These 8 Beers Made 2025 A Great Year For Beer

Every year, I write down every beer that gives me pause and makes me think how we are so lucky that beer exists. It’s interesting how it can happen at any place, from my local wing joint, to far-flung travels. Beer is a global beverage that heightens everything around us.

OCC Brewing Crispy Business West Coast Pils

At a conference in Aurora, Colorado, the delightful Eric Sannerud held up a crowler from OCC Brewing, a brewpub in Colorado Springs and told me I would like this. He was correct; so much so that I came back for more. The beer was brewed with WCHB-102, a hop from West Coast Breeding Program (if many people like this hop, and I certainly did, it’ll get a name!). West Coast pilsners are punchy lagers at usually around 5-6% ABV and are bursting with American hop flavor. A great easy drinking beer.

Augustiner-Bräu Edelstoff Export Lager

On a chilly night looking at the Adriatic Sea in Rimini, Italy, I ordered a half pint of Munich, Germany based Augustiner’s export lager Edelstoff in a cavernous Irish style pub called the Rose and Crown. I was jet lagged but surrounded by my favorite people as I was there to judge Birra del’Anno, the competition to find the best beers of Italy. Augustiner Edestoff isn’t a fancy beer or a new beer, but it’s BEER, plain and simple. Export style lagers tend to have a touch more alcohol in them (5.7% vs the 4.5-5% of typical golden lagers) which can add more roundness of flavor. I can’t wait to order another one next year when I go back to Rimini.

Haines Brewing Co. Black Fang Imperial Stout

After visiting the Haines Hammer Museum (yes, a real place), in Haines, Alaska, my husband and I went to their local brewery. A dock worker from our cruise ship raved about the Black Fang imperial stout from Haines Brewing Company so I decided to give it a try. The 9% ABV beer reminded me of a bygone era where beers were based on colors like amber ales and blonde ales and IPAs were bracingly bitter and copper colored. The 12 oz. shaker pint went down smooth. The dock worker had also told me that it mixed really well with whiskey but I took his word for it.

Gold Dot Beer Pils de Pils and Gold Dot Beer Helles

How does a brewery make TWO beers that knock my socks off? I have no idea but they sure did it and on two separate occasions as well. Gold Dot, based in McMinnville, Oregon is owned by husband and wife Kevin Davey and Lisa Allen, two of the most talented brewers in the United States. The first was their German pilsner Pils de Pils (a play on the wine “blanc de blancs”). I had found a six month old can in my fridge and was worried it had faded over time. It most assuredly had not. It was crispy, dry and so delicious.

I was visiting Allen and Davey in early September when they poured me their helles in their tasting room. Upon one sip I promptly texted my husband telling him I was leaving him for this perfect golden lager. His response? “I’ll miss you but I understand.”

Third Eye/Municipal Brewworks Route 4 Revive-Ale

Cincinnati, Ohio based Third Eye Brewing knows how to brew with chocolate; so much so that any time co-owner/head brewer Kelly Montgomery enters a competition with his beers, he is almost guaranteed to win, or at least, get to the medal round. While judging the Great American Beer Festival in October, I had the opportunity to judge the “collaboration” round, a catchall category that can be any style as long as the brewery brewed it with another person, brewery, etc. At first blush this beer sounded like not my cup of tea at all; I don’t like chili beers and I’m not keen on pastry stouts. But my goodness, this may have been one of the best beers of my life. The chili heat was subdued and the beer smelled of pure Hershey’s syrup. Shocker: the beer went on to win gold in the category.

Burning Sky Beer Summertime Summer Ale

It was a very hot day in London in June when I had a half pint of this 4.5% ABV pale at the legendary pub The Harp in Covent Garden where I remarked how delicious this beer was. Burning Sky, based in the south of England, is known for its saisons and mixed fermentation beers, but this was the complete package in terms of British summer ale, a newish (new to England, a style dating from the 1980’s) that combines pale malt and citrusy hops. The next day we were at a pub opening of The Clement Attlee (named after the former Prime Minister whose grandson John Attlee, 3rd Earl Attlee and House of Lords member gave a speech while I sipped this beer) with my friend Melissa Cole where I saw they had this beer on cask. I didn’t order anything else that evening.

Dead Language Beer Project Sun Gazer Czech Pale

There’s something after a particularly terrible day (I’ll spare you the details but it was awful), the last thing I thought that would turn my day around was a low ABV Czech pale ale but there was I, drowning my sorrows at my favorite buffalo wing place and the waitress brought me over a pint of Dead Language Beer Project’s Sun Gazer Czech Pale, 3.8% ABV stunner that stood up to the buffalo wings well. It made me happy that one of my favorite beers of the year was local to me; the brewery is located in Hartford, Connecticut, just 15 minutes from my house.

Cheers to another year of excellent beers and as always, be sure to enjoy pints responsibly and drink with people you care about and who care about you.