Back in January I had the opportunity to sit down with Sam Cruz, one of the four owners of Against the Grain Brewery and Smokehouse [4], to discuss the brewery's expansion into Portland. When I inquired about AtG's beer craft Sam told me, " we're Against the Grain, so we do whatever we want". A bold statement that ascribed their brewing as something of their own accord. This risky mentality has paved the way for expansion, top rated beers, awards, and now bragging rights as one of the top 100 brewers in the world.
On January 30, 2015 RateBeer.com [5] released the winners of the top 100 brewers in the world. Against the Grain is now in the same realm as nationally renowned brewers like Sierra Nevada, Three Floyds, Bells, and Dogfish Head.
According to RateBeer.com they are, "widely recognized as the most accurate and most-visited source for beer information". Every year the website presents the "RateBeer Best Competition [6]" which honors the best of the best in the beer world in various categories. The top 100 brewers category is established by reviews taken the previous year and "weighted by performance within and outside of style, balanced by indicators of depth", according to the website.
Photos by Aaron Mikel