Highest-rated beer in California

Written by:
June 20, 2024
Alexey Andr Tkachenko // Shutterstock

Highest-rated beer in California

After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.

Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has increased spirits sales, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans plan to cut back on their drinking in 2025.

To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.

That said, hop-forward beers are still popular—for example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the 2025 World Beer Cup. Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.

Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best beers from California using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

#30. Stickee Monkee

- Rating: 4.47 (3,003 ratings)
- Type: Quadrupel (Quad)
- ABV: 12.3%
- Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#29. Leche Borracho

- Rating: 4.49 (499 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Space Trace

- Rating: 4.50 (436 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.1%
- Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. Foggier Window

- Rating: 4.51 (340 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.1%
- Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Adios Ghost

- Rating: 4.61 (92 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 10.2%
- Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. Mocha Wednesday

- Rating: 4.49 (1,506 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 19.9%
- Brewery: The Bruery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Consecration

- Rating: 4.49 (5,637 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Saison Bernice

- Rating: 4.50 (1,088 ratings)
- Type: Saison
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Modem Tones - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla

- Rating: 4.57 (155 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.4%
- Brewery: Modern Times Beer
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee

- Rating: 4.50 (2,019 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Grey Monday

- Rating: 4.51 (1,943 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 19.9%
- Brewery: The Bruery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Speedway Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.51 (2,403 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.3%
- Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. §ucaba

- Rating: 4.51 (5,538 ratings)
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 12.5%
- Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Fundamental Forces

- Rating: 4.55 (296 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 16.2%
- Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Parabajava

- Rating: 4.53 (960 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Chocolate Rain

- Rating: 4.53 (2,887 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 19.6%
- Brewery: The Bruery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Cable Car Kriek

- Rating: 4.59 (210 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: The Lost Abbey - The Tasting Room
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Beatification

- Rating: 4.54 (2,942 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Black Tuesday

- Rating: 4.54 (4,280 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 19.5%
- Brewery: The Bruery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Citra

- Rating: 4.55 (1,911 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Kern River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Supplication

- Rating: 4.55 (6,735 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.75%
- Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. West Ashley

- Rating: 4.56 (1,216 ratings)
- Type: Saison
- ABV: 7.3%
- Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Cable Car

- Rating: 4.58 (1,163 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: The Lost Abbey - The Tasting Room
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Parabola

- Rating: 4.60 (7,266 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.8%
- Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Speedway Stout - Vietnamese Coffee - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.62 (1,134 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.6%
- Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Duck Duck Gooze

- Rating: 4.62 (1,998 ratings)
- Type: Gueuze
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: The Lost Abbey - The Tasting Room
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Westly

- Rating: 4.65 (449 ratings)
- Type: Saison
- ABV: 8.5%
- Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Pliny The Elder

- Rating: 4.64 (15,770 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Fundamental Observation

- Rating: 4.68 (1,576 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Pliny The Younger

- Rating: 4.69 (3,599 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 10.25%
- Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

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

Trending Now