The best beer of every type
The best beer of every type
For as long as we have farmed cereals like wheat, barley, and rice, we have fermented at least some of them into beer. The Mesopotamians produced beer from bread and documented its ritual consumption on stone tablets. Ancient Egyptians, who recorded the world's first beer recipe on papyrus scrolls, drank it during religious ceremonies. The Nubian culture in the central Nile River Valley used beer as an antibiotic. In 2,100 B.C., Babylonian King Hammurabi enshrined regulations for tavern keepers and brewers in his famous Code of Hammurabi.
Beer became so inextricably linked to the ancient grain-growing civilizations of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa that the Greek writer Sophocles (450 B.C.) considered beer, alongside vegetables, meat, and bread, to be a vital component of a healthy diet. (In an era when the average Greek lived about 35 years, Sophocles, it should be noted, lived to the ripe age of 90.)
Fast forward many centuries, and beer production is now an exacting science comprising complex flavor profiles, exotic additives, carefully measured formulas, and humongous sterilized stainless-steel vats. Gone is the thick, syrupy brew favored by Germanic tribes and disdained by Ancient Romans. Instead, breweries nowadays turn out flavorful, easy-drinking beers, along with more challenging concoctions for adventurous drinkers.
Long evolved from the Natufians' fermented gruel, modern beer satisfies a range of tastes—the American market alone was valued at more than $106 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach nearly $123.7 billion by 2030. The number of craft breweries in the United States reached nearly 9,800 in 2024, according to an April 2025 report from the Brewers Association, and even nonalcoholic beer has continued to grow in popularity. The industry has benefits beyond our individual beer consumption, for what it's worth, with the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association's 2025 Beer Serves America report finding that the beer industry provides 2.42 million jobs, and drives $471 billion in economic activity.
That's thinking big picture, though. When it comes to our individual tastes, beer comes down to personal preference. Beer styles are distinguished by three key factors: color (pale to dark), hoppy bitterness (0 to 100 International Bitterness Units, or IBU), and alcohol content (3% to 20% alcohol by volume). A person's favorite beer depends on their feelings about these distinct qualities. That's why the World Beer Awards, which announced its 2025 winners in May, separates honorees into categories like Best Lager, Best IPA, Best Pale Beer, and Best Dark Beer. A beer could triumph with one of those designations and still earn a "yuck" from you based on your style of choice.
With that in mind, we wanted to get granular in examining the best beers. From classic to cultured bacteria, Stacker identified 26 different styles and used BeerAdvocate's sweeping database of craft brews to determine the best individual beers among them. The ratings and rankings are accurate as of September 2025. Note: the images shown are stock images, and may not be representative of the corresponding beers.
From Miami to Michigan to Belgium, read on to find the best beers of every style, then go out and make old Sophocles proud.
Flanders red ale
- Beer: Rodenbach Caractère Rouge
- Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
- ABV: 7.0%
- User score: 4.46
- Total user ratings: 1,609
A beer that wants to be a wine, complexity is what a Flanders red ale strives for. The specialty yeast strains produce distinctive sharp, fruity, sour, and tart flavors in this medium-high ABV and medium-low IBU beer. From the Dutch-speaking Flanders region of Belgium, the 7% ABV Rodenbach is aged for two-and-a-half years and exudes tradition as well as notes of wood and caramel.
Milkshake IPA
- Beer: Triple Citra Daydream
- Brewery: Other Half Brewing - Center Street
- ABV: 10.5%
- User score: 4.5
- Total user ratings: 298
Milkshake IPAs are a sweet offshoot of Indian Pale Ale (IPA) beers. Like any classic milkshake IPA, Other Half Brewing's Triple Citra Daydream contains both milky sugar and fruit-based overtones—in this case, fruits like sweet orange and candied lychee. With a 10.5% ABV, it brings a potent but also "smooth and dreamy" taste to the table.
Rye beer
- Beer: V.S.O.R. Select
- Brewery: Revolution Brewing
- ABV: 15.7%
- User score: 4.62
- Total user ratings: 75
Rye lends these beers a reddish tinge that deepens in hue the more rye is used in the brewing process. Adding rye also increases the complexity of its flavor, lending it a spicy or pumpernickel character to the finish. To be considered a rye beer, enough of its namesake ingredient should be evident in its overall taste and appearance. With a strong 15.7% ABV, Revolution Brewing's V.S.O.R. Select offers aromas of fig, apricot jam, and pecan pie after being drenched with bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, offering considerable sweetness.
Dubbel
- Beer: Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VIII)
- Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
- ABV: 8.0%
- User score: 4.47
- Total user ratings: 2,416
The Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VII) is a classic dubbel, brewed in a historic Belgian monks' abbey. It carries a combination of soft fruit, caramel, and green nuts, resulting in a "harmonious yet complex taste." Beer and Brewing's review called out the dark amber dubbel's carbonic acid, which "is definitely its own ingredient in this effervescent riff on the style."
Berliner Weisse
- Beer: DFPF
- Brewery: J. Wakefield Brewing
- ABV: 7.0%
- User score: 4.5
- Total user ratings: 507
Growing in popularity in America, Berliner-style Weisse is refreshing, tart, and fruit-forward. Typically lower in the ABV scale, they are often made with no hops, which eliminates much of the bitterness found in other types of beer and makes them much easier to pair. The DFPF from J. Wakefield Brewing is made with dragon fruit and passion fruit, resulting in a fruity, sour, tart drink whose carbonation makes it easy to finish.
American porter
- Beer: Everett
- Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
- ABV: 7.5%
- User score: 4.49
- Total user ratings: 2,884
As dark as a black hole in space, the distinctly American porter eschews the roasted hops and barley of its European brethren, and is medium in IBUs and on the ABV scale. Hill Farmstead Brewery, never one to play by the rules, stretches the definition of an American porter by mixing roasted German malts with American barley and hops. At 7.5%, it's also on the high end of ABV for an American porter.
American IPA
- Beer: Susan
- Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
- ABV: 6.0%
- User score: 4.5
- Total user ratings: 2,150
As the best-sellling craft beer style in the United States, American IPAs live up to their name. More aromatic than their British IPA counterparts, this beer tends to have a low ABV with a flavorful hop character. For dinner, consider pairing an American IPA with spicy foods and/or blue cheeses. Hill Farmstead Brewery's Susan lives up to the beer style's flavorful reputation, carrying an aroma of citrus and floral hops in a light, hazy package.
Fruited kettle sour
- Beer: Miami Madness
- Brewery: J. Wakefield Brewing
- ABV: 7.0%
- User score: 4.55
- Total user ratings: 510
Brewed by independent Miami brewery J. Wakefield Brewing—also on the list for its Berliner-style Weisse—Miami Madness beer goes all in on tropical flavor. It features notes of mango, passion fruit, and guava, resulting in what one Beer Advocate reviewer described as an "oily texture." Fruited kettle sours possess a tangy flavor stimulated through lactic acid production, as the "kettle sour" process consists of beer wort being soured with Lactobacillus bacteria before it is boiled.
Old ale
- Beer: Fourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- ABV: 13.6%
- User score: 4.55
- Total user ratings: 2,091
Although old ales were initially a popular British beer style in the 18th and 19th centuries, Fourth Dementia was brewed in Warren, Michigan. To qualify as an old ale, a beer's yeast undergoes a years-long aging process in bulk storage. This results in a sweet oxidation character. Fourth Dementia has specifically been bourbon barrel-aged, creating a toasted marshmallow-esque taste. It's recommended to pair it with "buttery-style cheeses such as Brie, Gouda, Havarti, and Swiss."
Oatmeal stout
- Beer: The Rusty Nail
- Brewery: Fremont Brewing Company
- ABV: 13.3%
- User score: 4.56
- Total user ratings: 824
Oatmeal stouts got their start in late 1800s England, in hopes of meeting the public's demand for a somewhat healthier beer. Originally marketed to nursing mothers and as a remedy for illness, the addition of oatmeal gives these stouts a rich, oily, full body. Oatmeal stouts typically blend dark malt with a sweet, coffee-and-cream character. Fremont Brewing Company's Rusty Nail, brewed with licorice, smoked barley, pale male, and cinnamon bark, promises to "challenge your perception of all that you've known of beer."
American strong ale
- Beer: Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb
- Brewery: Fremont Brewing Company
- ABV: 13.0%
- User score: 4.56
- Total user ratings: 1,148
This relatively broad category is reserved for beers that hold 7% alcohol by volume and above. Although the term American strong ale is a more modern one, these ales have ties to stock ale, an English beer style brewed and "laid down" for long stretches of time. The Seattle-brewed Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb blends 9-, 12-, and 24-month barrel-aged winter ale, which is then aged in 8-to-12-year-old American Oak bourbon barrels. "Strong coffee and cinnamon aroma," one Beer Advocate reviewer wrote. "What more do you need?"
Sweet / milk stout
- Beer: The Adjunct Trail - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
- Brewery: Angry Chair Brewing
- ABV: 11.0%
- User score: 4.66
- Total user ratings: 126
Sweet/milk stout beers are dark ales brewed with milk sugar (lactose). They were initially marketed as a healthy drink for both British athletes and breastfeeding mothers post-World War II. Angry Chair Brewing's 11% ABV Bourbon Barrel-Aged Adjunct Trail hails from Tampa, Florida, and was matured for 18 months in bourbon barrels with toasted coconut and hazelnut coffee. On Untappd, it boasts an average 4.75-star rating based on 3,810 reviews as of September 2025.
American pale ale
- Beer: Zombie Dust
- Brewery: 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
- ABV: 6.5%
- User score: 4.57
- Total user ratings: 11,531
Deep gold or amber in appearance, a classic American pale ale offers hints of citrus and pine with medium bitterness and a low ABV. Zombie Dust ignores tradition (some reviewers claim this should be classified as an IPA) by going big on ABV at 6.5% and intensely hoppy like its British cousin, better known as an extra-special bitter or ESB.
Quadrupel (quad)
- Beer: Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII)
- Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
- ABV: 10.2%
- User score: 4.61
- Total user ratings: 6,888
Quads typically derive their flavor from Belgian yeast, which boasts spicy phenols and fruity esters upon fermentation. The Trappist, also known as the Flemish Burgundy, features "smooth" caramel and chocolate, as well as sweet raisin and nutty notes in the beer's aroma. One Beer Advocate reviewer described the beer as "boozy without being brutal" and "discrete yet intense."
Imperial porter
- Beer: Morning Wood
- Brewery: Funky Buddha Brewery
- ABV: 12.0%
- User score: 4.62
- Total user ratings: 1,259
Created in England during the 18th century as a strong version of porter beers, imperial porters have a sweetness reminiscent of cocoa. Funky Buddha's Morning Wood beer is aged with High West Whisky barrels, which the brewery says lends "smoothness to the smoky, salty, rich combo of maple syrup, roasted coffee, and bacon flavors."
Gueuze
- Beer: Duck Duck Gooze
- Brewery: The Lost Abbey - The Tasting Room
- ABV: 7.0%
- User score: 4.62
- Total user ratings: 1,998
Gueuze is a lambic beer, which is typically fermented through exposure to Belgian wild yeasts and bacteria. This creates a sour, cider-y dry flavor. Duck Duck Gooze features a blend of oak-aged and lambic sour beers and is brewed in California. The Lost Abbey described their gueuze as "our homage to these effervescent and wonderfully complex [Belgian] sparkling beers."
Saison
- Beer: Clover
- Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
- ABV: 6.5%
- User score: 4.68
- Total user ratings: 245
Named for the French word for "season," this beer style was traditionally brewed as a summer treat in Belgian farmhouses to help farmers quench their thirst. These golden-hued beers are typically light in hue and low in alcohol. They tend to have high carbonation and yeast character due to bottle-conditioning. Clover fits saisons' summery history to a tee, with one reviewer praising its "zesty lemon" and "light, crisp" taste.
Fruit lambic
- Beer: Fou' Foune
- Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
- ABV: 5.5%
- User score: 4.65
- Total user ratings: 3,258
Fruit lambic beers can take on a variety of characteristics because their flavor and color are dependent on the fruit it is brewed with. Brewed in Belgium, Fou' Foune is derived from apricots and blends 300 grams of fruit with one liter of lambic. Reviewers praised how "delicate the balance and flavor profile is," with one writing, "Apricot and citrus [are] doing a tango on your palette."
American barleywine
- Beer: A Deal With The Devil - Triple Oak-Aged
- Brewery: Anchorage Brewing Company
- ABV: 20.86%
- User score: 4.74
- Total user ratings: 183
In comparison to U.K. barley wine, American barley wine tends to be more bitter, with a notable toffee aroma. A Deal With the Devil comes with a strong kick of ABV and notes of vanilla, oak, and whiskey, alongside dark fruit tones and caramel. This beer may not be for everyone, with one reviewer, who gave it perfect 5's across the board, calling it "super chewy and cloying"—but in a good way.
Lambic
- Beer: Zenne Y Frontera
- Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
- ABV: 7.0%
- User score: 4.7
- Total user ratings: 428
A traditional lambic, born in Belgium, is reddish-gold in appearance and mildly bitter with medium ABV. The 7% ABV Zenne y Frontera is meant to blur the lines between wine and beer—it's aged for 12 months in 40-year-old oak casks and is the result of a collaboration between a brewmaster and sommelier. Reviewers have responded in kind with references to it being "the best lambic" and "my favorite beer … ever."
English barleywine
- Beer: M.J.K.
- Brewery: Side Project Brewing
- ABV: 20.0%
- User score: 4.85
- Total user ratings: 92
English barley wines pack a punch, often reaching double digits in ABV. A descendant of 19th century Burton ales and Scotch ales, barleywines are created by boiling malt for an extended period of time. This results in the higher ABV and malt-forward taste, which is typically bolstered by fruit and toffee flavors. Despite being brewed in Missouri rather than England, M.J.K. has the rich taste of a classic English barleywine thanks to being double and triple barrel-aged, then topped off in bourbon and brazilian amburana barrels.
New England IPA
- Beer: King Julius
- Brewery: Tree House Brewing Company
- ABV: 8.2%
- User score: 4.7
- Total user ratings: 1,705
As its name suggests, New England IPAs hail from Vermont and Massachusetts. This is the style that truly put American craft brewing on the map in the 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to its unique brew: a combination of American hops and high-protein malts. The malts give New England IPAs their hazy appearance, while hops give them fruity, flavor. The King Julius stays true to this descriptor, with a melange of citrus juice and juicy aromas of mango, peach, and passionfruit.
Imperial IPA
- Beer: Heady Topper
- Brewery: The Alchemist
- ABV: 8.0%
- User score: 4.7
- Total user ratings: 15,383
Also known as "Double IPAs," Imperial IPAs are a stronger take on your classic American IPAs. With a higher APV generally ranging between 7.6 to 10.6%, most are dry hopped, without the deeper malt backbone of American barleywines. Imperial IPAs are a relatively new invention, spawned by American craft beer fans' quest to innovate the IPA style. The Alchemist's Heady Topper might be on the milder side with an 8%, ABV, but its citrus-y flavor and aromas of cannabis once prompted Men's Journal to describe it as "America's most coveted beer."
Wild ale
- Beer: R&D Sour Fruit (Very Sour Blackberry)
- Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Company
- ABV: 5.0%
- User score: 4.75
- Total user ratings: 409
Wild ale is fermented with natural or wild yeasts like Brettanomyces or Lactobacillus, in addition to or in place of traditional brewer's yeast. This results in an earthy, funky flavor profile. Brewed in Wisconsin, R&D Sour Fruit is fermented and aged in oak barrels, combining yeast lees with Oregon blackberries. One reviewer praised its "terrific sourness" and "super jammy" flavor.
Russian imperial stout
- Beer: Marshmallow Handjee
- Brewery: 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
- ABV: 15.0%
- User score: 4.73
- Total user ratings: 1,832
Higher in alcohol than its American and British counterparts, the complex and bold Russian imperial stout was first brewed in England for Peter the Great during a sojourn in the Isles. The curiously named, barrel-aged with vanilla beans, 15% ABV Marshmallow Handjee has some detractors, but is largely beloved. In fact, its "world-class" score of 100 places it at #2 of all beers on Beer Advocate's list.
American imperial stout
- Beer: Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout
- Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
- ABV: 12.0%
- User score: 4.83
- Total user ratings: 953
Known for their distinct black color, American imperial stouts, with an ABV of 7 to 12%, are the alcoholically strongest of stout beers. The Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout is on the highest ABV end with 12%. The beer has a strong dessert flavor profile consisting of aromatics of espresso and maple syrup. It also has a mouthful that "is rich, full, and chewy like [a] fudge brownie," according to one reviewer. It's no wonder Kentucky Brunch is ranked #1 among all beers by Beer Advocate.
