As an award winning home brewer ("Tangerine Dream" 2nd Place Reno Riverfest Biggest Little Homebrew Challenge 2011, "Punch Drunk Neapolitan Porter" 1st Place People's Choice Backwash Craft Beer Competition 2014), I have a fairly refined palette for fine beers. Because of this, I'm always intrigued when I see a published list of some of the best brew on the planet as it helps me fill out my list of 'must-tries' on my next trip to the ice house or local brew pub.

Thrillist has just released a fairly comprehensive list of some of the best craft breweries, state by state.

I've tried many of these, and can vouch for their legitimacy of being listed best in the state. Austin, Texas' Jester King Brewery took the crown for Texas.

Jester King's labels are some of the most creative on the planet, and their fine beers are too many to mention. Unfortunately, they are damn-near impossible to find here in Lubbock. If you do stumble across a bottle, buy it and save it for a special occasion!

Some others of note:

Michigan's Founders Brewing Co., maker of the excellent (and widely available) All Day IPA. Founders also makes some amazing stouts, including their very tough to find KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout), which is aged in bourbon barrels. I recently picked up a few bottles of the KBS at the Eskimo Hut over on Frankfort and 4th, but good luck on finding any more lurking around the Hub as the KBS is rare and collectible.

Hawaii's Maui Brewing always reminds me of sitting on the beach in Waikiki. While it is tough to find anything other than Maui Beer in Hawaii, it is also fairly widely available here, too. Look for their Coconut Porter and grab a sixer for prime drinkability -- preferably poolside at the end of a long, hot summer day!

Thankfully, Colorado's Avery Brewing beat out that musty mess being brewed at New Belgium. (Fat Tire reminds me of sipping a carbonated, hopped up soup of old sock!)

Perhaps the Holy Grail of North American beers comes from Santa Rosa. Craft brew competition is fierce in the Golden State, with such amazing breweries as Stone, AleSmith and Ballast Point. But the one to beat is Russian River's Pliny The Elder. Very rare, very expensive and very collectible. Unfortunately, I still haven't had the honor of trying this elusive brew, but if it is anywhere close to living up to the hype, I would expect pure Nirvana with a pint of this Nor-Cal magic!

Unfortunately, Tenaya came in as the best of Nevada. I lived in Northern Nevada and never once saw Tenaya, nor heard any accolades from this brewery while a resident. However, I know firsthand of a soon-to-be-legendary brewery known as Great Basin. This award-winning brewery does a fantastic Bourbon Barrel stout that usually sold out in a matter of weeks after being put on tap every year. And their Ichthyosaur India Pale Ale is one of the best IPAs I've ever tried. Keep an eye out for Great Basin Brewing in the future!

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