The 50 Best Beers in the World

Picking the world’s best beers is both the best and hardest job. There are more than 9,500 breweries in America, and tens of thousands of other breweries filling just about every continent. (There’s no brewery in Antarctica—yet.)

But after plenty of research—and, uh, drinking—we’ve settled on a list of 50 of the best beers that are readily available. We tried not to select one-off IPAs that are only sold at taprooms for two hours on a Tuesday. Instead, most of these beers have decent distribution, meaning you won’t have to book a plane ticket to tick these beers off your bucket list.

In the list of great beers, we’ve of course included IPAs, but also stouts, sour ales, amber ales, lagers, pilsners, barrel-aged beers, and more of the most common brews you’ll spot at your favorite beer bar or store. This will also serve as a primer to help answer some of the most popular questions like what is craft beer that pairs best with specific seasons, meals, and occasions?

How Do I Choose a Good Beer?

This list is a great start to locate some great beers. At liquor stores and bars, chat with the employees. Ask them what’s fresh and what they like best. Their opinions are important, but it’s your taste buds that matter most. If you don’t like a beer, it’s no big deal. There’s always something fresh and new to try in your search of the best-tasting beers.

Behold, the top 50 beer brands. Best get cracking (p.s. learn how to open a beer bottle without an opener if you're ever in a pinch)!

Best IPAs

Born in Britain during the 19th century, the hop-packed IPA has become modern American craft brewing’s favorite style of beer. If you're still unclear what exactly is IPA beer, this highlight reel covers everything from hazy IPAs to triple IPAs that top 10 percent ABV. There’s no limit to what brewers can create.

Style: Double IPA

Style: Hazy IPA

Style: IPA

Style: Double IPA

Style: IPA

Style: Double IPA

Style: IPA

Best Stouts and Porters

Dark and roasty porters and stouts, including the strong imperial versions, are excellent additions to any drinking arsenal. Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, while stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasted. These are some of the best beers to drink in winter.

Style: Porter

Style: Imperial stout

Style: Irish dry stout

Style: Milk stout

Best Belgian and Trappist-Style Beers

Farmhouse ales and monk-made dubbels, tripels, and quadrupels are among the brewing industry’s most revered beers.

Style: Saison

Style: Tripel

Style: Quadrupel

Style: Golden strong ale

Best Blonde Ales and Pale Ales

Fragrant pale ales, crowd-pleasing blonde ales, and Germany’s kölsch are great beers when you need plenty of cans for a party.

Style: Pale ale

Style: Pale ale

Style: Belgian pale ale

Style: Kölsch

Style: Pale ale

Best Wheat Beers

Wheat is the key ingredient in the Belgian-style witbier and German hefeweizen, creating easy-drinking hazy beers that are as smooth as the day is long.

Style: Hefeweizen

Style: Witbier

Style: Weizenbock

Style: Witbier

Style: Hefeweizen

Best Lagers, Pilsners, and Hybrids

When it comes to best-tasting beers, the world’s favorite kind is the crisp lager. We've cherry-picked lawnmower lagers, well-bittered pilsners, and hybrid lagers that play fast and loose with rules of fermentation.

Style: Helles lager

Style: California common

Style: Doppelbock

Style: Pilsner

Style: Pilsner

Style: Pilsner

Style: Cream ale

Best Amber and Brown Ales

Rich and flavorful, amber and brown ales are among the most food-friendly styles of beer you can buy.

Style: Brown ale

Style: Amber ale

Style: Brown ale

Best Barley Wines and Barrel-Aged Stouts

Strong, malt-rich barley wines and barrel-aged stouts are great beers to share with your drinking buddies.

Style: Barley wine

Style: Imperial stout

Style: Imperial stout

Style: Imperial stout

Style: Imperial stout

Best Wild and Sour Ales

Wild yeast and souring bacteria provide these best-tasting beers with unique flavors and aromas that help push the very boundaries of beer.

Style: Fruited sour ale

Style: Fruited sour ale

Style: Fruit lambic

Style: Flanders red ale

Style: Flanders oud bruin

Best Pumpkin and Christmas Beers

Every season is a reason to celebrate with a beer. Here are some of the world’s best reasons to crack a beer during Christmas and Halloween.

Style: Quadrupel

Style: Holiday beer

Style: Holiday beer

Style: Pumpkin ale

Style: Pumpkin ale