As 2019 comes to a close, it’s fun to take a step back and look at all the beers you’ve tried during the year and try to sort out the best. This is the first full year, since starting this blog, I’ve been able to get around to some breweries to try what’s on tap or grab a broad range of beers to sample and review. It’s been a LOT of fun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. More than anything, I’ve met and interacted with a lot of great people; from brewery owners and brewmasters to brewery staff and the beer enthusiast sitting next to me at the bar. Let me stop right here, pause, and give a special THANK YOU! to all the staff at the breweries and beer bars throughout the state of Georgia who work long hard hours making folks like me feel right at home in the tap room.

Even though Georgia got a late start out of the gate with more accommodating beer laws in the independent craft beer space (essentially 2017), we have already reached a place where it is getting difficult for one person who wants to cover the whole scene to get around to even a significant number breweries and sample a broad range of beers. I’ll still give my best. My list includes both new beers and those that have been on the market, but I had not tried yet. Basically, these are the best beers produced in Georgia for the categories I have tried, in my opinion. If a category is not represented that means either I have not tried something in the group or I have yet to find a standout. If you have a different opinion, that’s awesome! I’d love to hear from you and please post a comment below.

Standard American Lager

Best – Arches Lloyd’s Light

Honorable Mention – New Realm United Craft Lager

Bohemian/Czech Style Lager

Best – Arches Bohemian Riot

Honorable Mention – Sweetwater Kick Plastic Pilsner

Munich Helles

Best – Line Creek Brewing Maverick

Honorable Mention – Akademia Brewing Co. Helles

german Pils

Best – Tucker Brewing TKR Pilsner

Honorable Mention – Creature Comforts Brewing Bibo

Vienna Lager

Best – Arches Brewing Mexican Empire

Honorable Mention – Cherry Street Brewing Chucks Lager

Munich Dunkel

Best – Gate City Ex Pat

Honorable Mention – Arches Brewing Winter’s Night

Schwarzbier

Best – (Tie) Arches Brewing Black Gold and Creature Comforts Brewing The Silent World

German Dunkles Bock

Best – Arches Brewing Immer Danach Bock

Honorable Mention – Cherry Street Dunkles Bock

American Blonde/Golden Ale

Best – Pretoria Fields Skywater

Honorable Mention – Six Bridges Brewing Shelby

American Pale ale

Best – Creature Comforts Brewing Automatic!

Honorable Mention – Akademia Brewing Cram Session

Porter

Best – Creature Comforts Brewing Koko Buni

Honorable Mention – Reformation Brewing Stark

Porter – Baltic

Best – Arches Brewing Five Week Sail

Honorable Mention – Gate City Brewing Terminus

Stout

Best – Pretoria Fields Walkers Station

Honorable Mention – Variant Brewing Dark Alchemy

Stout – Imperial

Best – Reformation Brewing Declaration

Honorable Mention – Burnt Hickory Kolb’s Farm

IPA

Best – Creature Comforts Brewing Tropicalia

Honorable Mention – Wild Leap Alpha Abstraction No. 7

Imperial/Double IPA

Best – Wild Leap Alpha Abstraction No. 7

Honorable Mention – Creature Comforts Born Dreaming

Rye Beer

Best – Creature Comforts Brewing Reclaimed Rye

Honorable Mention – NoFo Brew Co. Northern Rim Rye IPA

Belgian Wheat/Witbier

Best – Reformation Haddy

Honorable Mention – Akademia Skal

Most Underrated Beer in Georgia

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Reclaimed Rye

Honorable Mention: New Realm Munich Dunkel

Biggest Surprise of 2019

Sweetwater Costa Kick Plastic Czech Pilsner

Honorable Mention: Line Creek Maverick

Best Brewery

Arches Brewing Co. – Hapeville, GA

Honorable Mention: Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

Best New Brewery

Six Bridges Brewing – Johns Creek, GA

Honorable Mention: Gate City Brewing – Roswell, GA

Most Underrated Brewery

Akademia Brewing Co. – Athens, GA

Honorable Mention: Tucker Brewing Co. – Tucker, GA

It’s been a great year in beer for Georgia craft beer. I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings. We have a number of new breweries scheduled to open in 2020 and some that opened in 2019 that continue to put better and better product on the market. Here’s to 2020!

Thanks for reading, until next time…Let Us Drink Beer!