Here are my favorite beers from 2023

These aren't necessarily the best beers I had this past year, but they are the most memorable.

If 2022 was a year of transition, 2023 was a year filled with challenges, victories, and lots of memorable moments featuring a surly toddler.

(Parenthood is the wildest thing I’ve ever experienced. Like, most of the time I’m crazy tired, but then you find yourself constantly smiling, laughing, and shaking your head, because this headstrong little weirdo is doing the dumbest and most incredible things all within the span of a few minutes. Heartily recommended btw.)

Like years past, this list isn’t about the most amazing beers I had in 2023. Instead, it’s the ones I remember fondly under the right circumstances, surrounded by the right people. This list is about memorializing some of the highlights of 2023. It just so happens that many of those memories involve beer, particularly due to some incredible events and moments of intense introspection.

Before we move forward, I want to make sure to mention my wife, Cassie, who continues to be the best partner and the most incredible mother. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this, to juggle all of life’s responsibility, without her constant support and encouragement.

Also, I’ve got to thank each and every one of you. Without the support of subscribers and sponsors, this work wouldn’t exist. I am having so much fun telling stories and sharing insights. I am very excited to see what pops up in 2024. Expect another year of weirdness, excitement, and beer.

Miller High Life (pony-sized), Jan. 16

During this year, I really started to appreciate the macro classics more and more. Sure, I’ve always loved Genesee and Coors Banquet beer. I also enjoyed Miller High Life quite a few times year, including this instance in January where I enjoyed the stubby glass bottle format quite a bit. This probably isn’t a controversial take, but it’s fair to state that lagers just taste better out of a glass bottle. I’m not entirely sure why.

Counterpart Brewing Chaos barrel-aged stout, Feb. 19

If you’ve followed this newsletter for a bit, you know how much I love Counterpart Brewing (Niagara Falls, Ontario). I invited them to the Expo in June, where they poured their beer for the first time in the U.S. We actually arranged that connection when I checked into this beautiful blended barrel-aged imperial stout on Untappd. Counterpart was the last brewery I invited to the Expo. (I’m excited to sit down in the next week or two and plot out my brewery wish list for 2024.) Counterpart slayed at the Expo, bringing a mix of barrel-aged beers, hazy IPAs, and fruited sours. This year, Counterpart emerged as my favorite producer of barrel-aged stouts. The beers are elegant and old school. They stand as an expression of the hearty base beer and the barrel. They don’t get lost in a sea of adjuncts or cross into that sugary world of dessert beers (which I do, still, enjoy quite a bit).

Celestial Beerworks Triple Stars triple IPA, May 31

Sometimes I just want a beer to kick my ass. On those occasions, I generally grab a triple IPA. The best ones are surprisingly balanced and feature tempered sweetness. Celestial Beerworks (Dallas, Texas) was one of my favorite new discoveries in 2023. James Hilbert and the crew from One Stop Brew Shop in Greece brought Celestial into our market for the first time. James was raving about Celestial before they even dropped any beer here, saying that they produced some of the best hazy IPAs he’s ever had. When James recommends something, you listen. Celestial makes incredible beer and I was so ecstatic to feature them at the Expo in June.

On a personal note, here’s a quick appreciation post for One Stop: James rules. He runs one of Rochester’s best curated bottle shops. He was also an incredible partner for the Expo. He’s so low key and laidback. There’s never any pressure from him. I made the easy decision to let James have his own area at the Expo. (Section B represent!) It was a no-brainer. James and his team brought nearly 10 breweries to the Expo and they poured some of the best beers at the event. If they’re amenable, we’ll probably do that in 2024. It’s just a reminder to celebrate good friends and give them a hearty pat on the back when they kick ass.

Old Thunder cask mild and flagship IPA, June 7

Planning and plotting the Rochester Real Beer Expo was a time-consuming endeavor. That wasn’t a surprise. It was also incredibly rewarding (and showed me the value of remaining organized). Old Thunder Brewing (Blawnox, Pennsylvania) was one of my favorite breweries at the Expo. Connecting with the Old Thunder crew demonstrated the beauty of the whole process. I got to meet some really awesome people and then introduce the Rochester area to some of my favorite breweries. My buddy Zach and I visited the Pittsburgh area a few days before the Expo. We stopped at Old Thunder and were blown away by the grace of the beers — here were classic styles done exceedingly well in an environment that embraced community. I mean, where else are you gonna enjoy a hand-pulled English-style mild ale? I can’t wait to visit again.

Cinderlands Beer Lil’ Cinder Lime light lager, June 7

I can’t even begin to express how much I enjoyed spending 36 hours in Pittsburgh. June 7 was a great day. Zach and I visited three breweries (we also went to Dancing Gnome in Sharpsburg). Pittsburgh is a great beer city. Off the top of my head, I can name at least seven breweries that are among the best I’ve visited, if not the best in the country. We went to Pittsburgh to go to a really great metal show from Yob and Cave In. It was at Spirit, a former Moose Lodge in the city’s Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood. After uber-ing over to Spirit, we had a little time to kill, so we enjoyed a stovepipe of a Lil’ Cinder Lime, an incredible light lager from Cinderlands Beer. It just hit the spot and was a perfect pre-show beer. And like Old Thunder, Cinderlands also poured at the Expo, marking the first time each poured in upstate New York. It’s my goal to have even more Pittsburgh representation at Expo ‘24.

Genny Light, June 10

If you’ve attended a fair number of beer festivals, you know that brewers will always bring beers for other industry folks to enjoy. Genesee Light stands as a favorite among brewers. Some of the brewers even joked that we should have a half barrel of Genny Light for the industry folks to enjoy at the Expo. Maybe we’ll do that next year. When Jake Dummer, co-owner/brewer at Knucklehead, handed me an ice cold GL before the Expo, I happily accepted and I swear it tasted even better in the VIP attendee glassware. Genny Light is never not good, but sometimes it hits just right. This was one of those occasions.

Mortalis/Swiftwater Luau, July 8

I am kinda ashamed to admit that until this year I had never attended the Mortalis/Swiftwater Luau. The calendar just never fell right. When I saw I would be able to attend this year, I was ecstatic. And when Andy Cook from Swiftwater asked if I could volunteer to pour, I knew it would be an awesome opportunity to meet so many cool brewery folks. (And it was!) I got to pour for Woven Water Brewing (Tampa, Fla.) and then got to sample an insane assortment of some of the weirdest and most creative beers I’ve ever had. Plus, the Robach Community Center at Charlotte Beach is an incredible venue. Kudos to the Swiftwater and Mortalis crews to continuing to push the envelope locally and thanks to them for inviting so many breweries we’d never get to have here otherwise.

Coniston Brewing Bluebird Bitter, Aug. 12

Albany’s Delaware Supply is my favorite bar in New York state. It’s the kind of place the Rochester scene really lacks after the 2021 closure of Tap and Mallet. Del Sup co-owners Colin and Lauren curate one of the best beer lists I’ve ever seen. It’s focused and filled with classics and other sessionable beauties. It’s one of the few places you can go and find multiple farmhouse ales or smoked lagers or any other esoteric styles. It’s truly a gem. And it’s the kind of place where conservation is encouraged, especially among strangers. I try to visit Del Sup every time we visit Cassie’s family in Albany. Colin and Lauren have introduced me to a ton of different breweries and classics. That list includes Coniston Brewing’s Bluebird Bitter, a textbook English bitter (clocking in at 3.6 percent, too). I’ve never seen it on draft anywhere outside of Del Sup. So when Colin told me it was drinking exceptionally well on this random night in August, I happily dove in.

Bellwoods Brewery Jutsu pale ale, Aug. 19

Parenthood has taught me to appreciate those little moments of beauty. I swear, my son picks up something new every day. It’s so wild. Audie’s nightly bath time has turned into a perfect time to enjoy a beer while he is splish, splashin’ away. Bellwoods Brewery, out of Toronto, remains my favorite brewery on the planet. I’ve made some incredible friends through Bellwoods. (Hi Nick, Gord, and Alyssa!) Jutsu, the brewery’s flagship, is a beer I first experienced more than a decade ago and it remains perfect. Every time it’s in my hand or in my glass, it’s a total treat.

Fox Farms Brewery Tines Märzen lager, Sept. 9

Sept. 9 was a magical day. Cass and I got to enjoy a kid-free weekend thanks to my incredible in-laws. (It’s such a blessing to have two incredible sets of grandparents locally, as well as my kick-ass sister.) We drove to Rhode Island to experience the 20th anniversary tour of Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service playing their best-known albums in full (Transatlanticism and Give Up). It was one of the coolest concerts I’ve ever been to — so much nostalgia and memories from those classics. Before we made our way to the University of Rhode Island, we made a stop at Fox Farm Brewing in Connecticut. It’s a place that all beer lovers need to experience at least once. It’s so pastoral and serene. Plus, the beers are world class. On this trip, I got to enjoy an amazing barrel-aged imperial stout, a delicately funky farmhouse ale, and a hearty Märzen-style lager poured on cask.

This year was wild. I’m guessing 2024 might be, too. I’m excited (and slightly scared) to see what it has in store.