2 Maryland Beers Named Among Very Best In America

It's the weekend, finally, so let's talk beer.

If you're planning to celebrate the weekend with a drink, consider trying one of these two Maryland beers, which have been recently named among the very best craft brews in America by The Daily Meal.

The popular food and drink website did the impossible and came up with an analysis of the 101 best beers in America. There are some obvious favorites on the list (Dogfish Head, anyone?) but Maryland shows up strong with a pair of brews highlighted.

The two Maryland beers on the foodie website's list are: Stillwater Artisanal Ale's Gose Gone Wild and Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter.

We have more details on the beers below but first, let us explain how this list was created.

The Daily Meal said it cross-checked beer ratings on Untappd, BeerAdvocate, and RateBeer, looking for the beers that "average beer drinkers and beer-tasting professionals alike" have given the highest ratings. In addition, editors at The Daily Meal used their own tasting experience and knowledge to include some of the best brews they've encountered recently.

Beers hailing from nearly every state in America were included on the list. The list does not rank the beers in order from top to bottom because, as the website says, "it's frankly impossible to weigh the merits of, say, a witbier versus the merits of a Russian imperial stout."

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Here are some more details on the Maryland beers The Daily Meal says are among the very best in America:

Stillwater Artisanal Ales Gose Gone Wild

Baltimore brewers Stillwater Artisanal Ales’ Gose Gone Wild is funky with “massive” amounts of Citra and Amarillo hops, but don’t worry. It’s still a crisp and sour gose with noticeable notes of yeast. At just 4.3 percent ABV, it’s insanely drinkable. It has an ABV of 4.3 percent.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Frederick's Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter beer was named for a style of journalism famously practiced by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, who used first-person narratives and satirical devices in his reporting. His close friend, Ralph Steadman, actually illustrated this imperial porter’s label. The brew itself features roasted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla malt flavors with a unique burst of floral hops that earned an overall rating of 99 on RateBeer. It has an ABV of 9.2 percent.

If you're into beer you might recognize some of the more popular or highly rated brews on the list, including Russian River Pliny the Elder — and Younger, of course — Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Allagash White, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout and The Alchemist Heady Topper.

These days, it seems many are selecting craft beers over the more widely produced varieties. According to the Brewers Association, overall beer sales in America were down 1.2 percent in 2017. But craft beer sales jumped 5 percent and accounted for 12.7 percent of the overall beer market.

In Maryland, there are 73 craft breweries, the group found.

Click here to see the full list of the 101 Best Beers in America at The Daily Meal.

Photo credit: Shutterstock / Natalya Okorokova