Wow. In the 15-and-a-half-months since I posted this, I've since gone gaga over the following American breweries: Avery, the Shipyard and Dogfish Head. I'd actually had Avery and Shipyard beers before I made the original post (Sea Dog is a Shipyard-offshoot, for instance), but fancy beer distribution in Jacksonville didn't blossom until within the last couple of years. Also, I've since had a number of Sam Adams' specialty brews—an example: their black lager and chocolate bock are fucking quality—so my opinion on them has risen considerably. Oh, and I've grown to like Flying Dog, too. I still like Sierra Nevada a bunch, but I've since learned there's so many awesome American breweries.