The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame just announced the inaugural class of Landmark Craft Beers. The beers that earned this honor are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Anchor Steam Beer, Celis White (witbier), and Anchor Liberty Ale.
The Landmark Craft Beers program acknowledges some seminal beers that helped shape the craft beer industry. The program honors individual beers that left a lasting mark on American brewing and drinking culture, recognizing those that helped define, advance, or transform the craft beer movement in the U.S.
“In the story of American craft beer, certain individual beers stand out not just as commercial successes, but as cultural and historical milestones,” explained Marty Nachel, Founder and President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. “Landmark Craft Beers is our way of shining a spotlight on those truly pivotal creations—beers that helped start revolutions, inspired brewers, and changed how Americans think about what beer can be.”
The inaugural class of Landmark Craft Beers includes five foundational brews, as voted on by the Hall’s distinguished group of electors and advisors:
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- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – The beer that brought Cascade hops to national prominence and helped define the American Pale Ale style.
- Samuel Adams Boston Lager – The iconic beer that helped bring full-flavored beer to mainstream audiences in the 1980s and put American craft beer on the global map.
- Anchor Steam Beer – The resurrection of a genuinely American beer style that helped define the image and concept of craft beer for decades to come.
- Celis White (Witbier) – A revival of a nearly extinct Belgian style that brought traditional wheat beer to American craft drinkers.
- Anchor Liberty Ale – An early pioneer in creating the modern concept of American IPA, and an early standard bearer for what would become the country’s most important beer style.
The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame will feature each of the Landmark Craft Beers on its website, providing some historical context and reflections on their cultural impact. Moving forward, the Hall of Fame will announce additional inductees annually, with nominations open to the public and evaluated by a panel of beer historians, brewers, writers, and industry veterans.
“This program isn’t about nostalgia. It is about looking to the past for inspiration for the future,” said Aaron MJ Gore, the Hall’s Vice-President. “By reflecting on the beers that helped to move the needle forward for an entire industry, today’s brewers can find the catalyst for the Landmark Beers of today.”
To learn more about the Landmark Craft Beers program, the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame, or to donate in support of its mission to recognize and celebrate those who helped to build the American craft beer industry, visit www.americancraftbeerhalloffame.com.
Earlier this year, the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame introduced its inaugural class of inductees. You can read that story here.
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