News

Oxford, Ohio(2024) – Breweries from the coast of Kona, Hawaii to the rocky coast of Portland, Maine sent more than 9,000 beers representing over 170 different styles to the 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Today, the U.S. Open Beer Championship announces the medal winners and Grand National Champion.

Third Eye Brewing of Hamilton, Ohio was awarded the 2024 Grand National Champion by winning 4 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals. Their gold medal winners included Higher Consciousness, Double Astral, Dark Aura, and Inner Sight. Third Eye Brewing is known for brewing some style-defining beers that are consistent winners throughout many competitions. Most notably, Third Eye won the Brewery of the Year at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival.

Monday Night Brewing, from Atlanta, Georgia placed second overall by winning 4 gold and 4 bronze medals. Gold medals included Spoken Wisdom, Tears of Our Enemies, Madrigal, and Simple Illusion. Monday Night Brewing not only makes great beers, this Georgia brewery has finished in the U.S. Open’s Top Ten Breweries several times.

Sun King Brewery out of Indianapolis, Indiana placed Third by winning 3 golds for their Barrel Aged Scout Badge, Banana Daquiri, and their Collaboration Beer, Up For Anything, brewed with 18th Street Brewery. They also took home a silver and 2 bronze medals. Sun King Brewery has been crowned Grand National Champion in the 2019 and 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship.

The U.S. Open Beer Championship judges more beer styles than any other competition in the world. The U.S. Open is also the only major beer competition to allow the gold medal winners of the AHA’s National Homebrew Competition to participate. This year, 3 homebrewers won medals which ties the U.S. Open record. Big congratulations go to Christopher Burgess from Castle Rock, CO for winning a gold medal for his Like Falling Off A Bike, Brutt IPA, to Lucas Orr from San Diego, CA for winning a gold medal for his Kilt Dropper, Strong Scottish Ale, and to Mark Kunzelmann from St Louis, MO for winning bronze for his Belgian Pale Ale.

The U.S. Open judging was held at the U.S. Open Event Center in Oxford, Ohio. The U.S. Open became the first beer competition to be held in its own venue which is a 6,000 square-foot Amish pole barn located on a small farm. The barn consists of a judging area, a serving area, two 450-square-foot coolers, an office, and a nano brewery. To see “The Barn”, Click here to see a YouTube video of the 15th Anniversary of the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

Most importantly, we would like thank all the volunteers and judges. The majority of our volunteer staff were from 6 different countries and 11 different states.

Top 10 Breweries in 2024’s U.S. Open Beer Championships
1. Third Eye Brewing — Ohio
2. Monday Night Brewing – Georgia
3. Sun King Brewery – Indiana
4. O.H.S.O. Brewery Gilbert – Arizona
5. Cherry Street Brewpub at Halcyon – Georgia
6. Urban Artifact – Ohio
7. Boulevard Brewing Co. – Missouri
8. Feather Falls Brewing Co. – California
8. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. – Iowa
9. Sonder Brewing – Ohio
10. Burgeon Beer Co. – California

2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship Medal Winners – Click Here

Pink Boots Category: Toms River Brewing takes home the Gold
The U.S. Open Beer Championship partnered with the Pink Boots Society, an organization that assists, inspires, and encourages women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage profession through education, to create the Pink Boots Blend Category. The organization has partnered with Yakima Chief Hops for several years to sell a special hops blend to benefit the Pink Boots scholarship fund, and all beers developed using this hop blend were eligible to enter the category. Hear Us Roar, brewed by Toms River Brewing in Toms River, NJ, brought home the gold medal. All entry fees for the category will be matched by the U.S. Open Beer Championship and donated back to the Pink Boots Society Scholarship Fund.

What’s in a Name?
U.S. Open beer judges always enjoy the creativity behind the names that breweries choose for their products, and judge winners subjectively (based on laughter volume) at the competition’s conclusion. This year’s Top 10 on the laughs meter included:

Top 10 Beer Names at the U.S. Open Beer Championship
1. Barrel-Aged Macadizzamia Nizzut – Unrefined Brewing – Florida
2. All Cap’n, No Crunch – Tarnished Hallow Brewing Co. – Indiana
3. Just Give Me ALL The Bacon – Akademia Brewing – Georgia
4. Fat Kids Birthday Party -Cherry Street Brewing at Vickery Village – Georgia
5. Not My Gumdrop Buttons – Model A Brewing Company – South Carolina
6. Hot Sauce Committee – Good Line Beer Co. – Texas
7. The Elves Have Gone Too Far – Bickersons Brewhouse – Washington
8. Bones Are Their Money – Site-1 Brewing Co. – Nebraska
9. Spaghetti Policy – South O Brewing – California
10. Hopswitch Engage – Afterglow Brewing – Virginia

DALLAS— Andy’s Frozen Custard® and Lakewood Brewing Co. will build the world’s largest beer float at Lakewood on Saturday, June 29 at 1 p.m. using 50 scoops of Andy’s World Famous Frozen Custard, the best-frozen treat in the entire world, and 50 pints – a full keg – of Lakewood’s Temptress, the number one selling craft milk stout in Texas. The previous record was set in February in Ohio using about 20 pints (9 liters) of Third Eye Brewing’s Higher Purpose Milk Stout and 36 Graeters Vanilla Ice Cream scoops.

Andy’s will be on-site at Lakewood with its treat truck from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a fresh full menu of rich, thick and decadent treats, featuring smooth and creamy vanilla and chocolate frozen custard, transformed into luscious Concretes, Jackhammers™, shakes, and sundaes. Undecided treat seekers can get creative and customize their own treats with vanilla frozen custard and topping favorites like fresh fruit, hot fudge, and Andy’s famous roasted pecans.

Those in attendance can also register to win Andy’s for a year, as well as a Lakewood Brewing Lion’s Den Annual Membership, which offers one complimentary beer per visit with no annual limit. Both Andy’s and Lakewood merch will be available to commemorate the occasion, including a free Andy’s and Lakewood glass for the first 100 guests.

“Andy’s and Lakewood are brands known for a superlative focus on product quality, using only the finest ingredients and selling what we have carefully made in-house,” added Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood Brewing. “Marrying the two to create one of the most iconic symbols of summer will be one for the record books.”

Whether it’s a midday outing with the kids or a much-needed mid-day office break, Andy’s offers a sweet treat anytime and for everyone, offering frozen custard that is always Made Fresh Hourly™. In addition to locations in Carrollton, Frisco, Lake Highlands, The Colony, Hillcrest Village, and Prosper, Ranchers Frozen Custard operates the Andy’s Treat Truck in Klyde Warren Park and will be opening a new location in Allen this summer.

Lakewood is most notably known for its Temptress Imperial Milk Stout and offers a portfolio that also includes Stub’s – Texas Pils, year-round IPA’s, lagers, stouts, and popular seasonal offerings like Sunburst Wheat, all of which draw beer lovers to the Brewery and Taproom at 2302 Executive Drive in Garland. Lakewood beers are available on shelves Texas-wide and can be found using Lakewood’s online Beer Finder.

About Lakewood Brewing Company
Lakewood Brewing Company is a family-owned, independent craft brewery making Seriously Fun Beer. Lakewood exploded onto the DFW brewing scene in 2012 and became famous for its Temptress Imperial Milk Stout, now the best-selling craft stout in Texas. Its diverse beer portfolio includes IPA’s, Lagers, seasonal, and limited release beers. For more information, visit Lakewood Brewing’s official website.

About Andy’s Frozen Custard
Founded in 1986 in Osage Beach, Missouri by Andy’s parents John and Carol Kuntz, Andy’s Frozen Custard has been providing the freshest frozen custard in the business for 37 years, giving ice cream the “cold shoulder” by scooping, mixing and presenting handcrafted frozen custard treats with speed and a smile. Since the beginning, the family has had one dream: to share what makes them happiest with everyone else, and to warm hearts, one scoop of frozen custard at a time. With a focus on product quality, customer service and community involvement, Andy’s has grown into the nation’s largest frozen custard-only business, with more than 2,000 employees and 136 company-owned and franchised stores across 15 states proudly serving the World’s Finest Frozen Custard. Andy’s also offers the ‘Yum Squad Loyalty Club,’ designed to say “thank you” to loyal customers by earning points to redeem towards a free treat for every dollar spent. For more information or for details about franchising opportunities, check on Andy’s Frozen Custard online.