爆料TV

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, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans 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鈥攆or example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the . 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. compiled a list of the best beers from Kentucky using data from 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.

You may also like: Highest-earning counties in Kentucky

BeerAdvocate

1 / 30

#30. Papaw's Red

- Rating: 4.01 (17 ratings)
- Type: Imperial Red Ale
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

2 / 30

#29. McPoyle

- Rating: 3.93 (30 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

3 / 30

#28. Dynasty

- Rating: 3.99 (18 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.5%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

4 / 30

#27. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 3.96 (33 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

5 / 30

#26. Ya Damn S_ippy

- Rating: 4.09 (16 ratings)
- Type: American Porter
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Blue Stallion Brewing Co.
-

You may also like: Easy as pie: See the most uniquely popular pie in Kentucky

BeerAdvocate

6 / 30

#25. 35K

- Rating: 3.94 (748 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
-

BeerAdvocate

7 / 30

#24. You, me, & Mr. PB

- Rating: 4.02 (19 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 5.6%
- Brewery: Mirror Twin Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

8 / 30

#23. Power Chord

- Rating: 3.99 (24 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Gravely Brewing Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

9 / 30

#22. Low Beam

- Rating: 3.99 (25 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

10 / 30

#21. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Starter Coffee

- Rating: 4.16 (15 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
-

You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Kentucky

BeerAdvocate

11 / 30

#20. Kentucky Coffee Barrel Cream Ale

- Rating: 4.00 (40 ratings)
- Type: Cream Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

12 / 30

#19. Tropic Flare

- Rating: 4.01 (60 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

13 / 30

#18. Nothing Special

- Rating: 4.34 (13 ratings)
- Type: Rye Beer
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
-

BeerAdvocate

14 / 30

#17. Corruption

- Rating: 4.08 (22 ratings)
- Type: English Stout
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Wooden Cask Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

15 / 30

#16. Kentucky Maple Barrel Stout

- Rating: 4.03 (51 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
-

You may also like: Best NFL players born in Kentucky

BeerAdvocate

16 / 30

#15. Tropical Gose

- Rating: 4.23 (16 ratings)
- Type: Gose
- ABV: 4.5%
- Brewery: Ethereal Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

17 / 30

#14. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla

- Rating: 4.13 (21 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

18 / 30

#13. Pennyrile Pale Ale

- Rating: 4.05 (76 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

19 / 30

#12. Nate's Coffee Stout

- Rating: 4.07 (57 ratings)
- Type: American Stout
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

20 / 30

#11. Rico Sauvin

- Rating: 4.03 (770 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.2%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
-

You may also like: The Brine Boom: Pickles are popping off in grocery aisles in Kentucky

BeerAdvocate

21 / 30

#10. Knotty Pine

- Rating: 4.08 (56 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

22 / 30

#9. Heller Heaven Double IPA

- Rating: 4.06 (152 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

23 / 30

#8. Debaser

- Rating: 4.23 (19 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Gravely Brewing Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

24 / 30

#7. Snake Eyes Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.09 (90 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

25 / 30

#6. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout

- Rating: 4.10 (76 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
-

You may also like: Baldest states: See how Kentucky ranks for hair-loss medication prescriptions

BeerAdvocate

26 / 30

#5. NOMAH! (Scavenger Series - Northeast IPA)

- Rating: 4.25 (21 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

27 / 30

#4. Uncle Disheveled

- Rating: 4.32 (23 ratings)
- Type: American Stout
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

28 / 30

#3. London Balling

- Rating: 4.16 (467 ratings)
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 12.5%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
-

BeerAdvocate

29 / 30

#2. Snakes In A Barrel

- Rating: 4.28 (54 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

30 / 30

#1. Bo & Luke

- Rating: 4.25 (1,017 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
-

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

You may also like: Computer science has gone mainstream in US education, yet young women are still underrepresented in Kentucky