In my recent copy of Zymurgy’ there was an article touting the 50 best beers in America as voted by members of the American Homebrewer’s Association. My first thought when I saw the tag line on the cover was……..”How many have I sampled?”….So, how did I do? Lets go down in rank order. I have enjoyed at least one of the following beers.

• 1. Pliny the Elder by Russian River….hard to find but oh so worth the effort
• 3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
• 7. Arrogant Bastard Ale
• 8. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA
• T9. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
• T9. Stone Ruination
• T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra
• 15. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• T17. Firestone Walker Double Jack
• 20. Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
• T21. Bear Republic Racer 5
• T27. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
• T27. Green Flash West Coast IPA
• 30. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
• 36. Lagunitas IPA
• 37. Stone IPA
• 38. Odell IPA
• T42. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
• 45. Firestone Walker Parabola
• T48. Green Flash Palate Wrecker
• T48. Lagunitas Brown Shugga’

I will add my 2 cents – The Firestone Walker Parabola is the most amazing beer I have ever sampled, a barrel aged Imperial Stout…it has very limited distribution and limited production. I am certain that it would have garnered far more votes if sampled by more folks…. My wife surprised me last week with a bottle of the 2011 Parabola found in a specialty beer and wine shop in Bakersfield California – Imbibe is the store name. It will be a special occasion in the future when I crack the top! I grabbed the last available bottle of the 2011 and took a 2013 to mature in my Houston beer cellar ( converted freezer currently set ay 54 degrees F)

I have under my belt – literally and figuratively, 21 of the top 50 beers voted on by members of the American Homebrewer’s Association and published in the July/August 2013 issue of Zymurgy.

They also asked members to rank the Commercial Craft Breweries across the US…..I am either a lush or ???? I have sampled the offerings of many of these breweries. By member’s vote listed below are those in my experience base;

• 1. Stone Brewing Company
• 2. Russian River Brewing Company
• 3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
• 4. Dogfish Head Brewery
• 6. Firestone Walker Brewing Company
• 8. Lagunitas Brewing Company
• 9. New Belgium Brewing Company
• 10. Deschutes Brewery
• 11 Odell Brewing Company
• 15. Green Flash Brewing Company
• 16. The Boston Beer Company
• 17. Boulevard Brewing Company
• 18. Goose Island Beer Company

I have 13 of the top 25….I need to do some beer swapping to complete my list! .This should be a doable challenge….

Three Superb Beers

This trip has included several brewery visits – Island Brewing in Carpenteria, 3 times and another tonight with my granddaughter – yes she is of legal age to drink in California, the Santa Barbara Brewery, several visits to Lengthwise Brewery in Bakersfield and I hope to sample something at Anacapa Brewery in Ventura around lunch time. I was close to both San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles but there are only so many days available on this trip and heard the Sirens’ call from the breweries in these two towns. (dangerous and beautiful creatures these Sirens be)

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop