Men’s lifestyle blog Food Republic compiled a list of their 10 Most Influential Craft Breweries, and the top-spots on the list are dominated by California brewers.Food Republic ranking of craft breweries influence gave the most weight to innovation and creativity. The bottom half of the list has breweries like Jester King and Founders; both well-respected  operations that are known for pushing the envelope, as well as a couple of smaller breweries that we are mostly unfamiliar with (Boneyard from Oregon and Short’s Brewing from Michigan). The top four entries in the list all hail from the Golden State:

• Stone Brewing Co
• Green Flash Brewing 
• Russian River Brewing Co
• Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 

We’re kinda surprised that Firestone took the top-spot in the list, simply because they are more known for excellent execution on classic styles than on crazy “innovative” brews. While there is no denying that Firestone Walker (or “Bear vs Lion” as it is colloquially known around Beer of Tomorrow) is making some exemplary beer we’re not sure how influential the brewery is outside of California.

A couple of breweries that we feel are missing from the list are Wisconsin’s New Glarus, known for a steadfast dedication to their local region, and of course Dogfish Head who blazed the path for so many of the new wave of “off centered” brewers.

Check out the full list and description on the Food Republic post. What do you think of the rankings? Any other breweries that you would call more influential? And what is it going to take to get a LA brewery on this list?

• Source: Food Republic – Craft Beer Power Rankings