The Most Iconic Beer Of Every US State

Since the explosion of craft beer started in the 1980s, every state in the union now boasts a beer industry, from cozy brewpubs to massively popular microbreweries. We're still in the midst of an American beer heyday — no matter where you are in the United States, you can find an incredible array of locally-made beer. So what's the one most iconic beer that best represents each of the 50 states — beer that truly embodies its home state, one that's a must-drink for both locals and beer-curious travelers? 

We scoured beer forums, crunched production and sales numbers, and took interest in brew lovers around the country to put together this list. Each beer chosen is brewed within its state — although some are brewed in other locations as well. We tried to stick with independently-owned breweries, rather than mass-production brands, focusing on companies that truly celebrate their state, and those that have stuck around long enough to be considered local icons.

Good People Brewing has been in the craft beer business since 2008, no small feat in the state of Alabama, where the laws around alcoholic beverages had been incredibly restrictive since the days of Prohibition repeal. It's the oldest producing brewery in the state. 

Snake Handler is their high-octane double IPA. A BeerAdvocate fan describes it as, "One whopper of a beer."

goodpeoplebrewing.com
114 14th St. S., Birmingham, AL 35233 
(205)-286-2337

Alaskan Brewing's smoked porter is released every year just before winter. It's cellar-worthy, so you can lay it down for a decade or more. Upon its release in 1988, it was many Americans' introduction to the smoky German rauchbier style. 

This beer has been lauded with international awards. Its dark, rich yet drinkable style is perfect to get you through a frigid Alaskan winter.

alaskanbeer.com
5364 Commercial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 780-5912

Arizona Wilderness brewing is an obsessively local operation. Its recipes are inspired by the state's wild areas, and the ingredients for its beers are farmed and foraged almost exclusively within Arizona. 

In 2013, Wilderness was named best new brewery of the year by RateBeer.com. Refuge IPA is its flagship bitter brew made with Sinagua malt grown in-state, giving drinkers a true snapshot of Arizona.

azwbeer.com
Multiple locations
(480) 497-2739

Ozark Beer was the first brewery in Benton County, Arkansas after its residents voted in 2012 to no longer be a dry county. The BDCS — Barrel-Aged Double Cream Stout — is released by the brewery every year in winter, and locals race to get their hands on it. 

One Redditor said "... the best beer made in Arkansas." Learn more about stouts with our beginner's guide to the style.

ozarkbeercompany.com
109 N. Arkansas St., Rogers, AR 72756
(479) 636-2337

Russian River was started by a major corporation that later became independently owned. The original head brewer took over in 2003, but one thing that remained unchanged was the brand's number one beer: Pliny the Elder. 

This double IPA has been around since 1999 and hasn't waned in popularity since. Its successor, the rare Pliny the Younger, has a rabid cult following, but the Elder is the old standby, a true California classic.

russianriverbrewing.com
700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor, CA 95492
(707) 545-2337

Colorado has no shortage of breweries — when it comes to independent, innovative, and award-winning, props go to Left Hand Brewing. This employee-owned company was the first American brewery to bottle beer with nitrogen, for a creamier, smoother texture than traditional CO2-carbonated beer. 

The beloved milk stout is available in nitro bottles and cans, and if you like Guinness, it's one of our five stout recommendations to try instead. 

lefthandbrewing.com
1265 Boston Ave., Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 772-0258

New England Brewing Company, or NEBCO as it's familiarly known, has been making beer in Connecticut since 2001. The Sea Hag, their flagship brew, can be found almost anywhere in the state, and it's a solid, hop-forward IPA sure to please lovers of the style. One BeerAdvocate fan said, "Old school stuff, with resinous and piney notes, intense bitterness, and a wonderfully sticky mouthfeel." 

newenglandbrewing.com
175 Amity Road,
Woodbridge, CT 06525
(203) 387-2222

Since 1995, Dogfish Head has pushed the envelope with its unique beers. In 1999 it created a new type of IPA in which the hops were continuously added to the beer over 90 minutes, rather than being thrown in all together. Starting with the massive popularity of this 90 Minute IPA, the Delaware company became one of the most influential heavyweights in the industry.

dogfish.com
6 Cannery Village Center, Milton, DE 19968
(302) 684-1000

While Funky Buddha Brewery spent several years as part of the massive portfolio of Constellation Brands, it's now back in the hands of its original owners. Its Floridian beer, a German hefeweizen-style wheat ale, is the perfect brew for the Sunshine State: bright, tropical, and a little spicy. 

A reviewer on BeerAdvocate said this about the beer, "It's a drinkable beer that'll help you battle the Florida heat."

funkybuddha.com
1201 NE 38th St., Oakland Park, FL 33334
(954) 440-0046

While Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing is now part of a larger cannabis-focused parent company, they're still headquarted in Atlanta and run by the same folks who gave the brewery its start in 1997. The brand has never been shy about its connection to weed, and it's working for them — SweetWater's 420 ale is the best-selling of their brews. While 420 is now distributed around the world, it's still a favorite among locals and can be found almost everywhere in Georgia.

sweetwaterbrew.com
195 Ottley Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
(678) 679-1622

Maui Brewing is the largest craft brewery in the island state, and now they've started producing a portion of their beers on the mainland — understandable, given Hawaii's limited size and the logistics involved in shipping. 

They're committed to transparency regarding this production change, and are still a quintessentially Hawaiian company. The Hiwa coconut porter is a unique style that embodies the spirit of the islands.

mauibrewingco.com
Multiple locations
(808) 201-2337

Sockeye Brewing boasts that its Dagger Falls IPA is the best-selling craft beer in Idaho. The Boise brewery is the most awarded beer outfit in the state, having racked up multiple medals in beer competitions during its nearly three decades in business. 

This flagship brew is made with local ingredients, including Idaho pale malt and Idaho 7 hops. One BeerAdvocate reviewer said Dagger Falls IPA is "timeless and delicious."

sockeyebrew.com
12542 W Fairview Ave., Boise, ID 83713
(208) 322-5200

When Chicago brewery Half Acre released the Daisy Cutter pale ale in 2009, it took the city by storm. The brewers struggled to stay ahead of demand for the beer as it became a best-seller in bar after bar. 

To this day, the recipe for this Illinois brew hasn't changed (although some fun variants have been produced), and it still remains a popular everyday beverage for locals and visitors alike.

halfacrebeer.com
2050 W Balmoral Ave., Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 754-8488

Zombie Dust, dubbed an Undead Pale Ale by 3 Floyds Brewing, reigns supreme in Indiana, as well as on BeerAdvocate, where it has a perfect score of 100. The brewery's heavy metal branding isn't just a gimmick — they regularly collaborate with bands, and even put on an annual festival called Dark Lord Day which features a special beer release and live music. One BeerAdvocate fan said it's "... smooth, balanced, and flavorful."

3floyds.com
9750 Indiana Parkway, Munster, Indiana 46321
(219) 922-3565

Rocking a 99 out of 100 rating on BeerAdvocate, the Pseudo Sue pale ale comes out of Iowa's award-winning Toppling Goliath Brewing Company. Since its founding in 2009, Toppling Goliath has become a juggernaut of the midwestern craft beer scene. 

While its limited-release Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout may get more headlines, it's the solely Citra-hopped Pseudo Sue that's the brewery's mainstay beer. It's launched an entire line of variations, from the King Sue double IPA to the citrusy Summer Sue.

tgbrews.com
1600 Prosperity Rd., Decorah, IA 52101
(563) 387-6700

In 1989, after years of pressuring the state government to relax its alcohol laws, Chuck Magerl founded Free State, the first brewery in Kansas to open its doors since Prohibition.

Copperhead pale ale has remained one of their most popular beers, made in a classic pale ale style with a balance of hops and malt. A fan on BeerAdvocate says it has, "Balance, boldness, bitterness all supremely dialed in."

freestatebrewing.com
636 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas 66044
(785) 843-4555

Bourbon's not the only drink worth exploring in the Bluegrass State — there are more than 100 craft breweries in operation as of 2024. Many Kentucky brewers utilize the state's signature spirit in their beer recipes. 

One example is Bo & Luke — an imperial stout from Against the Grain — made from smoked barley, rye, and corn (the same base ingredients used to make bourbon), and aged in barrels from legendary label Pappy Van Winkle. The result is a beer that's pure Kentucky.

atgbrewery.com
401 E Main St., Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 515-0174

Abita is Louisiana's oldest craft brewery, and one of the largest in the entire region. While Abita makes some fun brews, the mainstay beer that's stood the test of time is the amber lager. Its crisp lager character makes it a refreshing sipper on a hot day, and its malty backbone lends it enough sweetness to pair with spicy Cajun and Creole cuisines. 

abita.com
21084 Hwy 36, Covington, LA 70433
(985) 893-3143

Allagash Brewing's influence on the American craft beer movement cannot be overstated. Inspired by Belgian witbiers, a centuries-old wheat-based style, Allagash white was released in 1995 to a confused Mainer public who didn't know what to make of this hazy, spicy, citrusy brew. It took a while, but eventually the beer found its audience, and now you see Belgian-inspired craft beers being made everywhere in the country.

allagash.com
50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
(800) 330-5385

Heavy Seas is so Maryland, they once brewed a limited edition beer in honor of Orioles legend Cal Ripken, Jr. Their classic brew is the Loose Cannon IPA. Its release in 2005 became so popular, the whole brand shifted around it.

This brew won a national title in the IPA category at the United States Beer Tasting Competition in 2024. According to a BeerAdvocate reviewer, it's an IPA that "punches above its weight class."

hsbeer.com
4615 Hollins Ferry Rd., Halethorpe, MD 21227
(410) 247-7822

Harpoon, under the name Mass. Bay Brewing, was issued a brewing permit in Massachusetts in 1986, and since 1993 this IPA has been its flagship. While the company has locations scattered throughout New England, most Harpoon is brewed in the Bay State.

The IPA from Harpoon came on the scene during a growing fandom of hoppy ales, and it still stands as a classic example of the style. A Reddit fan calls it "... a historic staple."

harpoonbrewery.com
306 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 02210
(617) 456-2322

While Bell's is now owned by beverage megabrand Kirin, a sale which rubbed some fans of the craft brand the wrong way, it still brews its beers in Michigan and remains the state's largest brewery. Its Two Hearted IPA first appeared in 1997, and has been the brand's best seller since 2013. To say this beer is well-loved may be an understatement – this Redditor fan said, "Bells 2 hearted is the greatest IPA of all time."

bellsbeer.com
355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 382-2332

Summit is the second-largest brewery in Minnesota, and still maintains its independence. Its extra pale ale has been showered with awards since its inception in 1986. In a Reddit thread discussing the best Minnesota beers of 2024, one user simply commented, "It don't get no better." 

summitbrewing
910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 265-7800

The craft beer scene is fairly new in Mississippi due to decades of hyper-restrictive alcohol laws, and even today there are just over 20 breweries in the state. Since 2013, one of these trailblazing breweries has been Southern Prohibition, named one of the top brewpubs in the country by USA Today. The brand's most popular brew, Crowd Control imperial IPA, has been called "liquid gold" by one Redditor. 

soprobrewing.com
301 Mobile St., Hattiesburg, MS 39401
(601) 602-4871

Schlafly is a St. Louis institution, opening its doors in 1991 as the first independent craft brewery in the state of Missouri. The founders of the company had to fight tooth and nail to get some of the state's laws changed in order to do business, paving the way for more breweries to follow suit. The English-style pale ale, made in a classic mellow style, is what put Schlafly on the beer map, and folks are still enjoying the brew today. 

schlafly.com
Multiple locations
(314) 241-2337

Since 1995, Big Sky has been crafting beers in Montana, and they remain the state's largest brewery. Moose Drool brown ale was one of the first three beers the brand released. The brew is memorable because of its goofy name, but the beer is no joke — the beautifully balanced brown ale is popular throughout Montana and beyond.

bigskybrew.com
5417 Trumpeter Way, Missoula, MT 59808
(406) 549-2777

Nebraska Brewing has hit some tumultuous times and announced that the company is restructuring, but they're still churning out plenty award-winning beers, like the classic Cardinal Pale Ale. This brew is bedazzled with medals from beer competitions at home and abroad, and it's been a staple of the brewery that started in 2007. 

nebraskabrewingco.com
6950 South 108th St., La Vista, NE 68128
(402) 934-7988

Great Basin touts themselves as the most award-winning brewery in Nevada, and they've racked up plenty of accolades since the company's inception in 1993. There's nothing gross about the brewery's Icky IPA: Icky is short for ichthyosaur, the state fossil of Nevada.

Icky has been part of Nevada's local beer scene for ages. A BeerAdvocate drinker said, "A good solid IPA that is a local brew for me, and I consider it to be the best IPA in the area."

greatbasinbrewingco.com
Multiple locations
(775) 284-7711

New Hampshire's most recognizable icon was the Old Man of the Mountain, a face-like granite formation that fell due to natural erosion many years ago. The legend lives on in the state's culture, as exhibited by local brewery Stoneface, which was named after the landmark.

The brand's most popular beer is its flagship IPA, a classic New England style hoppy brew that accounts for the bulk of Stoneface's sales – an impressive feat in the state that drinks the most alcohol per capita in the United States.

stonefacebrewing.com
436 Shattuck Way, Newington, NH 03801
(603) 427-9801

Since 2011 Kane Brewing has been making beers with a New Jersey bent, using local ingredients whenever possible. You're not likely to find Kane beers outside of New Jersey, as they're meant to be enjoyed close to the source — the brewery controls its own distribution to keep their beers fresh. Head High IPA is the brand's most popular beer. One Reddit fan said, "The quintessential NJ craft beer."

kanebrewing
1750 Bloomsbury Ave., Ocean, NJ 07712
(732) 922-8600

When supply chain disruptions like the 2020 pandemic occur, breweries scramble, and New Mexico's La Cumbre was no different. A can shortage resulting from people drinking more at home forced the company to focus on filling those cans with the beer people wanted most — the brand's gold medal-winning Elevated IPA. 

La Cumbre fans are grateful the brewery kept Elevated in production, including many BeerAdvocate users who have showered this brew with compliments. "This brew is flat out tremendous!" raved one fan. 

lacumbrebrewing.com
3313 Girard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
(505) 872-0225

New York state boasts more than 500 breweries, with many beers that can be considered iconic. No one can argue that Utica Club's signature pilsener lager is a compelling part of New York's history. Francis Xavier Matt, after whom the modern brewery is still named, began distributing Utica Club after midnight when the 21st amendment went into effect, making it the first beer in the country to be poured post-Prohibition (legally, anyway).

The no-frills American adjunct lager is a classic example of the style. "It's pretty much what I think of when someone says 'beer,'" said one Reddit fan.

saranac.com/our-beverages
830 Varick Street, Utica, NY 13502
(315) 624-2399

A vibrant craft beer scene exists in the hills of Asheville, North Carolina, largely due to the pioneering spirit of Oscar Wong, who founded Highland Brewing there in 1994. The brand calls its Gaelic Ale "Asheville's First Beer." As one BeerAdvocate user put it, "This is one of the first craft beers I ever had and it's still excellent today." 

highlandbrewing.com
12 Old Charlotte Highway, Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 299-3370

Sparsely-populated North Dakota has around 20 breweries in the state, and of those precious few, Drekker is the largest. While they brew some beer in Florida to help satiate demand, they remain headquartered in Fargo. The Drekker team markets itself as "weirdos," but their popular Ectogasm IPA is fairly down-to-earth, a solid example of the hazy, hoppy style.

drekkerbrewing.com
1666 1st Ave. N, Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 532-0506

Great Lakes is an Ohio staple, the oldest craft brewery in the state, in operation since 1988. While there's lots of tasty Great Lakes brews, it's the Edmund Fitzgerald porter that garners raves and speaks to the region's history.

This porter is named for an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck, but the beer is anything but a disaster — considered by many beer drinkers to be a premium example of the style.

greatlakesbrewing.com
2516 Market Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 771-4404

It's taken Oklahoma a long time to come around to modernizing its liquor laws, so the beer scene is fairly new. Despite these obstacles, Prairie Artisan Ales has been brewing beer since 2012. And it was in 2016 that Krebs Brewing Co. bought Prairie.  

The Bomb! is a stout brewed with chili, vanilla, coffee, and cocoa, and Prairie touts it as "the beer that started it all." With a score of 99, BeerAdvocate users agree it's something special.

prairieales.com
3 NE 8th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73104
(405) 602-0894

Deschutes, brewing in Oregon since 1988, has been a trailblazer of the craft beer revival, and Black Butte porter was one of their first beers. It's a testament to the quality of this brew that it remains popular and unchanged after so many decades.

One poster on BeerAdvocate describes it as, "Phenomenal. Absolutely delicious." Deschutes releases special barrel-aged versions of the Black Butte, too, for a higher-octane experience.

deschutesbrewery.com
Multiple locations
(541) 385-8606

Touted as the most popular IPA in Pennsylvania and the best-selling craft beer of any style in the state, the Perpetual IPA from Tröegs showcases what this brewery does best. Started by two brothers in 1997, Tröegs has grown into a juggernaut in the craft beer world by respecting tradition, while also pushing forward with experimentation and never resting on their laurels. This flagship brew is aptly named, given its solid reputation and popularity.

troegs.com
200 E. Hershey Park Dr., Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 534-1297

Around 40 breweries are packed snugly into Rhode Island, but one towers above them all: Narragansett. In the brand's century-plus existence, it's changed hands and locations more than a few times, but is now proudly produced (mostly) in its new Providence facility. 

Gansett, as locals call the flagship beer, is a simple American adjunct lager that's practically synonymous with Rhode Island. As one Redditor put it, "It's just a crispy Lager. Enjoy it."

narragansettbeer.com
271 Tockwotton St., Providence, RI 02903
(401) 437-8970

Westbrook's Mexican Cake is based on a recipe that the founders of the South Carolina brewery made for their own wedding. An imperial stout brewed with cinnamon, cocoa, vanilla, and habanero, it's released once a year to celebrate the brewery's birthday, and beer fans both local and from afar clamor to get their hands on some.

First released in 2011 one year after the brewery opened, Mexican Cake still has a hold on beer aficionados. One BeerAdvocate said, "A complex brew almost in a category of its own."

westbrookbrewing.com
510 Ridge Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 654-9114

Started in 2007 in picturesque Spearfish, Crow Peak became South Dakota's first brewery to distribute in the state in more than 60 years. The company has grown quite a bit since then, distributing beers like its popular Pile O' Dirt porter throughout South Dakota and the surrounding states.

The Pile O' Dirt is one of the brewery's three standard year-round offerings. A BeerAdvocate reviewer called it "a solid Robust Porter" with another saying it has "good complexity and progression of flavor." 

crowpeakbrewing.com
125 West Highway 14, Spearfish, SD
(605) 717-0006

Started in 2003, Yazoo was the first production brewery to open in Nashville since prohibition. Even then, laws still prohibited high-alcohol beers from being made, so in order to brew imperial beers like Sue, Yazoo had to get a distillery license. 

It paid off, as Sue won silver in 2010 at the Great American Beer Festival, the year after it was first brewed. It's a "top tier smoked porter," according to one BeerAdvocate fan.

yazoobrew.com/taproom
900 River Bluff Dr., Madison, TN 37115
(615) 891-4649

Despite you can now find Shiner beer everywhere, it's still made at the same brewery in Shiner, Texas where it started its life in 1913. While the brand makes other styles and seasonal offerings, it's the bock that most people know as the classic Shiner beer and the iconic brew of Texas. 

This century-plus-old beer is still winning awards, and maintains a fiercely loyal fanbase among Texans. As one Redditor put it, "Texan bias but if I could only drink one beer for the rest of my life it would be Shiner bock."

shiner.com
603 E Brewery St., Shiner, TX 77984
(361) 594-3852

Utah is another place where restrictive laws have hampered the development of alcohol industries, yet somehow breweries like Templin Family — T.F., for short — have found a way to thrive. Limits on high gravity beers have spurred brewers to be creative with lower-alcohol styles, and T.F.'s Granary Kellerbier is perhaps the best example.

This pilsner has earned multiple awards, and is a stellar example of the classic German style. One BeerAdvocate user says, "At 4% you wonder how they pack so much flavor into this."

tfbrewing.com
936 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(385) 270-5974

In 2004, Vermont-based The Alchemist introduced the Heady Topper, a hazy double IPA that's "a masterclass in juicy, dank, balanced chaos," according to one Redditor. The beer was a nearly instant hit, and over two decades later, boasts a perfect 100 score on BeerAdvocate.

The Alchemist remains determined to keep their beers close to the source for ultimate freshness, so you'll have a hard time finding their beloved brew too far from Vermont. If you're in the area, keep your eyes peeled.

alchemistbeer.com
100 Cottage Club Rd., Stowe, VT 05672
(802) 253-6708

The oldest currently operating brewery in the greater D.C. area, Port City has racked up plenty of awards for its brews over the years, including a gold medal at the 2024 World Beer Cup for its Optimal Wit, a bright Belgian-style ale made with all Virginia-grown wheat.

"It's objectively one of the top Wits in the world," states one Redditor. It's got the hardware to prove them right. 

portcitybrewing.com
3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304
(703) 797-2739

With more than 400 breweries operating in the state of Washington, choosing one iconic beer seems unfair, but it's easy to make the case for Fremont's B-Bomb. Released annually, this whiskey barrel-aged winter brew has won awards nearly every year of the past few decades. The rarity and price tag make this a tough one to get ahold of, but fans encourage people to grab it if they find it. 

fremontbrewing.com
Multiple locations
(206) 420-2407

Big Timber is the leading craft beer producer in West Virginia, rolling out brews from its Appalachian site since 2014. The brand's porter won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Fest in 2022, the first-ever beer from the state to take home a prize from the prestigious competition. 

It's won more awards since, bringing worldwide attention to the West Virginia's small craft beer community. The porter's success is no surprise to some, like this BeerAdvocate user who says it's, "Hands down at the top of my Mount Rushmore of beers."

bigtimberbrewing.com
2 Davis Ave., Elkins, WV 26241
(304) 637-5008

Unless you live in Wisconsin, you've probably never heard of New Glarus. It's one of the state's top-producing breweries,but they only distribute inside Wisconsin's borders. Spotted Cow makes up the bulk of the brewery's production and can be found in just about every beer joint in the Badger State.

While the brew defies easy description — New Glarus calls it a farmhouse ale, some say it's more of a cream ale — its statewide popularity can't be denied.

newglarusbrewing.com
218 Hoesly Dr., New Glarus, WI 53574
608-527-5850

Snake River is the oldest brewery in Wyoming, having opened its doors in 1994 in Jackson Hole. Many of their beers have won awards, but it's the Zonker stout that can't seem to stop garnering medals. 

The roasty brew inspired one BeerAdvocate user to wax poetic, describing it as, "Nuanced, varied, and a bit mysterious."

snakeriverbrewing.com
265 South Millward St., Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 739-2337