Highest rated beer in California

If you drink beer—any beer—you've likely heard of the craft beer revolution, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.

The burgeoning brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew 390% from 2010 to 2020—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining.

Like all revolutions, this, too, began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. In 2010, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 77% of total beer sales in the U.S. In 2020, that share was 60%, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share toward the end of the decade.

With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher quality product, and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, beer prices have increased by 33%.

If you've ever been curious about which beers are most popular in your home state, we have the answer. Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated beer in California using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of 5 beers per brewery were included.