Photo courtesy Brewers Association

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Eighth Consecutive Win for Russian River’s Pliny the Elder.

The craft beer results are in! For the eighth year running, Russian River’s well-known and beloved double IPA, Pliny the Elder, has been tapped for the top spot on Zymurgy magazine’s list of the Best Commercial Beers in America.

Members of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA)—which publishes Zymurgy—were able to choose up to 20 of their favorite commercial beers available for purchase in the United States in an online voting system. More than 18,000 votes poured in.

“The members of the American Homebrewers Association, made up of experienced homebrewers who participate in this annual poll, are among the most knowledgeable craft beer drinkers in the nation,” said Gary Glass, director, American Homebrewers Association. “It is no surprise that the beers and breweries they select as the best in their opinion reflect the highest quality beers available from the best brewers out there. The consistency with which some of the beers in the poll win is a testament to the value of quality over hype.” “We just don’t expect this each year, especially in this age of great beer and new breweries,” said Russian River co-owner and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo. “We know we have to earn our customers’ loyalty and busi­ness. We are very thankful for everyone who spends their hard-earned money on our beer.”

Top-Ranked Beers (T indicates Tie):

Russian River Pliny the Elder Bell’s Two Hearted Ale The Alchemist Heady Topper Ballast Point Sculpin IPA Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin Founders Breakfast Stout Three Floyds Zombie Dust Bell’s Hopslam Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout T10 Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA T10 Stone Enjoy By IPA

Top-Ranked Breweries:

Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, Calif. Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich. Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, Calif. and Mills River, N.C. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif. Ballast Point Brewing, San Diego, Calif. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del. Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, Calif. and Chicago, Ill. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.

Top-Ranked Beer Portfolios (T indicates Tie):

Stone Brewing Co., 67 beers T2 Bell’s Brewery, Inc., 47 beers T2 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 47 beers Avery Brewing Co., 42 beers New Belgium Brewing, 41 beers Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 39 beers T7 Firestone Walker Brewing Company, 38 beers T7 The Bruery, 38 beers Boulevard Brewing Co., 37 beers Founders Brewing Co., 33 beers

The complete list of Zymurgy’s Best Beers in America is available at HomebrewersAssociation.org. This was the 14th year that the poll was conducted.

Learn more about Zymurgy. In February, the magazine tapped accomplished homebrewer and internationally published beer writer Dave Carpenter as its new editor-in-chief.

About the American Homebrewers Association:

The American Homebrewers Association has worked on behalf of the homebrewing community since 1978 and celebrates a membership of more than 46,000 homebrewers. The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) organizes events including Homebrew Con and the National Homebrew Competition. The AHA also publishes Zymurgy magazine. The AHA is part of the Brewers Association, whose Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today’s craft brewers and homebrewers.