Dow Scoggins

Raise a Glass: Celebrating National Beer Lover’s Day on September 7

April 14, 2023 by Dow Scoggins

Cheers to National Beer Lover’s Day: A Frothy Celebration!
September 7 is National Beer Lover’s Day, and it’s time to raise a glass to the world’s favorite brew! Let’s dive into the fizzy fun of this hop-tastic holiday.

Why National Beer Lover’s Day is a Big Deal
Beer isn’t just a drink—it’s a vibe, a culture, and a history lesson in every sip. National Beer Lover’s Day, celebrated every September 7, is all about honoring the golden nectar that’s been bringing people together for centuries. From ancient Sumerians brewing in 3000 BCE to today’s craft beer revolution, beer has a story as rich as a stout and as refreshing as a lager.

This day is your excuse to geek out over IPAs, savor a crisp pilsner, or just crack open a cold one with friends. Whether you’re a casual sipper or a homebrew hero, National Beer Lover’s Day is for you!

A Sip of Beer History
Did you know beer is one of the oldest beverages in the world? Archeologists have found evidence of beer-making in Mesopotamia dating back over 5,000 years. Fast forward to 1933, when the Cullen-Harrison Act brought beer back to the US after Prohibition’s dry spell, sparking celebrations that inspired holidays like National Beer Day (April 7). National Beer Lover’s Day builds on that legacy, giving us a dedicated moment to toast the brewers, bartenders, and beer fans who keep the taps flowing.

5 Fun Ways to Celebrate National Beer Lover’s Day
1. Visit a Local Brewery: Hit up a craft brewery for a tour, tasting, or just to chat with the brewmaster. Many breweries host special events on September 7, so check their schedules!

2. Host a Beer Tasting Party: Grab a mix of brews—think sours, stouts, and pale ales—and have friends sample them blind. Bonus points for pairing with snacks like pretzels or cheese.

3. Try Homebrewing: Feeling adventurous? Start your own batch with a beginner’s kit. It’s like science, but with beer as the reward!

4. Explore Beer Cocktails: Mix things up with a shandy (beer + lemonade) or a michelada (beer + lime juice and spices). They’re refreshing twists on your favorite pint.

5. Share the Love Online: Post your favorite beer moment on social media with #NationalBeerLoversDay. Maybe you’ll inspire someone to try a new brew!

The Craft Beer Boom
National Beer Lover’s Day shines a spotlight on the craft beer scene, which has exploded with creativity. In the US alone, there are over 9,000 craft breweries, each experimenting with wild flavors like peanut butter stouts or mango-infused sours. These small-batch brews are all about passion, community, and pushing the boundaries of what beer can be. So, skip the usual and seek out a local gem this September 7.

Beer and Good Vibes
At its core, National Beer Lover’s Day is about connection. It’s the clink of glasses at a pub, the laughter at a backyard barbecue, or the quiet moment savoring a cold one after a long day. Beer brings us together, and this holiday reminds us to celebrate the simple joys in life.

So, on September 7, grab your favorite brew, call some friends, and toast to the drink that’s been making history for millennia. Cheers to National Beer Lover’s Day—here’s to hops, heart, and happy times!

2022 Great American Beer Festival Results

October 13, 2022 by Dow Scoggins

Denver, Colorado — The 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition awarded 300 medals to the best commercial breweries in the United States. Presented by the Brewers Association (BA), GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition and the premier symbol of brewing excellence.

Award-winning breweries received prestigious gold, silver, and bronze medals in 98 beer categories covering 177 different beer styles (including all subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the country. In addition, three GABF Collaboration medals pairing two professional breweries, and three GABF Pro-Am medals pairing homebrewers with professional brewers, were announced. The awards ceremony was held at the Bellco Theatre in Denver during the 40th anniversary Great American Beer Festival.

The competition took place in three phases over a period of nine days and was judged by 235 beer experts from seven countries, including the U.S. In addition to 9,904 commercial brewery entries, the judging panel also evaluated 35 Pro-Am entries and 94 Collaboration entries. The competition was made possible with the help of 310 volunteers.

“Each year the Great American Beer Festival showcases the best that American brewers have to offer,” said Chris Williams, competition director, Great American Beer Festival. “With 9,904 entries, this year’s competition was the most competitive to date. Congratulations to all the winners who truly demonstrated why the U.S. is the best brewing nation in the world.”

2022 GABF Medal Winners
2022 GABF Brewery of the Year Awards

GABF COMPETITION STATISTICS
36th edition of the GABF competition
9,904 beers judged
177 beer styles
2,154 breweries in the competition from 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico
235 judges
310 volunteers
Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 99
Category with the highest number of entries: American Style India Pale Ale (423 entries)
300 total medals awarded, including 3 Pro-Am and 3 Collaboration medals
268 medal-winning breweries
301 first-time GABF entrants
18 first-time GABF winners

MOST-ENTERED STYLE CATEGORIES

The winners of the top five most-entered categories were:

MOST-MEDALED BREWERY: North Park Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
GOLD: English India Pale Ale or New Zealand India Pale Ale (Cat. 59)
SILVER: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 67)BRONZE: American-Style India Pale Ale (Cat. 64)
BRONZE: Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 66)

About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,700-plus U.S. breweries and more than 38,000 homebrewers. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week. The BA publishes The New Brewer and Zymurgy magazines, and Brewers Publications is the leading publisher of brewing literature. The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at  CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association and the free Brew Guru  mobile app.

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2022 Great American Beer Festival Brewery of the Year Awards:

October 9, 2022 by Dow Scoggins

The 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held in Denver, Colorado, marked its 40th anniversary as the nation’s premier beer competition and festival. Organized by the Brewers Association, the event celebrated the finest craft breweries in the United States, with the Brewery of the Year awards recognizing excellence across various production size categories. These awards, determined by points from medals won (gold: 6 points, silver: 5 points, bronze: 4 points), highlighted breweries that demonstrated consistent quality and innovation in their craft.

The 2022 GABF competition was the most competitive to date, with 9,904 entries from 2,154 breweries judged across 98 beer categories and 177 styles, including Collaboration and Pro-Am competitions. A panel of 235 beer experts from seven countries evaluated the entries over nine days, awarding 300 medals to 268 breweries. The Brewery of the Year awards were given in seven categories based on brewery size (measured by annual barrel production) and one for brewery groups, reflecting the diversity of the U.S. craft beer industry.

2022 U.S. Great American Beer Festival Brewery Winners
0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Prairie Malt
Double Clutch Brewing Co. – Evanston, IL
Scott Frank

251–500 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
The Big Friendly – Oklahoma City, OK
Will Quinlin

501–1,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Fermentis
Wild Fields Brewhouse – Atascadero, CA
R2J2 and Kayla Morrow

1,001–2,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by ABS Commercial
Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant – Topeka KS
John Dean & Alvaro Canizales

2,001–5,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
North Park Beer Co – San Diego, CA
North Park Beer Co Brew Team

5,001–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Country Malt Group
Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland, CA
Ghost Town Brewing Team

15,001–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
Left Hand Brewing Co – Longmont, CO
Left Hand Brewing Team

Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Live Oak Bank
Precarious Beer Project – Williamsburg, VA
Precarious Beer Project Brew Team

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Niagara College Brewmaster Jon Downing Receives Minister’s Award of Excellence

January 28, 2022 by Dow Scoggins

It’s been almost 12 years since Niagara College launched its trailblazing Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program, which made history as the first in Canada. The program responded to an identified need for education and higher quality product in Ontario’s brewing industry, and the impact it has had on the growing industry for more than the past decade has been unrivalled.

College Brewmaster Jon Downing has been a part of it from the very beginning. In recognition of his key role in developing the program, and its major impact on helping to grow the industry, he was presented with a Minister’s Award in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“Our brewing program at Niagara College has been instrumental in supporting the incredible growth of craft brewing in Ontario. Our Brewmaster Jon Downing has been at the lead of our NC Teaching Brewery since its inception over a decade ago and we are proud of his mentorship and support for the future brewers of Canada,” said Craig Youdale, Dean of NC’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute who nominated Downing for the award.

“Jon is not only supportive of our students, but also of the entire brewing community, by ensuring the growth and development of the industry that he loves. Our entire division is proud to have Jon on our team and we look forward to his direction to many more future brewers to come.”

Under Downing’s leadership, NC Brewmaster students have been gaining extensive hands-on training preparing them for employment in the expanding brewery, microbrewery and brewpub industries since 2010. The College’s Teaching Brewery has won numerous provincial, national and international awards for its student-crafted brews.

In 2012, NC’s first class of Brewmaster graduates set forth as pioneers in the province’s emerging craft beer scene – which has since grown from fewer than 100 breweries when the program was established, to 288 new start-ups (more than 320 breweries) by 2019.

“As we come up to the 10-year anniversary of the graduation of the first class of students, they and those that followed are the ones who have made the impact on the industry – some starting their own companies, and others working in breweries of all sizes, as brewers, head brewers and brewmasters of some of the top breweries in Ontario, leading the incredible growth we have seen in the last decade,” said Downing. “To have been a part of this all has been my pleasure, to be recognized for the part I played is awesome.”

Before Downing arrived at the College, he spent 20 years of his career opening more than 100 breweries around the world. It was his involvement with opening Ontario’s first brewpub in Welland, which led him to move to Canada from England in 1985.

Receiving a provincial award for his efforts was “totally unexpected” for Downing.

“I am honoured and deeply humbled that people think this much about what we have done to put me forward for the award, let alone to be chosen as the recipient,” he said.

For Downing, being selected for the award validates the faith that College leaders had in him when he first met with them almost 15 years ago about launching the program.

“Their support and that of many others at the College, and in industry, is what has led to our success,” he said.

Downing’s Award of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship was among seven presented to faculty and staff from postsecondary institutions across Ontario.

Minister’s Awards of Excellence
The Minister’s Awards of Excellence were introduced in 2020 to recognize the incredible work of Ontario’s faculty and staff during the early stages of the pandemic. The ministry decided to continue the tradition annually, and new categories were added this year to highlight more positive work being done at Ontario’s postsecondary institutions.

This year’s winners received a certificate signed by Minister Dunlop and were honoured at a congratulatory virtual meeting on the morning of January 21.

Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, distilling, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.

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Saying goodbye to 33 years of Marin Brewing Company

January 20, 2022 by Dow Scoggins

By Brendan Moylan
On January 31st 2022, we will pour our final pint, serve our last Mt. Tam burger, and say goodbye to 33 years of Marin Brewing Company. I am heartbroken, but I am proud and I am grateful.

Proud of our role in the legacy of craft brewing and the countless awards we’ve won at the Great American Beer Festival.

Proud of the $500,000 we’ve donated to Schools, Clubs, Teams, Churches, and Organizations throughout our community and for 20 year partnerships like the Breastfest Beer Festival, raising over $250,000 for breast cancer.

Grateful to the 1000’s of employees that gave their all in the kitchen, on the floor, in the brewhouse, and behind the bar — and some, for decades themselves. A special thank you to our world-class brewmaster of 27 years, Arne Johnson, and Jenn Procopio our incredible GM for 30 of dedication.

And I am so, so grateful to the generations of families, the ferry catching office workers, the first legal pints, barstool regulars, and all who patronized our pub and made the pipe dream, of a much younger man, a reality. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for 33 years of support and the lifetime of memories. Come join us in our final days — we’re open from 11:30 daily.

If you love Brew Co. as much as we do, we do have a little bit of good news. We will be holding a silent auction of our iconically Brew Co. art and decor — including decades of hand drawn coasters — to raise money for our employee fund, as they no doubt feel the greatest impact of our closure. Stop on by and place a bid.

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The story of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter

March 2, 2021 by Dow Scoggins

In 1987, we originally hired Frank Appleton, a brewing consultant from Canada to help us establish the brewing component of our planned brewpub in Bend, Oregon. In addition to designing the equipment, and having it installed, he would formulate the first three beers in our line-up. Not knowing much about it in 1988, we wanted something light, medium, and dark. Frank came up with Cascade Golden Ale, Bachelor Bitter, and Black Butte Porter. Our first brewer, John Harris, then put his hand (and considerable skill) on the formulation and Black Butte Porter was born. However, it was not until sometime later that Black Butte Porter became our “flagship” beer. After a year or so, and out of necessity to keep the brewery going, we began to explore wholesale distribution. Thinking conventionally, we began with Cascade Golden Ale and Bachelor Bitter as being most adaptable to the limited palates of 1980’s drinkers. It just seemed like lighter colored beer would make sense.

Once while meeting with our distributor in Portland, Oregon, Jim Kennedy, he posed a question. He said, “You need to decide what you want to be as a brewery. Now, you can sell these lighter colored beers and carve out your small but reasonable slice of the very large, light colored beer-pie, competing with everyone for that slice. Or, you can sell Black Butte Porter and, although the dark-colored beer-pie is much smaller, you can own the whole thing”. I guess being a contrarian at heart, that proposition appealed to me. Although we had to sacrifice quite a bit to make that happen. You see, the path of least resistance for beer salespeople was certainly not in dark beer. Particularly when we had developed some really popular lighter beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale. But we were committed. For the next few years, we kept the brakes on Mirror Pond and limited its market exposure to ensure Black Butte could gain a foothold in the market. It didn’t hurt that it was winning awards at a pretty good clip in those days. As a result, you could say we developed our second brand first, and we actually had two flagship brands with Black Butte and Mirror Pond sharing that distinction.
Black Butte Porter has continued to evolve, although our target flavors never really changed. But with growth naturally comes change. When we built our larger production facility in 1993, we installed a 50-barrel brewery. Later, we added a German-manufactured 150 barrel brewery that was much more efficient. Getting those two breweries to brew Black Butte Porter that tasted the same was quite the chore. But, we’re pretty stubborn, so four years later, we declared success and the legacy (and flavor) of Black Butte Porter could continue.

Black Butte continues to be our flagship. Even though beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Fresh Squeezed outsell it. Black Butte is the best-selling porter in America and a significant point of pride for our team. It has successfully dispelled the misconceptions of dark beer. It is particularly successful at that task with novice craft drinkers. But, if we can get them to taste it, they are usually hooked! It has also spurred spin-offs like Black Butte Anniversary that is an imperial version of Black Butte Porter brewed for our company’s anniversary, but being barrel-aged and topping out around 11% alcohol with various added adjuncts like chocolate, chilis or coffee. We have also made a Black Butte Whiskey, with local distillery, Bendistillery. We make the wash for the whiskey using a variation of the Black Butte formula for that wash. Finally, we also do Black Butte3 where we use an imperial version of Black Butte Porter and age it in barrels that were used for Black Butte Whiskey.

Business consultants like to ask a question evaluating your business. That is, “what can you do your competitors can’t?” For me, the answer is clearly Black Butte Porter. The legend will continue. What we do with it next, well, stay tuned.

Written by Gary Fish, Founder of Deschutes Brewery

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Niagara College Teaching Brewery finishes year with gold-medal performance at the U.S. Open Beer Championship

December 13, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

Niagara on the Lake, Ontario – Staff and students at the Niagara College Teaching Brewery are clinking beer steins this week after three student-made beers medaled at the U.S. Open Beer Championships, including winning gold.

The trio of beers that were awarded honours at the competition, which drew 6,000 entries from throughout North America, are:
Gold for Beer 101 Bock in the Bock category;
Silver for Beer 101 Strong in the Old Ale category;
Silver for Beer 101 Bitter in the Bitter category.

Both the Beer 101 Bitter and Strong have consistently medalled at the U.S. Open Beer Championships over the past eight years. This is also the third medal this year for the Beer 101 Bock, which also scored a gold at the Ontario Brewing Awards and silver at the Canadian Brewing Awards earlier this fall.

“This is a significant accomplishment for students and staff at the Niagara College Teaching Brewery,” said Steve Gill, general manager of NC’s Learning Enterprises. “Our beers have performed well at competitions this year attesting to the quality of the applied education we offer at the college and to our students’ abilities to make some of the best beers in North America year after year.”

College Brewmaster Jon Downing noted that students in the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations program mastered the key characteristics judges seek when choosing winning beers in a competition.

“Students are learning how to make consistent, high-quality beer and they’re knocking it out of the park,” Downing said. “Quality and consistency are what the judges look for, and these beers have it. And with the Bock, we just nailed the recipe this year.”

The U.S. Open Beer Championships is the second-largest competition in North America and the only one to include suds from both professional and home brewers. Judges from the U.S. and Canada select winners in blind tastings, knowing only the categories, not the names or locations of beers competing.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, judging was held in both the U.S. and Canada.

Competition Director Dow Scoggins said Niagara students don’t just perform well at the competition while enrolled in school. They continue to do so after graduation.

He noted NC alumnus Jared Lewinski, who’s now the head brewer at Listermann Brewing Company in Cincinnati, produced four beers that medalled this year, including a gold in the nut beer category.

Another alumnus, Henriques Soares, who came from Brazil to study in the program, saw two of his beers for Tire Shack Brewing Co. in Moncton, N.B., medal, including a gold in the Gose category.

“One of the important things about Niagara College is the students do well there, but they also medal outside the College,” Scoggins said. “The No. 1 thing is we’re very big on clean beers with no alcohol taste. That speaks to the quality of brewing and the brewery at Niagara College.”

The award-winning beers are sold in 473-millilitre cans, which are available for purchase at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre, located at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Sales of the brews support student education.

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2020 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Winners Announced

September 1, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild announced the 2020 Virginia Craft Beer Cup winners on Monday, August 31, 2020, at Bon Secours Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. The event looked different this year, with face masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer placed all over the venue, but the excitement in the air was unchanged.

This year’s Virginia Craft Beer Cup was managed by Head Judge Charlie Harr. 267 beers in almost 20 categories competed for awards. The judging took place Saturday, July 25, at Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn, Virginia.

“This was a challenging year due to the pandemic. However, we made several adjustments to operate in a safe environment and follow established guidelines. In the end we had a lot of fun, made new friends and tasted some great Virginia beers,” said Charlie Harr, Head Judge.

The Virginia Craft Beer Cup continues to be the largest state competition of its kind in the United States. The Virginia Craft Beer Cup is committed to giving its members the opportunity to compete, obtain critical feedback from certified judges, and get statewide recognition that will help build their brands. That is why the Guild’s priority this year was to notfalter in its efforts to celebrate craft beer in Virginia, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Virginia Craft Beer Cup is all about sharing what we have learned as craft brewers and small businesses, making memories, and best of all, celebrating the best of what Virginia Brewers have to offer! Besides, you never know who might win,” said Sten Sellier, Beltway Brewing Company. “Having brought a few medals back to our brewery in the past, I can say that bragging rights are always a big plus!”

“The annual VA Craft Beer Cup is such a fun event that brings our breweries together for some healthy competition and camaraderie,” said Janell Zurschmeide, Dirt Farm Brewing. “It allows us to celebrate each other, especially the winners, and further promote our independent breweries.”

The 2020 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Winners
BEST IN SHOW
First Place Black Hoof Brewing Company, Muzzle Loader Munich Dunkel
Second Place Cedar Run Brewery, Goats in the House Pilsner
Third Place Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit

AMBER ALE
First Place The Board Room VA, Ticket to Ride Red Ale
Second Place Random Row Brewing Co., Scouser Red Ale
Third Place 7 Dogs Brew Pub, Scottish 80

AMBER LAGER
First Place Fairwinds Brewing Company, High Barbary
Second Place Tasting Room at Mount Ida Reserve, First Edition
Third Place Mustang Sally Brewing Company, Half Moon Rising

BROWN ALE
First Place Old Ox Brewery, Black Ox Rye Porter
Second Place Ballad Brewing, Fast Mail Mild Ale
Third Place Rocket Frog Brewing Company, Wallops Island

BOCK
First Place Black Hoof Brewing Company, Broadside Maibock
Second Place Barking Rose Brewing Company + Farm, Dopplebock
Third Place Big Ugly Brewing, Accelerator

DARK LAGER
First Place Black Hoof Brewing Company, Muzzleloader Munich Dunkel
Second Place Gloucester Brewing Company, Mobjack Black
Third Place Maker’s Craft Brewery, Thurinigan

FRUIT/VEGETABLE
First Place Benchtop Brewing Company, Mermaid’s Lure
Second Place Elation Brewing Company, Rosé Gosé
Third Place Mustang Sally Brewing Company, Getaway Plan
Honorable Mention Stable Craft Brewing, Blueberry Blonde

IPA
First Place Stone Brewing Co., Stone IPA
Second Place Fairwinds Brewing Company, Howling Gale
Third Place Heliotrope Brewing, Oxfordcommadisiac
Honorable Mention Random Row Brewing Co., Windswell DIPA

SAISON
First Place Old Ox Brewery, Sightseer Saison
Second Place Bingo Beer Co, Patio Vibes
Third Place Ardent Craft Ales, Ardent Saison

PALE ALE
First Place Beltway Brewing Company, Approachable Guise
Second Place Twin Creeks Brewing Company, Keep Ya Distance Cream Ale
Third Place Barking Rose Brewing Company + Farm, Conviction
Honorable Mention Random Row Brewing Co., Mosaic Pale Ale

KOLSCH
First Place The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery, House Beer
Second Place Sweetwater Taven, Barking Frog Kolsch

PALE LAGER
First Place Cave Hill Farms Brewery, Loafing Shed Lager
Second Place Port City Brewing Company, Helles Lager
Third Place Dynasty Brewing, Dynasty Lager

PILSNER
First Place Cedar Run Brewery, Goats in the House Pilsner
Second Place Tradition Brewing Company, Tradice
Third Place Bingo Beer Co, Bingo Lager

SPECIALTY – OTHER
First Place Blue Mountain Barrel House, Raspberries on Acid
Second Place Benchtop Brewing Company, Friar Storm
Third Place Extra Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery, Capital Kolsch

SOUR
First Place Reason Beer, Gryffon’s Red
Second Place Audacious Aleworks, Anniversary Flanders Red Ale

SPECIALTY MIXED
First Place 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, Franc-n-Stein
Second Place Fine Creek Brewing Company, Wine Barrel Aged Golden Sour
Third Place Fine Creek Brewing Company, Herbarium Wild Saison

SPECIALTY – ALTERNATIVE
First Place That Damn Mary Brewing Company, Holden in the Rye
Second Place St. George Brewing Company, Honey Mead Lager
Third Place Dirt Farm Brewing, Honey Helles

SPECIALTY WOOD
First Place Caboose Brewing Company, Fireside Ale
Second Place 2 Silos Brewing Company, Barrel Reserve: Imperial Stout
Third Place Blue Mountain Barrel House, Dark Hollow

STOUT
First Place Dynasty Brewing, 838 Stout
Second Place Great Valley Farm Brewery, Stout

STRONG ALE
First Place Garden Grove Brewing Co., Fergus Wee Heavy
Second Place Lake Anne Brew House, 2020
Third Place Lake Anne Brew House, Quadiversary
Honorable Mention Tasting Room at Mount Ida Reserve, Murcielago Madison Stout

WHEAT BEER
First Place Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit
Second Place Trapezium Brewing Co., Chasing Ponies
Third Place Spencer Devon Brewing, Pontoon Bridges

Award winners will be featuring their beers in their tasting rooms and through their wholesale and retail partners. The VCBG encourages craft beer enthusiasts to visit these breweries and try these great brews. To learn more about these breweries and plan your taproom trip, visit our Virginia Brewery Map or go to the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s craft beer site to plan your next weekend or vacation.

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (Guild) is an association of independent, small and traditional breweries dedicated to growing the craft
beer industry in the Commonwealth. The Guild is the state affiliate of the Brewers Association. For information of the Beer Judge
Certification Program, go to http://www.bjcp.org/. For more information on the Guild, go to www.vacraftbeer.com and
www.vacraftbrewersguild.com.

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U.S. Open Beer Championship, New Category, Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout – 100% of your entry fee will be donated

August 27, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

Oxford, Ohio (August, 2020) – – This year, the U.S. Open Beer Championship will award medals in 132 categories. More categories than any beer judging in the world. But, we decided to add one more. After drinking a few of the Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stouts, the board of directors of the U.S. Open decided to add a new category, the Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout category.

The U.S. Open will donate 100% of this category entry fees to a local foundation that supports police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged or to a local organizations that support equality and inclusion. The foundation will be determined by the Gold Medal Winner.

Black Is Beautiful Imperial Stout Recipe
The base recipe for Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout was created by Weathered Souls Brewing Company. It was designed to be a moderately high abv. stout to showcase the different shades of black. If you added your own twist or ideas to the beer, please enter them in the comment section when you register your beer. Recipe Link

Call for Entries
More than 7,000 beers, representing more than 130 different styles, were judged during the 2019 U.S. Open event, which is the only brewery competition to include licensed breweries and winners of the American Homebrewers Association competition. Last year, breweries spanning the globe from Russia to Rhode Island sent their beers. Winning entries can be seen on the U.S. Open Beer Championships website, at www.USOpenBeer.com.

Registration, Deadlines and Fees
The last day to register is October 21, 2020
Beers will need to arrive between October 21 through October 30.
Each brewery may enter a maximum of eight beers.
The entry fee will be $75 (with two entries at no charge).
A brewery must submit a minimum of five beers to be considered one of the Top Ten Breweries and Grand National Champion.

Brewers can submit questions at dow_scoggins@hotmail.com and follow the competition on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

U.S. Open Links
2020 U.S. Open Beer Championship Webpage
2020 U.S. Open Categories
2020 U.S. Open Registration
2020 U.S. Open Shipping
2019 U.S. Open Medal Winners

2020 New York International Beer Competition Gold Medal Winners

June 30, 2020 by Dow Scoggins

At the 2020 New York International Beer Competition, the judges were delighted with the quality of beer submissions that they received in their 9th year. The competition had over 600+ beer submissions from 14 different countries.

Double Gold Medal
Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale
Rust Buffalo – Bhramari Brewing – Asheville, NC

Wood And Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Utopias 2019 – Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout
Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Double Wing Brewing – Cleveland, OH

Gold Medal
American-Style Brown Ale
Beckley Furnace Brown Ale – Norbrook Farm Brewery – Colebrook, CT

American-Style Cream Ale or Lager $10 – Less
Outboard Cream Ale – MKE Brewing Co – Milwaukee, WI

American-Style Cream Ale or Lager, $11 – $15
Fulling Mill IPA – Mill River Brewing – Mills River, NC

American-Style India Pale Ale, $10 – Less
BAA Brewhouse Snog – BAA
The Zephyros Hazy IPA – HomeGrown Brewing – Oxford, MI
Breaking Bud – Knee Deep Brewing – Auburn, CA
Stevens Point Brewery

American-Style India Pale Ale, $11 – $15
Neon Ghosts – Bhramari Brewing – Asheville, NC

American-Style Imperial Stout, $11 – $15
Mallow Joe – Eight & Sand Beer Co. – Woodbury, NJ

American-Style Lager or Light Lager, $10 – Less
Utica Club Pilsener – Saranac Brewery/FX Matt Brewing – Utica, NY
Samuel Adams Sam ’76 – Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA

American-Style Pale Ale, $10 – Less
Zed’s in the Universe–Pale42 – Zed’s Beer – Marlton, NJ

American-Style Premium Lager or Specialty Lager, $10 – Less
Session Premium Lager – Full Sail Brewing Co. – Hood River, OR

Barley Wine-Style Ale, $10 – Less
Faux Year Anniversary Barleywine – Municipal Brew Works – Hamilton, OH

Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale, $10 – Less
La Roja – Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales – Michigan

Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale, $10 – Less
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Piraat

Belgian-Style Tripel, $10 – Less
Three Sisters – Port O’Pints Brewing Co. – Crescent City, CA

Belgian-Style Witbier, $10 – Less
Birrai Umbri SS Cotta 21 Italian Blonde Ale – Italy

Brewed Hard Seltzer
Superbrew Ginger & Lemon- Farmer Willie’s Inc – Charlestown, MA

Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, $10 – Less
Zed’s in Ireland–Dry Stout – Zed’s Beer – Marlton, NJ

English-Style India Pale Ale, $11 – $15
Ichthyosaur Icky” IPA” – Great Basin Brewing – Reno, NV

French- & French- and Belgian-Style Saison, $10 – Less
Million Reasons – IBEER – Italy

Fruit Beer, $10 – Less
Mangolandia – Veza Sur Brewing Co. – Miami, FL

German-Style Marzen, $10 – Less
Oktoberfest – River Rat Brewery – Columbia, SC
Proast German Style Marzen – Twin Oast Brewing – Port Clinton, OH

German-Style Schwarzbier, $11 – $15
Black Betty – Olde Salem Brewing – Salem, VA

Irish-Style Red Ale, $10 – Less
Irish Setter Red – Thirsty Dog Brewing Co – Akron, OH

Imperial India Pale Ale, $11 – $15
Coastal Evacuation – Cape May Brewing – Rio Grande, NJ

South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock
Aventinus Schneider Weisse – Germany

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