There’s a ridiculous number of breweries in the US. Even with the recent downturn in the market, there are still over 9,000 breweries operating in the US. That’s an awful lot of IPAs, lagers, and barrel-aged stouts. Even if you’re a big beer drinker, there’s no way you’ll ever drink a fraction of the total beer produced in the country. That’s why, if you’re an avid beer drinker, you should have a handful of bucket list beers that you want to try.
What are bucket list beers?
You probably know what a bucket list is, right? While sort of morbid in its origin, it’s a list of things you’d like to do before you kick the proverbial bucket. But, instead of checking off a list of places you’d like to visit, skills you’d like to learn, or books you’d like to read, this bucket list is all about can’t-miss beers.
In my alcohol career, I’ve been lucky enough to sample some of the best, most difficult-to-find beers in the world. Still, for me, there are some beers that remain on my bucket list for a variety of reasons.
That said, in my opinion as a beer writer, there are a handful of bucket list beers that every drinker should try if they get a chance. They run the gamut of styles from IPAs to saisons to pale ales and even barrel-aged stouts. Some are easier to find, and others you really need to search for. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Russian River Pliny The Elder
While a point can be made for Russian River Pliny the Younger, its “Elder” version is much easier to acquire. This year-round, 8% ABV IPA was brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Tangier, Nectaron, and CTZ hops. The result is a memorable, balanced IPA filled with flavors like stone fruit, citrus peels, caramel malts, and dank, piney, gently bitter hops.
$7.49
Orval Trappist Ale
Not all of our bucket list beers are American craft beers. The beer world goes well beyond the confines of the US. One of the best, can’t-miss European beers is Orval Trappist Ale. This 6.9% ABV Belgian pale ale is unfiltered and was brewed with two-row malt, a smattering of hops (some are dry-hopped), candy sugar, and multiple yeasts, including the wild yeast Brettanomyces. The result is a complex ale loaded with flavors like stone fruits, tart berries, gentle spices, light hop bitterness, and a dry finish.
$6.99
The Alchemist Heady Topper
There’d be no New England-style IPAs if The Alchemist Heady Topper was never created. First brewed in 2004, this beer led to the trend of hazy, tropical fruit, hoppy IPAs now found at seemingly every brewery in America. Brewed with British pale malts, Pilsner malts, wheat, and oats, it’s hopped with Simcoe, Centennial, Columbus, Apollo, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. It’s known for its multi-layered flavor profile of tropical fruits, citrus peels, and dank, resinous pine.
$18.99
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
While there are always multiple versions released, the classic Goose Island Bourbon County Stout is one of the most eagerly awaited annual beer releases. This iconic stout is aged in ex-bourbon barrels from the likes of Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, and Wild Turkey. High in ABV, it’s known for its complex, rich flavor profile featuring notes of roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and vanilla beans.
$26.99
3 Floyds Zombie Dust
If you’re a fan of pale ales, you should absolutely add 3 Floyds Zombie Dust to your beer bucket list. Brewed with 2-row, Munich, Crystal 60L, and Carapils malts, this hop-centric pale ale gets all of its hoppy presence from the liberal use of Citra hops. This creates a timeless 6.5% ABV brew centered on flavors of tangerines, tropical fruits, and dank pine, with a nice caramel malt backbone. As pale ales go, Zombie Dust is one of the best, most balanced on the market, and one that can’t be missed.
$13.99
Saison Dupont
Saison Dupont is one of the easier beers on this list to find in the wild, but it’s no less noteworthy. This is the beer that all other saisons and farm ales strive to be. Made with simple ingredients like water, malted barley, yeast, and select hops, this unfiltered beer is known for its balanced, sublime flavor profile featuring bready malts, fruit esters, winter spices, gentle hops, and a long, memorable, dry finish.
$7.99
Bottom line
Now that you’ve read our bucket list, feel free to add your own list. If you prefer lagers (or any other beer style), find some lesser-available, highly-rated choices to add. Just, in between enjoying the lineup at your local craft brewery, strive to seek out and sample some highly rated, hard-to-find brews. It’s fun to make a big list and check them off when you get a chance to try them.
