With thousands of different craft beers to try by nearly as many different breweries, we’re both blessed and cursed with the sheer number of choices available. Selecting a great beer isn’t difficult, however, due to the plethora of brewers from around the country offering a wide array of different styles. Three stand-out breweries, each from a different region, are Deschutes Brewery, SweetWater Brewing Company, and Saranac Brewery. Each of these great craft breweries is highlighted here by Banko Beverage Co, one of the oldest and largest beverage distributors in Pennsylvania.
Deschutes Brewery
Named for the river flowing through its hometown of Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery has been brewing beer since 1988. From humble beginnings, the brewery has grown to producing more than 225,000 barrels of beer each year and has a second pub in downtown Portland, as well as a tasting room in Roanoke, Virginia. Deschutes Brewery currently has 27 different beers to offer, 13 of which are IPAs. These well-rounded brewers also produce styles like pilsners, stouts, and sour beers. The Fresh Squeezed IPA is sure to please, with juicy and tropical flavors coming from citra and mosaic hops. For those searching for something darker, the Black Butte Porter offers a bold but smooth flavor.
SweetWater Brewing Company
In the beer brewing game since 1997, the Atlanta, Georgia-based SweetWater Brewing Company proudly lives up to their motto, “we’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time.” This ethos is embodied by the brewery’s adventurous variety of beers, which include everything from chocolate stouts to hazy double IPAs. The hyper drinkable and refreshing Guide Beer lager is sure to be extra appealing in the summer, but is available year round. For fans of fruity beers, the Blue wheat ale is made with blueberries for a splash of flavor most people aren’t expecting when they walk down the beer aisle.
Saranac Brewery
This brewery has enough years under its belt to have the distinction of obtaining the first license to sell beer following the repeal of Prohibition. The Saranac Brewery in Utica, New York, traces its heritage back to 1878 and has been brewing a variety of crafty styles since the 1980s. Much like the other two breweries on the list, Saranac suffers no shortage of beer styles, with lagers, pale ales, IPAs, porters, and more available. The Saranac Pale Ale is always a favorite, but for a real taste of this brewery’s history, the Legacy IPA draws its recipe from a pre-Prohibition ale. For those who aren’t big beer fans, this company also makes a number of hard seltzers, legendary non-alcoholic craft soft drinks, and hard ciders through its sister company, McKenzie’s Hard Ciders.
Get Your Craft Brews from Banko Beverage Co
Beers from Deschutes Brewery, SweetWater Brewing Company, and Saranac Brewery are sure to be crowd favorites, whether you go for something pale and quaffable or big and dark. However, these breweries represent just a handful of the different brewers and beverage companies represented by Banko Beverage Co. One of the largest and oldest distributors in Pennsylvania, Banko Beverage Co has a variety of craft beers, ciders, domestics, and imports at the ready. To learn more or to set up your next delivery, contact Banko Beverage Co.