It’s the Final Four. Vote now and tell us which craft brewery around Lexington is the best

Jackie Starkey

We’re down to the Final Four in our latest local business bracket — this time with readers selecting the best craft brewery in the Lexington area.

We started with 17 craft breweries in Central Kentucky, and our latest round closed Thursday afternoon with just four moving on: Ethereal Brewing, Country Boy Brewing, Sig Luscher Brewery and West Sixth Brewing.

You can vote your favorite to the Championship round below.

Here’s how voting in the Elite Eight concluded:

  • Ethereal Brewing, 185 votes

  • Country Boy Brewing, 175 votes

  • Sig Luscher Brewery, 127 votes

  • West Sixth Brewing, 85 votes

  • Blue Stallion Brewing Co., 75 votes

  • Rock House Brewing, 58 votes

  • Mirror Twin Brewing, 51 votes

  • Pivot Brewing, 31 votes

What we included

Our initial round included 16 area breweries and a Lexington-based craft cider outfit, Wise Bird Cider Co. Pivot also serves ciders at its taproom.

Most of the breweries outside Lexington were eliminated in the first round, but Frankfort’s Sig Luscher remains in the running.

The goal of the bracket is fun, but also to highlight small businesses Fayette County residents and visitors can support when shopping small. We’ve previously done competition for the city’s best bookstores and top doughnuts.

How and when to vote

Final Four voting is open now and continues through noon Aug. 18.

Our Championship round will go live that afternoon, with a winner announced Aug. 25.

The bracket isn’t scientific, and you can vote as many times as you’d like. You can also share this bracket with beer-drinking friends who might also like to weigh in.

The polling feature to vote is below. Emailed votes will not be tallied.

Here’s a tidbit about each of the breweries we’ve featured:

West Sixth Brewing: Based in Lexington but with several locations, West Sixth has been brewing since 2012. The outfit cans around 30 varieties of beer for distribution, according to its site, and employs more than 50 people. Lexington brewery and taproom location: 501 West 6th St., Lexington, KY 40508

Mirror Twin Brewing: With twin locations (get it) on National Avenue, this brewery touts something for all styles of beer drinkers: “the tried-and-true beer purists and the anything-goes experimental adventure seekers,” its site advertises. Locations: 725 and 723 National Ave., Lexington, KY 40502

Pivot Brewing: With taprooms in Lexington and Louisville, Pivot’s menu features ciders and beers to delight all palettes. Lexington taproom location: 1400 Delaware Ave., Lexington, KY 40505

Ethereal Brewing: This outfit touts a focus on Belgian farmhouse and American craft brews, according to its site. Ethereal also has a “dedicated sour program.” Lexington taprooms: 1224 Manchester St., Lexington, KY 40504 and 102 W. Vine St., Lexington, KY 40507

Country Boy Brewing: Started in 2012, Country Boy focuses on minimally processed drafts, per its site. The Lexington operation expanded to Georgetown in 2017. Lexington taproom: 436 Chair Ave., Lexington, KY 40508

Fusion Brewing: At the intersection of science and beer, Fusion offers a variety of brews named to fit the theme. Location: 1170 Manchester St., No. 150, Lexington, KY 40508

Rock House Brewing: Advertising craft beer, music and quality, Rock House offers a taproom and an event space. Location: 119 Luigart Court, Lexington, KY 40508

Blue Stallion Brewing Co.: Another local brewery circa 2012, Blue Stallion specializes in the German-style brews, but offers a variety in an effort to “offer something truly unique.” Location: 610 W. 3rd St., Lexington, KY 40508

Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.: Owned by Alltech, Lexington Brewing also has a bourbon sister, Town Branch Distillery. According to its site, the brewery was “revived” in 1999. Location: 401 Cross St., Lexington, KY 40508

Wise Bird Cider Co.: Family owned Wise Bird offers a selection of ciders, including several award-winners. Location: 1170 Manchester St., No. 140, Lexington, KY 40508

Goodwood Brewing and Spirits: Goodwood brews in Frankfort, though you can find its beer and food at the Lexington location as well. It was launched in 2005 in Louisville, where it also has an outlet, along with Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio. Lexington location: 200 Lexington Green Circle, Lexington, KY 40503 Frankfort location: 109 West Main St., Frankfort, KY 40601

Versailles Brewing Co.: Versailles Brewing has a restaurant with a full menu, but its site touts a focus on local-ingredient driven brews. Location: 513 Marsailles Road, Versailles, KY 40383

Dreaming Creek Brewing Co.: If you’re in Richmond, you may want to check out Dreaming Creek, “located in the heart of Daniel Boone’s frontier.” You’ll find some merch to that effect for purchase. Location: 109 East Irvine St., Richmond, KY 40475

Maiden City Brewing Co.: Founded in late 2016, Maiden is Cynthiana’s only local micro-brewery, according to its site. Location: 123 East Pike St., Cynthiana, KY 41031

Abettor Brewing Co.: Abettor has been offering Winchester brews since the mid-2010s, according to its site, but it’s been at the current location since April 2019. Location: 128 N. Highland St., Winchester, KY 40391

Sig Luscher Brewery: If you’re in the capital, don’t miss out on Sig Luscher’s “historically good beer.” Its roots date to 1866. Location: 221 Metro St., Frankfort, KY 40601

Lemons Mill Brewery: This outlet advertises itself as the newest member of the Kentucky BrewGrass Trail and even offers a gluten-free beer. Location: 166 Marimon Ave., No. 12, Harrodsburg, KY 40330

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