USA TODAY 10Best
Titletown Brewing Co. Wins Best Brewpub Two Years in a Row!
Best Brewpub (2017)
What's better than a craft brewery? A craft brewery with an on-premise bar where you can sit back, relax and enjoy a cold one. These 10 brewpubs, nominated by a panel of beer experts and voted as the best in the U.S. by our readers, serve their own house beers, often alongside guest taps and a menu of tasty food options.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Brewpub are as follows:
- Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour - Orlando
- 12Degree Brewing - Louisville, Colo.
- Urban Chestnut Brewing Company - St. Louis
- Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company - Austin
- Founders Brewing Co. - Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Brewery Vivant - Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Ecliptic Brewing - Portland, Ore.
- Boxing Bear Brewing Co. - Albuquerque
- Great Lakes Brewing Company - Cleveland, Ohio
- Titletown Brewing Co. - Green Bay, Wis.
Photo courtesy of Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour
No. 10:
With wide-open digs in Orlando's Audubon Park, Redlight Redlight is the bar of choice for many of Orlando's craftiest craft brew aficionados and already has 10 years under its belt. Its ridiculously ample beer list might feel overwhelming to some, but staffers are always happy to help. While Redlight Redlight doesn't have a kitchen, there's often a food truck just outside that will deliver food right to the bar.
Photo courtesy of 12Degree Brewing
No. 9:
12Degree Brewing in the town of Louisville, Colorado specializes in Belgian-inspired ales served alongside a menu of artisanal, thin crust pizza, authentic Belgian-style frites, cheese and chocolate plates carefully selected to pair with specific beers, fresh salads and other small plates. Beer offerings include the 2016 World Beer Cup Gold Medal and 2016 GABF Bronze Medal winning Treachery Golden Strong Ale, the 2016 World Beer Cup Bronze Winning Soleil Saison, Velour Fog Quadrupel, Walter's White and the wine barrel-aged Fünke Franc.
Photo courtesy of Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
No. 8:
In one of America’s sudsiest cities, Urban Chestnut stands out for its pair of outlets: a brewery and brewpub in the Grove neighborhood, and a brewery and biergarten in Midtown. Both locations serve up Teutonic treats - from warm pretzels and currywurst to crispy pork knuckle sandwiches - that pair perfectly with the fresh beers on offer. The brewery divides its output into the “revolution series” (artisanal, modern styles) and “reverence series” (classic, European-inspired brews).
Photo courtesy of Jody Horton Photography
No. 7:
Born from a love of beer and music, Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company brews six mainstay beers — a Helles, two pilsners, a pale ale, IPA and a hoppy red — as well as a few rotating specialty beers, including collaborations and seasonals. The food menu features pizza, small plates, sandwiches and salads made from local ingredients whenever possible.
Photo courtesy of Experience Grand Rapids
No. 6:
A Grand Rapids icon that doubles as one of Michigan’s most popular breweries, Founders’ delights local beerhounds on multiple levels. The casual taproom overlooks the brewhouse, and the draft selection always includes some options that are only available on-site. Housed in a former trucking depot, the space resembles a German beer hall, right down to the patio and beer garden. Visitors stay satiated with a deli menu of handcrafted sandwiches. Live music and open mic nights keep things lively.
Photo courtesy of Experience Grand Rapids
No. 5:
Billed as the world’s first LEED-certified commercial microbrewery, Grand Rapids’ Brewery Vivant resides in a refurbished historic funeral home. The atmospheric pub, which from certain angles resembles a Belgian monastery, provides an ideal locale for enjoying goblets of Belgian and French inspired beers. (Plenty of strong ales are always on hand to help combat Michigan’s chilly temps.) From pickles and charcuterie to beer cheese, everything on the inviting pub menu is house-made.
Photo courtesy of Ecliptic Brewing
No. 4:
Ecliptic Brewing stands out in the busy Portland beer scene thanks to its award-winning selection of house-brewed beers — Spectra Hoppy Pilsner, Capella Porter, Oort Imperial Stout and Pegasus ESB to name a few — and menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and small plates.
Photo courtesy of Boxing Bear Brewing Company
No. 3:
Albuquerque's Boxing Bear Brewing Co. sits on the banks of the Rio Grande, where guests can enjoy half a dozen house brews or a selection of seasonal guest taps, including a rotating nitro selection. Hot-pressed Paninis from the food menu come with chips and a pickle.
Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Company
No. 2:
Great Lakes Brewing Company was started by two brothers with limited brewing experience in 1986. Today, it's one of Cleveland's top destinations for good beer and good food. Located in the Ohio City neighborhood, the GLBC brewpub features an eco-friendly beer garden with a retractable roof, where guests can sip a beer while sampling from a menu of seasonal menu items made from locally-sourced ingredients.
Photo courtesy of Titletown Brewing Company
No. 1:
While honoring its hometown’s nickname, Titletown opened in 1996 in the old Chicago & Northwestern railroad depot, which dates back to 1898. Visitors choose between sampling fresh beers in the atmospheric tap room or up on the “roof tap,” which, despite the elements, is open year-round. A variety of vintage spaces and cellars are available for private events. This being Wisconsin, the kitchen churns out calorific offerings such as fried local cheese curds and a platter of authentic Wisconsin sausages billed as "brats, brats, and more brats."
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Julia Herz (Brewers Association), Jack Muldowney (The Hop Review) and Ale Sharpton (AleSharpton.com) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience in the American beer industry.
Congratulations to all these winning brewpubs!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a... Read More
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, speaker and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art, and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include USAToday, Thrillist.com, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Theinfatuation.com, ButterATL.com, James Beard Foundation, Atlanta Magazine, and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television, beer fests, conferences, and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD, Good Beer Hunting, and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. In a collaboration going on six years with brewing giant New Belgium, Ale has produced a beer he conceptualized called Piano Keys—a chocolate vanilla imperial stout—geared to support diversity and racial equality. This project with New Belgium also spawned his initiative, BrewGether, which raises funds to support nonprofits embracing the same mission as Piano Keys. Ale proudly owns AllWays Open Creative Solutions, an agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, web design, video production, photography, consulting, and social media. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, speaker and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art, and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include USAToday, Thrillist.com, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Theinfatuation.com, ButterATL.com, James Beard Foundation, Atlanta Magazine, and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television, beer fests, conferences, and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD, Good Beer Hunting, and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. In a collaboration going on six years with brewing giant New Belgium, Ale has produced a beer he conceptualized called Piano Keys—a chocolate vanilla imperial stout—geared to support diversity and racial equality. This project with New Belgium also spawned his initiative, BrewGether, which raises funds to support nonprofits embracing the same mission as Piano Keys. Ale proudly owns AllWays Open Creative Solutions, an agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, web design, video production, photography, consulting, and social media. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and... Read More
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Julia Herz
Julia Herz is executive director of the American... Read More
Julia Herz is executive director of the American Homebrewers Association® (AHA)—the nation’s largest hobbyist not for profit organization for homebrewers and fermented beverages. Julia is a BJCP Certified beer judge, Advanced Cicerone®, medal-winning homebrewer, and experienced zymurgist having made beer, mead, and fermented foods since 1994. Julia is the co-author of Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros (Voyager Press, 2015), the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Guide and Co-host of Sense of Beer Style Show. Prior to joining the AHA, Julia was the craft beer program director and publisher of CraftBeer.com for the Brewers Association, where she led the development of the Brewers Association’s Independent Craft Brewer Seal. Julia has been a guest on national media outlets including National Public Radio, Sirius/XM, CBNC Squawk Box and Closing Bell, Fox News, Good Morning America, the Food Network, and American Public Media’s Splendid Table. Julia has been at the helm of the 43-year-old membership organization since December 2021 and is available for interview or speaking opportunities to help your audiences discover the joy and ease of the hobby of homebrewing.
Julia Herz
Julia Herz is executive director of the American Homebrewers Association® (AHA)—the nation’s largest hobbyist not for profit organization for homebrewers and fermented beverages. Julia is a BJCP Certified beer judge, Advanced Cicerone®, medal-winning homebrewer, and experienced zymurgist having made beer, mead, and fermented foods since 1994. Julia is the co-author of Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros (Voyager Press, 2015), the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Guide and Co-host of Sense of Beer Style Show. Prior to joining the AHA, Julia was the craft beer program director and publisher of CraftBeer.com for the Brewers Association, where she led the development of the Brewers Association’s Independent Craft Brewer Seal. Julia has been a guest on national media outlets including National Public Radio, Sirius/XM, CBNC Squawk Box and Closing Bell, Fox News, Good Morning America, the Food Network, and American Public Media’s Splendid Table. Julia has been at the helm of the 43-year-old membership organization since December 2021 and is available for interview or speaking opportunities to help your audiences discover the joy and ease of the hobby of homebrewing.
Lydia Schrandt
10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production... Read More
10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager Lydia Schrandt has sampled craft beers all over the world, but her favorites are brewed right in the USA. During her frequent travels, she loves nothing more than pulling up a stool at a brewery or beer bar to sample some new and interesting beers and make some new friends.
Lydia Schrandt
10Best Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager Lydia Schrandt has sampled craft beers all over the world, but her favorites are brewed right in the USA. During her frequent travels, she loves nothing more than pulling up a stool at a brewery or beer bar to sample some new and interesting beers and make some new friends.
