"Three Floyds" news and stories

Photo: Jenene Chesbrough

Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.

Classically, wheat beers are as cloudy as a late-March afternoon, with a tart, yeasty edge that lends itself well to a squeeze of lemon. These easy drinkers are ideal for sipping by the pool or beneath a leafy canopy, as summertime sweat trickles down your cheek.

Unsurprisingly, Munster, Indiana's Three Floyds Brewing didn't get the message. Since 1996, these rule-breaking brewers have attracted a ferocious following with gonzo beers like the mango-y Dreadnaught IPA and the culty Dark Lord, a monstrous Russian imperial stout brewed with honey, molasses and coffee. (It's only sold once a year at the brewery, bringing out crowds before dawn).

Naturally, Three Floyds dared not design a wimpy wheat. Summer seasonal Gumballhead is crafted with gobs of red wheat, then infused with oodles of Amarillo hops, creating an intoxicating nose that recalls strolling through a grove of grapefruit and lemon trees. And though the scent is more in line with a mouth-puckering IPA, Gumballhead hardly drinks like a hop monster.

Since I took a few constructive swipes at BeerAdvocate over their "The People Have Spoken!" opinion polls, I thought it only fair that when rival RateBeer.com released their annual best of lists for 2009, I'd reflect on these lists as well.

One of my primary complaints with the BeerAdvocate list was its bias towards Stone Brewing, who landed 5 beers in the top 25 and grabbed the coveted top brewery spot. RateBeer.com reviewers seemed slightly less blown away by Stone. The California brewer still took a respectable 8th place in RateBeer's brewery list, but did not score a beer in the top 25. Instead, though, RateBeer readers found a bias of their own: Munster, Indiana's Three Floyds Brewing Company. Three Floyds not only earned the top brewery of 2009 spot, but also placed an impressive four beers in the top 25. Luckily, this feat once again gives me the opportunity to reiterate that almost any user-based poll will have its leanings. With thousands of beers to choose from, any brewery having four beers in the top 25 seems a bit over-the-top. [Writer's note: For the record, I have biases of my own, such as greatly preferring having my points reinforced rather than refuted. So thank you, RateBeer users!]

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