Like all revolutions, this, too, began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. In 2010, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 77% of total beer sales in the U.S. In 2020, that share was 60%, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share toward the end of the decade.
With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher quality product, and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, beer prices have increased by 33%.
The increase in the number of microbreweries, taprooms, brewpubs, and craft breweries, the sector has also led to enormous job growth over roughly the same period, with a 55% increase in the number of brewery employees. The industry was hit especially hard by the shutdowns and social distancing restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. On-premise spending accounted for 50% of the craft beer industry’s total sales in 2019. In 2020, the industry took roughly a $6 billion hit and eliminated more than 22,000 jobs.
Another important byproduct of the explosion of the craft beer industry is the sense of community it has fostered. Supporting small businesses like local breweries and taprooms is a way for people to connect over and about beer, to appreciate the renaissance of the millennia-old tradition of brewing.
If you’ve ever been curious about which beers are most popular in your home state, we have the answer. Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated beer in Florida using ratings from BeerAdvocate. 3 of the 10 beers on the list are made by J. Wakefield Brewing. Let's take a look at Florida's Highest Rated Beers.
#10. Miami Madness (J. Wakefield Brewing)
- Rating: 4.56 / 5 (478 ratings)
- Beer type: Sour - Fruited Kettle Sour
- ABV: 5.5%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#9. I Let My Tape Rock (J. Wakefield Brewing)
- Rating: 4.65 / 5 (80 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 17.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#8. Hunahpu's Imperial Stout (Cigar City Brewing)
- Rating: 4.57 / 5 (4,433 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 10.2%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#7. The Adjunct Trail - Bourbon Barrel-Aged (Angry Chair Brewing)
- Rating: 4.73 / 5 (46 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 11.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#6. Morning Wood (Funky Buddha Brewery)
- Rating: 4.63 / 5 (1,234 ratings)
- Beer type: Porter - Imperial
- ABV: 12.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#5. Rare Scooop (Cycle Brewing)
- Rating: 4.67 / 5 (200 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 0.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#4. It Was All A Dream (J. Wakefield Brewing)
- Rating: 4.69 / 5 (177 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 17.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#3. Hunahpu's Imperial Stout - Laird's Apple Brandy Barrel (Cigar City Brewing)
- Rating: 4.69 / 5 (387 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 11.5%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#2. Barrel Aged Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout (Angry Chair Brewing)
- Rating: 4.71 / 5 (349 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 11.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#1. Hunahpu's Imperial Stout - Double Barrel Aged (Cigar City Brewing)
- Rating: 4.72 / 5 (1,656 ratings)
- Beer type: Stout - American Imperial
- ABV: 11.0%
- Read more on BeerAdvocate