The Seven Best Beers 2011

The Rate Beer Best Awards is one of the biggest beer competitions in the world. Breweries from all across the globe compete for a spot in one of the many categories laid out for the different brews. From pale lagers to English style bitters, from stouts to sour ales, the awards have a category for just about anything! Bringing the last year to an end, the awards have been given and the best beers for 2011 have been announced!

Since the awards are very extensive, not all the brews can be listed. Instead, these are the #1 beers in some of the most popular categories:

1) Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - It is no surprise that one of the number one brews in the world hails from Germany. This creamy, rich, and faintly smoky drink is a strong lager that everyone is sure to love!

2) Cigar City Cubano Style Espresso Brown Ale - Only the USA can come up with a "new-fangled" beer such as this and make sure it comes out on top. The ale is aged on aged on whole beans from coffee mills, particularly the Naviera Coffee Mills, giving it a very distinct flavor.

3) Fantome Saison - Fruity beers were quite popular this past year, and this Belgium brew was likely to be the best of them all. Fizzy, citrus, and sour, while still having a freshness that only fruit can bring, this was definitely a favorite!

4) Narke Kaggen Stormaktsporter - This stout is blended with heather honey to add a unique and delicious touch to the Swedish concoction. Number one in its category, it's reminiscent of mead, but not quite.

5) New Glarus Two Women Lager - Made in the Bavarian style with Bohemian malts and German hops, yet still distinctly American, this pale lager was at the top of all lists!

6) New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red - Another fruit beer, but this time from the USA, this specialty beer was brewed with roasted barley, cherries and wheat. A thick brew yet relatively mild, it is great for those who appreciate fruit undertones.

7) Russian River Pliny the Younger - Proving that the USA can easily take center stage at these competitions, Pliny the Younger is dry hopped four different times. Put in a unique bottle, and this wonderful brew gives you a fantastic drinking experience!

The past year was definitely great for the beer drinking world, but it does remind most that there is just more to look forward to in 2012. Brewers are predicting that prices will rise due to the rising cost of barley. We are also going to see more canned brews as bottles take a backseat for a while. On the non-production aspect of things, experts are predicting that 2012s beers will be less sour and have fewer wood and/or fruit tones. Craft beers will increase to the point that it will become one of the staple drinks of the year, and nano-breweries, which focus on small production but high quality, will be springing up everywhere. With the way things are going, it is very likely that the best beers of 2012 will find a few newcomers to the scene.