My Top Nebraska Beers

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!