I've had a long hiatus from my beer
blog, but I was posed with a good question the other day from one of my best
buds, so I decided to pursue it. He said, “You should do a list of top
Nebraska- brewed beer; I’d be curious to see what you got?” This immediately
got me thinking about all of the amazing beers I have had in our great state.
So, after a few days of contemplating, dreaming, and tasting, I have come up
with a list of my top ten Nebraska beers. Drum roll please……..
Ten:
Coming in at number ten is a great beer from a brewery I just
recently visited for the first time. Benson Blonde, from Benson Brewery is a
great light-bodied beer for an easy drinker any time of the year. A super
refreshing beer. (5.4% ABV, golden in color)
Nine:
At number nine is a great beer from a local Lincoln staple. Chaco
Canyon Gold from Empyrean Brewing Company is sold at Lazlo restaurants in
Lincoln and on tap at Lazlo's restaurants and The Watering Hole. It's one of my
favorite go-to beers when I can't decide what I want. Brewed using a bit of
Nebraska honey, it has a sweet dry initial flavor with a bit of a hop finish.
This is an amazing beer for a summer grill out. (4.8% ABV, golden color)
Eight:
Number eight comes from one of the most popular Nebraska craft
breweries, ZipLine. This is one of my favorite winter ales coming in with a floral hop taste rather than the
hint of nutmeg or cinnamon contained in most winter ales. With a thick head and thyme inish, this is truly a beer that will help
keep you warm on cold winter days. (6.5% ABV, mahogany in color)
Seven:
I do love Winter Ales, and my favorite Nebraska winter ale is
from out west. Snow Beast comes from Kinkaider Brewing in Broken Bow, NE. This
amazing brewery is really hitting the Nebraska beer scene hard and is becoming
one of my favorites. This winter ale is something special with a taste of
cinnamon and creamy malt at first and ending with a huge kick of vanilla. If
you need a great beer to keep yourself warm, this is one to turn to. This is a
must during the cold months. (7.0% ABV, dark in color)
Six:
Coming in at number six is my favorite time of the year when it
comes to beer. When Fall comes around, all of the great October beers come out.
Specifically, Lucky Bucket Oktoberfest. It is usually available from August to
October and is by far my favorite Oktoberfest beer in Nebraska and in my top
five Oktoberfest beers out there. Its first taste of amazing German malt leaves
you wanting more. The clean crisp finish makes it an extremely easy Fall beer
to drink. If you are looking for something to sip around the bonfire, this is a
must! (5.5% ABV, golden brown in color)
Five:
Do you love peaches? I sure do, and this beer brings an amazing
peach flavor out. Prairie Peach Wheat from Thunderhead Brewing Company from
Kearney, NE is one of the top fruit beers on the market. The first punch is
amazing peach followed up by a small tart bite at the end. This is a must drink
during the hot summer months. (5.0% ABV, cloudy golden in color)
Four:
With number four, I am coming in with a beer that is quickly
becoming one of the more popular beers among craft drinkers. Vanilla Bean
Blonde from Infusion Brewing out of Omaha, NE is simply an amazing beer. At
first I was wary about trying it because often vanilla beers are over powered
by the vanilla flavor; however, This one starts off with a blonde ale taste
quickly followed by the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla that is used in this amazing
brew. The freshness and exact amount of sweetness make this a beer that you can
drink over and over. It’s a must try this summer while sitting around the
lake. (4.8% ABV, Gold in color)
Three:
With the Bronze Medal, I am going with a newer brewery here in
Lincoln, Boiler Brewing Company. I went to this great brewery the first day it
opened to the public. It had West Coast Wheats that instantly became one of my
favorite beers and it a favorite
brewery. The initial citrus flavor followed up with a bit of a bite of
hops make this a perfect mix. The hops and citrus work great together making
this one of the smoothest beers on the Nebraska craft beer scene. If you are a
lover of wheat and/or hoppy beer, this is a MUST try. (5.6% ABV, Golden brown
in color)
Two:
The decision between one and two was a difficult one. Coming in
with the Silver Medal is one of my favorite local beers. This is a beer that
you can drink all day long. Brickway Pilsner has quickly become my beer of
choice. This traditional Pilsner Larger comes with a solid malt taste at the
start followed up by a slight hoppy finish. I truly love this beer. In fact, my
fridge always has a Brickway Pilsner in it and many of my favorite local food
joints have this on tap. If you are not a huge craft beer lover, this is a
craft beer I think you will love. Its an easy drinker that will leave you
wanting one after another. (4.8% ABV, Golden in color)
First:
Coming in with the Gold Medal is one of the first Nebraska craft
beers that I sank my lips into. It's from one of my favorite local breweries,
Zipline, Copper Alt is nothing short of amazing. This hybrid style beer falls
somewhere between an ale and a lager and has amazing hints of hazelnut and
chocolate. These two flavors working together give a fruity taste at first sip
followed by a toasty grain finish. There is a reason this great beer won a gold
medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival, and it is a must try for any
craft beer drinker. (5.2% ABV, Brown in color)
This list complies some of the best
beers across the great state of Nebraska. I have been to a lot of the breweries
across the state, and I drink their beer regularly. I hope you all enjoy
trying these local beers and help support local business in buying beers from
these and all the other great breweries across our state. Until next time,
happy drinking!
