Craft beer might be in a slight pullback at the moment, but it’s still evolving and growing at the same time, with hundreds of new breweries opening up and breaking out each year, even as others have to close down. Keeping up with all the changes can be a monumental task — even when you’re only looking at a single region, like the U.S. East Coast. But the folks who brew the ales and lagers we love always know who’s doing what, where, and why we should care.
For this list of the most underrated East Coast breweries, we asked 10 working brewers for their picks, as well as what they love about them. A few have been widely seen as deserving more attention for a few years, if not far longer. Several are first-timers, including at least one new brewery that only opened last year. So if you need something worth drinking to, here’s your list.
The most underrated East Coast breweries, according to brewers:
- Waredaca Brewing, Laytonsville, Md.
- Fox Farm Brewery, Salem, Conn.
- Wayward Lane Brewing, Schoharie, N.Y.
- Wild East Brewing Co., Brooklyn
- Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, Mass.
- Naiad Country Brewery, Orland, Maine
- Niteglow Brewery, Brooklyn
- Tributary Brewing Company, Kittery, Maine
- Oxbow Brewing Co., Newcastle, Oxford, and Portland, Maine
- Love City Brewing Company, Philadelphia
- Lesser-Known Beer Co., Winston-Salem, N.C.
“Waredaca Brewing out of Laytonsville, Md., was the first brewery I thought of. Their beer is great — always solid, consistent, and they don’t do gimmicks. They make beer that tastes like beer and they repeat them over and over again. I’ve been a fan of them since they opened in 2015, and I’m particularly keen on their Reveille Stout. They have created a great family-friendly, community-friendly, idyllic space at their farm brewery, and I highly recommend you grab their beer or stop in for a visit if you’re in the area.” —Julie Verratti, Denizens Brewing Co., Riverdale Park, Md.
“One brewery that always consistently stands out to me when I head back East is Fox Farm. They make world-class lagers, fantastic mixed-fermentation beers, and great hoppy offerings. It’s definitely beer for brewers and I’m always impressed by what I try. My close second choice would be Wayward Lane. I’m biased because we just collabed, but they’re newer to the scene and make a pilsner that I had to have another, and another of. They also won a bronze at the World Beer Cup this year for West Coast IPA. I’m impressed by the range of styles and quality.” —Phil Emerson, Olfactory Brewing, San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif.
“Wayward Lane in Schoharie, N.Y., gets my vote. They brew a wide range of styles well, and they especially get me pumped with their English-style cask beers. I had the pleasure of traveling to their bucolic brewery this past summer, where I had a mind-bending experience drinking cask pours of Knackered, their English-style summer ale. It’s a truly sessionable beer, and the condition on the cask was exceptional. When it came time to leave, I didn’t want the session to end.” —Dan Suarez, Suarez Family Brewery, Hudson, N.Y.
“My vote for an underrated East Coast brewery is Brooklyn’s Wild East Brewing Co. All their beers are great, but I’m especially fond of their lambic-style and Berliner Weisse beers, which are all mixed ferments. They’re also NYC’s only Cask Marque-accredited brewery.” —Brandon Doughan, Brooklyn Kura, Brooklyn
“When I think of underrated or under-the-radar East Coast breweries, Idle Hands always comes to mind. I remember visiting their first location and being impressed with the beer they were producing already in a 1.5-barrel system in a tiny warehouse. Nowadays their portfolio has grown considerably as they moved and opened a brewery and taproom, and although most people might know them for their range of New England IPAs, I think they are producing really incredibly good and consistent lagers as well.” —Juleidy Peña, Notch Brewing, Salem and Brighton, Mass.
“Naiad Country Brewery in Orland, Maine. Focusing on malt-forward, drinkable ales led by a young, charismatic owner that reminds even the oldest and most jaded industry vet of their magical early years. The hand-built brewery is serene and cozy, tucked away in the woods just off Route 1 on the less popular route to Acadia National Park, surrounded on all sides by beer gardens and fire pits. Owner and brewer Spencer [Janney] lives onsite, and he can be found manning the taps and stoking the fires as he shares stories with regulars and beer travelers alike.” —Michael Fava, Sacred Profane, Biddeford, Maine
“Niteglow is an awesome little spot. Jonny Ifergan — the owner, founder, and brewer — serves everything off of Lukr taps. I think that kind of pouring can really enhance a lot of different styles of beer. Jonny also has the New York State Farm Brewer’s license, like us. He’s very passionate about how beer should be about a setting and a place, and it should taste like that setting and that place. He’s done an excellent job with his brewery taproom. It’s just a really cool spot pouring really nice beers, and apparently their coffee is badass, too.” —JP Hochens, Simple Brewing Company, New York City
“Tod Mott is a great guy who makes good beers at Tributary in Maine. He’s a great brewer and his beers are amazing, but I don’t know if they’re really being talked about. I would also say Oxbow — not because Tim [Adams] is my friend, but I drink mostly his beer in Japan, and it’s always top-notch.” —Luc “Bim” Lafontaine, Godspeed Brewery, Toronto
“If you want to experience a brewery that lives up to its city’s motto, look no further than Love City Brewing Company. I met these folks while serving on the Pennsylvania state brewers guild. This is a brewery that walks the talk — they’re folks who are doing good work for their community and beyond, and making some damn fine beer while they’re at it.” —Megan Seastedt, Athletic Brewing Co., Milford, Conn.
“My choice for an underrated East Coast brewery is Lesser-Known Beer Co. out of Winston-Salem, N.C. I’ve only visited the brewery once, but tasting the beers at the taproom was one of my most memorable beer experiences of the last few years. Will [Loring] and Ryan [Gramlich] have created a place with intentionality that shines through every detail of the beer, as well as the taproom atmosphere and service. The experience brought me back to some of my favorite beer experiences traveling through the Czech Republic and Germany. I can’t wait to visit again and marvel over the open fermentation and direct-from-lager-tank service, while chatting about beer culture around the world.” —Eric Larkin, Cohesion Brewing Company, Denver
