Ratebeer.com, one of the top beer rating websites on the Internet, releases annual statistics regarding which breweries rate highest amongst their members. This set of rankings and statistics, the “Ratebeer Best” list, is stacked with names of brewers both up-and-coming and perennial favorites.
Ratebeer trickels out pieces of the Ratebeer Best over the course of several weeks, and so far they have released “Best New Brewers,” “Best Beer, Brewer, and New Brewer By Subregion,” and on Friday “Best Retailers by Subregion.”
While none of Florida’s Class of 2013 has made the “New Brewers” list, this year Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing has been cleaning up on awards, and the retailers list this year lists some places new and old.
The winners thus far:
*Cigar City Brewing’s Hunahpu Imperial Stout has won for Best Beer in Florida.
*Cigar City Brewing has won for best brewer in Florida.
*Proof Brewing of Tallahassee has won for best brewpub (in this case a brewpub is a place that sells their beer on premise).
*Pinellas Park’s Cajun Cafe on the Bayou has won for best craft beer restaurant.
*Orlando’s Knightly Spirits has won for best bottle shop.
*Jacksonville’s Grassroots Market has won for best grocery store.
*Orlando’s Redlight Redlight has won for best craft beer bar.
Congratulations to all of the winners. This year, the accolades have been distributed much more widely through the state than in years past.