The total number of breweries in the U.S. might be at a temporary plateau, but the quality of what those breweries are serving is only getting better. Around the country, craft brewers keep pushing the boundaries to achieve new flavors, developing hitherto unknown ways to pack the most refreshment possible into a single glass.
Beer professionals on either side of the bar carefully follow who’s doing what — and have strong opinions about which beer makers you should keep an eye on going forward. So we asked 20 professionals — writers, photographers, beer sommeliers, beer competition judges, and others — for their picks on the breweries people need to watch in 2025.
Their reasons are various. Sometimes the noteworthy angle is expanded distribution, a bigger brewhouse, a new taproom, a merger between long-established brands, or a cool festival that is blossoming in popularity. For others, it’s about serving better food, cooperating with other independent producers, being at the forefront of a big trend, or winning meaningful awards. And in a few cases, the pros think you should know about the following breweries simply because they’re making some of the very best ales and lagers in the country, just under the radar of mainstream popularity — at least until the word gets out.
Aloha Beer Company
Honolulu, Hawaii
“Aloha recently acquired a larger facility to expand distribution of their core range in Hawaii, the continental U.S., and Japan. The original brewing facility will continue to make limited-batch beers for their taproom and restaurant, with their merchandise store offering the island vibe to take home. What stands out in 2025? Aloha will be the first brewery in Hawaii to contract brew and can for other independent local beer brands that have previously only been available on tap.” —Alexander Gates, beer judge and writer, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Barrel One Collective
Boston, Mass.
“Barrel One Collective is a month-old company created by the de facto merger of Mass. Bay Brewing Company and Finestkind Brewing LLC in New Hampshire, which brings together two of the largest, oldest, and best-loved U.S. craft brands east of the Hudson River: Harpoon and Smuttynose, respectively. Together, the two breweries also had several other brands under their umbrellas, including Wachusett, Long Trail, and Otter Creek. The new collective includes these in eight brewery-taprooms across four states. The merger at the start of the year is an interesting defensive maneuver in a rapidly changing craft beer marketplace. It’s harder than it’s been in a long time to scale and to reach new consumers, what with millennials and Gen Z drinking less beer, never mind the competition from hard seltzer and uncertainty over economic policies from the new administration seven hours down I-95. It will be interesting to see how these beloved regional mainstays do under the new umbrella, not least of which how it helps or hurts them in this changing marketplace.” —Tom Acitelli, author of “The Golden Age of Beer: A 52-Week Guide to the Perfect Beer for Every Week of the Year,” Watertown, Mass.
Cerebral Brewing
Denver, Colo.
“One of the Centennial State’s best breweries, Cerebral Brewing is set to expand to a third taproom in 2025. With fierce competition and little growth, many will be watching to see if Cerebral can provide a blueprint for other breweries in a tough market. Cerebral not only brings its award-winning beers to Northwest Denver, but it is partnering with Outside Pizza, which turned heads locally by renovating a vintage camper into a mobile pizzeria, churning out Neapolitan-inspired pies. Cerebral made its mark with hazy IPAs and barrel-aged beers. Its barrel program has developed into one of the world’s finest, while its lager lineup — focused on foeder-rested offerings — has grown dramatically in recent years. Cozy on up to the bar, order one of the lagers, and follow that up with house flagship Rare Trait, an IPA bursting with wonderful tropical flavors. Finally, end the session with the deep, dark flavors of the brewery’s best-known barrel-aged beer: Here Be Monsters. It comes in many variations, from single- and double-barrel variants to my personal favorite: vanilla.” —Ryan Pachmayer, writer and former brewer, Denver
Chuckanut Brewery
Burlington, Wash.
“I’m excited to see what Chuckanut accomplishes this year. They’ve been quietly working on their production facilities for a while now and just announced expanded distribution in Oregon. Chuckanut hasn’t appeared in my local bottle shop yet, but it’s nice to feel like that’s possible again. They’ve teased cans of their seasonal Fest Bier this fall, which means I’ll definitely be watching.” —Brian Alberts, historian, writer, and consultant specializing in beer history and culture, Auburn, Wash.
Fine Creek Brewing Company
Powhatan, Va.
“When I first visited Fine Creek, it was an event space at a historic mill, about 30 minutes west of downtown Richmond in rural Powhatan County. Later, the owners added a brewery and guest cottages, all with the same rustic vibe. Now, the bucolic setting and the beers pair to create an irresistible magnetism. Groups appreciate the availability of wine and cider along with elevated house-made comfort foods. The beers complement the natural setting, too: saisons, farmhouse ales, and Belgian styles alongside approachable lagers, pale ales, and more. Personally, I make a beeline for the Bière de Printemps, a flavorful, Brett-forward saison. The brewery hosts beer festivals throughout the year, such as the next Wild + Weird festival, April 26-27, featuring a dozen or more breweries highlighting mixed fermentation, barrel-aged, wild, funky, and sour beers.” —Annie Tobey, beer writer and author of “100 Things to Do in Richmond Before You Die,” Richmond, Va.
Funkytown Brewery
Chicago, Ill.
“Funkytown Brewery has been making its mark since its founding in 2018. After going to market four years ago, they’ve become the fifth-largest Black-owned brewery in the country. They’ve now grown their distribution to three states and have made their way into powerhouse venues like Wrigley Field, the United Center, Whole Foods, and O’Hare airport. And then there are the notable industry accolades, like being VinePair’s 2023 Next Wave Brewery of the Year, winning Samuel Adams’ Brewing the American Dream competition, and brewer Zack Day earning a Michael James Jackson Foundation brewing scholarship. With their recent announcement of plans to open a flagship facility in late 2025, Funkytown continues to demonstrate why they’re a Chicago brewery to watch.” —Liz Garibay, executive director of the Beer Culture Center, Chicago
Ghost Town Brewing
Oakland, Calif.
“If your beer travels take you to the Bay Area, do yourself a favor and check out Oakland’s Ghost Town. Run by a couple of metal-heads in what’s believed to be a former coffin factory, they’ve carried the Death Metal ethos to such beers as Speed of Death, Taste of Fear, and Butchery. And the beer is, well, to die for. Ghost Town has won multiple GABF [Great American Beer Festival] medals, including twice for their Double IPA, Nose Goblin, which picked up a gold in 2022 and a bronze in 2024. They’ve recently opened a satellite taproom, also in Oakland. These guys are, um, killing it right now.” —Dean Brightman, freelance writer and blogger, Hercules, Calif.
Mad Fritz
Yountville, Calif.
“There is only one way to describe Nile Zacherle, brewer, maltster, roaster, and co-founder of Mad Fritz: mad scientist. When you talk to him about his tiny, appointment-only brewery in St. Helena, his eyes gleam with a radiant and infectious energy. Zacherle specializes in what he calls ‘Origin Beer,’ where he is driven by the pursuit to find the perfect fruit for a Kölsch with white fig or the best local water source for a single-origin beer, focusing on ingredients just from Mendocino Country. He might find hops by connecting with people he’s overheard at his son’s soccer game or source blue corn for a pale ale that’s milled with old French quartzite stones and malted in the warehouse next to the tasting room. Mad Fritz is one of the few breweries in the world, according to Zacherle, that has a hop kiln, a malt house, and sources water at an extremely local level. These beers have a soul — a sense of place. It used to be that in order to get Zacherle’s beers, you either had to be one of his 500 members or make an appointment to visit the taproom. But luckily for everyone, last year Zacherle opened a new location in Yountville. This is a goosebump-inducing brewery that more people should absolutely be paying attention to in 2025.” —Grace Lee-Weitz, senior content editor for Hop Culture and Untappd, Richmond, Calif.
MadTree Brewing
Cincinnati, Ohio
“MadTree has been an Ohio stalwart for a dozen years, and the team is adapting to the current climate by entrenching themselves in community and keeping a measured hand on trends. This year they opened their newest location, Parks & Rec, in the Cincy neighborhood of Blue Ash, a location that will also highlight their commitment to ecology, joining their fine-dining concept Alcove in the trendy Over the Rhine district, and their conventional taproom and production facility in Oakley. Alongside a recognizable beer portfolio, they’ve scaled up their stylish Legendary Lager for the ‘beer-flavored beer’ folks, and their Sway series of vodka-based RTDs is pulling in the non-beer crowd. Keep an eye on MadTree: They’re providing a roadmap for an earlier generation of mid-size, all-things-to-all-people breweries to navigate the new craft beer landscape.” —David Nilsen, writer, Advanced Cicerone, and editor of Final Gravity beer zine, Dayton, Ohio
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery
Chicago, Ill.
“Maplewood Brewery has won several awards at GABF, FoBAB [Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer], and more. In short, they brew highly acclaimed beer. Moreover, they offer their fans a highly diversified beer menu along with increasingly popular spirits — Maplewood Fat Pug American Malt Whiskey won Double Gold at the 2024 ADI International Spirits Competition. But the future is even brighter because they will soon expand their chic Maplewood Lounge, including adding a chef-driven kitchen space. This is welcome news for brokenhearted Chicago beer fans who recently dealt with the shocking closure of the beloved Revolution Brewpub. Prediction: further growth and popularity.” —Mathew L. Powers, writer and editor at PorchDrinking and Chilled Magazine, Chicago
Olfactory Brewing
San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif.
“Olfactory reminds me of the breweries that first got me into good beer 20 years ago. Phil Emerson is an auteur who took gold at GABF in 2024 with Proverbial Fork, a mixed-culture saison made with all California-grown grain. The thing that ties Olfactory beers together is his palate and perspective — if you like one of Phil’s beers, you are liable to enjoy all of them. The brewery is small enough that he gets to brew forgotten and unfashionable beer styles, typically with delicious results. Both their tasting rooms are intimate and idiosyncratic, something I am valuing more these days as most breweries are opting for scale and homogeneity.” —Sayre Piotrkowski, beer sommelier, Advanced Cicerone, and writer, Oakland, Calif.
Pivotal Brewing Company
Bristol, R.I.
“Pivotal Brewing is really starting to come into its own three years after opening in an old U.S. Rubber factory in Bristol, R.I. The smallest state is already spoiled for choice when it comes to good beer, but Pivotal is leaving its mark on the scene, churning out sought-after hazies, boozy stouts, and crisp lagers. The brewery just announced plans to open a new taproom in the resort town of Newport, just in time for summer tourist season, bringing their beer to a whole new audience.” —Chris O’Leary, editor of Brew York and prolific beer traveler, Brooklyn
Roaring Table Brewing Co.
Lake Zurich, Ill.
“The best walk-in experience in Chicagoland is Roaring Table’s taproom, set back and nestled between a Trader Joe’s and a hibachi restaurant. Walking through the doors is a transformative experience I’m confident few breweries will ever match. They’ve accomplished genre-bending ales and genre-defining lager on their small system so far, and in their eighth year they will add on a 15-barrel brewhouse and expand the taproom. You’ll find Lukr side-pulls and fine cask beer, as well as Roaring Table brews on tap in better joints across the area. More beer on the way.” —Zigmas Maloni, curator at Beermiscuous, Highwood, Ill.
The Seed: A Living Beer Project
Atlantic City, N.J.
“Few New Jersey breweries elicit as much excitement as The Seed: A Living Beer Project, Atlantic City’s only non-brewpub brewery, which opened in 2020. The love child of a husband-and-wife team comprised of brewer Amanda Cardinali and fermentation scientist Sean Towers, The Seed highlights beer terroir by turning local, indigenous, foraged, and mixed-culture ingredients into complex liquids that nevertheless allow their intrinsic essence to shine through. As you might guess, The Seed’s tasting room reflects this sensibility, inviting guests to get comfy and cozy immersing themselves in natural woods, well-worn leather couches, live plants, and dried flowers.” —Tara Nurin, author of “A Woman’s Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches, and CEOs,” Camden, N.J.
Self Care
Olympia, Wash.
“Launched during the pandemic, the Self Care brand from Three Magnets Brewing got a head start on the NA trend that many other small and mid-sized breweries are now embracing in earnest. But its success so far has been about far more than timing, namely a steady stream of innovative releases reassuring beer drinkers that they don’t have to sacrifice variety when choosing something non-alcoholic. Is there another brewery that’s made an NA Barleywine, an NA fresh hop Kölsch, and an NA Gose? Partnering with a larger local brewery to increase production in 2025, Self Care has begun expanding into major retail accounts across the Pacific Northwest.” —Ben Keene, author of “The Great Northeast Brewery Tour,” Seattle
Slow Body Beer Company
Tucson, Ariz.
“Slow Body only opened up here in Tucson about seven months ago, but have already built a huge following of devoted fans. I love the outside seating area and vibe of their taproom, but more importantly, their beers are solid. People are always pumped to see Slow Body on tap at my bar. This is rare for a brand-new brewery right out of the gates, and a testament to the team’s experience and skill. Great can art, too! Their taproom is a really fun place to go see live music or an art pop-up, or just chill outside with a beer or house-made shrub.” —Jessie Jean Mance, beer writer and co-owner of the Tucson Hop Shop, Tucson, Ariz.
Smog City Brewing
Torrance, Calif.
“The 2025 forecast calls for an increase in smog — the beers, not the haze that often permeates the air in Southern California. Aside from expanding its distribution footprint, Smog City, one of the older and more popular craft breweries in the South Bay, has four additional taprooms in the greater L.A. area, and will significantly enlarge its patio space this year in preparation for the installation of an in-house kitchen. Along with core brews like the GABF-winning Coffee Porter and Sabre-Toothed Squirrel, a hoppy amber ale, ongoing sour, barrel-aged, and Summer of Lagers programs, as well as the rotating Smog Days series of West Coast and Hazy IPAs, co-owner and brewmaster Jonathan Porter and his crew have stepped up their innovation in the brewhouse. A West Coast IPA incorporates young spruce tips during the hop boil, with piney and citrusy hops playing surprisingly well with the resinous flora, while a pioneering, s’mores-tasting Oat Milk Stout is made from the second runnings of a Double Chocolate Imperial Stout. Look for even more delicious deviations in 2025.” —Tomm Carroll, writer, beer judge, and educator, Los Angeles
Terranaut Beer
Bend, Ore.
“I first encountered their beer while judging a competition in Seattle. It was a blind tasting, but once the judging wrapped, I had to know who was behind the standout. I learned it was Terranaut, a brewery that hadn’t even opened yet. They swept the awards that evening and even snagged a GABF silver medal before officially opening their taproom doors in October 2024. Founded by Bryon Pyka after he left 10 Barrel, Terranaut makes outstanding beers that are both innovative and true to style — a very difficult line to walk.” —Jackie Dodd Mallory, beer and food writer and photographer, also known as The Beeroness, Seattle
Widowmaker Brewing
Braintree, Mass.
“In New England, where the hazy IPA made its name, the team at Widowmaker continues to exceed expectations for beer in this style and beyond. After opening their second location in Allston, Mass., in late 2023, Widowmaker has grown into an important role as one of the Bay State’s most influential breweries, winning over hopheads in the greater Boston area with notable consistency and obvious quality. I’m impressed with every visit.” —Samer Khudairi, writer and VinePair contributor, Portland, Maine.
Wood Foot Beer Company
Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
“Wood Foot celebrated its first anniversary with a crawfish boil on Feb. 15, putting an accent on its roadside-stand ethos — the Gulf Coast brewery’s name and logo embrace Florida-man lore with a story about a golfer who lost his foot to a gator. Not surprisingly, a hazy IPA and American light were on offer, but so were choices with hibiscus, strawberry, pineapple, lemon, and more fruit-stand flavors. Brewmaster Joel Franklin earned a degree in culinary arts before he discovered ‘beer and food are one and the same.’ What has delighted him during the first year is the reception received by beers like Corner Sun, a wit beer with hibiscus and lemon, and Gladstone, an amber flavored with sweet orange peel added during the boil. ‘I’m looking forward to leaning more into locally sourced ingredients in the next year,’ he says.” —Stan Hieronymus, beer writer and author of “Brewing Local: American-Grown Beer,” Arvada, Colo.
