One Of America's Best Classic Beers Comes From Out West

America's beer scene absolutely exploded in the 21st century, with thousands of new, innovative craft breweries opening their doors in the past few decades. All the unusual microbrews and experimental releases make America's classic beers stand out even more as benchmarks for quality and consistency. One of these classics has become an emblem of Western beer culture and is regarded as one of the nation's best: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

The brew earned second place in our ranking of classic American beers, bested only by Yuengling's Traditional Lager. Our reviewer described Sierra Nevada's English-inspired pale ale as having "a character all its own," adding, "Sierra Nevada's version shines with crisp pine notes, and is anchored with toasty malt flavors to round out the beer as a whole." It features a solid but not overwhelming 5.6% ABV and a mid-range 38 IBUs (international bitterness units), giving it noticeable but not overwhelming hop bitterness. 

There's little doubt about Sierra Nevada's western heritage — its name is taken from the California mountain range. The brand was founded in 1980 in Chico, California, where its original taproom remains today. Pale ale was among the brewery's first offerings, bucking tradition with its use of Cascade hops. These hops imbued the beer with pine and citrus aromas uncommon among the era's typical light lager macrobrews. Cascade hops have West Coast roots of their own, developed by Oregon State University in the 1950s and commercially released in 1972. 

Outside of our taste tester's analysis, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a critical and fan favorite. On BeerAdvocate, it earned a 90 out of 100 from the site's reviewers, with scores entered by over 12,000 drinkers. One wrote, "From appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel, Sierra Nevada nailed it with this classic pale ale."

For those who want a top-rated beer with a taste of the American West, Sierra Nevada is one of the best-known. Shiner Bock, which ranked third on our domestic brew list, hails from Texas and was also named the signature beer of the state (like Sierra Nevada was for California). Number six was Dale's Pale Ale, a native of Colorado. On the other hand, fellow Coloradan options Coors Banquet (14th place) and Coors Light (13th place) underwhelmed in the taste test.

Though its Western roots run deep, Sierra Nevada's breweries operate on a national scale, with availability in all 50 states. Sierra Nevada opened a second brewery operation in 2014 in Mills River, North Carolina, just outside Asheville. The newer facility provides capacity and convenience to large East Coast markets, but the brand name, packaging, and distinctive West Coast hop flavor leave little question about where this classic favorite hails from.