Breweries with the most highly ranked beers in California

After an explosion of growth in the craft beer industry, the market is undergoing a shift, causing beer lovers to stay alert to keep track of their favorites.

The last decade saw an explosion of craft breweries that operate on a smaller scale and offer a wider, and sometimes more experimental, selection of beer. In 2024, there were a total of 9,496 craft breweries in the U.S., a 104% increase from 2015.

However, that growth is tapering off. According to the Brewers Association, 2024 was the industry's worst year for brewpub, microbrewery, and taproom closings, with 519 drawing their last pint.

Changing consumer preferences may be contributing to this trend. While beer and cider still have the largest market share of alcoholic drinks, consumers are reducing their alcohol consumption. Gallup found that between 2023 and 2025, the percentage of people who consumed alcohol within the last 24 hours dropped eight percentage points to 28%, while the percentage who hadn't had an alcoholic drink in over a week increased eight percentage points to 40%.

Brewers are also facing another enemy: Climate change. Rising temperatures and drought have caused shifts in the growing season and decreased production in noble hops, an essential beer ingredient. Researchers predict that by 2050, climate change could cause an up to 18.4% decrease in hop yields.

Still, all is not doom and gloom. Although the craft beer industry is facing challenges, new brewpubs, microbreweries, and taprooms keep opening—428 opened in 2024—and brewers keep flexing their creative muscles to develop new beer flavors with the best ingredients they have.

Stacker compiled a list of the breweries with the most beers ranked in the top 100 in California using data from BeerAdvocate as of August 2025. Any ties were broken by the highest-ranking beer.

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BeerAdvocate

1 / 25

#25. Almanac Beer Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #97. Valley Of The Heart's Delight (Wild Ale)

BeerAdvocate

2 / 25

#24. Smog City Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #93. Infinite Wishes (American Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

3 / 25

#23. Port Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #88. Older Viscosity (American Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

4 / 25

#22. Hangar 24 Craft Brewing

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #82. Barrel Roll No. 3 Pugachev's Cobra (Russian Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

5 / 25

#21. Moonraker Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #74. Yojo (New England IPA)

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BeerAdvocate

6 / 25

#20. Societe Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #68. The Pupil (American IPA)

BeerAdvocate

7 / 25

#19. Noble Ale Works

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #48. Citra Showers (Imperial IPA)

BeerAdvocate

8 / 25

#18. Alpine Beer Company

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #42. Nelson (American IPA)

BeerAdvocate

9 / 25

#17. FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 1
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #37. Imperial Eclipse Stout - Elijah Craig (12 Year) (American Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

10 / 25

#16. Lagunitas Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 2
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #96. Willettized (American Imperial Stout)
--- #63. Born Yesterday (American Pale Ale)

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BeerAdvocate

11 / 25

#15. Kern River Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 2
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #47. Winter Double IPA (Imperial IPA)
--- #12. Citra (Imperial IPA)

12 / 25

#14. Modern Times Beer

- Number of top beers in California: 2
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #22. Modem Tones - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla (American Imperial Stout)
--- #8. Monster Tones (American Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

13 / 25

#13. Ballast Point Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 3
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #69. Sculpin (American IPA)
--- #67. Victory At Sea - Barrel-Aged (Imperial Porter)
--- #61. Victory At Sea - Coffee And Vanilla (Imperial Porter)

BeerAdvocate

14 / 25

#12. Cellarmaker Brewing Co. - The Rare Barrel

- Number of top beers in California: 3
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #78. Soliloquy (Wild Ale)
--- #71. Home, Sour Home (Wild Ale)
--- #59. Map Of The Sun (Wild Ale)

BeerAdvocate

15 / 25

#11. Cellarmaker Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 3
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #87. Imperial Coffee And Cigarettes (Smoked Porter)
--- #65. Double Dobis (Imperial IPA)
--- #56. Vastness Of Space - Bourbon Barrel-Aged (American Imperial Stout)

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BeerAdvocate

16 / 25

#10. The Bruery Terreux

- Number of top beers in California: 3
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #80. The Wanderer (Wild Ale)
--- #53. Sour In The Rye - Peaches (Wild Ale)
--- #45. Sour In The Rye - Pineapple And Coconut (Wild Ale)

BeerAdvocate

17 / 25

#9. Stone Brewing

- Number of top beers in California: 3
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #99. Stone Imperial Stout (Russian Imperial Stout)
--- #49. Enjoy By IPA (Imperial IPA)
--- #40. Fyodor (Russian Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

18 / 25

#8. The Lost Abbey - The Tasting Room

- Number of top beers in California: 5
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #57. Box Set Track #10 - Bat Out Of Hell (American Imperial Stout)
--- #9. Cable Car (Wild Ale)
--- #5. Duck Duck Gooze (Gueuze)

BeerAdvocate

19 / 25

#7. The Bruery

- Number of top beers in California: 6
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #20. Grey Monday (American Imperial Stout)
--- #15. Chocolate Rain (American Imperial Stout)
--- #13. Black Tuesday (American Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

20 / 25

#6. AleSmith Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 7
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #21. Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee (American Imperial Stout)
--- #19. Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged (Russian Imperial Stout)
--- #6. Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon Barrel-Aged (American Imperial Stout)

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BeerAdvocate

21 / 25

#5. Sante Adairius Rustic Ales

- Number of top beers in California: 8
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #23. Saison Bernice (Saison)
--- #10. West Ashley (Saison)
--- #4. Westly (Saison)

BeerAdvocate

22 / 25

#4. Monkish Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 9
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #35. Foggy Window (New England IPA)
--- #27. Foggier Window (Imperial IPA)
--- #26. Adios Ghost (New England IPA)

BeerAdvocate

23 / 25

#3. Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

- Number of top beers in California: 9
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #18. §ucaba (English Barleywine)
--- #16. Parabajava (Russian Imperial Stout)
--- #7. Parabola (Russian Imperial Stout)

BeerAdvocate

24 / 25

#2. Russian River Brewing Company

- Number of top beers in California: 11
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #11. Supplication (Wild Ale)
--- #3. Pliny The Elder (Imperial IPA)
--- #1. Pliny The Younger (Imperial IPA)

BeerAdvocate

25 / 25

#1. Bottle Logic Brewing

- Number of top beers in California: 15
- Highest ranked beers in California:
--- #28. Space Trace (American Imperial Stout)
--- #17. Fundamental Forces (American Imperial Stout)
--- #2. Fundamental Observation (American Imperial Stout)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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