Highest-rated beer in Kansas

Written by:
June 20, 2024
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Highest-rated beer in Kansas

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 Kansas 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.

#29. Rob's German Chocolate Cake

- Rating: 4.38 (3 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: River City Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Bourbon Barrel Aged Schmoo Whale

- Rating: 3.88 (6 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.3%
- Brewery: Fields & Ivy Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. Longball Craft Lager

- Rating: 3.76 (11 ratings)
- Type: American Lager
- ABV: 5.2%
- Brewery: Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Teter Rock Kölsch

- Rating: 3.69 (14 ratings)
- Type: Kölsch
- ABV: 4.7%
- Brewery: Walnut River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. F.N. Ned IPA

- Rating: 3.72 (13 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Vertigo IPA

- Rating: 3.75 (14 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: Three Rings Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. 8-Bit Pale Ale

- Rating: 3.77 (1,213 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.2%
- Brewery: Tallgrass Brewing Co. Tap House
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Coffee Porter

- Rating: 3.70 (18 ratings)
- Type: American Porter
- ABV: 6.6%
- Brewery: Walnut River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Oktoberfest

- Rating: 3.84 (13 ratings)
- Type: Märzen
- ABV: 5.7%
- Brewery: Walnut River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. HighBeam IPA

- Rating: 3.71 (25 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.7%
- Brewery: Walnut River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Time Portal Breakfast Brown

- Rating: 3.70 (20 ratings)
- Type: American Brown Ale
- ABV: 6.4%
- Brewery: Kansas Territory Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. Gutch English Style Mild Ale

- Rating: 3.78 (60 ratings)
- Type: English Pale Mild Ale
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Defiance Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Kaw River Roller

- Rating: 4.04 (10 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.6%
- Brewery: Fields & Ivy Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Mass Hysteria Rye

- Rating: 3.80 (19 ratings)
- Type: Rye Beer
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Warbeard Irish Red

- Rating: 3.83 (47 ratings)
- Type: Irish Red Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Walnut River Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Wizard Of Hops

- Rating: 3.93 (15 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Central Standard Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Dirty Kanza 200

- Rating: 3.84 (25 ratings)
- Type: Kölsch
- ABV: nan%
- Brewery: Free State Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Octoberfest

- Rating: 3.86 (144 ratings)
- Type: Märzen
- ABV: 5.4%
- Brewery: Free State Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Buffalo Sweat

- Rating: 3.88 (1,475 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Tallgrass Brewing Co. Tap House
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. V.6 IPA

- Rating: 3.90 (50 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Twisted Logik

- Rating: 3.91 (21 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Defiance Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Yakimaniac

- Rating: 3.94 (98 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.5%
- Brewery: Free State Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Standard Issue

- Rating: 4.29 (12 ratings)
- Type: Grisette
- ABV: 3.8%
- Brewery: Central Standard Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Shaven Yak

- Rating: 4.00 (22 ratings)
- Type: English Brown Ale
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria West
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Post Rock Pilsner

- Rating: 4.09 (25 ratings)
- Type: Czech / Bohemian Pilsner
- ABV: 5.6%
- Brewery: Free State Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Peach Contrails

- Rating: 4.43 (13 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Central Standard Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Fuzzy Knuckles

- Rating: 4.11 (85 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Defiance Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Awesomeness

- Rating: 4.27 (32 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Defiance Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Old Backus Barleywine

- Rating: 4.21 (264 ratings)
- Type: American Barleywine
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Free State Brewing Co.
- 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.

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