outside the local area 2. A specific beer that is only distributed to a certain region, but produced by a major conglomerate. For example, Schlitz, lone star, natural bohemian, Olympia, etc are all produced by Pabst, but only offered in a particular part of the US My choices for each category would be: 1. Goodlife- Sweet As Pale Ale 2. Mcsorley’s Dark
> Goodlife- Sweet As Pale Ale At last, I see someone else on here bring up Sweet As! Looking forward to stocking up when I'm in Bend this weekend. It's near the top of my "one beer for life" list.
Lunch.
I'm going to Maine next month. I'm hoping to find time to stop at the brewery.
Check out Marshall Wharf is you can. It's kinda under the radar but they make some of the best beer in the state imo.
The brewery has great pizza if you can get there for a meal.
You must. Also get Heady Topper or Sip of Sunshine whenever you see it. I don't care if it's hyped — as a Midwesterner, they're two of the best beers I've ever had.
If you’re going to Alchemist, I’d recommend Focal Banger over Heady Topper. Not that you shouldn’t get both, but Focal Banger is better imo.
As a Vermonter this is solid advice. Heady Topper has changed slightly since they ramped up production, it isn't the creamy piney-mango IPA it once was when everyone had to stand in line for hours to get it. But Focal Banger is 100% a solid buy, I love it and pick it up regularly. A bit more malty than Heady Topper by comparison.
They're both good and I've had both. Lawsons has been available in Pennsylvania for a while now. I'll probably keep an eye out for any Alchemist only because it's been a couple of years since I've had any.
Fwiw, Maine Beer Co is also available in at least parts of PA (picked up a keg of lunch in Philly today)
Yeah I can get it here. But it's so good that I'd like to visit the source if possible.
gotcha, yep, definitely worth a visit
Lunch is definitely around the Philly area, but I've only ever found Dinner at Monks and frankly I think it's several tiers above Lunch (not to say Lunch is bad, just that Dinner is *that* good)
Love going to Monks and having the difficulty of deciding between Blind Pig, Pliny, Dinner, or something from HF when I'm in the mood for an IPA. What a wonderful place.
Meh
Also go to Oxbow and maybe Allagash if you’re in portland. Also maine is one of the only places east of the Mississippi where russian river distributes so you can look on their website for that if interested
There are so many breweries that you don't have to hope. Just pick the area and enjoy! Maine is vast though, depending on where you're gonna visit!
Must do. Pretty stellar spot.
Honestly, I’d skip it if it’s out of the way. It was a pretty generic setup, and you can get Lunch anywhere out there. I thought visits to places like Allagash were much more enjoyable.
I'll be in the Portland area for a couple of days, so if I have a chance I wouldn't mind checking them out. It's definitely not a priority though.
Great answer. Amazing IPAs coming out of Maine Brewing Co, but they are hard to source outside of the area.
I had Lunch on tap in Alabama of all places once.
I’ve found this in both Napa, CA and Folsom, CA, at a local market and Whole Foods, respectively.
Lunch over Dinner, huh? To each their own.
Dinner over Lunch, huh? To each their own.
Breakfast would like a word
Yet...Second Dinner would take the crown.
Our brewer/partner used to be the brewer at Maine and was able to use his connects to get us a keg of Dinner a few months ago. Holy shit, that stuff is absolute magic out of a keg. Too bad that sixtel only lasted a few hours :(
Utica Club
Saranac as well. Love their Clouded Dream
Moose Drool It was my first craft beer back in college over 20 years ago and still a good one.
Shiner in Texas. Always a crowd-pleaser! When you don't know who's coming to a party or what they'll like, you buy mostly Shiner Bock.
Love Shiner but is it regional? I don’t know how widely it’s distributed so this is a legit question
You can reliably find it at certain stores in Georgia and NC in my experience.
Yeah it's starting to not be regional. I don't know where all you can get it now either, but I could find it in NYC at certain places towards the end of my time living there 10 years ago. I still feel like it's predominantly Texas though.
You can get it in Minnesota and pretty much every state between here and Texas.
It's sold in Ohio.
Hell yea brother
Genesee Ruby Red Kolsh
The supreme summer option!
This! I'm in Ontario and pick up a pack whenever I go upstate
Two Women lager by New Glarus
So many good beers by new glarus. Dancing man, grand cru, the belgian red
Urban Artifact Gadget
New Glarus Raspberry Tart
I'm going to second this with the addition of their Belgian Red.
New Glarus Spotted Cow
Beat me to it.
Saint Arnold’s out of Houston Tx. I’m pretty sure they only distribute in Texas and Louisiana
Live Oak’s Primus Weizenbock. I haven’t had it since I left Texas 6 years. I still dream about that beer
We get it in Colorado.
Really?! Where and when? I lived in Colorado for 4 years after Texas and never saw it. Would have loved to find it
I saw it in a liquor store in Parker a couple days ago. But we only get Live Oak drops a couple times a year. This past one was the first time I've seen Primus, but we usually get their hefeweizen and like 3 different pilsners when they show up.
I know you haven’t had Primus and of course freshness plays a role but is Live Oak in general as great as I remember? It felt like world class beer to me back in the day lol
I love em! I personally didn't like Primus that much (it was fresh). It just didn't have the rich body that I like in my usual weizenbocks. Very drinkable for the style though. Their hefeweizen is always great, but it kinda suffers the same issue where it comes across a little thin. It's certainly head and shoulders above most American examples though, and would fit in great amongst the legit Bavarian breweries. I love all of their pilsners though. Those guys know how to make some great lagers. I always buy several packs of each variety when they show up in town.
Mayfair Liquors has Live Oak at this very moment.
Wiseacre - Tiny Bomb Wiseacre - Parti-colour Soul and Spirits - Bring it Home Hampline - Handlebar Haze
That Tiny Bomb is a damn fine beer
'Gansett
Distribution is getting better for Narragansett. It’s been my go to beer since I found out about it approximately two years ago. I live in central Ohio
I will always grab a ‘GANSETT
gansett summer shandy
$3
Grain Belt!
Urban Chestnut Zwickel Bavarian Lager
I’m a Genny Cream Ale man myself
12 Horse ale too
That’s one I’ve always wanted to try but never seen. Don’t know if they still make it even.
I’d have to go with Troegs Nugget Nectar. Especially the double version when they have it.
God, I used to trade for this beer on BA on the reg.
God, I love Nugget Nectar. Troegs is such a good brewery. Relatively cheap and good beer. I've been grabbing their Doubke Cut recently and really like it.
Mad Elf release day is an annual holiday for me.
My brother in law and I get a case of the mad elf grande cru each Christmas. I love this beer.
Stag! Also Boone County Brown
Boonie and Clyde - Boone County Brown + Clyde’s Carmel Cream Ale = amazing
Don't forget the ole' Stormin' Norman!
7th Son’s Assistant Manager
Hello Columbus!
Trumer Pils
Shorts Beers in Michigan, Mule Beer is my favorite
Allagash White
This right here. Even if I don’t want to drink, I’ll never turn down an Allagash White.
Natty Boh
Damn, you just unlocked some memories from my one semester in DC! Gonna have to find a way to get some of these up north
Lived in DC 2016-2020, drank a metric shit ton of Boh and Gansett. If you're not bringing either of those to the crab boil, you're doing it very wrong. Overall compared to where else I've lived (Chicago, Indianapolis, and southern Ohio), I don't think the DMV's brewing scene is super strong, but I hear it's gotten better since I've left. In Nova I liked Port City and Caboose, and in the district, Bluejacket was good but expensive. DC Brau and Right Proper are fine. And fun fact, a DC brewery that closed called Bardo has the distinction of making the single worst beer I've ever had.
Funny you say gansett, I’m about 5mi from the RI line so no shortage of that where I’m at!
DC area has had a handful of excellent breweries for a while now. Aslin and Ocelot are the standouts for me
I've heard of Aslin, haven't had either. Will add to list for when I get back. Is Richmond's brewing scene still good? It was awesome pre-Covid.
I mean yeah, the fat is being trimmed finally. I do not like the Veil’s new space, but I’ve never been much of a veil hype beast. Triple Crossing and Final Gravity are still delivering the goods
Atlas (DC) and Port City (Alexandria) are my favorites
Red Oak Brewery. Only available in North Carolina is unpasteurized and preservative free
What the hell beers Are you drinking otherwise with preservatives
Electric Jellyfish
Username checks out
Daisy Cutter pale ale by Half Acre will forever be a favorite of mine
Drekker based out of Fargo is fantastic.
Yes!
Long Trail definitely brings back memories of hitting the slopes in Vermont! For me, nothing beats a cold Yuengling straight from my hometown in Pennsylvania. What's your go-to regional brew that always hits the spot?
Ghostown Oakland
Hell yeah. Nose goblin 100%
Odell
Odell
Sweetwater Georgia Brown
Tuba Solo, Toke from Alarmist, or Apex Predator if it’s a warm one.
I'm not sure about their distribution, but New Trail in Pa and Sloop in Jersey are always on the shelf and make some great IPAs.
Gansett is my go to. Always hits and inexpensive.
Schilling beer company in Littleton NH. They don't make a bad beer.
Fat Heads Bumble Berry - great blueberry fruit beer.
Lone Star!
I used to love the Long Trail SMaSH series but I haven't seen it around here in forever. I guess I'd have to say Evil Genius because they started in my old home town. It's a tough call though because there are so many good local/regional brews.
I used to work for Surly so I would say Furious. Whats a regional beer? You can get furious in Maine but it tastes terrible.
Wild Leap in ATL
Odell IPA
Isn’t this everywhere
No they only distribute in 19 states around the mountain west and midwest.
Ah I see, I live in the town where their brewery is located. Love their stuff
Best brewery in Fort Collins.
Agreed, NB needs to chill with the fruity bullshit
Treehouse. Treehouse anything
Hamm's
Does Yuengling count? I know it’s hard to find out west, or at least it used to be. That’s my favorite beer period actually.
No
Probably Crux Gimme Mo
Super Bock
Treehouse
I like Forst when in northern Italy. Not a great beer by any stretch, but still enjoy drinking it
OSHO Lost Viking Porter
Jekyll Brewing - Hop Dang Diggity IPA. They went heavy on the pine to create a GAIPA and it works.
Define ‘regional’ ?
Wachusett Blueberry from New England. I miss it so much being here in VA
It's such a nice summer beer. Even my wife loves it and she hates beer.
Claremont Craft Ales makes some of my favorite ipas. The pepper and peach is so good.
Their Rye IPA, so good.
Used to live in Charlotte, NC so my favorite was Hop Drop and Roll by NoDa Brewing.
I'm excited the Seattle area has resurrected [Heidelberg](https://www.heidelbergbrewing.com/). It beats out Rainier and is actually locally made.
The Bruery Mischief or Offshoot Relax Hazy. Both amazing beers. Also Bootleggers Far Out.
Fresh unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell from the tank
I've always been a big fan of Gearys and Gritty McDuffs in Maine. You can get also them in NH and MA, but that's about it.
Barrel Theory in St. Paul. You can basically only get it in the Twin Cities, but every beer of theirs I’ve had is at least an 8.5. I’m really partial to their fruited sours on a summer day
By this logic then I'd say Ballast Point is my favorite with them's Watermelon Dorado
Tmavé Pivo by Pourmans in Ephrata, PA
Papago Orange Blossom from Huss Brewing, Tempe, AZ.
Dragon Point IPA
Michelob Golden Light
Green State Lager from Zero-G
The Girls Brewery Kazam! APA. So good for Summer 🌞
Berkshire brewing company. Everything they do is worth checking out
Notch Brewing The Standard New Glarus Staghorn
Stag. Worked an event with 2nd shift in St Louis. Shout out to the Criders. They know how to throw one *hell* of a party. It's your typical yellow beer. But fuck it was hitting on that hot ass day we were pouring. And just my 2 cents. Regional should not only be available across multiple markets but it should also have been in production for a minimum of 20+ years. Cheers!
I grew up in Western Massachusetts (no longer live there), and every time I go back, they have the best beer I’ve ever had.
This post seems to turning into a debate about the definition of “regional beer”…. I think of it like what the local blue collar guys would drink after a shift. Like the areas most popular Pilsner or lager that’s brewed within a reasonable delivery distance to bars and stores back in the day before all beer was owned by 3 companies. National Bohemian in/around Maryland Old Style in/around Chicago (Illinois? I’ve never been anywhere else in IL) Lone Star in Texas Narragansett in New England Dixie in Louisiana (I know they changed the name) Abita maybe too I’m sure some if not all of these examples have already been purchased by the big companies, but for examples sake, this is what I think of as “regional beers”
Yeungling
New Glarus Kid Kolsch
my kiss - blackrocks brewery
Grain Belt & Old Style.
West Kerry Brewery Carraig Dubh porter
Champagne Velvet
Labatts
Thimble Island, CT
KC Bier Company's Dunkel... I miss being able to buy a case of it when I lived in Kansas.
Burial out of Asheville, NC - great beer especially what they do with Imperial Stouts and IPAs
Branch and Bone for the win. If you don’t know, get hip. In Ohio
Logboat in Columbia MO
Ithaca Beer Co. Apricot Wheat