-Isms: Views on life in rural America

How many brackets were busted over the weekend as the field of 64 narrowed?

I'm not talking about college hoops.

I'm talking about voting in the Nebraska Beer Bracket, a 64-brewery tournament that aims to "crown the best beer in Nebraska."

The brainchild of Sarah Baker Hansen, a former Omaha World-Herald food writer, the bracket extends beyond Omaha and divides the state into four regions: Omaha, East, West and Capitol.

Baker Hansen, along with the graphic design team from Hanscom Park Studios, in Omaha, aren't bracket newbies. In the past several years, they've hosted the Omaha pizza and Burger Brackets, crowning the top spots for each food in the Big O.

This year, they received a grant from the Nebraska Craft Brewery Board to run the statewide brewery selection.

Number one seeds include Nebraska Brewing Company of Omaha, Ord's Scratchtown Brewing, Kinkaider Brewing Company based in Broken Bow and Lincoln's Zipline Brewing.

First-round voting began March 13 and wrapped up on St. Patrick's Day. Round two continued through Monday. The Sweet 16 will be voted on through March 22. The elite eight will be up for contention March 22-25 and ballots may be cast for the final four from March 25-29. Visit nebraskabeerbracket.com to cast a vote.

Although I consider myself more of a wine snob, a crisp, clean hoppy brew or a fruity ale hit the spot. Once you start visiting Nebraska breweries, you'll notice subtleties of each beer. We've visited 33 of the 64 listed.

My favorite brewery in each region and recommendation for a draw include Kros Strain and its Fairy Nectar in the Omaha area. The hazy, hoppy IPA has notes of grapefruit and mango. The company is still in the hunt.

In the east region, two breweries land on top. I'm partial to Scratchtown in Ord, it could be because I know one of the owners. Wonder Twins, an Imperial IPA with touches of caramel, citrus and florals, tops the beer menu. My other pick is Hwy 14 Brewing Company in Albion. Bring me a Dirty Herbie anytime. Also, the Jalapeno on 4th is pretty darn good ... so is the Peach Please. Oh heck, every beer I've tasted at Hwy 14 has been a hit. Surprisingly, they were eliminated in the first round by Lazy Horse Vineyard and Brewing. Scratchtown remains in contention.

We've only visited three microbreweries in the west region. For me, it's a tossup between Kinkaider Brewing and Bootleg Brewers. Pass a Devil's Gap or Herd Law Honey Wheat Ale when visiting Broken Bow. Bootleg's Cling On and Ass Blaster are tough to top.These two square off in the Sweet 16.

In and around Lincoln, Zipline's Copper Alt is my go-to selection. When in Seward - Nebraska's Fourth of July city - grab a Constitution at Bottle Rocket Brewery. Zipline remains.

By the way, my top brewery pick is still in contention.

Who will win bragging rights in the battle of breweries and beer? Nebraskans will find out April 3, when a king is crowned.