Beer, Beer, Beer

Last October I went out to California to visit my sister. Each year I go out to visit and we drink this fabulous local beer called Pliny the Elder. When I would come back home I would look for it and never find it in the liquor stores. So on that trip last year I decided I needed to ship a case back to myself. One hundred dollars for the beer and $100 for the shipping later (and a little lie to the shipping store to get liquor mailed back to me) I had it in my living room!

But why would I go to so much trouble to get a case of some microbrewed beer to my house?

Zymurgy magazine, the official publication of the American Homebrewers Association, has released its ninth-annual list of the 50 best beers in America. To assemble the list, its editors ask readers to submit lists of their top 20 favorite beers.

Russian River's acclaimed Pliny the Elder beer won the top slot for the third year in a row. At least many of the others on the list (like Sierra Nevada) have strong national distribution. The top-ranked brewery, as measured by total votes for its beers, was Delaware's Dogfish Head. The brewery's highest-ranking entrant was the hop-heavy Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, which tied for third.
Here's this year's full list (with the ones I really liked highlighted):

1. Russian River Pliny the Elder

2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

3 (tie). Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

3 (tie). Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

5. Bell’s Hopslam

6. Stone Arrogant Bastard

7. Sierra Nevada Celebration

8 (tie). Sierra Nevada Torpedo

8 (tie). Stone Ruination

10. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

11. Stone Sublimely Self Righteous

12. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

13. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

14 (tie). Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

14 (tie). Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

16 (tie). Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

16 (tie). New Glarus Belgian Red

18. North Coast Old Rasputin

19. Bell’s Expedition Stout

20 (tie). Deschutes The Abyss

20 (tie). Left Hand Milk Stout

20 (tie). Odell IPA

20 (tie). Samuel Adams Noble Pils

20 (tie). Surly Furious

20 (tie). Troegs Nugget Nectar

26 (tie). Rogue Dead Guy Ale

26 (tie). Samuel Adams Boston Lager

28. Anchor Steam

29 (tie). Bear Republic Racer 5

29 (tie). Ommegang Three Philosophers

29 (tie). Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

29 (tie). Three Floyds Alpha King

29 (tie). Three Floyds Dark Lord

34 (tie). Avery Maharaja

34 (tie). Dogfish Head Indian Brown

34 (tie). Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

34 (tie). Three Floyds Gumballhead

38 (tie). Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

38 (tie). Lost Abbey Angel’s Share

38 (tie). New Belgium La Folie

38 (tie). New Belgium Ranger

38 (tie). Oskar Blues Old Chub

43 (tie). Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

43 (tie). Great Divide Yeti

43 (tie). New Belgium 1554

43 (tie). Russian River Blind Pig

43 (tie). Ska Modus Hoperandi

48 (tie). Alesmith Speedway Stout

48 (tie). Dark Horse Crooked Tree

48 (tie). Green Flash West Coast IPA

48 (tie). Summit EPA

48 (tie). Victory Prima Pils
I couldn't find any of the Bell's beers. I'm still looking for someone I know who lives somewhere it's available!

If you'd rather have an import...here's their list of Top Imports

1. Rodenbach Grand Cru, Belgium

T2. Fullers ESB, England

T2. Guinness, Ireland

T2. Rochefort 10, Belgium

T5. Duvel, Belgium

T5. Saison Dupont, Belgium

T5. St. Bernardus Abt 12, Belgium

T8. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock, Germany

T8. Cantillon Gueuze, Belgium

T8. Chimay Grande Reserve, Belgium

T8. Orval, Belgium

T8. Samuel Smith's Nut Brown, England

T8. Unibroue La Fin du Monde, Canada