If we accept the existence of the “brewer’s beer”—meaning the type that any brewer can love, flavorful yet immaculate and highly drinkable—then we should also consider, as a corollary, the existence of “brewers’ breweries.” Those would be the ones that seem to specialize in such beers.
If they exist—and we believe they do—one slam dunk for inclusion in the category can be found at 45 Industrial Way in Buellton, California, about 140 miles west-northwest of Los Angeles.
Founded in 2010, Figueroa Mountain’s beers clearly have earned the respect of peers. Accolades include eight medals at the World Beer Cup and an impressive 32 at the Great American Beer Festival. (They’ve earned our respect, too: The Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® blind panel last year scored Figueroa Mountain Danish Red Lager a 98 of 100, and it became one of our Best 20 Beers in 2022.)