Wrapping up the year with the best in beer
For the final installment of Belt’s Beer Garden, I go over the best beers of the year.
In 2024, I was able to try 834 new beers, an increase of 82 beers from last year’s total of 752 beers, bringing my total to 8131 unique beers since I started keeping track in 2014.
However, I have noticed my tastes shifting and myself drinking a lot more styles of beer…so this year I don’t just have the two categories – hoppy and not-hoppy – but instead I have three.
For this year’s best in beer, I have my top-10 hoppy beers as usual but I have broken down the not-hoppy category even further in to “lagers” (light lagers, pilsners, etc.) and “dark beers” (stouts, porters, strong ales, etc.) to showcase the 30 best beers of 2024.
So let’s jump right in!
*NOTE 1: just because the beer is on this list doesn’t mean it was first brewed in 2024, just that I had it for the first time this year*
*NOTE 2: all images taken from the breweries Instagram page or by myself, unless otherwise noted*
TOP OF THE HOP: TOP 10 HOPPY BEERS
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Tang, from Trap Door Brewing, was featured here on Belt’s Beer Garden back in January and the full write up can be found here.
Eredità Beer is another brewery that I found early in the year and, while I didn’t review Diligence, I did write up a review of another one of their hazies – Over Zealous – which can be found here.
And 3 Sons’ All Star Nelson’s full write up can be found here.
5. Fields of Green (Zelda) – Fort George Brewery, Astoria, OR
4. Higher Mindset – Onsite Brewing, Anchorage, AK
Full write up can be seen here.
3. Ghost Bird Sings – Bizarre Brewing, Seattle, WA
Full write up can be seen here.
2. All Day Cenote – Millpond Brewing, Millstadt, IL
1. Pull Tabs – BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN
Full write up can be seen here.
TOP 10 LAGERS OF 2024
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My review of Paperweight Pilsner, from Corporate Ladder, can be found here.
Frequency Lager was also reviewed back in August and can be read here.
And Imagine Nation’s Eras was also fully reviewed back in June and can be seen here.
5. Table Beer – Woods Beer & Wine, San Francisco, CA
4. Ed – Bad Idea Brewing, Columbia, TN
3. Dolores – Living Häus Beer, Portland, OR
Last week’s beer. Full write up here.
2. Dragonfruit Blonde – Dokkaebier, Oakland, CA
Image from Instagram user @first_round_on_me
1. Solar Wave – Fait la Force, Nashville, TN
Full write up from October can be found here.
TOP 10 DARK BEERS OF 2024
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5. Speculoos Cookie Butter – WeldWerks Brewing, Greeley, CO
4. BA Henna: Coconut Double Rainbow – More Brewing, Villa Park, IL
3. Barrel Aged First Catch of the Day – Riverlands Brewing, St. Charles, IL
2. El Jefe Con Leche – 4 Noses Brewing, Denver, CO
1. Second Breakfast – Imagine Nation, Missoula, MT
By far the best dark beer of the year. The full write up from April can be found here.