Through Untappd’s innovative and data-driven approach, the Spotlights are determined using a series of complex algorithms that analyze menu data, community ratings and reviews, and subscriber information.

Below you'll find our criteria for each current category:

Criteria for "Great Place for IPAs"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of IPAs from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest weighted average IPA menu scores, which incorporate the global Untappd Rating of each IPA and the cumulative time on the menu of each, are named IPA Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

Criteria for "Great Place for Stouts"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of Stouts from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest weighted average Stout menu scores, which incorporate the global Untappd Rating of each Stout and the cumulative time on the menu of each, are named Stout Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

Criteria for "Great Place for Sours"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of Sours from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest weighted average Sour menu scores, which incorporate the global Untappd Rating of each Sour and the cumulative time on the menu of each, are named Sours Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

Criteria for "Great Place for Lagers"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of Lagers* from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest weighted average Lager menu scores, which incorporates the global Untappd Rating of each Lager and the cumulative time on the menu of each, are named Lagers Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

* Lagers defined as beers with the following [sub]styles: Bock - Doppelbock, Bock - Eisbock, Bock - Hell / Maibock / Lentebock, Bock - Single / Traditional, Bock - Weizenbock, Bock - Weizendoppelbock, California Common, Festbier, Historical Beer - Zoigl, Kellerbier / Zwickelbier, Lager - Amber / Red, Lager - American Amber / Red, Lager - American Light, Lager - American, Lager - Dark, Lager - Dortmunder / Export, Lager - Helles, Lager - IPL (India Pale Lager), Lager - Japanese Rice, Lager - Leichtbier, Lager - Mexican, Lager - Munich Dunkel, Lager - Other, Lager - Pale, Lager - Strong, Lager - Vienna, Lager - Winter, Malt Beer, Malt Liquor, Märzen, Non-Alcoholic - Lager, Pilsner - Czech / Bohemian, Pilsner - German, Pilsner - Imperial / Double, Pilsner - Italian, Pilsner - New Zealand, Pilsner - Other, Porter - Baltic, Rauchbier, Schwarzbier

Criteria for "Great Place for Beer & Wine"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of beers from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of wines from multiple producers, and multiple varieties/characteristics *, during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest weighted average Beer & Wine menu scores, which incorporate the number of unique wine characteristics*, total unique beers, and total unique wines, are named Beer & Wine Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

* Wine characteristics are an Untappd For Business Premium feature, all venues selected as Beer & Wine Spotlights will be Untappd For Business Premium venues due to this criterion.

Criteria for "Great Place for Local Beer"

• On-premise check-ins (across all styles) must represent more than 70% of total check-ins.
• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse selection of local* beers from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest Local Beer scores, which incorporates the number of local* beers appearing on menus, are named Local Beers Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

* Beers produced by brewers within 40 miles or within the same metropolitan region of the venue are considered to be local.

Criteria for "Great Place for Beer To-Go"

• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Venue type is limited to specific categories such as Grocer, Coffee Shop, Liquor Store, Wine Shop, Winery, Beer Store, or Brewery.
• Based on Untappd for Business published menu data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to a diverse number of unique beers from multiple brewers during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest To-Go scores, which incorporates the number of unique beers appearing on menus during the timeframe, are named Beer To-Go Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

Criteria for "Great Place for Events"

• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to the number of Events published via Untappd, and users checking-in at Events, during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest Events scores, which incorporate the number of published Events during the timeframe, are named Events Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.

Criteria for "Loved by Subscribers"

• Venue types must not fall within specific categories such as beer festivals, hotels, or residential venues.
• Based on Untappd data:
  • Venues must meet minimum thresholds pertaining to Untappd subscribers for menu updates during the designated timeframe.
  • The venues with the highest Subscriber scores, which incorporates the total number of Untappd subscribers, are named Loved by Subscribers Spotlights, subject to certain limits in each state.