Every year, I drink a lot of beer. I chase new releases, more than most, try to drink everything new and local that drops, often revisit old favorites, and let the seasons guide my palate. In 2025, that meant lagers during the spring thaw and #crispyboysummer, anything pumpkin flavored and marzen related during the fall months, and contemplative big boy stouts once Buffalo’s gray skies settled back in and Western New York winters take hold. You know the drill – it’s not some heavily guarded secret.

And yet, when I look back on the year, a number of beers stand above the rest – not because they were necessarily the rarest or most hyped, but because they perfectly captured what great craft beer is supposed to do.

Below are my top picks — the beers that defined my year, and that every serious beer lover should seek out.

  • Frequentem Brewing Foeder Aged Black Rice Lager Batch 001
  • BriarBrothers Brothers 8 Hour Custom & Desk Pop New England IPA
  • Wayland Brewing La Biere French Pilsner
  • Thin Man Brewery / Other Half Patio Freak IPA
  • Belt Line Brewery Traditional Czech Pils
  • Buffalo Brewing Refined Simplicity 24-Month Wood Aged Czech Dark & 1910 Czech Lager (Gravity Cask)
  • Eli Fish Brewing Won’t It? Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
  • Smoldered Society Mass Delusion IPA (Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin Hop Kief, Motueka Hop Kief)
  • Other Half / The Veil / Side Project Brewing / Angry Chair Brewing / WeldWerks Brewing All Extra Shipper Everything IPA
  • Brickyard Brewing Pub Ale #2 (Cask)

Very honorable mentions: Dogfish Head Super Doppio Italian Pilsner, Wild East Urban Flora, The Answer Bird or Beast Imperial Stout, 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek (Season 17/18), Wayland Ora New Zealand IPA, Frequentem Peak Amplitude IPA (Riwaka), Resurgence Brewing Premium Pils, Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale (2017).

Here are favorite beer lists from the rest of the Buffalo Beer Leaguers:

Scott – Old First Ward Brewing Gene’s Therapy IPA, Mortalis Gaasyendietha Stout, Griffon Brewing Quadfather Hennepin, Resurgence Brewing/Thin Man Brewery We’re Almost Friends Barleywine, Frequentem Brewing Munich Festbier

Mark – Resurgence Premium Pils, Big Ditch Brewing Oktoberfest, Community Beer Works Irish Cream Whale, Mortalis Buy the Ticket Double IPA, Autark Cozy Dark Mild

Jesse – Other Half Brewing Lime Snaps, Brickyard Brewing Pub Ale #2 (Cask), The Ridge West Seneca Claymore & Tartan Scotch Ale, New York Beer Project Baby Crush Session IPA, Frequentem German Altbier, BriarBrothers Brewing Desk Pop New England IPA

If this year was any indication, the creativity, quality, and community behind these beers are only getting stronger. Here’s to fresh ideas, new collabs, and plenty more unforgettable pints ahead. Cheers to more great craft beer in 2026. I’ll see you out at a taproom soon.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).