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New beers: Black is back for winter season

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Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, Oregon will release its second Barrel Aged Beer under the label Hellshire on Nov. 12. Sales of Hellshire II begin at noon at the brewery in their newly remodeled tasting room and will end at 4 p.m. The second beer in the Hellshire series is an imperial stout that was 100% aged in Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels for seven months. A brewery press release describes notes of vanilla, coconut, oak and bourbon intertwine with the beer’s complex chocolate and roasted coffee character. It is 10.5% ABV sold in 22 ounce wax dipped bottles.

* Odell Brewing in Colorado will package Mountain Standard Time in four-packs this year. Named for the time zone in which the brewery resides, the Double Black IPA features hops grown on Colorado’s western slope. Cascade and Chinook varietals present a robust hop aroma and essence that complements the rich and roasty malt backbone.

Odell Brewing will host a “Mountain Standard Bash” on Saturday to kick off the brew and celebrate Colorado’s ski and snowboard season. The outdoor event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature samples of the brew, live music, food trucks, a variety of local ski and snowboard purveyors, and a screening of the Teton Gravity Research film, Under the Influence. The brewery will also raffle a custom Odell Brewing snowboard by Oz Snowboards with proceeds benefiting the CSU Snowriders.

* The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, which has only sparingly offered its Big Eddy beesr in the past, today announced the return of its Russian Imperial Stout, the first in a series of Big Eddy brews. In 2012, the brewery will release three more in the series: a Double India Pale Ale, a Baltic Porter, and a Scotch Ale.

The Russian Imperial Stout, only available November to January, is a deep mahogany brew featuring dark fruit, espresso and mocha character and finishing with toffee and molasses notes. The beer is named after the Big Eddy Spring, the lifeline of the Leinenkugel’s brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis. since 1867,

* Narragansett Porter is back for the winter season. Narragansett Porter is brewed with Chinook hops for bitterness, Simcoe hops for aroma, black malt, pale malt, chocolate malt, Munich malt, crystal malt and roasted barley. Narragansett first brewed porter in 1916. It is 7% ABV and 28 IBUs.

Throughout 2011, Narragansett has expanded into a number of new markets beyond its home base of New England, including Southern New York, North Carolina, East and Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Florida.

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Weihenstephaner Vitus chosen ‘World Best’

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Judges in the World Beer Awards chose Weihenstephaner Vitus as the World’s Best Wheat Beer and World’s Best Beer, it was announced today.

A strong, pale wheat beer, Vitus emerged from three rounds of international judging in the competition sponsored by Paragraph Publishing in the United Kingdom. Beers are first judged blind in Europe, the United States and Asia. Style winners from each region are then tasted against each other — again blind — to select World’s Best Style champions.

From these world winners judges later select the World’s Best Ale, Pale Ale, Lager, Stout & Porter and Wheat Beer.

Other World’s Best category winners were: Rodenbach Grand Cru (Best Ale), Samuel Adams Double Bock (Best Lager), Deschutes Hop Henge (Best Pale Ale), and Harvey’s Imperial Extra Double Stout (Best Stout & Porter).

The complete list of winners, both international and regional, is available at the World Beer Awards website. The results, with descriptions of winning beers, may also be founded in a downloadable book.

For instance, here is how Vitus — which also won the World’s Best Wheat award in 2010 — is described:

“Aroma of banana, cloves and wheat. Floral and citrusy. Palate of banana, clove and sweet fermented fruit. Fruity bubblegum, big spicy flavours. Medium bodied with a creamy texture. Full and warming. Lively carbonation and a long finish.”

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Press release: Jester King sues Texas commission

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The press release:

Jester King Craft brewery, maker of artisan farmhouse ales in the beautiful Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin, has filed suit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). On Wednesday, attorneys representing Jester King Craft Brewery and two other co-plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment in federal court asking that the case be decided in our favor.

We have sued the TABC because we believe that its Code violates our rights under the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Under the Code, we are not allowed to tell the beer drinking public where our beer is sold. We are also not permitted to use accurate terms to describe our beers. We are often forced to choose either to label them inaccurately or not to make beers that we would like to brew. Under the bizarre, antiquated naming system mandated by the TABC Code, we have to call everything we brew over 4% alcohol by weight (ABW) “Ale” or “Malt Liquor” and everything we brew at or below 4% ABW “beer”. This results in nonsensical and somewhat comical situations where we have to call pale ale at or below 4% ABW “pale beer” and lager that is over 4% ABW “ale”. The State has arrogantly and autocratically cast aside centuries of rich brewing tradition by taking it upon itself to redefine terms that reference flavor and production method as a simple shorthand for alcoholic strength.

At the same time, the State prohibits breweries from using other terms that accurately reference alcoholic strength like “strong” or “low alcohol”. That means you will not be seeing any Belgian or American Strong Ale in Texas. Further, the State restricts the contexts in which we can communicate the actual alcohol content of our beers. We are not allowed to put the alcoholic content on anything the State considers advertising, which includes our website and social media. We are simply seeking to exercise free and truthful speech about the beer we make and strongly believe that the State has no interest in keeping you from knowing the type of beer we make, how strong it is, or where it’s sold.

Our claim under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, maintains that breweries, like wineries, should be able to sell their products directly to the public. Right now in Texas, we cannot sell our beer at our brewery. We can only sell beer through a retailer or distributor. When people visit Jester King and ask to buy our beer, we have to tell them, “Sorry, it’s illegal.” Brewpubs are faced with an equal and opposite restriction. They can sell beer on-site, but cannot sell beer through a retailer or distributor. Texas wineries on the other hand are allowed to sell on-site and through retailers and distributors. We are suing because the State has no rational interest in maintaining special restrictions aimed at limiting the sale of beer.

Finally, the lawsuit challenges the State’s requirement that every foreign brewery wishing to sell beer in Texas obtain its own separate license. Foreign wineries and distilleries are not burdened by this requirement. They may simply sell their products in Texas through an importer that has one license for all the wine and spirits it brings into our state. The result is that small, artisan beer makers often have their beer kept out of Texas by unduly burdensome fees.

When we started Jester King, part of our plan was to help other small, artisan brewers, from both the United States and abroad, sell their products in Texas. This is something that we remain interested in doing at some point, which is where our material interest in this part of the case comes into play. Our much larger interest, however, is in allowing Texas beer drinkers to have access to the beers that helped shape our desire to build an authentic farmhouse brewery in the Texas Hill Country and that have had a direct influence on the type of beers that we have set out to brew. Many of these beers are from small overseas breweries whose products are currently being sold elsewhere in the U.S., but not in Texas because of exorbitant licensing fees. We would like to have the ability to purchase these beers in our local market and would like for all Texas beer drinkers to be able to do the same.

We have chosen to pursue these matters in federal court after witnessing the lack of progress that has resulted from previous attempts to address the inequities of the TABC Code legislatively. During the last legislative session, there were bills aimed at giving breweries and brewpubs similar rights to Texas wineries, but these bills never even made it out of committee.

We cannot say how likely we are to succeed in this lawsuit. The State has only to show a rational basis for restricting our freedom and the freedom of beer drinkers in this matter. However, as long as there is a TABC Code in Texas that discriminates against and puts undue burdens on breweries both home and abroad, we will continue to do everything in our power to fight for a more just and free system for us and for beer drinkers in our state.

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Trumer program supports local artists

Posted in Beer culture on   

Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, the maker of Trumer Pils, has begun a search to find the next Trumer Featured Artist. This program is rooted in Trumer’s longstanding appreciation for art, and designed to support and promote Bay Area artists.

“We are proud to produce our craft pilsner in Berkeley and appreciate being surrounded by the local art scene,” brewmaster Lars Larson said. “Our Featured Artist program allows us to give back to the community and help create awareness for local artists.”

The Trumer Featured Artist program dedicates an entire month to one local artist. Trumer Pils works to promote all aspects of the artist’s work by publicizing it in the following ways: sponsored gallery events, after parties at Trumer-partner venues, artwork on display throughout the brewery, social media awareness on Facebook and Twitter and a biography page with photos on the Trumer Pils website.

Recent Trumer Featured Artists include Adam Friedman, Brion Nuda Rosch, and Joey Piziali. December’s featured artist will be Brice Frillici. Artists interested in being featured are encouraged to contact the brewery by phone at 510-526-1160. More information is available at the Trumer website.

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News beers: Session Fest, two from Dundee

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Full Sail Brewing had a new addition to its Session family of beers – Session Fest. It’s a holiday beer that comes in a stubby little bottle.

“When we decided to brew a special Session for the holidays, we knew right away what color it had to be: Red (and full-bodied). Next, we considered what kind of head it should have. Bright white was the obvious answer. And as for the label? Gotta be green, right? So there you have it. A new Session all decked out for holidays, ready to spread joy and cheer. Happy Holidays to one and all! And have a good Session,” said Irene Firmat, Full Sail’s Founder and CEO.

According to Full Sail executive brewmaster Jamie Emmerson, “Session Fest is a Czech-style strong lager (gotta love the Czechs!) called polotmavé or literally ‘light dark or semi-dark.’ Brewed with 2 Row Pale malt, Munich malt, Caramel malt and Wheat malt, and hopped with a blend of Glaciers and Cascades, Session Fest has a medium-to-full body balancing candy caramel and full malt flavors that are underscored by a spicy hoppiness that provides a nice perfume with citrus and pine overtones and a long clean finish.” 6.2% ABV 26 IBU

* Dundee Ales & Lagers had added two beers, Dundee English-Style Ale and Nut Brown Ale, to its variety pack. Dundee English-Style Ale combines pale and caramel malts with Columbus and Cascade hops for a malty, slightly sweet finish. Dundee Nut Brown Ale is brewed in the traditional Yorkshire square fermentation style, with caramel and chocolate malts and Willamette hops, producing a round-bodied ale similar to those found in Northern England.

“Both English-Style Ale and Nut Brown Ale will remind craft beer drinkers of traditional tavern brews, and each has a unique flavor profile,” said lead Dundee brewer Jim McDermott. “English-Style Ale is 5.1 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and rates 17 on the International Bittering Units (IBU) scale, making it easy to drink with a classic, clean taste. The Nut Brown Ale has a 5.3 percent ABV and rates a 20 on the IBU scale. Beer drinkers will enjoy its rich taste and hints of natural hazelnut flavor.”

Making their debut with the new brews are two new Dundee label characters—a barmaid on the English-Style Ale and a squirrel on the Nut Brown Ale. “Dundee approaches craft beer in a fun, drinkable and entertaining way, which is embodied by the characters on our beer labels,” said Lisa Texido, brand manager, Dundee Ales & Lagers. “Consumers will be able to recognize Dundee on-shelf by its eye-catching packaging which features two new characters this fall.”

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Samuel Adams LongShot winners announced

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Pictures of homebrewers Joe Formanek, Corey Martin and Fred Hessler will grace bottles when the 2012 Samuel Adams LongShot beers are released next year.

Formanek and Martin won the national homebrew contest Samuel Adams conducts annually, while Martin was first in the in-house competition. As winners they earned the opportunity to make their beers along side Samuel Adams brewers and see them released in the 2012 LongShot Variety Six-Pack next year.

“The difference between craft brewers and homebrewers is ambiguous, sometimes all they need is a shot,” Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch said. “At Samuel Adams, we’re fueling the passions of homebrew hobbyists who are committed to brewing better beer by giving them the opportunity to achieve the ultimate homebrewer’s dream — making their beer available to beer lovers across the country.”

Formanek, who is from suburban Chicago, won for Five Crown Imperial Stout, while Texan Martin triumphed with A Dark Night in Munich. Their beers advanced to final judging in Boston by winning regional competitions.

For more than 15 years, Samuel Adams employees have competed in their own annual homebrew competition. Koch and other company brewers pick three finalists from the beers submitted. Those three employee homebrewers attend the Great American Beer Festival, where attendees vote for their favorite. This year, GABF attendees chose Hessler’s Derf’s Secret Alt as their favorite.

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Press release: Pike Brewing completes expansion

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Pike Brewing has recently added new stainless steel bright beer tanks, cylinder-conical fermenters, conditioning tanks, a state of the art glycol chiller and a high pressure steam keg filler, and a new gearbox and motor on our mash tun, all allowing us to increase production by approximately 30%.

Pike Head Brewer, Dean Mochizuki, reports that, “Our tanks arenew fermenters now full and we have, for the first time in the last few years, sufficient stock to supply orders.” Pike Sales Manager, Steve Case, had advised distributors to sell Pike beers primarily to existing accounts until the increased capacity was realized. He is now advising, “Full steam ahead!” Steve, a seasoned professional, joined the brewery in early 2011 and reports that the Pike brand is “on fire!” Dean, who has been with the brewery nine years, was promoted to head brewer in April 2011 and has witnessed a lot of changes at the brewery since the Finkel family re-acquired it five years ago.

Pike is a gravity flow, steam brewery in the heart of Seattle’s Pike Place Market historical district. Pike was the brainchild of Charles Finkel, the founder of “Merchant du Vin.” Charles was the first to introduce a wide selection of brewing styles to the United States market; at the time, though it was the largest beer market in the world, there were only a few styles available. The Pike Brewery brews top fermented beers including Pike Pale, IPA, Double IPA, Naughty Nellie Golden, Dry Wit, Tandem Double, Monk’s Uncle Tripel, Old Bawdy Barley Wine, XXXXX Extra Stout, Auld Acquaintance, and others. Pike beers are distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest, and at select retailers around the country.

Because of Pike’s urban location, room to expand capacity is limited to the existing space. The original brewery on Western Avenue dates back to 1989 and is one-half block below the current brewery. When it opened, it was what would now be known as a ‘nano brewery,’ producing around 500 barrels of Pike’s top fermented ale per year. The company moved to its current location and added The Pike Pub in 1996; by the time Rose Ann and Charles Finkel sold Pike at the end of 1997, the brewery had experienced a ten-fold increase in production to around 5,000 barrels. In the ensuing years sales volume remained around the same level.

According to Charles Finkel, “people presumed that the brewery was maxed out on production and that there was no room to expand. We originally designed the brewery to produce around 18,000 barrels of beer.” The expansion team was headed up by Pike Vice President and General Manager, Drew Gillespie. Drew reports, “We chose Newlands Systems of British Columbia to produce stainless steel tanks that are as beautiful as they are functional. Given the space restrictions, we had to trust that Newland’s could produce tanks to our minute specifications. Once delivered, Ballard Transfer of Seattle completed the installation. With less than an inch clearance in some areas, there were more than a few nervous moments; the tanks were raised into place and the team breathed a collective sigh of relief. The expanded glycol system was manufactured by Pro Refrigeration of Auburn WA and installed by Universal Refrigeration. KHS, a German firm, supplied the state of the art keg filler and conveyor system increasing our capacity to 30 kegs per hour. Seattle’s McKinstry Co, who originally built the brewery, replaced the aging mash tun gearbox and motor. When all the work was complete, the outside of Pike’s building got a beautiful new paint job befitting a world class brewery. Even with the expansion, Pike remains a small craft brewery. According to Charles and Rose Ann Finkel, “our sales growth is reliant on word of mouth, much of it from the thousands of people who visit the Pike Pub and tour the brewery annually. Our goal is not to be the biggest brewery, but rather, to be among the best breweries anywhere.”

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Great American Beer Festival highlights and results

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2011 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards
Small Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year
Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, Wash.
Will Kemper

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year
Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, Calif.
Matthew Brynildson

Large Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year
Pabst Brewing Company, Woodridge, Ill.
Bob Newman

Small Brewpub and Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, Calif.
Yiga Miyashiro

Large Brewpub and Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, Calif.
Pizza Port Brew Guys

Brewpub Group and Brewer of the Year
TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, Calif.
Victor Novak

Fun facts (use while seated on bar stool)
* Medals were won by 18 first-time entering breweries (seven gold medals, five silver medals, six bronze medals).
* Indiana had the most winning rate of medals compared to entries by state, with a 19.2 percent winning rate. Specifically, Indiana won 10 medals out of 52 total entries.
* Minnesota won three medals out of 21 entries for a winning rate of 14.3 percent.
* New Mexico won four medals out of 31 entries for a winning rates of 12.9 percent.
* Wyoming won five medals out of 39 entries for a winning rate of 12.8 percent.
* Alaska won two medals out of 16 entries for a winning rate of 12.5 percent.

The biggest medals winners
* Sun King Brewing Co., 8 medals
* Firestone Walker Brewing Co., 6 medals
* Pizza Port Carlsbad, 6 medals
* Rock Bottom Brewery, 6 medals
* Boston Beer Co., 4 medals
* Boulevard Brewing, 4 medals

The top five entered categories
* American-Style India Pale Ale – 176 entries (this category has been most entered since 2001)
* Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 118 entries
* American-Style Pale Ale – 105 entries
* American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 103 entries
* Imperial India Pale Ale – 102 entries

The numbers just keep coming
* 466 breweries in the festival hall
* 2,375 beers served at the festival
* 49,000 attendees
* Approximately 3,300 volunteers
* 526 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
* 3,930 beers judged (includes 86 Pro-Am competition entries)
* 83 style categories judged, plus the Pro-Am competition
* 167 judges from nine countries
* Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 48
* Category with highest number of entries: 176, American Style India Pale Ale

Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer – 20 Entries
Gold: SchWheat, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Wagon Box Wheat, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 38 Entries
Gold: Leavenworth Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA
Silver: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Bronze: Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA

Category: 3 Fruit Beer – 56 Entries
Gold: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Brainless on Peaches, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Derailed Black Cherry Ale, Erie Brewing Co., Erie, PA

Category: 4 Fruit Wheat Beer – 48 Entries
Gold: 5 Lizard, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Chicago, IL
Silver: Mr. Pineapple Wheat, SanTan Brewing Co., Chandler, AZ
Bronze: Vintage Blonde Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 5 Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer – 37 Entries
Gold: Upslope Pumpkin Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: Pumpkin Ale, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Chandler, AZ
Bronze: Turnip the Beets, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO

Category: 6 Herb and Spice Beer – 92 Entries
Gold: Mexican Chocolate Stout, Copper Kettle Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: LSD, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: CBC Heather Ale, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA

Category: 7 Chocolate Beer – 30 Entries
Gold: Chocolate Beer, Barley Brothers Brewery and Grill, Lake Havasu City, AZ
Silver: Samuel Adams Chocolate Chili Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Bronze: Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA

Category: 8 Coffee Beer – 60 Entries
Gold: Java Mac, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Coffee Monster, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Coffee Milk Stout, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO

Category: 9 Specialty Beer – 24 Entries
Gold: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Silver: Chateau Jiahu, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Bronze: Denver Beer Co. Graham Cracker Porter, Denver Beer Co., Denver, CO

Category: 10 Rye Beer – 36 Entries
Gold: Three Flowers IPA, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA
Silver: Bock in Bock, Tequesta Brewing Co., Tequesta, FL
Bronze: Crank Tank, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA

Category: 11 Specialty Honey Beer – 32 Entries
Gold: Sixteen, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA
Silver: Eye of the Storm, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Midas Touch, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Category: 12 Session Beer – 44 Entries
Gold: Provo Girl Pilsner, Utah Brewers Co-op, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Firestone Walker Extra Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 13 Other Strong Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Wheat Wine Ale, Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH
Silver: Saison du Summer, Backcountry Brewery, Frisco, CO
Bronze: Totality Imperial Stout, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category: 14 Experimental Beer – 83 Entries
Gold: Mangalitsa Pig Porter, Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City, MI
Silver: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Belgorado, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 15 Indigenous Beer – 31 Entries
Gold: Hqt, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Monticello Reserve Ale, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Category: 16 Gluten-Free Beer – 15 Entries
Gold: Gluten-Free Lemon Pale, Strange Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: New Grist, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Seeley Axe White, Kettlehouse Brewing Co., Missoula, MT

Category: 17 American-Belgo-Style Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: Angry Birds, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago, IL
Silver: Blue Reserve, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Bronze: Boulevard Collaboration #2, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category: 18 American-Style Sour Ale – 21 Entries
Gold: Le Terroir, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Framboise de Amorosa, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Ching Ching, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category: 19 American-Style Brett Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: Confl uence, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Super Friends IPA, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Bronze: Grimalkin – Super Kitty Fantastico, Brugge Brasserie, Indianapolis, IN

Category: 20 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Velvet Merkin, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Wee Pogue, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Pinot Jubel, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 118 Entries
Gold: Melange a Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE
Silver: BBJ (Bourbon Barrel Johan), Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Barrel Aged Naked Evil BBW, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH

Category: 22 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 74 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Murder, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: 2010 Bourbon Barrel Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Bronze: Grand Inquisitor, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category: 23 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 75 Entries
Gold: Friek, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: The Wanderer, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Bronze: Le Serpent Cerise, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Category: 24 Aged Beer – 36 Entries
Gold: Expedition Stout, Bell’s Brewery, Galesburg, MI
Silver: Release the Hounds, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA

Category: 25 Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 48 Entries
Gold: Kolsch Kellerbier, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA
Silver: Bottle Rocket Lager, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que – Lake Travis, Austin, TX
Bronze: B3K Schwarzbier, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 26 Smoke Beer – 43 Entries
Gold: Smoke Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
Silver: Smoke Out, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Bronze: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2010, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category: 27 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener – 31 Entries
Gold: BEER, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Popcorn Pilsner, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Legacy Lager, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR

Category: 28 German-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries
Gold: Pavlov’s Pils, C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery – Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA
Bronze: Pilsner, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category: 29 Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries
Silver: Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Pilsner, McCoy’s Public House and Brewkitchen, Kansas City, MO

Category: 30 Munich-Style Helles – 38 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Helles, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Where in the Helles Gunner?, Emmett’s Brewing Co., West Dundee, IL
Bronze: Órale, Del Norte Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 31 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 20 Entries
Gold: Move Back, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Tommy Two Fists, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Bronze: Dog Days Lager, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

Category: 32 American-Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager – 55 Entries
Gold: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Silver: Busch Light, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Pabst Blue Ribbon Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category: 33 American-Style Lager or Cream Ale or Lager – 31 Entries
Gold: Red Dog, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category: 34 Vienna-Style Lager – 32 Entries
Gold: Jomo Lager, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Silver: Cityfest, Brewzzi, West Palm Beach, FL
Bronze: Vienna Red Lager, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category: 35 German-Style Märzen – 58 Entries
Gold: Stein Knocker, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT
Silver: Munster Fest, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Bronze: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA

Category: 36 American-Style Amber Lager – 58 Entries
Gold: Uberbrau, Humperdink’s Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX
Silver: Colorado Native, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Florida Beer Florida Lager, Florida Beer Co., Melbourne, FL

Category: 37 European-Style Dunkel – 23 Entries
Gold: Dunkel Lager, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Penn Dark, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA

Category: 38 American-Style Dark Lager – 16 Entries
Gold: Durango Dark, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Session Black, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Bronze: Schwarzbier, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 39 German-Style Schwarzbier – 26 Entries
Gold: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, CA), Brea, CA
Silver: Nevermore Lager, Rock Bottom Brewery (King of Prussia, PA), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (Seattle, WA), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 40 Bock – 34 Entries
Gold: Troegenator, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA
Silver: PrePro Bock, Coors Archive Brewery, Golden, CO
Bronze: Maibock, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE

Category: 41 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 22 Entries
Gold: Autumnal Fire, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI
Silver: St. Nik Brewer’s Reserve, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA
Bronze: Eisphyre, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI

Category: 42 Baltic-Style Porter – 19 Entries
Gold: Battle Axe Baltic Porter, Fat Head’s Brewery, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: White Eagle Baltic Porter, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Bronze: Puddy Porter, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA

Category: 43 Golden or Blonde Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Blonde, Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Seattle, Seattle, WA
Silver: Alaskan Pale Ale, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Kent Lake Kolsch, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Fairfax, CA

Category: 44 German-Style Kölsch – 48 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Kolsch, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Great Adirondack Kölsch, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Bronze: Capital City Kolsch, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS

Category: 45 English-Style Summer Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Summer Lovin’, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Silver: Peacemaker, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Bronze: Mad Fox Brewing Company English Summer Ale, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA

Category: 46 Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 25 Entries
Gold: Clear Creek Pale Ale, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale, MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Prime Time Pale Ale, Big Time Brewery, Seattle, WA

Category: 47 English-Style India Pale Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Latitude 48 Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Silver: Napa Smith Organic IPA, Napa Smith Brewery, Napa, CA
Bronze: Down ‘n’ Dirty IPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category: 48 International-Style Pale Ale – 20 Entries
Gold: Boulevard Pale Ale, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Intercontinental Pale Ale, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL
Bronze: Radiant, Ninkasi Brewing Co., Eugene, OR

Category: 49 American-Style Pale Ale – 105 Entries
Gold: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Mission St. Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Ute Trail Pale Ale, Amicas, Salida, CO

Category: 50 American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 103 Entries
Gold: Pako’s Eye P.A., Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ

Category: 51 American-Style India Pale Ale – 176 Entries
Gold: Elevated IPA, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Deviant Dale’s, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Head Hunter IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery, North Olmsted, OH

Category: 52 Imperial India Pale Ale – 102 Entries
Gold: Citra Double IPA, Kern River Brewing, Kernville, CA
Silver: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Imperial IPA, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 53 American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 82 Entries
Gold: Amber Waves, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Jamaica Red Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Bronze: Rocket Red, Big River Grille and Brewing (Chattanooga, TN), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 54 Imperial Red Ale – 57 Entries
Gold: 547 Haight – The Toronado San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Rhino Chaser Imperial Red Ale, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Organic Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category: 55 English-Style Mild Ale – 25 Entries
Gold: Skidmark Brown Ale, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Silver: Dawn Patrol Dark, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Bronze: Bird and Baby Mild, The Public House Brewing Co., Rolla, MO

Category: 56 Ordinary or Special Bitter – 28 Entries
Gold: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: New Speedway Bitter, Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Bonnie Lee’s Best Bitter, Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Category: 57 Extra Special Bitter – 43 Entries
Gold: Minaret ESB, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Silver: Colorado Kind, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Harvest Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category: 58 Scottish-Style Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Hope and King Scotch Ale, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Silver: Naughty Scot, Rock Bottom Brewery (College Park – Indianapolis, IN), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Brown Bear Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (Bethesda, MD), Louisville, CO

Category: 59 Irish-Style Red Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: O’Rion Irish Red, Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Copperhead Red, Ghost River Brewing, Memphis, TN
Bronze: Colorado Boy Irish Ale, Colorado Boy Brewing Co., Ridgway, CO

Category: 60 English-Style Brown Ale – 45 Entries
Gold: Good Grief Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Rock Bottom Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Brewery (San Diego, CA), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Molly’s Titanic Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (Westminster, CO), Louisville, CO

Category: 61 American-Style Brown Ale – 49 Entries
Gold: Great American Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Brave American, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA

Category: 62 American-Style Black Ale – 74 Entries
Gold: Blacktop IPA, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Blackened CDA, Carter’s Brewing, Billings, MT
Bronze: Black Racer, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category: 63 German-Style Altbier – 30 Entries
Gold: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Silver: TAPS Alt, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Brea, CA), Brea, CA
Bronze: Chuckanut Alt, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category: 64 German-Style Sour Ale – 13 Entries
Gold: Berliner Weisse, Crabtree Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: Hottenroth Berliner Weisse, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Goze, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (Rockville, MD), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 65 South German-Style Hefeweizen – 64 Entries
Gold: Hefeweizen, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Silver: Wild Pitch Hefe Weizen, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Bronze: EOS, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE

Category: 66 German-Style Wheat Ale – 23 Entries
Gold: Boscos Hefeweizen, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN
Silver: Weizenbock, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Dark-n-Curvy, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category: 67 Belgian-Style Witbier – 53 Entries
Gold: Witte, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Silver: La Perouse White, Maui Brewing Co. – Brewpub, Maui, HI
Bronze: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category: 68 French- and Belgian-Style Saison – 65 Entries
Gold: Saison-Brett, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Funkwerks Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Sofi e, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category: 69 Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: California Ale, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Silver: TAPS Biere de Garde, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, CA), Brea, CA
Bronze: Pin-Up Blonde, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI

Category: 70 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 51 Entries
Gold: Fifth Element 2008, Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Blue Sunday, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI
Bronze: Barton Kriek, North by Northwest, Austin, TX

Category: 71 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Brother David’s Double, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA
Silver: Wild-Westmalle Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Two Tortugas, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 72 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 59 Entries
Gold: Buffalo Slumber, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: The Twelve, Black Diamond Brewing Co., Concord, CA

Category: 73 Brown Porter – 32 Entries
Gold: Out of Order Porter, Wind River Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY
Silver: FireHouse Porter, FireHouse Grill & Brewery, Sunnyvale, CA
Bronze: Porter, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Asheville, NC

Category: 74 Robust Porter – 62 Entries
Gold: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla, CA), Louisville, CO
Silver: DeadEye Jack Porter, LoneRider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC
Bronze: Pier Rat Porter, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Category: 75 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 24 Entries
Gold: Ring of Dingle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Breakside Dry Stout, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Shaft House Stout, Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino, Central City, CO

Category: 76 Foreign-Style Stout – 23 Entries
Gold: Dark Side Stout, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR
Silver: Malpais Stout, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Z-Man Stout, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Category: 77 American-Style Stout – 37 Entries
Gold: Jules Winnfield, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Achievement Beyond Life’s Experiences American Stout, Brit Antrim Benefi t Beer,
Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Disorder Stout, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category: 78 Sweet Stout – 19 Entries
Gold: Steel Toe Stout, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Bronze: Outlaw Oatmeal Stout, Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks, NV

Category: 79 Oatmeal Stout – 36 Entries
Gold: Back Road Stout, Millstream Brewing Co., Amana, IA
Silver: Oatmeal Stout, Crabtree Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 80 Imperial Stout – 56 Entries
Gold: BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH
Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Bronze: IMOS, Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery, Atlanta, GA

Category: 81 Scotch Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: Wee Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Wee Heavy, Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Bronze: Old Chub Scotch Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO

Category: 82 Old Ale or Strong Ale – 35 Entries
Gold: Papier, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: AleSmith Decadence ‘10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Arctic Alchemy, Fegley’s Brew Works, Allentown, PA

Category: 83 Barley Wine-Style Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Horn Dog Barleywine, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
Silver: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Johan the Barleywine, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Pro-Am Competition
Gold: Before Capone, C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery, Westminster, CO
Brewmaster: Dennis O’Harrow, AHA Member: Tom Gardner
Silver: Schwarzherz, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Brewmaster: Uinta Beer Team, AHA Member: Travis Grimm
Bronze: Kriek, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Brewmaster: Dry Dock Brewers, AHA Member: Ted Manahan