Tastes in beer change. In the early years of the 20th century, numerous large-scale American brewers were making beer in the vividly hop-infused IPA (India pale ale) style. By the time breweries reopened after Prohibition, though, lighter, crisper lagers had become the beer of choice, and only one major producer – Ballentine – was still making an IPA. The rise of the craft beer movement in the late 1970s and early ‘80s brought IPAs back, and they had soon become the dominant favorites among connoisseurs. (Speaking of beer history, these are America’s oldest beers.)
In this century, beers flavored with a lot more than hops began gaining traction. Belgium’s fruit-fermented lambics – Kriek (sour cherries) and Framboise (raspberries) – may have been the inspiration, but craft producers began releasing brews enhanced with things like mango, hazelnut, dragon fruit, and lavender. Then came examples that tasted like breakfast (with bacon and/or maple involved) or dessert (chocolate cake, salted caramel, peanut butter cup) – and soon brewers discovered that beers aged in bourbon (or rum, or tequila, or cognac) barrels found a ready market, too. (You’ll find plenty of flavored examples on this list of America’s most delicious beers.)
Of course these are all specialty beers, made in small quantities and hardly the kind of thing you work through a few six-packs of while watching the game. The real beer market in the U.S. has long been led by brands like Budweiser, Coors, Busch, Miller, Corona, Modelo, and Heineken – though the decades-long No. 1, Bud Light, plummeted in popularity earlier this year after forging a sponsorship deal with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which set off a huge backlash from which it will not soon recover.
What beers are hot right now? To compile a list of the brews sparking the most interest in the U.S. today, 24/7 Tempo consulted the Trending Beers list on BeerAdvocate, the self-styled “go-to beer resource for millions of consumers.” The site invites readers to review beers, scoring them on a scale of 1.00 to 5.00 in 0.25-point increments on five ratable attributes: appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and overall impressions. The number of reviews each beer receives as well as their scores change daily, but those given here are accurate as of Aug. 15, 2023. Information on beer type and ABV, or alcohol by volume, also comes from BeerAdvocate.
Sierra Nevada’s seasonal Oktoberfest beer is currently the most often reviewed, but IPAs account for more than half the entries on this list. You’ll also find fruit-flavored beers and lagers here, too. And if you don’t see your favorite, check back with BeerAdvocate from time to time and watch how trends evolve.
18. Delicious Citrus IPA
> Style: American IPA
> ABV:7.7%
> Number of ratings: 11 (tie)
> Average score: 3.91
> Brewery: Stone Brewing (California)
17. Ghost in the Machine
> Style: New England IPA
> ABV: 8.5%
> Number of ratings: 11 (tie)
> Average score: 4.46
> Brewery: Parish Brewing Company (Louisiana)
16. Silver Fern
> Style: Imperial IPA
> ABV: 7.8%
> Number of ratings: 11 (tie)
> Average score: 4.39
> Brewery: Tree House Brewing Company (Massachusetts)
15. King Sue – Double Dry-Hopped
> Style: New England IPA
> ABV: 7.8%
> Number of ratings: 12 (tie)
> Average score: 4.52
> Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company (Iowa)
14. Places I’ve Been
> Style: Imperial IPA
> ABV: 7.8%
> Number of ratings: 12 (tie)
> Average score: 4.07
> Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company (Iowa)
13. Island Beats
> Style: American IPA
> ABV: 5%
> Number of ratings: 13
> Average score: 3.66
> Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (California)
12. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
> Style: Hefeweizen
> ABV: 5.4%
> Number of ratings: 14 (tie)
> Average score: 4.41
> Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (Freising, Germany)
11. Okra
> Style: New England IPA
> ABV: 8%
> Number of ratings: 14 (tie)
> Average score: 4.26
> Brewery: Parish Brewing Company (Louisiana)
10. Zombie Ice
> Style: American pale ale
> ABV: 8.5%
> Number of ratings: 15 (tie)
> Average score: 4.21
> Brewery: 3 Floyds Brewing Co. (Indiana)
9. Atomic Torpedo
> Style: Imperial IPA
> ABV: 9.2%
> Number of ratings: 15 (tie)
> Average score: 4.08
> Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (California)
8. Citrus Squall
> Style: Fruit and field beer
> ABV: 8%
> Number of ratings: 16 (tie)
> Average score: 3.9
> Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Delaware)
7. Busch Light Peach
> Style: Light lager
> ABV: 4.1%
> Number of ratings: 16 (tie)
> Average score: 2.99
> Brewery: Anheuser-Busch (Missouri)
6. Traditional Lager
> Style: American amber / red lager
> ABV: 4.5%
> Number of ratings: 17
> Average score: 3.42
> Brewery: Yuengling Brewery (Pennsylvania)
5. Ghost In The Laboratory
> Style: New England IPA
> ABV: 8.5%
> Number of ratings: 18 (tie)
> Average score: 4.4
> Brewery: Equilibrium Brewery (New York)
4. Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force
> Style: New England IPA
> ABV: 9.5%
> Number of ratings: 18 (tie)
> Average score: 3.43
> Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Company (Colorado)
3. Curiosity Thirty Two
> Style: Imperial IPA
> ABV: 8%
> Number of ratings: 20
> Average score: 4.56
> Brewery: Tree House Brewing Company (Massachusetts)
2. KBS – Blueberry
> Style: American imperial stout
> ABV: 11.2%
> Number of ratings: 31
> Average score: 4.18
> Brewery: Founders Brewing Company (Michigan)
1. Oktoberfest (Festbier 2023)
> Style: Festbier / Wiesnbier
> ABV: 6%
> Number of ratings: 56
> Average score: 4.03
> Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (California)