Punch

The No. 3 beer in the world was a doppelbock (Brauerei Aying’s Celebrator), an old-fashioned dark lager style you’d be hard-pressed to find at any hip beer bar today. At No. 5 was a Belgian-style strong ale via Quebec (Unibroue Don de Dieu) a dubbel (Chimay Red); in the teens, there were a couple of low-ABV oatmeal stouts (Rogue Shakespeare Stout at No. 11, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout at No. 13) and an ESB (Fuller’s ESB) at No While in 2001, only one IPA made the top-20 list—Otter Creek Hop Ottin’ at No. 20—today they account for 96 slots in the top 250 (24 IPAs, 61 double IPAs and 11 hop bombs like 3 Floyds Zombie Dust and Trillium Double Dry Hopped Fort Point Pale Ale, which are “pale ales” in name only). In April of 2010, I traveled down to Munster with a few beer bloggers I’d never met IRL for Dark Lord Day, 3 Floyds’ annual release of their then-vaunted imperial stout.

Most Popular: Wódka (4 nods) Praised for its value, Wódka works great in everything from a Bloody Mary to a Dry Martini to a vodka-soda, our respondents say. Evan Charest, corporate mixologist at the Stark Bar at the L. A. County Museum of Art, says Tito’s is “beloved by customers, handmade using old fashioned pot stills and a great neutral grain spirit. Ford’s (3 nods) Simon Ford’s namesake gin was designed for bartending and those who use it say Ford succeeded, crafting something super balanced and versatile. Most Popular: Evan Williams (7 nods) Matt Grippo, general manager of San Francisco’s Blackbird Bar, calls Evan Williams