50 States of Beer: Find a Cold One Near You!
Beer: it's as American as baseball and burgers, but there's way more choices out there than Bud and Bud Light. Every state in the nation is bursting with small breweries coming up with new ways to quench your thirst (watermelon or blackberry beer, anyone?). This summer, crack open a cold one from a craft brewery near you - or try one of these suggestions.
By Casey Barber
1. Alabama
Back Forty's Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale uses wildflower honey from Mobile, Alabama's most productive bees, adding local sweetness to the malty brown brew. Find it and Back Forty's other signature brews throughout the state.
2. Alaska
Since 1995, Midnight Sun in Anchorage has been bottling beers like the crowd-pleasing Kodiak Brown Ale, a hearty beer that matches the meatiness of grilled burgers and ribs. It's available throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
3. Arizona
In sun-drenched Arizona, you better know how to make a beer that goes down easy, and Four Peaks does just that with Sunbru, a light and delicately flavored ale. It's almost unbeatable straight from the tap on a 100-degree July day.
4. Arkansas
The first production brewery in Little Rock in more than 15 years, family-owned Diamond Bear brews a classic English pale ale that's as crisp as the water (filtered from neighboring Lake Winona and Maumelle) that goes into the beer.
5. California
A seasonal beer that's only in stores from April through September, 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon Wheat has real watermelon added to the brewing process for an unusual, iced tea-like flavor that even non-beer fans will love.
Click for 45 more state beers.
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