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Beer Competition

2026 Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival: Anchorage’s Premier Winter Beer Celebration

December 30, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

2026 Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival: Anchorage's Premier Winter Beer Celebration
The 2026 Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival is set to return as one of Anchorage’s most anticipated winter events, bringing together craft beverage enthusiasts for a weekend of tastings, live music, and community vibes. Organized by the Brewers Guild of Alaska in partnership with Peak 2 Peak Events, this festival highlights the thriving craft scene in the Last Frontier.

Event Details: Dates, Location, and Sessions
Mark your calendars for January 30–31, 2026. The festival will take place at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage, a spacious venue perfect for hosting multiple tasting sessions.
Expect three distinct sessions across the two days, allowing attendees flexibility:
Friday evening session
Saturday afternoon session
Saturday evening session

Each session features unlimited samples from a wide array of beverages, paired with food vendors and live performances by local bands.

What to Expect: Over 250 Beverages and More
This expanded event showcases over 250 regional beverages, going far beyond traditional beer. Highlights include:
Award-winning craft beers from Alaskan and Pacific Northwest breweries
Rich, high-alcohol barley wines – a specialty that’s rare to find in such concentration
Ciders, meads, seltzers, wines, and an increasing selection of non-alcoholic options like creative kombuchas and botanical drinks

The festival is known for its barley wine competition, one of only a handful in the U.S., where brewers vie for gold pan trophies in categories like Barley Wine and Winter Warmer. Past winners have included standout entries from breweries like Midnight Sun Brewing and Reuben’s Brews.
Food pairings from local vendors complement the drinks, with options ranging from hearty appetizers to sweet treats. Live music adds to the festive atmosphere, making it a perfect mid-winter gathering.

Why Attend the Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival?
Alaska’s craft beverage industry has exploded in recent years, with over 50 breweries statewide producing world-class drinks inspired by the rugged landscape and pure ingredients. This festival is the ultimate showcase:

Discover new favorites: Try limited-edition pours unavailable elsewhere.
Support local: Proceeds benefit the Brewers Guild of Alaska.
Inclusive fun: Designated driver tickets are affordable, and non-alcoholic options ensure everyone can join.
Winter escape: Combat the January blues with warmth, flavors, and camaraderie.

Whether you’re a seasoned beer connoisseur chasing bold barley wines or a casual visitor exploring ciders and meads, there’s something for every palate.

Tickets and Practical Information
Tickets are available exclusively through the official platform, MyAlaskaTix, via the event website: www.alaskacraftbrewandbarleywine.com. Beware of resale scams – only purchase from authorized sources.
Sessions typically sell out quickly, so early booking is recommended. The event is 21+ for alcohol sampling, with ID required.

For the latest updates on participating breweries, competition details, and session times, check the official site or follow on social media.

Join thousands of attendees in celebrating Alaska’s craft heritage at the 2026 Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival – a true highlight of Anchorage’s winter calendar!

Here are the 2025 Alaska Craft Brew and Barley Wine Festival – Medal Winners
Barley Wine Winners
Gold – Three Ryes Men Barleywine – Reuben’s Brews – Washington
Silver – Arctic Devil – Midnight Sun Brewing – Alaska
Bronze – Apocalyptic Sky Trumpet – 49th State Brewing – Alaska
Honorable Mention – 2025 Barley Wine – Hoodoo Brewing – Alaska

Winter Warmer Winners
Gold – 2024 Jim Beam Double Barrel Aged Eisboch – Glacier Brewhouse – Alaska
Silver – Barrel Aged Black Pearl Imperial Coconut – Maui Brewing – Hawaii
Bronze – Reuben’s Brew Barrel Aged Stout – Reuben’s Brews – Washington

Brewers Guild of Alaska
The Brewers Guild of Alaska (BGA), founded in 2000 as a scrappy non-profit by a band of visionary craft brewers, is the beating heart of the Last Frontier’s booming beer scene—championing over 50 independent breweries, cideries, and meaderies through fierce legislative advocacy, hands-on education, and epic community events that keep Alaska’s taps flowing with bold, boundary-pushing pours like hazy IPAs brewed with midnight sun barley and barrel-aged stouts infused with wild Alaskan berries. From hosting the legendary 29th Annual Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival in January 2025 at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center—where 65+ breweries slinged 250+ samples amid live music and food trucks—to powering the Boots & Brews Beer Fest in Fairbanks and the massive Alaska Crafted Festival in Eagle River, the BGA turns winter nights into hoppy havens and equips brewers with everything from financial workshops to biotransformation seminars at their November 2025 Alaska Crafted Conference. Whether you’re a local chasing that perfect Arctic Devil barleywine or a visitor plotting a northern beer road trip, the BGA’s all about raising a glass to sustainable sips, small-batch innovation, and the rugged spirit that makes Alaskan craft beer as untamed as its wilderness—sláinte to the guild keeping the north’s brew game strong!

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

Top 10 American Herb and Spiced Beers of 2025

December 26, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

Photo by Oleksii Hulak

This Top 10 Herb and Spiced beer list showcases the creative use of herbs, spices, and botanicals (such as coriander, orange peel, juniper, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, chili peppers, or unique gruit blends), drawn from medal winners and highly regarded examples in major competitions like the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, U.S. Open Beer Championship, and other notable sources.

These beers incorporate herbs and spices—distinct from or in addition to hops and roasted malts—to deliver pronounced, balanced characters ranging from refreshing citrusy notes to warming holiday spices or earthy herbal depth. Moderate hopping allows the botanicals to shine without excessive bitterness, creating harmonious and complex profiles.

Top 10 American Herb and Spiced Beers of 2025

Top 10 American Herb and Spiced Beers of 2025
Photo by Allagash Brewing

1) Allagash White from Allagash Brewing Company is a quintessential American interpretation of the classic Belgian witbier, expertly spiced with coriander and Curaçao orange peel for bright, refreshing citrus notes and a subtle floral spice that complements its hazy, wheat-driven body. This multi-award-winning beer, including numerous Great American Beer Festival medals, offers a crisp, effervescent finish perfect for warm days or pairing with light seafood dishes.
Address: 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103
Website: https://www.allagash.com/

2) Red Nose Holiday Wassail from Great Basin Brewing Company is a richly spiced holiday ale that captures the essence of traditional wassail with warming notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other festive botanicals blended into a malty backbone. This gold medal winner in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival delivers comforting, seasonal flavors ideal for winter gatherings.
Address: 846 Victorian Ave, Sparks, NV 89431
Website: https://www.greatbasinbrewingco.com/

3) Chai Eye Captain from Third Eye Brewing Company is an innovative chai-spiced ale that infuses traditional Indian masala spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and clove into a smooth, balanced base, creating layers of warming aroma and flavor. A gold medalist in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival, this beer stands out for its bold yet harmonious spice profile.
Address: 11276 Chester Rd, Sharonville, OH 45246
Website: https://thirdeyebrewingco.com/

4) Hecho En Szechuan from Pinthouse Brewing is a unique rice lager infused with Szechuan peppercorns, lime leaf, and zest, delivering a tingling, numbing spice alongside bright citrus and subtle floral notes for an intriguing, refreshing twist on the style. This silver medal winner in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival showcases creative botanical experimentation.
Address: 2201 E Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX 78741
Website: https://pinthouse.com/

5) Two Wheeler from Far Field Beer Co. is a tart, effervescent Berliner Weisse delicately spiced with lavender, offering floral, herbal elegance that balances its light sourness and crisp finish. This gold medal winner in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival highlights subtle botanical sophistication in a sessionable package.
Address: 4471 W Rosecrans Ave, Lawndale, CA 90250
Website: https://farfieldbeer.com/

6) Station 3 Habanero IPA from Lock 15 Brewing Co. is a bold West Coast IPA infused with fire-roasted habanero peppers, blending citrusy hop bitterness with a building heat and smoky spice for an adventurous, fiery drinking experience. A gold medalist in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship, it’s perfect for spice enthusiasts.
Address: 21 W North St, Akron, OH 44304
Website: https://www.lock15brewing.com/

7) The Great Pumpkin from Elysian Brewing Co. is an iconic imperial pumpkin ale brewed with real pumpkin and a blend of warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, delivering rich, pie-like flavors with malty depth and a smooth finish. This legendary seasonal has earned multiple Great American Beer Festival medals in spiced categories and remains a fall favorite.
Address: 6010 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108 (production facility)
Website: https://www.elysianbrewing.com/

8) Nutty Ale-Thundai from Omnium Brewing Company is a creative pale ale spiced with a thandai-inspired masala blend including fennel, almonds, pistachios, cardamom, and rose petals, plus lactose for subtle sweetness and nutty complexity. This gold medal winner in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2025 U.S. Open Beer Championship offers exotic, aromatic depth.
Address: 460 High St, Somersworth, NH 03878
Website: https://omniumbrewing.com/

9) Sah’tea from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is a modern recreation of ancient Finnish sahti, spiced with juniper berries and black chai tea for earthy, piney notes alongside warming masala spices in a strong, malty ale. This innovative herb-forward beer embodies off-centered brewing tradition with its unique botanical fusion.
Address: 6 Cannery Village Center, Milton, DE 19968
Website: https://www.dogfish.com/

10) Celis White from Celis Brewery is a revived classic Belgian-style witbier spiced with coriander and orange peel, yielding a hazy, refreshing pour with bright citrus, subtle spice, and a smooth wheat character. Founded by the legendary Pierre Celis and reborn in Austin, this authentic witbier carries a rich heritage of botanical elegance.
Address: 10001 Metric Blvd, Austin, TX 78758
Website: https://www.celisbeers.com/

 

History of Herb and Spiced Beers
Ancient Origins
Beer is one of the oldest fermented beverages, dating back over 8,000 years. In ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Sumerians brewed thick, porridge-like beer from barley, often flavored with dates, honey, and herbs for taste and preservation. The Hymn to Ninkasi (c. 1800 BCE), a poem honoring the goddess of brewing, is the world’s oldest surviving beer recipe.

In ancient Egypt, beer (called henqet) was a daily staple, lighter and smoother than Mesopotamian versions. Brewers used emmer wheat or barley, adding herbs, fruits, spices like mandrake, or dates for flavor. It served as food, medicine, religious offering, and worker ration (e.g., for pyramid builders).
These early beers relied on local botanicals rather than hops, which were unknown in brewing at the time.

Medieval Europe: The Era of Gruit
Before hops dominated, European beers used gruit (or gruyt)—a variable mixture of herbs and spices for bittering, flavoring, and preservation. Common ingredients included:
Bog myrtle (sweet gale)
Yarrow
Wild rosemary (marsh rosemary)
Mugwort
Heather
Juniper berries
Ginger
Caraway
Anise
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

Gruit originated in regions like the Low Countries, Germany, and Flanders around the 10th century. The Catholic Church and local lords often monopolized gruit production, taxing it heavily for revenue. These beers were unhopped ales, sometimes with psychoactive or aphrodisiac effects from the herbs.
Traditional survivors include Finnish sahti, flavored primarily with juniper branches and berries, brewed rustic-style without boiling the wort.

Transition to Hops (11th–16th Centuries)
Hops emerged in brewing around the 9th–11th centuries in Central Europe, prized for superior preservation, consistent bitterness, and lower cost compared to taxed gruit. The shift was gradual:

Hops spread from Bavaria and Bohemia northward
Better stability allowed longer storage and trade

Key factors included the Protestant Reformation undermining Church gruit monopolies and the 1516 Reinheitsgebot (German purity law) mandating only water, barley, and hops (yeast added later). By the late 16th century, hopped beer dominated most of Europe, though gruit lingered in places like Westphalia into the 17th century.

Spiced Beers in the Hop Era
Even with hops standard, spices persisted in certain styles:

Belgian witbier → Uses coriander and orange peel
Christmas/winter warmers → Often feature cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, or spruce, evoking holiday pies and mulled drinks

In colonial America, scarce barley led to beers fermented with pumpkin or other local produce, sometimes spiced. Modern pumpkin ales (popularized in the 1980s by breweries like Buffalo Bill’s) add pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove) for fall seasonal appeal, though actual pumpkin is often minimal.

Modern Revival
The 1990s craft beer boom revived herb and spiced beers. Brewers experiment with gruit-inspired unhopped ales, botanical additions, or hybrids (herbs + hops). Styles like “Herb and Spice Beer” encompass everything from juniper-lavender gruits to chili-chocolate stouts.

International Gruit Day (February 1) celebrates this heritage, and breweries worldwide release limited editions using ancient-inspired blends. Today, these beers offer diverse, complex flavors beyond hop bitterness—earthy, floral, spicy, or medicinal—connecting modern drinkers to millennia-old traditions.1.7s68 sources.

 

Top 10 Beer Festivals in America plus a few more: Click Here!

 

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

Happy National Peanut Day! Top 10 Peanut Butter Beers in America

December 13, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

Top 10 Peanut Butter Beers in America

Peanut butter beers continue to be a craft sensation in 2025, turning childhood nostalgia into velvety, nutty masterpieces that pair roasted malts with that unmistakable creamy PB punch. Drawing from recent wins at the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival buzz, and fresh reviews from BeerAdvocate, Untappd, and craft communities, here’s our updated top 10—ranked by acclaim, innovation, and sheer craveability. These are all-American brews, with wide availability in cans, drafts, or select markets.

The top 10 Peanut Butter Beers are any beers using peanut, peanut butter or peanut butter extract as an adjunct in either the mash, kettle, primary or secondary fermentation, providing obvious, yet harmonious, qualities.

1. Sweet Baby Jesus! Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter – DuClaw Brewing Company Maryland 

This timeless 5.2% ABV porter pours a deep mahogany and unleashes waves of silky peanut butter swirled with dark chocolate and subtle roasted malt, like a grown-up Reese’s that’s balanced enough for multiple pints without tipping into dessert overload—its lighter body lets the nutty magic shine through every sip.

2. TraXXX Night Fury – Witch’s Hat Brewing – South Lyon, Michigan
Bourbon barrel aged Night Fury Imperial stout aged on Vanilla beans, Mindo cocoa nibs, coconut and peanut butter. ABV: 13.5%

3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter – Waconia Brewing – Waconia, Minnesota
Pours an almost opaque dark brown with a thin head. Smells nutty, slightly malty, sweet and chocolatey. Taste is peanuts up front, chocolate and slight hop bitterness with a strong malt presence. Mouthfeel is medium light and low carbonation with a smooth finish.

4. Peanut Butter Porter – Back Forty Beer Company – Gadsden, Alabama
It’s creamy, it’s big, it’s just what it sounds like. Brewed with crushed peanuts and a malt bill thick enough to slather on some bread, Peanut Butter Porter belongs on your grocery list right next to the jelly, bananas & bacon. Comfort food in a can!

5. Peanut Butter Jelly Time – Catawba Brewing – Asheville, North Carolina
This beer begins life as a light brown ale that provides the bready qualities of the base beer. After fermentation, it is rested on whole roasted peanuts and all-natural raspberry puree, which truly transforms this into a PB&J sandwich in a glass.

6. Peanut Butter Porter – Liquid Mechanics – Lafayette, Colorado
Peanut Butter Porter from Liquid Mechanics combines the sweetness of the peanut butter with the slight smokiness of the porter. Opaque dark appearance, strong smell of peanut butter and chocolate, rich in sweet flavors of peanut butter and chocolate, tastes very similar to Reese’s Puffs Cereal lol, creamy and thick mouth feel with a smooth finish.

7. Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter – Wild Ride Brewing – Redmond, Oregon
The brewers at Wild Ride Brewing love beer. and love peanut butter. Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter is here to bring the best of these two worlds together! With notes of chocolate and caramel, this porter is complemented by the addition of creamy peanut butter flavor. It’s a true liquid peanut butter cup, and it’s here for you to enjoy.

8. Mexican Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout – Belching Beaver Brewery – San Diego, California
Belching Beaver’s classic Peanut Butter Milk Stout with Mexican Chocolate (Abuelita) added in. Rolled oats and lactose add to the creamy body of this beer while heavenly aromas of roasted buttery peanuts and chocolate greet you with every sip.

9. Rapp Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout – Rapp Brewing – Seminole, Florida
Beautiful dark brown beer with two finger head served at the brewery on draft in a snifter. Mostly peanut butter aroma with some chocolate, coffee, and roast in thebackground. The taste is chocolate and peanut butter with a toasty backbone to balance the sweetness.

10. Willoughby Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter – Willoughby Brewing – Willoughby, Ohio
Winner of the Gold Award for Specialty Beer at the 2014 World Beer Cup, this truly unique taste experience is brought to you only by Willoughby Brewing Company. The brewers at Willoughby start by brewing a robust porter and infusing it with locally roasted coffee and then infusing peanut butter and chocolate. The result is a beer like no other you’ve had before. Some people say they taste more coffee than peanuts and some say the reverse.

NATIONAL PEANUT DAY
On September 13, National Peanut Day pays homage to mighty and tasty peanut.

Likely originating in South America around 3,500 years ago, this legume is not a nut. They grow underground like potatoes. Since they are an edible seed that forms in a pod, they belong to the family Leguminosae with peas and beans. When it comes to plants packing protein power, peanuts provide a whopping 8 grams per ounce, more than any other nut according to The Peanut Institute. And remember, it’s not a nut! Nuts grow on trees.

The peanut is also high in antioxidants. Not only are peanuts high in necessary nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, B6, iron, selenium, zinc and many others, but when paired with other nutrient-rich foods, studies have shown this amazing legume helps us absorb nutrients better.

Top 10 Beer Festivals in America plus a few more: Click Here!

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

NC Brewers Cup Medal Winners

November 20, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

NC Brewer's Cup Medal Winners or North Carolina Brewer's Cup Medal WinnersNorth Carolina’s craft beer scene shines every fall at the NC Brewers Cup, the state’s largest and most prestigious professional beer competition. Organized by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild since 2001, the Cup brings together hundreds of entries from breweries big and small to be blind-judged by BJCP-certified and professional judges using the latest Brewers Association style guidelines. Medals are awarded in dozens of categories (everything from classic lagers and IPAs to wild ales and barrel-aged stouts), plus a special “NC Home-Grown” category that celebrates beers made with at least 50 % North Carolina ingredients. Winners are announced each November at the NC Craft Brewers Conference in Winston-Salem, with the Brewery of the Year trophy going to the shop that racks up the most points across all categories. Over the years the competition has grown into a beloved celebration of Tar Heel brewing excellence, spotlighting both legendary names (Highland, NoDa, Fullsteam) and rising stars while giving beer lovers across the state a trusted guide to the very best local pints.

North Carolina’s craft beer scene shines every fall at the NC Brewers Cup, the state’s largest and most prestigious professional beer competition. Organized by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild since 2001, the Cup brings together hundreds of entries from breweries big and small to be blind-judged by BJCP-certified and professional judges using the latest Brewers Association style guidelines. Medals are awarded in dozens of categories (everything from classic lagers and IPAs to wild ales and barrel-aged stouts), plus a special “NC Home-Grown” category that celebrates beers made with at least 50 % North Carolina ingredients. Winners are announced each November at the NC Craft Brewers Conference in Winston-Salem, with the Brewery of the Year trophy going to the shop that racks up the most points across all categories. Over the years the competition has grown into a beloved celebration of Tar Heel brewing excellence, spotlighting both legendary names (Highland, NoDa, Fullsteam) and rising stars while giving beer lovers across the state a trusted guide to the very best local pints.

2025 NC Craft Beer Cup Medal Winners

British Pale & Bitter Ale
Gold: Cricket Hill — Fullsteam Brewery
Silver: Iron Horse — Trolley Barn Fermentory
Bronze: “Made For Walkin’” — Salt Face Mule Brewing Company

Scottish & Irish Beer
Gold: Scott’s View — Compass Rose Brewery
Silver: Scott’s View — Compass Rose Brewery
Bronze: “Dawn of the Red” — Neoteric Brewing Company

British Porter & Brown Ales
Gold: Black Cat Porter — Lost Province Brewing Co
Silver: Grizzly Brown Ale — Cavendish Brewing Company
Bronze: “Boar Brown” — Pig Pounder Brewery
Honorable Mention: Gems & Rhinestones — Edit Beer Co.

American Porter, Amber, & Brown Ales
Gold: Green Man Porter — Green Man Brewery
Silver: Unibrown — Happy Valley Filling Station
Bronze: “Trains of Fayetteville” — North South Brewing
Honorable Mention: Might Be Better — Eno River Brewing

Stouts
Gold: The Throne — Cabarrus Brewing Company
Silver: Blue Tape Special 2024: Point of Origin — Eno River Brewing
Bronze: “Imperial Stout” — Town Brewing Company

Strong Ale
Gold: Forest Hills — Olde Hickory Brewery
Silver: Warrior Knight — Toasty Kettlyst Beer Company
Bronze: “King in the Castle” — Little Brother Brewing

Session IPA
Gold: Beach Beer — HopFly Brewing Company
Silver: Gentle Giant Session IPA — Primal Brewery
Bronze: “Season 34” — Edit Beer Co.
Honorable Mention: Trail Candy Tropical IPA — Lazy Hiker Brewing Co.

American Pale Ale
Gold: Dead West — Oklawaha Brewing Company
Silver: Turtle Speed — Wilmington Brewing Company
Bronze: “Beach Time” — Wilmington Brewing Company
Honorable Mention: Born for Dying — Incendiary Brewing Company

American-Style IPA
Gold: Tidal Break — Compass Rose Brewery
Silver: Lil’ Fish — Outer Dunes Brewing Company
Bronze: “Mindweaver” — Petty Thieves Brewing Co.
Honorable Mention:

Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale
Gold: Illusion Of Truth — Edit Beer Co.
Silver: Juice Whirled — Gypsy Road Brewing Company
Bronze: “Juice Train” — Seaboard Brewing

Juicy or Hazy IPA
Gold: 73 & Hazy — Royal Bliss Brewing Co
Silver: Foggy Nights VII — Leland Brewing Co
Bronze: “Trail Hazer” — Trailside Brewing Co.
Honorable Mention: Astrotrain v.6 — Seaboard Brewing

American-Style Sour Ale
Gold: Merican — Hatchet Brewing Company
Silver: Vera Sour — Diatribe Brewing Company
Bronze: “Rules of Acquisition” — Vaulted Oak Brewing
Honorable Mention: The Way Life Gose — Pitt Street Brewing Co.

European Hybrid Styles
Gold: Guidon Kölsch — Guidon Brewing Co.
Silver: Daycation Gold — Highland Brewing Company
Bronze: “Car Show Cosmo’s Kolsch” — Lake Norman Brewery

European Sour Ale
Gold: Gose — Ponysaurus Brewing Co.
Silver: Largesse — Divine Barrel Brewing
Bronze: “Beauty in the Cracks” — Twin Leaf Brewery

European Wheat
Gold: Broyhans Bock — Gilde Brewery
Silver: Banana Breeze — Pig Pounder Brewery
Bronze: “Hazy Skies Hefeweizen” — Pilot Brewing Company
Honorable Mention: 40 East — The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Belgian Ales
Gold: Cosmic Bloom — Eno River Brewing
Silver: Blonded by the Light — Fishtowne Brew House
Bronze: “Brushy Mountain Blonde Ale” — TwoBoros Brewery
Honorable Mention: Cast Net — Fishtowne Brew House

Saison
Gold: Saison — Flytrap Brewing
Silver: All is not lost — Petty Thieves Brewing Co.
Bronze: “New Slang Raspberry Saison” — Americana Beer Company
Honorable Mention: Songs To Fill The Air — Divine Barrel Brewing

Belgian Strong Ale / Monastic Ale
Gold: Hell Yes Ma’am — Raleigh Brewing Company
Silver: Luminosity — Twin Leaf Brewery
Bronze: “Reserve Ale” — Ponysaurus Brewing Co.
Honorable Mention: Death Machine — Hatchet Brewing Company

Pale European & International Lager
Gold: Phuket Sunset Thai Lager — Local Time Brewing
Silver: Pactolus Light Lager — Pitt Street Brewing Co.
Bronze: “Sexy Canoe” — Tarboro Brewing Company
Honorable Mention: Fire in the Mole — Mad Mole Brewing

Amber & Other Pale European Lager
Gold: Festbier — Resident Culture Brewing
Silver: Fontana Export — Mountain Layers Brewing Company
Bronze: “Tower Buzz” — Gaston Brewing Company
Honorable Mention: Yodeling Down Lake Starnberg — 760 Craft Works

Dark European Lager
Gold: Schwarzbier — Triple C Brewing Company
Silver: Midnight Waddle — Sneaky Penguin Brewing Company
Bronze: “Rain Czech” — Clouds Brewing
Honorable Mention: Duckin’ Funkel — Ghostface Brewing

German-Style Bock
Gold: Zuganator — Seaboard Brewing
Silver: Doppel Trouble — Ghostface Brewing
Bronze: “Bock Bock Goose” — Surf City Brewing Company
Honorable Mention:

Smoke Beer
Gold: Rauchbier — Diatribe Brewing Company
Silver: Embers and Periscopes — 760 Craft Works
Bronze: “East Meets West Rice Lager” — bmc brewing
Honorable Mention:

International Style Pale Ale & IPA
Gold: Yonder — Leland Brewing Co
Silver: New Zealand Pils — Diatribe Brewing Company
Bronze: “Drum>Space Galaxy” — Riverside Rhapsody Beer Company
Honorable Mention: Pyrle IPA — Little Brother Brewing

North American-Style Lager
Gold: Uno Mas — Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Silver: Small Fires — Little Brother Brewing
Bronze: “Carolina Heritage” — Brunswick Beer and Cider

Pilsner-Style & Hoppy Lager
Gold: Heavy Hands — Little Brother Brewing
Silver: Foam Party — Trophy Brewing Company – Maywood
Bronze: “Wandering Waves” — Oaklyn Springs Brewery

North American-Style Amber & Dark Lager
Gold: Seaboard Oktoberfest — Seaboard Brewing
Silver: She Sells Seashells by the Sea Schwarz — Brunswick Beer and Cider
Bronze: “Last Day at the Office” — Neoteric Brewing Company

Other American Pale Lagers & Ales
Gold: Cotton Blonde — Cabarrus Brewing Company
Silver: User Friendly — Little Brother Brewing
Bronze: “Little Wing” — King Canary Brewing Company

Fruit Beer
Gold: Limelight — Ghost Harbor Brewing Company
Silver: Orange Hefe-Wit — Cavendish Brewing Company
Bronze: “Big SLURP” — NoDa Brewing Co.
Honorable Mention:Ultimo Hombre — Lower Left Brewing Company

Sour Fruit or Field Beer
Gold: Second Pick — Eno River Brewing
Silver: Manguava — Hatchet Brewing Company
Bronze: “Subject to Change (Blueberry Cheesecake Sour)” — Tobacco Wood Brewing

Field & Spiced Beers
Gold: Heat Seeking Pickle — Lower Left Brewing Company
Silver: Southern Basil — Fullsteam Brewery
Bronze: “Vanilla Cream Java Dream” — Hoptown Brewing Company

Brett, Mixed Culture, & Wild Ales
Gold: Raspberry Kaleidoscope — Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Silver: Sisu 2025 — Cellarest Beer Project
Bronze: “Henotic 2025” — Cellarest Beer Project

Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: Time Is Only Part Of The Equation — Divine Barrel Brewing
Silver: BBA Twice as Lonely with Macadamia & Vanilla — Resident Culture Brewing
Bronze: “Society #8” — DSSOLVR

Specialty Beer
Gold: Baklava Blond — Clouds Brewing
Silver: Belgian Moonlight — North South Brewing
Bronze: “Hops Mirage NA IPA” — Primal Brewery
Honorable Mention:Flashbacks — Trolley Barn Fermentory

Historic Beer
Gold: Smoke Over Lublin — Mountain Layers Brewing Company
Silver: You make me wanna Schopes — Gaston Brewing Company
Bronze: “Pleasing Gene” — Little Brother Brewing

NC Home-Grown
Gold: Sakura — Black Mountain Brewing
Silver: Time’s Arrow — Atomic Clock Brewing Company
Bronze: “Grandfather Paradox” — Atomic Clock Brewing Company
Honorable Mention: Spratt’s Lager — Town Brewing Company

About the The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild is the official voice and backbone of the Tar Heel State’s independent craft brewing community. Founded in 2000 by a handful of pioneering breweries (including Asheville’s Highland Brewing and Charlotte’s Olde Mecklenburg), the Guild was created to advocate for small, independent brewers at the state legislature, promote responsible growth, and foster collaboration in a rapidly expanding industry. Today it represents more than 300 brewery and brewpub members—from mountain towns to the Outer Banks—making North Carolina one of the top beer states in the country with over 400 independent craft breweries. The Guild hosts the annual NC Craft Brewers Conference, runs the hugely popular NC Brewers Cup competition, powers the NC Craft Beer Passport program, and fights for fair laws so local brewers can keep pouring world-class pints without red tape. More than just a trade group, it’s the heartbeat of North Carolina’s vibrant, independent beer culture.

 

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

2025 National Homebrew Competition Medal Winners

November 13, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

2025 National Homebrew Competition Medal Winners
Photo credit of PHOTO © BREWERS ASSOCIATION

Kansas City, Missouri – Dust off your fermenters and crack open a cold one, because the 2025 National Homebrew Competition by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) announced the winners in Kansas City, Missouri, leaving a trail of hoppy glory and barley-fueled dreams in its wake. Held from June 26-28 at the iconic Boulevard Brewing Company, this 47th annual bash drew over 10,000 entries from homebrew wizards across the globe, turning the Heartland into a bubbling cauldron of creativity. Picture this: amateur alchemists shipping their liquid gold to first-round showdowns in Tampa, only for the elite suds to hop a flight to KC for the final judging frenzy. From crisp lagers that could make a Bavarian weep to wild-fermented sours that dance on your tongue like a tipsy tango, the competition showcased why homebrewing isn’t just a hobby—it’s a hoppy revolution. And with live-streamed awards that had viewers glued to screens from sea to shining sea, the 2025 NHC proved once again that great beer starts in garages and ends in legends.

Now, let’s raise a pint to the champions who stole the show at the 2025 National Homebrew Competition results! Tyler Miller from Mesa, Arizona, snagged the top honors with his masterful brew, repping the Arizona Society of Homebrewers like a desert cactus guarding a hidden oasis of flavor. Shoutout to the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild for their medal-hauling prowess, proving that Michigan’s mitten knows how to mitt-en the competition. Standouts included Cheyne’s fruit mead that married berries and booze in holy, honeyed matrimony, and the Specialty IPA bronze for “Go Big!”—a name that says it all about going bold with those juicy hops. Whether you’re eyeing the full AHA winners list for recipe inspo or plotting your 2026 entry (because why stop the party?), this event reminds us: the best brews are born from passion, a dash of science, and enough patience to wait out a secondary fermentation. So grab your grains, fire up the kettle, and remember—every pro started as a homebrewer with a dream and a dirty carboy. Cheers to the AHA for keeping the craft alive and the taps flowing!

2025 National Homebrew Competition Medal Winners 

Category 1: Pale American Beer – 86 Entries
Place BJCP Cat. Winner Club
1st –  Wayne Doucette of Big Lake, MN –  River City Brewers
2nd – Cole Kopca of Seattle, WA
3rd – Rodney Kibzey of Portland, OR – Oregon Brew Crew
Category 2: Pale European Beer – 110 Entries
1st –  Donald Schneider of Windsor, CO –  Weizguys Homebrew Club
2nd – Colby Reineke of Minnesota, MN –  Minnesota Home Brewers Association
3rd – Jamye & Cody Naramore of Quenemo, KS –  Kansas City Bier Meisters
Category 3: Pale Lager – 106 Entries
1st – Jason Bryant of Herndon, VA –  Wort Hogs
2nd – Trevor Mcguire of Concord, CA –  Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd – Bryan Mcbeth of Norwalk, CT
Category 4: German Pilsner – 62 Entries
1st – Wayne Doucette of Big Lake, MN –  River City Brewers
2nd – Scott Steenburg of Zionsville, IN –  Foam Blowers of Indiana, Inc (FBI)
3rd – Livio De Sanctis of Bra, Piedmont, Italy –  Associazione Birraria Cuneese
Category 5: Pale Malty European Beer – 80 Entries
1st – Peter Hand of Issaquah, WA
2nd – Taylor Shastid of Walnut Creek, CA – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd – Sean Bush of Oceanside, CA – Society of Barley Engineers
Category 6: Amber European Beer – 106 Entries
1st – Tyler Miller of Mesa, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
2nd – Scott Steenburg of Zionsville, IN – Foam Blowers of Indiana, Inc (FBI)
3rd – Lucas Duarte Lima of Santana De Parnaiba, Brazil – AcervA Paulista
Category 7: Dark European Lager – 101 Entries 
1st – David Kerr of Point Pleasant, NJ – Ocean County Home Brew Club
2nd – Brian Milleville of Sanborn, NY – Niagara Association of Homebrewers
3rd – Jason Dunn of Corona, CA with Mandy Porter – Inland Empire Brewers
Category 8: American Wheat & Blonde – 63 Entries 
1st – Duane Jenness of Worcester, MA – WIZARDS
2nd – John Sullivan / Steve Rodriggs of Thousand Oaks, CA
3rd – Terry Fast of Denver, CO – Lakewood Fermentation Club
Category 9: German Wheat & Rye Beer – 54 Entries 
1st – Thomas Atkinson of Poway, CA
2nd – Rodolfo Valladares of Kansas City, KS – Kansas City Bier Meisters
3rd – Wuilmer Venegas of Toronto, On, Canada – GTA Brews Homebrew Club
Category 10: Pale British Ale – 81 Entries 
1st – Chris Erdos of Escondido, CA
2nd – Tyler Miller of Mesa, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd – Zachary Miller of Overland Park, KS
Category 11: Scottish & Irish Ale – 57 Entries 
1st – Thomas Wichert of Mill Creek, WA
2nd – Stephen Schmitt of Evanston, IL – Evanston Homebrew Club
3rd  – Timothy Ribant of Lake Sherwood, MO – River Runners
Category 12: American Pale Ale – 76 Entries 
1st – Jamye & Cody Naramore of Quenemo, KS – Kansas City Bier Meisters
2nd – Evan Brill of Louisville, KY – Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society (LAGERS)
3rd – Jake Mcqueen of Slc, UT – Lauter Day Brewers
Category 13: Amber & Brown American Ale – 97 Entries
1st – Colby Reineke of Minnesota, MN – Minnesota Home Brewers Association
2nd – Glenn Dittrich of Santa Barbara, CA
3rd – Jim Williamson of Rome, GA – M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers
Category 14: Brown British Beer – 76 Entries 
1st – Mark Drilling of O’Fallon, MO – St Charles County Society of Brewers
2nd – Terry Fast of Denver, CO – Lakewood Fermentation Club
3rd  – Paul Domich of Pinole, CA – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
Category 15: Irish & British Stout – 108 Entries 
1st – Jamie Moulton of Niwot, CO – The Big Lebrewskis
2nd – Tyler Miller of Mesa, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd – Jarrett Long of Arlington, TX with Amanda Long – Horsemen of the Hopocalypse
Category 16: American Porter & Stout – 63 Entries 
1st – Mike Riddle of Napa, CA with Alex Riddle – HOME
2nd – Miles Garrett of Hammond, LA – Mystic Krewe of Brew
3rd – Adam Wyss of Alamo, CA – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
Category 17: American IPA – 90 Entries 
1st – Connor Reed of Denver, CO with Levi Van Weddingen – Altitude Homebrew Club
2nd – Jeffrey Orr of Vancouver, WA – Oregon Brew Crew
3rd – Evan Brill of Louisville, KY – Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society (LAGERS)
Category 18: Specialty IPA – 63 Entries
1st – Wayne Doucette of Big Lake, MN River City Brewers
2nd – Zachary Kosslow of Pittsburgh, PA – Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (TRASH)
3rd – Nicholas Mccoy of Sachse, TX with Jeff Poirot – Draft Punk
Category 19: Hazy IPA – 93 Entries 
1st – Kit Lindsay of Saint Petersburg, FL – Special Hoperations
2nd – Brian Miller of Laguna Hills, CA – Orange County Mash Ups
3rd – David Bovitz of Lakewood, CO
Category 20: Strong American Ale – 64 Entries 
1st – Tyler Hulsebus of Austin, MN
2nd – Steven Severn of Santa Ana, CA – Orange County Mash Ups
3rd – Zachary Belles of Salt Lake City, UT – Lauter Day Brewers
Category 21: Strong European Lager – 62 Entries 
1st – Jay Highfill of Overland Park, KS with Ron Barnes
2nd – Jason Dunn of Corona, CA with Mandy Porter – Inland Empire Brewers
3rd – Duane Jenness of Worcester, MA – WIZARDS
Category 22: Strong British Ale – 59 Entries 
1st – Joe Skiles of Carol Stream, IL – Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd – Melissa Edmunds of Plymouth, MI – Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
3rd – Tyler Miller of Mesa, AZ Arizona – Society of Homebrewers
Category 23: Imperial Porter & Stout – 83 Entries 
1st – Eric Blaine of Maplewood, NJ – Morris Area Society of Homebrewers
2nd – Weston Wright of Thornton, CO – Indian Peaks Alers
3rd – Joel Mcgormley of Zionsville, IN
Category 24: Saison – 67 Entries 
1st – Carlo Sesia of Caraglio, Italy – Associazione Birraria Cuneese
2nd – Kevin Davis of Buckley, WA – None, but I’m looking for one!
3rd – Mark Pennick of Denver, CO – The Brew Crew
Category 25: Belgian Ale – 84 Entries
1st – Jeffery Lampman of Morro Bay, CA – San Luis Obispo Brewers (SLOB)
2nd – Brian Milleville of Sanborn, NY – Niagara Association of Homebrewers
3rd – Scott Rauvola of San Diego, CA – QUAFF
Category 26: Strong Belgian Ale – 118 Entries
1st – James Allen of Highlands Ranch, CO – Rock Hoppers Brew Club
2nd – Justin Holman of Weston Lakes, TX – Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
3rd – Jim Thompson of Vancouver, WA – Oregon Brew Crew
Category 27: European Sour Ale – 49 Entries
1st – Dan Acheson of Winfield, IL – Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd – Kyle Hufford of Santa Barbara, CA
3rd – Timothy Leber of Kent, WA with Norm Kwasinski – Beer Renegades of Everett Washington (BREW)
Category 28: Fruit Beer – 70 Entries
1st – Kyle Kiely of Saint Louis, MO – Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
2nd – Jordan Reed of Martinez, CA – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd – Dan Acheson of Winfield, IL – Urban Knaves of Grain
Category 29: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer – 59 Entries
1st – Mario Natera of Ocala, FL
2nd – Mark Drilling of O’Fallon, MO – St Charles County Society of Brewers
3rd – Joseph Dussling of Westlake, OH – Brewly Homebrew Club
Category 30: Specialty & Seasonal Spiced Beer – 34 Entries
1st – Matt Moreno of Park Ridge, IL
2nd – Tyler Miller of Mesa, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd – William Lindel of Winston Salem, NC
Category 31: Smoke-Flavored Beer – 68 Entries
1st – Cynthia Lindner of Patchogue, NY – Brewers East End Revival (BEER)
2nd – Chris Wilburn of Heathsville, Va
3rd – Larry Reuter of Akron, OH with Donna – Society of Akron Area Zymurgists (SAAZ)
Category 32: Wood-Aged Beer – 68 Entries
1st – Ward Walkup Iv of Lincoln, MA – Yeastside Brewers
2nd – Joel Mcgormley of Zionsville, IN
3rd – Joel Mcgormley of Zionsville, IN
Category 33: American Wild Ale – 45 Entries
1st – Philip Lafleur of Loveland, CO – Weizguys Homebrew Club
2nd – Theresa Wilks of San Diego, CA with Billy Lambert
3rd – Kevin Olson of Raymore, MO – ZZ Hops
Category 34: Specialty Beer – 84 Entries
1st – Harry Peck of Garfield, NJ
2nd – Scott Nieradka of Portland, OR – Portland Brewers Collective
3rd – Shamus O’Leary of Brier, WA
Category 35: Traditional Mead – 45 Entries
1st – John Bell of Poway, CA – Quaff
2nd – Daniel Kukuk of Grosse Pointe, MI – Motor City Mashers
3rd – Steve Fletty of Falcon Heights, MN – Saint Paul Homebrewers Club
Category 36: Fruit Mead – 74 Entries
1st – Cheyne Harvey of Mesa, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
2nd – Philip Lafleur of Loveland, CO – Weizguys Homebrew Club
3rd – Steve Fletty of Falcon Heights, MN – Saint Paul Homebrewers Club
Category 37: Spice Mead – 49 Entries
1st – Ryan Fowler of San Diego, CA
2nd – Susan Jimenez of Prescott Valley, AZ – Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd – Roger Taylor of Northridge, CA – Maltose Falcons
Category 38: Specialty Mead – 51 Entries
1st – Doug Brown of San Diego, CA with Alexandria Horn QUAFF
2nd – Ryan Vigne of Ellwood City, PA – Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers
3rd – Nathan Steigman of Saint Paul, MN Minnesota Home Brewers Association
Category 39: Standard Cider & Perry – 60 Entries
1st – James Werner of New Berlin, WI – Beer Barons of Milwaukee
2nd – Heith Heitkamp of Bayport, MN
3rd – Nelson Crowle of Foxfield, CO – Indian Peaks Alers
Category 40: Specialty Cider & Perry – 82 Entries
1st – Kevin Olson of Raymore, MO – ZZ Hops
2nd – Hirendu Vaishnav of Alamo, CA – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd – Jeffrey Carlson of Grand Rapids, MI – PrimeTime Brewers
Major Awards
Samuel Adams Ninkasi Award
Tyler Miller
Mesa, AZ
Arizona Society of Homebrewers
Samuel Adams – Gambrinus Club Award
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Ann Arbor, MI
Homebrew Club of the Year Award
Arizona Society of Homebrewers
Tempe, AZ
Homebrewer of the Year Award
Wayne Doucette
Big Lake, MN
River City Brewers
Meadmaker of the Year Award
Doug Brown with Alexandria Horn
San Diego, CA
QUAFF
Cidermaker of the Year Award
James Werner
New Berlin, WI
Beer Barons of Milwaukee

About the American Homebrewers Association:
The American Homebrewers Association (AHA), the nation’s leading advocate for homebrewing enthusiasts, continues to champion the art and science of crafting beer at home with unmatched passion and resources. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the AHA boasts over 40,000 members who share a love for turning grains, hops, water, and yeast into liquid masterpieces. From beginner-friendly guides and online forums buzzing with recipe swaps to the world-renowned National Homebrew Competition—now in its 47th year—the AHA empowers brewers of all levels to experiment, innovate, and elevate their craft. With educational webinars, exclusive discounts on brewing gear, and a vibrant community that spans garages to grandmasters, the AHA isn’t just an organization; it’s the heartbeat of the homebrewing revolution, proving that great beer begins with curiosity and a carboy.

As the craft beer movement surges forward, the American Homebrewers Association remains the go-to authority for fostering creativity, safety, and camaraderie in homebrewing. Members gain access to Homebrew Con, the ultimate annual gathering of suds-savvy souls, plus a digital library packed with pro tips, style guidelines, and troubleshooting hacks to turn potential boil-overs into brag-worthy brews. The AHA also advocates for sensible homebrewing laws nationwide, ensuring that every backyard brewer can legally pursue their pint-sized dreams. Whether you’re perfecting a hazy IPA, diving into sour beers, or bottling your first batch of mead, the AHA provides the tools, knowledge, and community support to make every brew day a victory. Join today at homebrewersassociation.org and discover why millions of bubbles later, the AHA is still the yeast that keeps the homebrewing spirit rising.

Fun Beer Facts, Breweries and More: Click Here

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

2025 Missouri Beer Cup Medal Winners: BKS Artisan Ales & Boulevard Take Top Honors in Inaugural Competition

November 12, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

Missouri Beer Cup Winners 2025: BKS Artisan Ales & Boulevard Take Top Honors in Inaugural Competition
The inaugural Missouri Beer Cup crowned the Show-Me State’s top craft brews in a landmark competition exclusively for Missouri breweries. With 181 entries judged across 36 categories by certified experts, standouts like BKS Artisan Ales (Small Brewery of the Year) and Boulevard Brewing Company (Large Brewery of the Year) showcased the state’s thriving beer scene. From crisp Kansas City Bier Co. Pilsners to hazy BKS IPAs and tart Springfield sours, the medals highlight Missouri’s diverse, high-quality craft beer landscape—perfect for locals and travelers hunting their next favorite pint.

Missouri Beer Cup Medal Winners and Breweries of the Year
American Amber or Red / Vienna
Gold: Vienna Lager – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Silver: Big Head Red – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs
Bronze: Rooftop Red Lager – Border Brewing Co., Kansas City

American and German Dark Beers
Gold: Winterbock – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Silver: I’ll Bee Bock – Bee’s Knees Brewing Co, LLC, Versailles
Bronze: Munich Dunkel – The Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Beer, St. Louis

American and German Light Lagers
Gold: Cerveza Royale – Stockyards Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: Let’s Go Lager – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Bronze: City Wide Light – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis

American and German Pilsners
Gold: Pure Pils – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Silver: Pivo Project New Zealand Style Pilsner – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Bronze: Italian Pilsner – Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield

American Cream Ale
Gold: River Cream Ale – River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph & Kansas City
Silver: Cream Ale – Public House Brewing Co., Rolla
Bronze: Boulevard Light – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City

American-Style India Pale Ale
Gold: Never Say IPA – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Silver: Right Track IPA – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs
Bronze: Incarnation – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis

American-Style Lager
Gold: Union Lager – River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph & Kansas City
Silver: Little Birds – Blue Jay Brewing Co., St. Louis
Bronze: BSB – POG Brewing Co., Cleveland

American-Style Märzen / Oktoberfest
Gold: Mayhem Marzen – Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield
Silver: Oktoberfest – Good News Brewing Co., O’Fallon
Bronze: Oktoberfest – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs

American-Style Pale Ale
Gold: Strata Fresh Hop – Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia
Silver: Lucent Galaxies Pale Ale – Transparent Brewing Co., Grandview
Bronze: The Colony APA – Bee’s Knees Brewing Co, LLC, Versailles

American-Style Sour Ale
Gold: Margarita-Style Squeeze – Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield
Silver: Nudie Suit – Stockyards Brewing Co., Kansas City
Bronze: Phases of the Moon – Volume One – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis

Belgian-Style Ale
Gold: Lingering Effect – Wire Road Brewing Co., Battlefield
Silver: Sandy Dunes – River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph & Kansas City
Bronze: Untethered Rage – Third Wheel Brewing, St. Peters

Bohemian-Style Pilsener
Gold: Pivo Project Bohemian Style Pilsner – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: FloMO Pils – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Bronze: Czech Pils – Good News Brewing Co., O’Fallon

Chocolate or Pumpkin Beers
Gold: Chocolate Stout – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: Pumpkin Ale – The Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Beer, St. Louis
Bronze: Chocolate Milk Stout – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis

Coffee-Flavored Beer
Gold: The Devil’s Invention – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis
Silver: Hazelnut Coffee Milk Stout – Good News Brewing Co., O’Fallon
Bronze: Coffee Stout – The Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Beer, St. Louis

English-Style Dark Mild Ale
Gold: Rockhill & Locust – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: Mamoot – Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia
Bronze: Ale for Uncles, Daddies and Baddies – Diametric Brewing Co, Lee’s Summit

English-Style Ales – Other
Gold: Atlantic – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Silver: Pale Ale – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Bronze: OG Bob American Brown Ale – Tie & Timber Beer Co, Springfield

French and Belgian-Style Saison
Gold: Tank 7 – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: Grand Champ – Wire Road Brewing Co., Battlefield
Bronze: Belle Bottoms Saison – Stockyards Brewing Co., Kansas City

Fruit Beer
Gold: Lima Fresca – Border Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: A Fistful of Island Vibes – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs
Bronze: Strawberry Blonde Ale – Border Brewing Co., Kansas City

Fruit Wheat Ale or Lager
Gold: Honored Society – The Goat Brewing Co, Lee’s Summit
Bronze (Tie): Peachy Pipe Dream – 4 Hands Brewing Co., St. Louis
Bronze (Tie): Freshly Squeezed Blueberry Lemonade Wheat – Fringe Beerworks, Lee’s Summit

German Oktoberfest / Wiesen / Märzen
Gold: Fest Friends – Friendship Brewing Co., Wentzville
Silver: ArrowRed Lager – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Bronze: Festbier – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City

German-Style Kölsch
Gold: Kickstand Kölsch Style Ale – Transparent Brewing Co., Grandview
Silver: Inspiration – Lost Art Taproom, Knob Noster

German-Style Wheat
Gold: Weizenbock – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Silver: Hazy Hive Hefe – Bee’s Knees Brewing Co, LLC, Versailles
Bronze: Okay! – Blue Jay Brewing Co., St. Louis

Herbs / Spice / Chili Beer
Gold: Poblano Pils – Hold Fast Brewing, Springfield
Silver: Jack Blast Pumpkin Spice – Tie & Timber Beer Co, Springfield
Bronze: At Last – Third Wheel Brewing, St. Peters

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
Gold: Double Current – West Coast Style Double IPA – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: Space Camper – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Bronze: High Thread Count Double IPA – Transparent Brewing Co., Grandview

Irish-Style Red Ale
Gold: Captain Red Beard – Lost Art Taproom, Knob Noster
Silver: Mullanphy’s – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Bronze: Irish Red Ale – Turkey Creek Brewery, Hollister

Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
Gold: Repetitions on Citra – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: Clouds – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Bronze: OJ Run – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale or Hazy Pale Ales
Gold: Citra & Mosaic – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: Counterculture – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Bronze: Juicy Brewski – Tie & Timber Beer Co, Springfield

Light American Wheat or Blonde Ale
Gold: Robin’s Song – River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph & Kansas City
Silver: Electric Nectar – Bee’s Knees Brewing Co, LLC, Versailles
Bronze: Unfiltered Wheat Beer – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City

Munich-Style Helles or Dortmunder
Gold: Helles Gamed – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Silver: Helles Lager – Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City
Bronze: Helles – Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia

Other Hop Forward Beers
Gold: Space Camper Chillbreak IPA – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: Crisp IPA – The Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Beer, St. Louis
Bronze: Dope Flannel Rye IPA – Tie & Timber Beer Co, Springfield

Porters
Gold: Old Town Porter – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant
Silver: Second Breakfast Porter – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs
Bronze: Dark Matter – Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia

Stouts
Gold: Sidetrack Stout – Tie & Timber Beer Co, Springfield
Silver: Sweat Bee Stout – Bee’s Knees Brewing Co, LLC, Versailles
Bronze: Revelation Stout – Public House Brewing Co., Rolla

Stouts – Adjunct
Gold: Madam X Milk Stout with Coffee – Fringe Beerworks, Lee’s Summit
Silver: Cheer Up Charlie – Third Wheel Brewing, St. Peters
Bronze: Peanut Butter & Stout – Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant

West Coast-Style India Pale Ale
Gold: Colors in Your Mind – BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City
Silver: West Bottoms IPA – Stockyards Brewing Co., Kansas City
Bronze: Snapper – Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia

Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers
Gold: Where Angels Fear to Tread – East Forty Brewing, Blue Springs
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Quad – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Bronze: What Barrels? Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale – Transparent Brewing Co., Grandview

Other Than Beer
Gold: Space Camper Zero Gravity – Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City
Silver: Farmstand Cider – Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield
Bronze: Cantaloupe and Acai Hard Seltzer – Diametric Brewing Co, Lee’s Summit

Missouri Brewery of the Year – Under 1,000 Barrels:
BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City

Missouri Brewery of the Year – Over 1,000 Barrels
Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City

The Missouri Craft Brewers Guild
The Missouri Craft Brewers Guild is the statewide nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting, promoting, and advancing Missouri’s independent craft breweries. Through legislative advocacy, educational programs, and industry-wide networking, the Guild ensures that small and independent brewers have a unified voice at the Capitol and the resources to thrive in a competitive market. By fostering collaboration over competition, the organization strengthens the economic impact of craft beer—now supporting thousands of jobs and contributing millions to local communities across the Show-Me State.

In addition to policy work, the Guild hosts signature events like the annual Missouri Craft Brewers Conference and the newly launched Missouri Beer Cup, the state’s only professional beer competition run by and for Missouri breweries. These initiatives celebrate innovation, elevate quality standards, and connect consumers with the stories behind every pint. Whether through marketing campaigns, technical workshops, or guild-exclusive benefits, the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild remains committed to growing a vibrant, sustainable craft beer culture that puts Missouri on the national map.

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition, breweries

2025 FOBAB Medal Winners and Best in Show

November 10, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

2025 FOBAB Medal Winners and Best in ShowThe 2025 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB), was held November 7–8 at Chicago’s Credit Union 1 Arena, once again crowned the Midwest’s boldest barrel-aged creations in front of thousands of beer fans. More than 150 breweries poured over 300 rare beers, ciders, meads, and perrys across 2 sessions, while a blind panel of BJCP and Cicerone judges awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals in 13 categories. Standouts included gold-medal pours from Verboten Brewing, Third Eye Brewing, The Lost Abbey and Revolution Brewing with attendees voting for session-specific Fan Favorites. FOBAB medal continues a tradition of raising critical funds for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild.

Born in 2003 as a modest 18-brewery gathering in a Chicago warehouse, FOBAB has grown into the world’s largest and most prestigious barrel-aged beer competition. Founded by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, the event pioneered blind judging for wood- and barrel-aged styles long before bourbon-barrel stouts became mainstream. Past Best in Show winners—such as Revolution Brewing’s Deep Wood Series, Side Project’s Bière du Pays, and More Brewing’s Mehndi—have shaped national trends and inspired countless limited releases. Two decades later, FOBAB remains a pilgrimage for craft enthusiasts seeking one-off rye-whiskey barleywines, wine-foeder sours, and spirit-barrel imperial stouts that simply never hit shelves.

FOBAB Medal Winners and Best in Show

Cider/Perry/Mead
Gold: Two Tickets to Pearadise – Misbeehavin’ Meads – Indiana
Silver: Right Bee Barrel Aged Semi-Dry – Right Bee Cider – Illinois
Bronze: Myrkvior Buzz – Treehive – Illinois

Wild Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic W/Fruit
Gold: Dr. Funk-In-Stein – Full Mile Beer Co. & Kitchen – Wisconsin
Silver: Fruited Spontanee – Pfriem Family Brewers – Oregon
Bronze: Fragmentary Delusion 2025 – Scribbled Lines Brewing – Minnesota

Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic
Gold: Duck Duck Gooze – The Lost Abbey – California
Silver: Funderin – Noon Whistle Brewing – Illinois
Bronze: Ruby – Imperial Oak Brewing – Illinois

Wild Brett Beer
Gold: Wild Patience – Confluence Brewing Company – Iowa
Silver: Balmy Nights – Cerebral Brewing – Congress Park – Colorado
Bronze: Cassavetes Brett Saison – Nine Giant Brewing – Ohio

Specialty & Experimental Beer
Gold: From Earth to You – Black Horizon Brewing – Illinois
Silver: La Dama Catrina – Cruz Blanca Brewpub – Illinois
Bronze: Brandy BA Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Lakefront Brewery

Fruit Beer
Gold: Fifteen Year Beer – Revolution Brewing – Illinois
Silver: BA Raspberry Ale – Shoreline Brewery – Indiana
Bronze: Caramel Apple Tripel – Sun King Brewery – Indiana

Other Dark Beer
Gold: Mountain Man – Verboten Brewpub – Colorado
Silver: Orin – Half Acre – Illinois
Bronze: Port Aged Belgian Big Fly – Midwest Coast Brewing – Illinois

Lagers
Gold: BA Doppelbock 2024 – Lupulin Brewing – Illinois
Silver: BA Mustachio – Will County Brewing Company – Illinois
Bronze: Maple Baltic Porter – Wooly Pig Farm Brewery – Ohio

Other Pale Beer
Gold: That Escalated Swiftly – Bubblehouse Brewing Company – Illinois
Silver: Vin Blanc Du Ciel(2025) – Brothership Brewing – Illinois
Bronze: Grand Cru – Goose Island Beer Company – Illinois

Blended Beer
Gold: Dows 65th Birthday Blend – Third Eye Brewing Company – Ohio
Silver: Grow In Darkness – Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project – Colorado
Bronze: 29th Anniversary XXIX – Firestone Walker – California

Barley Wine/Wheat Wine
Gold: Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You – Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project – Colorado
Silver: Kelly’s Private Stache – Third Eye Brewing Company – Ohio
Bronze: Damian Barleywine Ale – Firestone Walker Propagator – California

Specialty Strong Porter & Stout
Gold: Illusion of Vanilje – Taproom Beer Co. – California
Silver: Egregioius Philbin- Three Floyds Brewing – Indiana
Bronze: Coffee Champurrado Krampus Cookies – Old Irving Brewing Co – Illinois

Strong Porter & Stout
Gold: Eigengrau – Monochrome Brewing – Illinois
Silver: Controlled Chaos – Masthead Brewing – Ohio
Bronze: Tranquil 2025 – Riverlands Brewing – Illinois

Best of Show
Runner Up: Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You – Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project – Colorado
Winner: Duck Duck Gooze – The Lost Abbey – California

Fan Favorite
Winner: BBA Ego Death Salted Cashew Cluster – Resident Culture Brewing – North Carolina

For more information on the 2025 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer, Click Here.

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Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition, Beer Festival

2025 Alaska Craft Brew and Barley Wine Festival – Medal Winners

November 6, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

2025 Alaska Craft Brew and Barley Wine Festival - Medal Winners

 

Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival
The 2025 Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival, now in its 29th year and presented by the Brewers Guild of Alaska alongside Peak 2 Peak Events, lit up Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center on January 31 and February 1 with three epic four-hour sessions packed with over 250 samples from 65+ breweries, ciders, meads, seltzers, wines, and even non-alcoholic gems—proving the Last Frontier’s craft scene is as vast and bold as its wilderness. This isn’t just a beer fest; it’s the ultimate winter warmer for hopheads, featuring live local music, crave-worthy food pairings, and family-friendly vibes with activity booths, face painters, and a petting zoo outside for the kiddos. The star of the show? The Commercial Competition, where Reuben’s Brews from Washington snagged gold for their Three Ryes Men Barleywine, Midnight Sun’s Arctic Devil took silver in Alaska’s own backyard, and Glacier Brewhouse dominated Winter Warmers with their Jim Beam double-barrel-aged Eisboch—rare, boozy beasts that had tasters toasting the midnight sun. Tickets via MyAlaskaTix sold like hotcakes (watch for fakes!), and with Alaska’s 50+ breweries flexing everything from hazy IPAs to barrel-aged stouts, it’s the perfect excuse for a northern lights beer road trip. Sláinte to the north’s biggest pour—grab your parka and pint next January!

Here are the 2025 Alaska Craft Brew and Barley Wine Festival – Medal Winners
Barley Wine Winners
Gold – Three Ryes Men Barleywine – Reuben’s Brews – Washington
Silver – Arctic Devil – Midnight Sun Brewing – Alaska
Bronze – Apocalyptic Sky Trumpet – 49th State Brewing – Alaska
Honorable Mention – 2025 Barley Wine – Hoodoo Brewing – Alaska

Winter Warmer Winners
Gold – 2024 Jim Beam Double Barrel Aged Eisboch – Glacier Brewhouse – Alaska
Silver – Barrel Aged Black Pearl Imperial Coconut – Maui Brewing – Hawaii
Bronze – Reuben’s Brew Barrel Aged Stout – Reuben’s Brews – Washington

The Ultimate Alaska-Made Beverage Experience Returns
The largest gathering of Alaska-made beverages under one roof took place over the Dena’ina Center on January 31 and February 1 for the annual Alaska Craft Brew and Barley Wine Festival.

Over the course of two days and three four-hour sessions, more than 65 breweries were served craft beer lovers four-ounce sample pours of over 250 unique beverages.

Beyond Beer: A Festival for Every Palate
Despite its name, this festival isn’t just about beer. When it began in 1996 as a celebration of all things hoppy, Alaska had only eight breweries. Today, the state boasts more than 50 breweries—alongside a growing community of producers crafting wine, mead, cider, seltzers, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Now in its 29th year, the Alaska Craft Beer and Barley Wine Festival, presented in partnership with the Brewers Guild of Alaska and Peak 2 Peak Events, continues to evolve to reflect the ever-expanding world of craft beverages in Alaska and beyond.

“Our goal remains the same: to provide folks with delicious beverages,” said Lee Ellis, Brewmaster at Midnight Sun Brewing Co. and a member of the Brewers Guild of Alaska.

Expanding the Menu
One of this year’s standout non-brewery participants is Hive Mind Meadery, an Anchorage-based producer of honey wine. Owner Tristan Bellotti sees the event as a chance to introduce festival-goers to something beyond beer.

“We like to offer an alternative to IPAs—something that acts as a palate cleanser between beers,” Bellotti said. “This is one of the biggest alcohol-related events of the year, so it’s an incredible opportunity for exposure.”

Along with Hive Mind Meadery, other non-beer brands—Double Shovel Cider Company, Zip Kombucha, Alaska Ciderworks, and more—are adding variety to the festival’s lineup, making it more inclusive for those seeking gluten-free or alternative options.

For Bellotti, participation in this festival is particularly meaningful.

“I had to go gluten-free six or seven years ago, which meant I stopped attending for a while due to the lack of options,” he shared. “Now, we have people telling us they didn’t think they’d be able to drink at all—but they find our booth, and they end up staying there all night because they finally have something to enjoy.”

The Competition: Big, Bold Beers
While the festival showcased a diverse range of beverages, the official competition remains exclusively for barley wines and “winter warmer” beers—a category that includes porters, stouts, and Belgian-style quadruples.

“The Alaska Craft Beer and Barley Wine Festival continues its tradition of celebrating bold, world-class beers—the largest selection outside of the Great American Beer Festival,” said Ellis.

Each year, brewers can submit up to two barley wines and one winter warmer. On Friday night, beer critics with Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) credentials conduct the first round of judging. The final round, held on Saturday morning, is judged by Grand Master, Master, and National-ranked BJCP judges, who select the Best-of-Show winner.

Winners received the coveted gold pan trophy—along with serious bragging rights, as barley wine competitions are rare in the U.S. In 2024, Black Spruce Brewing Company took home both first and third place for different versions of its Reginald Van Horn Barley Wine, aged in Willet Bourbon and Heaven Hill Whiskey barrels, respectively.

A Two-Day Celebration
While the competition focuses on big, boozy, complex beers, breweries bring a wide variety of beverages for festival-goers to enjoy. Many, like Hive Mind Meadery, create exclusive, one-of-a-kind offerings just for this event. “We always try to bring something we haven’t done before,” Bellotti said.  Beyond the drinks, the festival offers live music, food vendors, and shopping opportunities—along with a lively crowd sporting everything from quirky costumes to brewery swag.  And speaking of costumes, Hive Mind Meadery has something special in store.  “We don’t want to ruin the surprise, but let’s just say one of our brewers may or may not be dressed as a house elf,” Bellotti teased. “This event is always a blast, and we love to have fun with it.”

 

Brewers Guild of Alaska
The Brewers Guild of Alaska (BGA), founded in 2000 as a scrappy non-profit by a band of visionary craft brewers, is the beating heart of the Last Frontier’s booming beer scene—championing over 50 independent breweries, cideries, and meaderies through fierce legislative advocacy, hands-on education, and epic community events that keep Alaska’s taps flowing with bold, boundary-pushing pours like hazy IPAs brewed with midnight sun barley and barrel-aged stouts infused with wild Alaskan berries. From hosting the legendary 29th Annual Alaska Craft Brew & Barley Wine Festival in January 2025 at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center—where 65+ breweries slinged 250+ samples amid live music and food trucks—to powering the Boots & Brews Beer Fest in Fairbanks and the massive Alaska Crafted Festival in Eagle River, the BGA turns winter nights into hoppy havens and equips brewers with everything from financial workshops to biotransformation seminars at their November 2025 Alaska Crafted Conference. Whether you’re a local chasing that perfect Arctic Devil barleywine or a visitor plotting a northern beer road trip, the BGA’s all about raising a glass to sustainable sips, small-batch innovation, and the rugged spirit that makes Alaskan craft beer as untamed as its wilderness—sláinte to the guild keeping the north’s brew game strong!

 

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

 

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

WISEACRE Brewing Company Shines with Two Awards at 2025 Great American Beer Festival

October 26, 2025 by Dow Scoggins

WISEACRE Brewing Company Shines with Two Awards at 2025 GABF

WISEACRE Brewing, a Memphis-based craft brewery, celebrated a triumphant showing at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), securing two prestigious awards. Their newest creation, Sky Dog Amber, clinched the Gold Medal in the International Amber Lager category, while the beloved Tiny Bomb earned a Silver Medal in the highly competitive German-style Pilsener category, following its Bronze win in 2014.
These accolades elevate WISEACRE’s national award count to four, including the 2024 title of America’s Best Light Beer for Sky Dog and a Bronze Medal for their Oktoberfest at the 2025 World Beer Cup in the German-style Märzen category. The brewery’s commitment to crafting exceptional lagers continues to cement its reputation as a leader in the craft beer industry.

“We’re over the moon about our GABF wins,” said Davin Bartosch, WISEACRE’s master brewer. “Tiny Bomb’s Silver in one of the toughest categories is a huge honor, especially since it’s our flagship beer. And Sky Dog Amber taking Gold on its debut? That’s a testament to our team’s talent and dedication. We’re beyond proud.”
The 2025 GABF saw over 270 breweries compete across 108 beer and six cider categories, judged by a panel of industry experts. A GABF medal is a globally recognized mark of brewing excellence, celebrating precision, innovation, and quality. “Winning at GABF is a career-defining moment,” said Chris Williams, competition director for the Brewers Association. “These medals reflect the pinnacle of craftsmanship and skill.”
The awards underscore WISEACRE’s growing “Lager Legacy” in Memphis, where the brewery has been pushing boundaries since its founding in 2013. “Our goal was always to craft world-class lagers,” said Kellan Bartosch, co-founder alongside his brother Davin. “With five medals from top national and international competitions, we’re turning that vision into reality. We’re thrilled to share these award-winning beers with our Memphis community.”

The GABF awards were announced during a live-streamed ceremony on October 11, 2025, at the Colorado Convention Center. WISEACRE celebrated locally on October 17 at their original taproom (2783 Broad Ave.), pouring Sky Dog Amber (exclusive to taprooms), Tiny Bomb, Sky Dog, and Oktoberfest. Guests also enjoyed the new Panuzzo King pizza sandwiches, wines, batch cocktails, and non-alcoholic options, with DJ Leroy spinning vinyl to mark the occasion.

WISEACRE Brewing Company

WISEACRE Brewing Company was founded in 2013 by brothers Davin and Kellan Bartosch, Memphis natives who brought their passion for craft beer back to their hometown after honing their skills across the U.S. and abroad. Davin, trained at Germany’s prestigious Doemens Academy, and Kellan, with experience in brewery operations, set out to create a brewery that blended tradition with innovation. Starting with a single taproom at 2783 Broad Ave., WISEACRE quickly gained traction for its focus on quality and creativity, growing to two Memphis locations and distribution across 22 states. With over 60 employees, the brewery has become a cornerstone of the local craft beer scene, earning recognition in outlets like Men’s Health and Forbes for its bold vision and community roots.

Since its inception, WISEACRE has crafted over 170 beers, spanning crisp German-style lagers, hop-forward American IPAs, complex Belgian ales, and experimental barrel-aged brews. Their flagship, Tiny Bomb, a German-style Pilsener, has become a fan favorite, earning a Silver Medal at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival and a Bronze in 2014. The Sky Dog series, including the 2024 titleholder for America’s Best Light Beer and the Gold Medal-winning Sky Dog Amber in 2025, showcases their lager expertise. Their Oktoberfest, a German-style Märzen, also claimed Bronze at the 2025 World Beer Cup, solidifying WISEACRE’s reputation for crafting award-winning beers that balance tradition with a distinctly Memphis flair.

For Fun Beer Facts, Trivia and more: Click Here

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

2025 Ohio Craft Brewers Cup Medal Winners and Breweries of the Year

October 20, 2025 by Dow Scoggins


The Ohio Craft Brewers Cup stands as Ohio’s premier professional brewing competition, celebrating the ingenuity and excellence of the Buckeye State’s vibrant craft beer scene by providing an equitable platform for breweries statewide to showcase their finest creations. Launched in 2018 and organized annually by The Dayton Beer Company, the event has grown exponentially since its inception, evolving from a modest gathering into a highly anticipated showcase that now features 27 diverse beer categories spanning traditional styles to innovative brews. Judged exclusively by panels of fellow Ohio professional brewers.
Website: https://www.ohiocraftbrewerscup.com/

2025 Ohio Craft Brewers Cup Medal Winners

AMBER/RED ALE
Gold: Three Tigers – Firehouse Amber
Silver: Hofbrauhaus Cleveland – CLE Red
Bronze: Inside the Five – Megaphone

AMERICAN IPA
Gold: Immigrant Son – IPA
Silver: Three Tigers – Danko
Bronze: Ghost Tree – Cash After Ten

AMERICAN LIGHT ALE
Gold: Ghost Tree – Canoe Brew
Silver: Sonder – Eagle Light
Bronze: Oncore – Swantucky Slammer

AMERICAN LAGER
Gold: Pilot Brewhouse – Mt Crushmore
Silver: Combustion – Sir Veza
Bronze: Municipal – Pre-Pro Lager

AMERICAN PALE ALE
Gold: Three Tigers – Small Axe
Silver: Medina Brewing – Sunset Pale Ale
Bronze: Southern Ohio – Range Ball

BELGIAN/FRENCH ALE
Gold: Aeonian Brewing – OPA!
Silver: Broadview Brewing – Quadrophenia
Bronze: Narrow Path – Tri-Kettle Trippel

BELGIAN/FRENCH SAISON
Gold: Blue Heron – Abbey Normal
Silver: Edison Brewing – Winnow
Bronze: Narrow Path – Saison Du Grail

BROWN/DARK ALE
Gold: Hofbrauhaus Cleveland – Dunkel
Silver: Sonder – Brobie Porter
Bronze: Third Eye – Inner Sight

COFFEE BEER
Gold: Brink – Lil Zoomie
Silver: Third Eye – Unleashed Potential
Bronze: Broadview – Covered in Chrome

EUROPEAN LAGER
Gold: Forbidden Root – Festhalle
Silver: Sonder – Nocturnal
Bronze: Combustion – Pelotonia Pils

OKTOBERFEST
Gold: Twin Oast – Proast
Silver: Counterbalance – Beneath the Leaves
Bronze: Hofbrauhaus Cleveland – Festbier

FRUIT BEER
Gold: Double Edge – Bright Side
Silver: Ghost Tree – Ghostberry
Bronze: Aenonian Brewing – Around the Sun

GERMAN STYLE ALE
Gold: Brink Brewing – Lucid Visions
Silver: Forbidden Root – Note to Self
Bronze: Immigrant Son – Hungarian Pearl Kolsch

HERB/SPICE/PEPPER
Gold: Ghost Tree – Yukon Cornelius
Silver: Municipal – Route 4 Revive Ale
Bronze: Inside the Five – The Mashing Pumpkins

IMPERIAL BEER
Gold: Market Garden – Olde Groudhog Barleywine
Silver: Dayton Beer Co – Oregon Alley Imperial IPA
Bronze: Medina Brewing – Citra Supernova

NEIPA/HAZY IPA
Gold: Yellow Spring Brewing – Creative Space
Silver: Three Tigers – Juicy Bazooka
Bronze: Counterbalance – Rip, Tear, Destroy

NEPA/HAZY PALE
Gold: Forbidden Root – Mostly Idaho
Silver: Forbidden Root – Good on Ya
Bronze: Third Eye – Prismatic Muse

SCOTCH/SMOKED BEER
Gold: Edison – Zigarre
Silver: Combustion Brewing – Brasky
Bronze: Third Eye – High Consciousness

SOUR/WILD WITH FRUIT
Gold: Forbidden Root – Up for Discussion
Silver: Sonder – Bella
Bronze: Counterbalance – Neon Tides

SPECIALTY/HYBRID BEER
Gold: Market Garden – Yuzu
Silver: Third Eye – Getting Twisted
Bronze: Inside the Five – Squares or Triangles Strawberry

SPECIALTY/ADJUNCT STOUT
Gold: Third Eye – Double Astral
Silver: Roundhouse – Mexican Hot Chocolate
Bronze: Missing Falls – Brutus

STOUT
Gold: Brink – Moozie
Silver: Olentangy River – I Cant Feel My Pants
Bronze: Lockport – Big Debbie

WHEAT BEER
Gold: Market Garden – Prosperity Wheat
Silver: Twin Oast – Oastweizen
Bronze: Blue Heron – Yes Hefe

WOOD BARREL UNDER 8% ABV
Gold: Hofbrauhaus Cleveland – Bourbon barrel aged Doppelbock
Silver: Forbidden Root – All the Positions
Bronze: Forbidden Root – Heaviest Snuggz

WOOD BARREL OVER 8% ABV
Gold: HofbrauHaus Cleveland – BBA Kaiser
Silver: Twin Oast – Meet your maker
Bronze: Combustion – Inch of Dust

BEST OF SHOW
BRINK – LIL ZOOMIE
(Finalist For Best of Show – Brink Lil Zoomie, Forbidden Root – Festhaus, Brink – Moozie)

Regional Awards
Central
Forbidden Root

Northwest
Twin Oast

Northeast
Ghost Tree Brewing

Greater Cleveland
Hofbrauhaus Cleveland

West Central
Yellow Springs Brewery

Southeast
Double Edge

Southwest
Third Eye

BREWERY SIZE Awards
Best Large Brewery (Greater than 15,000 bbls)
NA

Best Medium Brewery (Less than 15,000 but greater than 5,000 bbls)
Market Garden

Best Small Brewery (Less than 5,000 but greater than 1,000 bbls)
Third Eye Brewing

Best Nano Brewery (Less than 1,000 bbls)
Forbidden Root Brewing

For Fun Beer Facts, Trivia and more: Click Here

Filed Under: Beer, Beer Competition

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