On Friday we asked you to vote on the best of the rest and re-enter a second-chance brewery into the Sudsy Sixteen. You voted, we listened, and it's time to settle up.
In the second-chance voting, it was a pretty intriguing race. I abstained from picking, and I honestly didn't know which way things would break. I shouldn't have been surprised at the two-highest vote-getters, but the winner was a mild shock:
7th: Fat Head's (OH) - 6.1%
6th: Upland (IN) - 6.5%
5th: Heavy Seas (MD) - 7.7%
4th: Peace Tree (IA) - 11.7%
3rd: Flying Fish (NJ) - 17%
2nd: Nebraska (??) - 21.9%
1st: Troegs (PA) - 29.1%
Here's a sexy pie chart, to help:
And now, we've finalized the Sudsy 16!
Let's hit the voting!
Don't Read the Comments Bracket
#2-MI Founders Brewing Co. vs. SC-PA Troegs Brewery
MNW's Hot Taek: Sunshine Pils is just fine, and I'm sure Troegs will wake up the Pennsylvania voting bloc, but...it's Founders. I'm on the record as thinking this is the best brewery in Michigan, and I think it has a case for the best in the Big Ten. Now I want some KBS for breakfast...
#1-IA Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. vs. #1-MD Flying Dog Brewery
MNW's Hot Taek: Unfortunately Flying Dog never got back to me with a case of Raging Bitch, so I'm stuck voting my conscience... PseudoSue and Golden Nugget alone would be enough, but I love Smoove Opferator. They may run into trouble for not distributing beyond the Upper Midwest, but right now it's Toppling Goliath all day.
Dilly Bar Dan Bracket
#1-OH Great Lakes Brewing Co. vs. #2-WI Lakefront Brewery
MNW's Hot Taek: I love Lakefront. I think Fixed Gear is the best Red IPA out there (and I'd probably put Summit's Horizon Red as a close second), and the brewery experience is phenomenal -- visit Lakefront whenever you're in Milwaukee. You won't be sorry.
That said, it takes a lot for a simple lager to make me sit up and think, "Well shit, that's a good beer." Dortmunder Gold absolutely does that. And then you get into the real winners of the Great Lakes lineup. I've already said how good Alberta Clipper Porter is, but the classics you can get from Cleveland's own--Commodore Perry, Edmund Fitzgerald, and Nosferatu...it's gotta be Great Lakes.
Please don't refuse to serve me, Lakefront.
#1-MN Surly Brewing Co. vs. #3-NE Zipline Brewing Co.
MNW's Hot Taek: NebraskaTwitter has had its day in the sun, and we're all very proud...but it's Surly. Like, by miles. The Minneapolis brewery is a gem and should be on your must-visit list when you're in town for a Gophers game (just a stop down the Green Line!), and the ales they put out are top-notch.
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Look for voting on the other side of the bracket sometime this afternoon! In the meantime, let us know your picks in the comments and make sure to recruit like-minded voters -- you've got two days! Thanks as always for reading OTE and voting.
MNW