RateBeer names Arizona brewery one of best in the world
Lauren Saria
It's no secret that Arizona is home to some great brewers. But what craft beer fans might not know is that one of the most awarded brewers in the state doesn't even make beer.
Since 2012, Superstition Meadery has crafted more than 150 unique types of mead and hard cider in northern Arizona. Fans can enjoy the company's products at a tasting room and production facility in Prescott, as well as in at least 37 states and countries as far away as Denmark and Thailand.
It's no wonder the brewery continues to be one of the best in the world, according to RateBeer, a widely respected beer review site.
"It's our fourth or fifth year in a row, which is just wild," Superstition Meadery owner Jeff Herbert told The Republic from Miami, where he was getting ready to pour his mead and cider at a beer festival.
"It's pretty cool to see the work that everyone does for us be recognized. In some ways, this might be the best award we've won."
World's top brewers
Every January, RateBeer announces the RateBeer Best awards, which includes lists of best new brewers, best new beers, best places for beers, best beers and best brewers.
On the 2018 list of Best Brewers in the World, Superstition Meadery claimed the 35th spot. Only one other mead maker, Schramm's Mead in Michigan, made the list, earning the 33rd spot.
Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont, took first place.
To compile its list, RateBeer uses a summary score based on reviews from its site.
The score is based on five "weighted scales that place an emphasis on reviews of the past year and top performing beers but also includes historical all-around performance, a brewer's range of performance across styles, and other factors to compare newer and older, larger and smaller brewers under a single method of processing."
Superstition Meadery also won a handful of other awards in the Best By Style awards.
World's best meads
The brewery's Superstition Grand Cru Berry was named best mead. It's made with four types of berries and white chocolate and aged in Fundamental Observation, Iridium Flare and New American Oak barrels.
Six of Superstition Meadery's other meads also made the list of 15 best meads:
- No. 3: Superstition Black Berry White.
- No. 4: Superstition Grand Cru Berry (non-barrel aged).
- No. 5: Superstition Straw Berry White.
- No. 8: Superstition Berry White.
- No 13: Superstition Cherion.
- No. 14: Superstition Blue Berry White.
Other Arizona wins
Superstition Meadery wasn't the only Arizona name to show up on RateBeer's awards.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. also won recognition as the top brewer and best brewpub in the state.
The Gilbert brewery's Arizona Wilderness American Presidential Stout won top beer in Arizona.
Superstition Meadery
Where: 20 W. Gurley St., Prescott.
Details: 928-458-4256. superstitionmeadery.com.
Reach the reporter at lauren.saria@azcentral.com. Follow her on Instagram at laurensaria, on Twitter at lhsaria and on Facebook at facebook.com/lsaria.
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