"top breweries" news and stories

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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Like it or not, human nature prefers an expert opinion. Sure, we might glare with disdain at said experts towering over us with their puffed-out egos from atop their high-horses, but let's be honest, if we left every final opinion to all us plebes down below, many decisions would end up a mess. There's something to be said for someone with experience and knowledge navigating the way: Would you rather receive driving directions from a van full of people who "know North Jersey" or a GPS device?

My point: This month's BeerAdvocate Magazine featured their annual "The People Have Spoken!" consumer opinion poll. I found the article lovingly reprinted on the Stone Brewery website, as well it should be -- Stone had five of the top 25 beers and was named number one on the list of "All-Time Top Breweries on Planet Earth."

Now, let the record show, I am not disparaging Stone Brewing Company. A fine brewery, I enjoyed a Stone IPA quite recently. And I don't fault BeerAdvocate for producing such a poll. Quite the opposite, I far prefer BeerAdvocate to their rival RateBeer.com (for reasons not worth discussing here) and applaud them for constantly giving voice to the opinions of the public, regardless of what those opinions might be.