Other Half is turning 10. So it felt like a prime time to rank my all-time favorite OH beers.

The Brooklyn-based brewery known for its hazy IPAs and collaborations has expanded wildly over the last decade.

In the past 10 years (well, really about nine or so since I was introduced to the brewery), I’ve probably drank more Other Half beer than any other brewery.

(I figure Bellwoods and Genesee would round out the top 3.)

Checking my Untappd stats from 2023, yeah, it’s a lot. (Shoutout to my buddy Andy Holtz for the first introduction to OH during one of my early bartending shifts at Swiftwater.)

It’s wild that this craft pioneer is turning 10 in the coming weeks. What a weird, exciting, and turbulent time it has been for craft beer. While other regional breweries are struggling, Other Half is growing and thriving. I’ve officially lost track of how many locations it now operates. (I think it’s at eight and will soon be nine, but I could be very wrong there. And by the time you read this, OH will probably have another spot or two to push its wildly impressive portfolio of hazy beers.)

So I thought it would be a fun time to look back on 10 years of growth and transformation for OH by ranking my 10 favorites and reminiscing on some of the greatest hits I’d love to see return in the future.

Personally, I don’t think any brewery has had a bigger impact on my life than OH. From the friends I’ve made, to the process of helping arrange the iconic OH-Genesee collaboration with the Genny Dream Ale, to playing a small part in helping OH find a Rochester-area home, I am amazed by how personal story has really been entwined with this burgeoning craft behemoth from Brooklyn.

It’s really easy to root for good people doing fun and exciting things. And that’s precisely what Other Half has done for the last decade. Long known for its impressively large portfolio of hazy beers, the brewery has also helped uplift many, many important voices in the community with its focus on deserving diversity efforts and collaborations with breweries big and small across the globe.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you get the point. I love Other Half. So here’s a foolish undertaking, a ranking and appreciation for my favorite 10 OH beers over the last decade.

1. Suparillo and Forever Simcoe DIPAs (first seen way, way back): Early on, Other Half, almost weekly, released a rotating series of single hopped hazy beers. The labels, with the diagonal font in an array of different colors, became iconic. So the packaging was pretty revolutionary. But the beers were even more important, because they introduced to many, myself included, to new and different hop varietals. These beers were probably the first time I experienced hops like Galaxy, Equinox, Nelson Sauvin, and so many others. Because of OH, Amarillo and Simcoe still stand as my favorite hops. And these single hop DIPAs will forever be favorites. I really, really hope Suparillo resurfaces. It’s always nice when Forever Simcoe makes its infrequent return.

2. Mouthful of Diamonds (2019) and Front Range Daydream (2018) DIPAs: OH has worked with some of the best and most exciting breweries around the globe. And like the single hop beers, the brewery has introduced me to a ton of new breweries that were never on my radar. Mouthful, a Foam collab, and Front Range, a Weldwerks collab, just stand out as two of the best DIPAs I’ve ever had. Years later, I can still remember enjoying them. That says quite a bit.

3. Neighborhood Flock BA farmhouse ale (summer 2016): Before the FLX In Bloom wild ale series, OH made a bunch of really cool brett beers. And Neighborhood Flock was notable for two reasons: 1. It was the first beer I ever had with sumac (so bright and lemony!); 2. It was the first time I ever had a beer from Dan Suarez (that I knew about — I surely tried some of his creations from Hill Farmstead).

4. Something to Drink When All the IPA is Gone Helles lager(2017): Wait, Other Half made a delicious Helles lager years ago? Sure did. And it was a cheeky collab with Evil Twin and Bellwoods. Was this the best lager I ever had? No way. But I loved how the brewery was clearly having fun and poking fun at itself and its fans.

5. City Slickers IPA (2017): This one was a collab with Arizona Wilderness. And when I cracked open that first can, I remember thinking, “Whoa, what is this pink-hued hazy beer?” It’s the first time I can remember having a beer with prickly pear. It had a really lovely sweetness that was balanced out by the sharpness/tartness of the lemon zest.

6. Oat Overdose IPA (2016): This collab with Tired Hands was one of the first beers I can remember that trumpeted the use of oats in the mash. That led to a luxuriously smooth and creamy body.

7. Double Drupe (2018) adjuncted imperial stout: I know I had others before this one, but this stands as the most memorable pastry stout I had right at the onset of this trend/fad/phase. It’s a collab with pastry-master Horus and it featured coconut, toasted pecans, and toasted cacao nibs. Such a dreamy beverage.

8. Another Day in Paradise wild ale (2020): I was so, so hyped when OH started releasing beautifully terroir-driven wild ales from the FLX spot. This one was the first in the series from former OH head brewer Felipe Higgins and it still stands out for its delicate funk and tartness.

9. Smoke Screens + Oil Slicks (OG from 2016): Remember when imperial stouts weren’t sickly sweet sugar bombs? OH remembers. Once upon a time, OH released a series of otherworldly canned imperial stouts. Smoke Screens, a slightly smoked imperial stout, was among the first and the best. I would love to see it return. I miss purchasing four packs of canned imperial stouts.

10. Stay Wild, Moon Child adjuncted imperial porter (2019): This was another canned beauty from OH. A collab with Garage Project and Supermoon Bakehouse, it was a really memorable imperial porter with cacao nibs, banana, vanilla, almonds, and caramelized croissants. Like a lot of the others on this list, I hope it returns one day.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t tip my cap to some OH classics:

First Other Half beer enjoyed: Chardonnay Barrel Aged Veldridjen Love, a wine BA farmhouse ale, stands as the first time I experienced OH. And I enjoyed it on Nov. 26, 2014 (thanks Untappd). I always found it funny that the first OH beer I tried wasn’t something hoppy.

First Other Half hoppy beer enjoyed: Superfun! pale ale (enjoyed on Feb. 25, 2015).

First OH triple IPA enjoyed: All Green Everything (obviously).

First OH DIPA that blew my mind: Mylar Bags (but I am sure there are others I’m forgetting). I’ve labeled this one as Other Half brewmaster Sam Richardson’s masterpiece. Dude is a maestro with the hops and the thoughtful blend here stands as some of his most iconic work.

And now, let’s make this a conversation — what Other Half beers rule supreme for you and what others would you like to see return. I’d love to heat about them. Please let me know in the comments or via email at clevelandprost@gmail.com.