Benjamin Franklin may have never actually uttered the phrase beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” but we’ll be darned if that doesn’t feel true. And while we love the healthiest beers you can drink it beats a really high-quality craft brew. And you don’t have to go to the best cities for beer drinking in America to find them either. Incredible beers can be found all over the world, and these are 2020’s best.
50. Les Trois Mousquetaires Porter Baltique
Brossard, Quebec, Canada
ABV: 10%
Brewed in a traditional style and inspired by true Baltic Sea beers, this Canadian dark lager is malty and warming and has just the right amount of dark chocolate and dried fruit flavour. Creamy but not too heavy, this beer proves Canada has more to offer than Molson.
49. Prairie Artisan Ales Bourbon Paradise
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
ABV: 15.9%
Among the highest ABV beers on our list, this offering from Prairie earns its bourbon loving name. This imperial stout has virtually no carbonation and pours a deep, thick black with a light tan head. The flavour is pure bourbon and oak. Sip this one slowly and savour the intensity.
48. Nøgne Ø Porter
Grimstad, Norway
ABV: 7 percent
An excellent, strongly carbonated beer from Norway this brew is pure jet black, with an aroma of dark chocolate and espresso, followed by caramel. Pair it with dark chocolate or a perfect lunch cooked steak or a truly indulgent experience.
47. Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
ABV: 9.5%
This Belgian farmhouse ale is ranked among the world’s top abbey tripels. It’s perfect to drink at cellar temperature, or chilled as an aperitiff thanks to its light-in-body, dry, and tart taste.
46. Angry Chairs German Chocolate Cupcake Stout
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
ABV: 7.5%
The sweet milk stout is oftentimes dismissed by beer enthusiasts, but Angry Chair’s German chocolate cupcake stout proves this is one of beer’s most fun and customizable styles. With coconut, Madagascar vanilla beans, and cacao nibs, this beer truly tastes like its namesake dessert.
45. Jester King Atrial Rubicite
Austin, Texas, U.S.
ABV: 5.%
Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned, Jester King’s Atrial Rubicite is a sour brew that won’t make you pucker your lips despite having literally hundreds of pounds of fresh raspberries in its mix. A subtle dryness makes this beer far more complex than the juice bomb it sounds like.
44. Buxton Brewery/Omnipollo Yellow Belly
Buxton, England
ABV: 11%
Named after the cowardly among us, there’s nothing lacking in this beer. With a sweet, smooth taste and texture and hints of peanut butter, oats and milk chocolate, this brew is like dessert in a bottle.
43. Side Project Fuzzy
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
ABV: 8%
Few wild ales truly feel wild, but Side projects fuzzy does. This blonde American wild is aged in chardonnay barrels and on locally-grown white peaches, giving this limited edition beer an addictively tart taste.
42. Browar Kormoran Imperium Prunum
Olsztyn, Poland
ABV: 11%
Bursting with dried plum, smoked fruit, chocolate, and malt flavours, this Polish beer is considered one of the very best Baltic porters in the world. With each sip, you’ll realize different colours and flavours in this truly dynamic brew.
41. The Lost Abbey Duck Gooze
San Marcos, California, U.S.
ABV: 7%
Sourish in aroma and flavour, with notes of apples and citrus, a crisp, tart finish, and just enough sweetness for balance, this ale has been one of The Lost Abbey’s most sought-after beers since it was first released in 2009. It’s extremely difficult to come by, as it is only produced once every three years in limited quantities.
40. Brasserie d’Orval Orval Trappist Ale
Villers d’Orval, Belgium
ABV: 6.2 %
The Belgian Trappist ale features an orange, coppery body with a gigantic white head and an aroma full of yeast, lemons, and light — not overpowering — funk. Floral, citric, and complex, this is a medium-bodied, dry beer. It’s also the only beer made for the general public by the Orval Trappist Brewery, making it highly sought-after yet attainable.
39. Old Chimneys Good King Henry Special Reserve
Diss, England
ABV: 11%
Not many imperial stouts are described as “easily drinkable,” but not all imperial stouts are Old Chimney’s Good King Henry. With a thick, black pour, this beer looks intimidating but is beautifully sweet and balanced.
38. Trillium Headroom
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
ABV: 8%
Boston best -kept secret is its world-class beer, and we’re not talking about Sam Adams. We’re talking about Trillium This bottle-only brewery makes some of the dankest IPAs around, and Headroom is their hoppiest offering yet. With galaxy, mosaic, and Columbus hops, this summertime offering is as good as they get.
37. Lawson’s Finest Double Sunshine IPA
Warren, Vermont, U.S.
ABV: 8%
The Double Sunshine IPA is made by Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and boy this beer sure is fine. This double IPA is packed with hoppy flavour alongside bright herbal and juicy tropical fruit notes. Both sweet and bitter, this beer proves that the East Coast really does make the finest IPAs.
36. Bokkereyder Framboos Noyaux
Hasselt, Belgium
ABV: 6 percent
This Belgian lambic is brewed with fresh raspberries, Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla beans and peach pits, resulting in a delightful pink shade and a tart flavour. Sour beers are an emerging beer trend, and as always, Belgium is ahead of the curve on this one.
35. Surly Darkness
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
ABV: 10.3%
Darkness is a complex, massive Russian imperial stout. With aromas of dark chop oats fruit and toffee, it has medium carbonation and is finished with non-traditional aroma hops. Like many beers on this list, you can only get it one day a year — in this case at Surly’s annual Darkness Day.
34. Deschutes The Abyss
Bend, Oregon, U.S.
ABV: 11.4%
With hints of licorice on the nose, this brew from Deschututes dry-hopped with cherry bark and vanilla beans and aged in oak barrels. After you’re lucky enough to procure a bottle, you can drink it immediately for a fresh, molasses-infused taste or let it age and meld over time. The choice is yours alone.
33. Evil Twin Double Barrel Jesus
Brooklyn, New York, U.S./ Copenhagen, Denmark
ABV: 12%
This imperial stout is opaque black with bourbon and vanilla notes and a fudge-like body. With a name that says this beer is godly, expectations are high. And Evil twins delivers. This brew has a 4.49/5 on Untappd, a perfect 100 on RateBeer and a world-class distinction on Beer Advocate.
32. Unibroue La Fin du Monde
Chambly, Quebec, Canada
ABV: 9 percent
A cloudy, yeasty, floral, triple-style golden ale, La Fin du Monde has won more awards than any other Canadian beer. With a flavour that’s rich but medium in body, this beer is malty yet perfectly refined.
31. Firestone Walker Parabola
Paso Robles, California, U.S.
ABV: 14%
Firestone Walker Parabola is the imperial stout that’s talked about like a fine wine. Don’t be surprised to hear someone mention hints of tobacco and oak, or dark coffee and vanilla A truly complex Russian imperial stout, it’s both sweet and bitter, and often incredibly difficult to find.
30. Maine Dinner
Freeport, Maine, U.S.
ABV: 8.2 %
Maine is known for its hazy, New England-style IPAs. But few newcomers can top the iconic Maine dinner Dry-hopped twice, with more than six pounds of hops per barrel, this double IPA has a hazy golden colour and a dry, refreshing character that is pure perfection in a bottle.