Left Hand & Dry Dock Breweries Merge

April 2, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Left Hand Brewing, of Longmont, Colorado, and Dry Dock Brewing, of Aurora, Colorado announced today that they were entering into a ‘partnership.’ Here’s more details from the press release:

As part of the transaction, Dry Dock’s two owners will acquire equity in Indian Peaks Brewing Company, the parent company of Left Hand Brewing Company and now Dry Dock Brewing Company. Dry Dock will immediately move all brewing production and packaging to Left Hand’s Longmont facility and will continue to operate its Aurora taproom.
“This partnership is the realization of the vision we shared during our recent Wefunder raise,” said Eric Wallace, Founder and CEO of Left Hand Brewing. “We’re building an independent craft beer platform rooted in community, collaboration, and ownership. This partnership with Dry Dock is the first real step in bringing that to life.”
Kevin DeLange, Founder of Dry Dock Brewing Company, will play an active role within the combined organization, joining Left Hand’s sales team to help expand Dry Dock’s reach within Left Hand’s national distribution network, with a focus on the popular Apricot series.
“After building the Dry Dock brand for 20 years, it was important to find a partner who shares our commitment to quality, independence, and community,” said DeLange. “We’ve known Eric Wallace and Chris Lennert for years through our work with the Colorado Brewers Guild, and they’ve always supported the industry both locally and nationally. There are significant opportunities to grow Dry Dock with Left Hand’s extensive distributor network. Together we have the opportunity to bring Dry Dock’s beers to more fans than ever before.”
Through its recent Wefunder campaign, Left Hand also expanded ownership to its wider community – building on its foundation as an employee- and veteran-owned brewery – and making meaningful progress toward its goal of becoming partially community-owned.
“We’re in active discussions with other beverage companies to join us,” said Wallace. “With the capacity, systems, and expertise we’ve developed, we’re in a strong position to support like-minded producers and work together to strengthen the future of independent craft, both here in Colorado and beyond.”

Bistro Double IPA Winners 2025

February 8, 2025 By Jay Brooks

Earlier today, the 25th annual, silver anniversary, Double IPA Festival was held at the Bistro in Hayward, California. I got there early for judging again this year, and spent the morning holed up in the basement, where we judged Double IPAs for most of the morning, before choosing our top three favorites.

After it being pretty wet and rainy rhis past week, we were treated to a sunny day in beautiful downtown Hayward, if a little chilly, for the festival.

At 2:00 pm., owner Vic Kralj announced the winners:

Double IPAs

1st Place: Onslaught, by Ghosttown Brewing, from Oakland, California.
2nd Place: Terrace Hill, by Central Coast Brewing, from San Luis Obispo, California
3rd Place: Greener Grass, by Narrative Fermentations, in San Jose, California

People’s Choice Awards

Double IPA: Looking for Gophers, by Faction Brewing, from Alameda, California, although in a close race this year, second place by a nose was Triple Cuff, by Wondrous Brewing, in Emeryville, California.

The judging table in the basement from the other end.

Beer In Ads #4766: Miss Rheingold 1965 Plans Revealed

April 19, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Friday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1964. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In this ad, from December, Miss Rheingold 1964, Celeste Yarnall, is out in the snow-covered woods, pushing a sled with an evergreen tree on it. The tagline reads: “Happy Holidays from the brewers of Rheingold Extra Dry Beer.” And the small print below states that ad is by “Rheingold Breweries, Inc., New York, N.Y.” That’s significant because earlier in the year the company was known as Liebmann Breweries, but was rebranded after Pepsi bought the brewery in in February.

This article was from November 14, 1964.

But by April, two months after buying Rheingold, they’d already decided they were doing away with the public contest aspect of Miss Rheingold, and instead chose someone on their own. There was a certain lack of pageantry in the decision, and none of the drama attendant to the contest for the past twenty-five years. I imagine it was something of a let down for many people who undoubtedly looked forward to the contest each year. But without the contest, they were able to choose someone nine months ahead of time. So they unceremoniously announced in April that Sharon Vaughan had been chosen by the company to be Miss Rheingold 1965.

Top 50 Breweries For 2023

April 17, 2024 By Jay Brooks

The Brewers Association yesterday announced the top 50 breweries and craft breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2023, which is listed below here. I should also mention that this represents “craft breweries” according to the BA’s membership definition, and not necessarily how most of us would define them, as there’s no universally agreed upon way to differentiate the two. For a number of years now, they’ve also released a list of the top 50 breweries, which includes all breweries. In the past I’ve posted the two lists separately, but last year decided going forward to present them together since the two are increasingly intermingled.

I confess I used to look more forward to this list every year as it represented greater and wider acceptance of craft in the marketplace, but it doesn’t seem to hold the same thrill for me anymore, perhaps I’m getting jaded. Part of my malaise I think comes from the fact that consolidation has become such a part of the current landscape that it’s in a sense how things were before the rise of craft beer. There’s nothing inherently wrong this, it’s a natural part in the evolution of any industry. But as an old-timer in this nascent craft industry, it was the independent spirit of the early brewery pioneers that built the foundation of today’s beer scene. And seeing it contract into mini-conglomerates and empires, however natural, is not very pleasant to watch. Of the top ten, six of them are groups of two or more breweries, and number one is Yuengling, which is an old guard brewery that’s small and independent in name only, not in spirit (that’s not a knock on Yuengling, at least it’s not meant to be). It’s understandable, but no less disheartening, and will undoubtedly continue for the foreseeable future. Anyway, here is this year’s craft brewery list:

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

Rank	Company	City	State
1	D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc	Pottsville	PA
2	Boston Beer Co	Boston, Milton	MA, DE
3	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Chico	CA
4	Duvel Moortgat USA	Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown	CA, MO, NY
5	Gambrinus	Shiner, Berkeley	TX, CA
6	Tilray Beer Brands	Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego, Bend, Seattle, Portland, Breckenridge, Patchogue	GA, NY, CA, OR, WA, OR, CO, NY
7	Artisanal Brewing Ventures	Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn	PA, NY, NY
8	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
9	Monster Brewing	Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas	CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
10	Athletic Brewing Company	Milford	CT
11	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
12	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
13	Matt Brewing Co	Utica	NY
14	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co	San Jose	CA
15	Allagash Brewing Company	Portland	ME
16	Georgetown Brewing Co	Seattle	WA
17	Great Lakes Brewing Company	Cleveland	OH
18	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
19	Stevens Point Brewery	Stevens Point	WI
20	Three Floyds Brewing	Munster	IN
21	Pittsburgh Brewing Co	Pittsburgh	PA
22	Rhinegeist Brewery	Cincinnati	OH
23	Narragansett Brewing Co	Pawtucket	RI
24	August Schell Brewing Company	New Ulm	MN
25	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
26	Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times)	Kihei, San Diego	HI, CA
27	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
28	Fiddlehead Brewing	Shelburne	VT
29	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
30	Kings & Convicts Brewing	San Diego	CA
31	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
32	Kona Brewing Hawaii	Kailua-Kona	HI
33	Abita Brewing Co	Covington	LA
34	Creature Comforts Brewing Co.	Athens	GA
35	Great Frontier Holdings	Eugene, Portland	OR, OR
36	BrewDog Brewing Co	Canal Winchester	OH
37	Summit Brewing Co	St. Paul	MN
38	Jack’s Abby Brewing, LLC	Framingham	MA
39	Revolution Brewing	Chicago	IL
40	Montucky Cold Snacks	Bozeman	MT
41	Saint Arnold Brewing Co	Houston	TX
42	Lost Coast Brewery	Eureka	CA
43	Surly Brewing Company	Minneapolis	MN
44	Rogue Ales Brewery	Newport	OR
45	United States Beverage LLC	Salt Lake City, Elmsford	UT, NY
46	Shipyard Brewing Co	Portland	ME
47	Pizza Port	Carlsbad	CA
48	Coronado Brewing Co	Coronado	CA
49	Drake’s Brewing Co	San Leandro	CA
50	IndieBrew	Atlanta, Nashville	GA, TN

The data was also accompanied by the following press release:

Boulder, Colo. — The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers—today released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry.
The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2023, reaching an all-time high of 9,683, including 2,071 microbreweries, 3,467 brewpubs, 3,900 taproom breweries, and 245 regional craft breweries. The total U.S. operating brewery count was 9,812, up from 9,730 in 2022. Throughout the year, there were 495 new brewery openings and 418 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the trend reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2023 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 4%.
Driven by the growing number of breweries and a continued shift to hospitality-focused business models, craft brewers directly employed 191,421 people in 2023, a 1.1% increase from 2022.
“2023 was another competitive and challenging year for small and independent brewers,” said Bart Watson, vice president of strategy and chief economist of the Brewers Association. “Nevertheless, even as growth has downshifted, small brewers have proved quite resilient, as seen in the increase in number of breweries, relatively low closing rates, and gains in onsite sales and jobs.”
Collectively, small and independent brewers produced 23.4 million barrels of beer in 2023, a decline of 1.0% from 2022³, though craft’s overall beer market share by volume grew to 13.3%, up from 13.1% in 2022 as craft’s declines were smaller than overall beer volume losses.
The overall beer market shrank 5.1% by volume in 2023. Retail dollar value was estimated at $28.6 billion, representing a 24.5% market share and 3% growth over a comparable value in 2022. Sales growth was stronger than volume primarily due to pricing but also due to slightly stronger onsite sales growth versus distribution.
“As always, the beverage alcohol market and consumer demand continue to evolve,” added Watson. ”Many brewers are accordingly updating their operations to match those changes, focusing on their business models, go-to-market strategies, and brand strategies to help their businesses match those shifts.”

And here’s the second list, which is the Top 50 Brewing Companies Overall, which means all companies, not just the ones eligible for membership in the Brewers Association, which excludes from membership breweries that are too large or with large ownership structures, among other specific qualifications.

In this list, the top ten are either a group of brewery businesses or quite larger and/or old enough to predate the 1980s. Number 11, Sierra Nevada, is the first actual craft brewery on the list. But overall the list is so filled with complicated business arrangements that there are 26 footnotes for 50 entries.

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies

Rank	Company	City	State
1	Anheuser-Busch Inc	St. Louis	MO
2	MolsonCoors	Chicago	IL
3	Constellation	Chicago	IL
4	Heineken USA	White Plains	NY
5	Pabst Brewing Co	Los Angeles	CA
6	Diageo	Norwalk	CT
7	D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc	Pottsville	PA
8	FIFCO USA	Rochester	NY
9	Kirin-Lion	Fort Collins, Comstock	CO, MI
10	Boston Beer Co	Boston, Milton	MA, DE
11	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Chico	CA
12	Sapporo-Stone Brewing	Escondido	CA
13	Duvel Moortgat USA	Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown	CA, MO, NY
14	Gambrinus	Shiner, Berkeley	TX, CA
15	Mahou San Miguel	Grand Rapids, Boulder	MI, CO
16	Tilray Beer Brands	Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego, Bend, Seattle, Portland, Breckenridge, Patchogue	GA, NY, CA, OR, WA, OR, CO, NY
17	Artisanal Brewing Ventures	Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn	PA, NY, NY
18	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
19	Monster Brewing	Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas	CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
20	Athletic Brewing Company	Milford	CT
21	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
22	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
23	Matt Brewing Co	Utica	NY
24	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co	San Jose	CA
25	Allagash Brewing Company	Portland	ME
26	Georgetown Brewing Co	Seattle	WA
27	Great Lakes Brewing Company	Cleveland	OH
28	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
29	Stevens Point Brewery	Stevens Point	WI
30	Three Floyds Brewing	Munster	IN
31	Pittsburgh Brewing Co	Pittsburgh	PA
32	Rhinegeist Brewery	Cincinnati	OH
33	Narragansett Brewing Co	Pawtucket	RI
34	August Schell Brewing Company	New Ulm	MN
35	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
36	Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times)	Kihei, San Diego	HI, CA
37	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
38	Fiddlehead Brewing	Shelburne	VT
39	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
40	Kings & Convicts Brewing	San Diego	CA
41	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
42	Kona Brewing Hawaii	Kailua-Kona	HI
43	Abita Brewing Co	Covington	LA
44	Creature Comforts Brewing Co.	Athens	GA
45	Great Frontier Holdings	Eugene, Portland	OR, OR
46	BrewDog Brewing Co	Canal Winchester	OH
47	Summit Brewing Co	St. Paul	MN
48	Jack’s Abby Brewing, LLC	Framingham	MA
49	Revolution Brewing	Chicago	IL
50	Montucky Cold Snacks	Bozeman	MT

Bistro Double IPA Winners 2024

February 10, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Earlier today, the 24th annual Double IPA Festival was held at the Bistro in Hayward, California. I got there early for judging again this year, and spent the morning holed up in the basement, where we judged Double IPAs for most of the morning, before choosing our top three favorites.

After emerging from the dark into the light, it was nice to see a bright, sunny day in beautiful downtown Hayward.

At 2:00 pm., owner Vic Kralj announced the winners:

Double IPAs

1st Place: The Suspense is Terrible, by Sunriver Brewing, from Sunriver, Oregon
2nd Place: HopTomic, by Morgan Territory Brewing, from Tracy, California
3rd Place: Chux, by Danville Brewing, in Danville, California

Matt Sager from Danville Brewing picking up his bronze medal.

Silver medal winner Craig Cauwels, from Morgan Territory, missed the awards ceremony by just a few minutes

Sunriver made it down from Oregon to accept their gold medal.

People’s Choice Awards

Double IPA: Cone Goblin, by Ghost Town Brewing, from Oakland, California, in collaboration with Alvarado Street Brewing, headquartered in Monterey, California

Ghost Town won the People’s Choice this year.

Cheers from the 2024 Double IPA Festival!

Beer In Ads #4632: Casey Stengel Fined For Appearing In Ad With Miss Rheingold 1962

November 28, 2023 By Jay Brooks

Tuesday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1962. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. In 1962, Kathy Kersh won the contest and became Miss Rheingold for that year. She was born Kathleen Kroeger Kersh on December 15, 1942 in Los Angeles, California (though one source claimed it was Hawaii). She attended a theatrical school, studying dance and acting. In 1959, she won the title of Miss Junior Rose Bowl, and became a professional model, and later an actress and singer. After her year as Miss Rheingold 1962, she married actor Vince Edwards, best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the TV show of the same name. But they were married for only four months before divorcing, and her daughter was born shortly thereafter when she became a single mother. Some of her more memorable appearances were on Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a small part in the film “The Americanization of Emily.” In 1967, she signed a record deal with Power Records, and released two singles. After a small role as Cornelia, one of the Joker’s henchmen, on Batman, she married Burt Ward, who played Robin. That marriage last two years, and afterwards she attended business school and embarked on successful a career in commercial real estate. As far as know, she still lives in Sherman Oaks, California. In these newspaper items, from April, just a few days after the opening day for the baseball season that year, Miss Rheingold 1962, Kathy Kersh, did an ad on the field at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan with the manager of the New York Mets, legendary baseball player and manager, Casey Stengel. But according to these two articles, that was against the rules of baseball, which prohibit appearing in a commercial advertisement wearing your uniform, and Stengel did just that. So Commissioner Ford Frick fined Stengel $500.

And this version of the story was published April 23, 1962.

Brussels Beer Challenge Winners 2023

November 21, 2023 By Jay Brooks

Yesterday, the winners of the 12th annual Brussels Beer Challenge were announced in Ghent, Belgium. Exactly 1,811 beers from 37 countries were judged in 8 broad styles (Pale Ale, Dark Ale, Red Ale, Pils, Stout/Porter, White, Flavoured Beers, and Specialty Beers) and then further subdivided into 91 smaller categories (lambic, abbey, chocolate beers, etc.). This year, we were judging in Turnhout, a small town around 55 miles northeast of Brussels with an amazing Playing Card Museum. We judged the beers over three days in Congratulations to all the winners!

Belgium won the most medals, with the Netherlands coming in second, and the United States in third. Here are the top twelve medal winners, by country.

Medals Won by Country:

Belgium = 81
Italy = 37
Netherlands = 34
United States = 32
China = 21
Germany = 17
Brazil = 16
France = 11
TIE: Japan = 5 / Spain = 5
Czech Republic = 4
TIE: Malta = 3 / Sweden = 3
TIE: Norway = 2 / Poland = 2 / Ukraine = 2

The 2023 Brussels Beer Challenge Winners

Category 1 — Dark Ale: Abbey / Trappist Style Dubbel

Gold: Steenbrugge Dubbel Bruin (Belgium) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers
Silver Bière de Garde Brune (Netherlands) Brewed by Brouwerij Duits & Lauret
Bronze: Gouverneur Dubbel (Netherlands) Brewed by Lindeboom Bierbrouwerij

Category 2 — Dark Ale: Brown Ale

Gold: Kompel Ondergronds (Belgium) Owned by Brouwerij Kompel
Gold: La Gervoise Brune (France) Brewed by Brasserie Etienne

Category 3 — Dark Ale: Dark/Black IPA

Gold: Zwarte Magie (Netherlands) Brewed by Bierbrouwerij Wentersch
Silver: Blauwst’rig (Netherlands) Owned by IV:uur Bierbrouwerij
Bronze: Regeneration (Italy) Brewed by Astesana SRL Società Agricola

Category 4 — Dark Ale: Oud Bruin (Flanders Brown Ale)

Gold: Enigma 23 (United States) Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company

Category 5 — Dark Ale: Strong Dark Ale

Gold: Haeseveld Belgian Strong Dark (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Haeseveld
Silver: Leplan Quad Bbi (Belgium) Owned by LePlan-Vermeersch
Silver: Martha Brown Eyes (Belgium) Brewed by Belgian Brew Factory
Bronze: 30th Anniversary (United States) Brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company
Bronze: Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Halve Maan

Category 6 — Flavoured Beer: Chocolate

Gold: Midnight Hike (United States) Brewed by River North Brewery
Silver: Chocolate Rain Milk Imperial Stout (China) Brewed by Trueman Brewing Co.

Category 7 — Flavoured Beer: Coffee

Gold: Nightmare Fuel (United States) Brewed by River North Brewery
Silver: Cappuccino Sweet Stout (Ecuador) Brewed by Sinners Microcerveceria
Bronze: Great Granny’s Cosy Coffee Cocktail (Netherlands) Brewed by Uiltje Brewing Company

Category 8 — Flavoured Beer: Field Beer

Gold: Coconut Pie Face (United States) Brewed by Revision Brewing Company
Silver: Colorado Coconut Brown Ale (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Colorado
Bronze: Peanut Butter Milk Stout (United States) Brewed by Belching Beaver Brewery

Category 9 — Flavoured Beer: Fruit Beer

Gold: Avalon – Farmer’s Reserve (Norway) Brewed by Lindheim Ølkompani
Gold: Lille Lapins (Norway) Brewed by Lindheim Ølkompani
Silver: Lorre (Netherlands) Brewed by Brouwerij Homeland
Silver: Rusticana (Italy) Brewed by Claterna
Bronze: Volfas Engelman > Beer Mail > Mango Milkshake Pale Ale (Lithuania) Brewed by Volfas Engelman

Category 10 — Flavoured Beer: Herb & Spice

Gold: Le Chasseur (China) Brewed by Arber Brewing Co.
Silver: Veluwe Zoomer GraanGeluk (Netherlands) Owned by GraanGeluk
Bronze: Blonde Gingembre (France) Brewed by Brasserie-Distillerie Cap d’Ona
Bronze: Tale 7 Ginger Triple (Ghana) Brewed by Specialty Beers (Ghana) Ltd.

Category 11 — Flavoured Beer: Honey Beer

Gold: Icaro (Italy) Brewed by Diciottozerouno srl
Silver: Colorado Appia (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Colorado
Bronze: Urbrew Honey Lager (China) Brewed by Urbrew (China) Craft Beer Co., Ltd

Category 12 — Flavoured Beer: Old Style Fruit-Lambic

Gold: BOON Millésime (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Boon
Silver: Kestemont Abrikozen (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Kestemont
Bronze: Oude Kriek Boon (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Boon

Category 13 — Flavoured Beer: Russian Imperial Stout Barrel Or Oaked Aged

Gold: Are You Afraid of the Dark? (United States) Brewed by Breakside Brewery & Taproom
Silver: Rum Barrel Aged Coconut Porter (United States) Brewed by pFriem Family Brewers
Bronze: BA Collab 2023: Imperial Rye Stout x La Pirata (Netherlands) Brewed by vandeStreek Bier
Bronze: Gula (Ecuador) Brewed by Sinners Microcerveceria

Category 14 — Flavoured Beer: Smoked Beer

Gold: Klosterbräu Bamberger Rauchbier (Germany) Brewed by Klosterbräu Bamberg GmbH
Gold: Ryeziskie (France) Brewed by Brasserie de la Pleine Lune
Silver: Pravda Brewery. Chornobaivka (Ukraine) Brewed by Restoracija “Na Rynku” Ltd
Silver: Templin Family Rauch Bier (United States) Brewed by Templin Family Brewing
Bronze: Kamaleon (Italy) Brewed by The Wall SRL

Category 15 — Flavoured Beer: Sweet/Milk Stout

Gold: Chocolate Milk Stout (China) Brewed by Shandong Beerjoy Brewing Co., Ltd
Silver: Flipped Milk Stout (China) Brewed by Trueman Brewing Co.
Bronze: No award.

Category 16 — Flavoured Beer: Strong Red Fruit Beer

Gold: Red by Petrus (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Brabandere
Silver: Nachtraaf Wild Cherry (Belgium) Owned by De Nachtraafbrouwers
Bronze: No award.

Category 17 — Flavoured Beer: Wood/Barrel Aged

Gold: Balcones Edition 2023 Barley Wine (Netherlands) Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Gold: BA Collab 2023: Red Quadrupel x Brouwerij Eleven (Netherlands) Brewed by vandeStreek Bier
Silver: Rusty Nail 2022 (United States) Brewed by Fremont Brewing Company
Bronze: Fourchette Grand Cru (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge

Category 18 — Lager: American-Style Pilsner

Gold: Pizzapils (Italy) Brewed by IPC srl
Silver: No award.
Bronze: No award.

Category 19 — Lager: Bohemian-Style Pilsner

Gold: Bernard Bohemian Lager 4.5 (Czech Republic) Brewed by Rodinný Pivovar Bernard A.S.
Silver: Primátor Antonín (Czech Republic) Brewed by Primátor A.S.
Bronze: Bakalar Premium Lager (Czech Republic) Brewed by Tradicní Pivovar v Rakovníku, A.S.

Category 20 — Lager: Cold IPA

Gold: Cold Shower (Italy) Brewed by Bizantina SRL
Silver: No award.
Bronze: No award.

Judging took place in a beautiful space, a former church.

Category 21 — Lager: Dark/Dunkel (Including Schwarzbier)

Gold: Gooisch Zwart (Netherlands) Brewed by Gooische Bierbrouwerij
Silver: Munich B.E. (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Estense
Silver: Waldhaus Ohne Filter Dunkel (Germany) Brewed by Privatbrauerei Waldhaus Joh. Schmid GmbH
Bronze: Jing A – Black Velvet (China) Brewed by Carlsberg Brewery (Anhui) Company Limited
Bronze: Onyx (Portugal) Brewed by Praxis – Cervejas de Coimbra, Lda

Category 22 — Lager: German-Style Dunkel Bock/Doppelbock

Gold: 1906 Black Coupage (Spain) Brewed by Luís Romero
Silver: Mahou Maestra Dunkel (Spain) Brewed by MAHOU
Silver: Texels Juttersbock (Netherlands) Brewed by Texelse Bierbrouwerij B.V.
Bronze: Lindeboom Bock (Netherlands) Brewed by Lindeboom Bierbrouwerij

Category 23 — Lager: Eisbock

Gold: No award.
Silver: Kulmbacher Eisbock (Germany) Brewed by Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
Bronze: No award.

Category 24 — Lager: German-Style Helles- / MaiBock / Doppelbock

Gold: Alfa Krachtig Dort (Netherlands) Brewed by Meens Bierbrouwerij BV
Silver: Cisk Strong (Malta) Brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk PLC
Bronze: Mahou Maestra Doble Lúpulo (Spain) Brewed by MAHOU

Category 25 — Lager: German-Style Märzen

Gold: Bohemia Märzen (Brazil) Brewed by Bohemia
Silver: Spring Valley Hojun 496 (Japan) Brewed by Spring Valley Brewery
Bronze: Samuel Adams OctoberFest (United States) Brewed by Boston Beer Company

Category 26 — Lager: German-Style Pilsner

Gold: Golden (United States) Brewed by Fremont Brewing Company
Silver: Caraibi (Italy) Brewed by Diciottozerouno SRL
Bronze: Gooisch Goud (Netherlands) Brewed by Gooische Bierbrouwerij

Category 27 — Lager: Helles

Gold: Bayreuther Hell (Germany) Brewed by Bayreuther Bierbrauerei AG
Silver: Waldhaus Hell (Germany) Brewed by Privatbrauerei Waldhaus Joh. Schmid GmbH
Bronze: Theresianer Premium Lager (Italy) Brewed by Theresianer Birra Italiana 1766

Category 28 — Lager: Hoppy Lager

Gold: Colorado Aipi Lager (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Colorado
Silver: Maisel & Friends Hell (Germany) Brewed by Brauerei Gebr. Maisel GmbH & Co. KG
Bronze: Dama Hop Lager (Brazil) Brewed by Dama Bier

Category 29 — Lager: ICE

Gold: No award.
Silver: Kremer Golden (Brazil) Brewed by INDÚSTRIA E COMÉRCIO DE BEBIDAS Kremer E CONEXOS LTDA
Bronze: No award.

Category 30 — Lager: International Style Pilsner

Gold: Asahi Super Dry (Japan) Brewed by Asahi Breweries
Silver: Bavaria Pilsener (Netherlands) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers
Bronze: Mahou Clásica (Spain) Brewed by MAHOU
Bronze: Schweden Pils (Germany) Brewed by Schwarzbräu GmbH

Category 31 — Lager: Light Lager

Gold: Original (Brazil) Brewed by Ambev
Silver: Leichtes Helles (Germany) Brewed by Schwarzbräu GmbH
Bronze: Zhujiang Draft Beer 1997 (China) Brewed by Guangzhou Zhujiang Brewery Co., LTD.

Category 32 — Lager: Vienna Lager

Gold: Theresianer Vienna (Italy) Brewed by Theresianer Birra Italiana 1766
Silver: Vienna Festbier (United States) Brewed by Quarter Celtic Brewpub
Bronze: Chellerina (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio La Piazza

Category 33 — Pale&Amber Ale: (Belgian Style) Tripel

Gold: Zeezuiper (Belgium) Brewed by Scheldebrouwerij
Silver: Tripel Kanunnik (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij & Distilleerderij Wilderen
Silver: Tripel LeFort (Belgium) Brewed by Omer Vander Ghinste
Bronze: Paix Dieu (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Caulier SRL
Bronze: St. Bernardus Tripel (Belgium) Brewed by St. Bernardus Brouwerij

Category 34 — Pale&Amber Ale: Abbey / Trappist Style Blond

Gold: Affligem Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Alken-Maes
Silver: Sint Idesbald Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij L. Huyghe NV
Silver: Ter Dolen Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Ter Dolen
Bronze: Corsendonk Agnus Tripel (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Corsendonk
Bronze: La Trappe Blond (Netherlands) Brewed by Bierbrouwerij de Koningshoeven B.V.

Category 35 — Pale&Amber Ale: Amber

Gold: Queue de Charrue Ambrée (Belgium) Owned by Brasserie Vanuxeem
Silver: CH’TI Originale Ambrée (France) Brewed by Brasserie Castelain
Silver: La Birra Irish Red Ale (Brazil) Brewed by La Birra Cervejaria Ltda ME
Bronze: De Maltezer (Netherlands) Owned by Stadsbrouwerij Maastricht

Category 36 — Pale&Amber Ale: American IPA (Higher Than 6.5 ABV)

Gold: Weekend Vibes IPA (United States) Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company
Silver: Craft Beer Cookout (Netherlands) Brewed by Uiltje Brewing Company
Bronze: Lush (United States) Brewed by Fremont Brewing Company

Category 37 — Pale&Amber Ale: American IPA (Less Than 6.5 ABV)

Gold: In to East Lake (China) Brewed by No. 18 Brewery
Silver: Reveille (Italy) Brewed by Astesana SRL Società Agricola
Bronze: Alaryk India Pale Ale Bio (France) Brewed by Brasserie Alaryk

Category 38 — Pale&Amber Ale: American Pale Ale

Gold: Guerrilla (Italy) Brewed by IPC srl
Gold: Ruggine (Italy) Brewed by Diciottozerouno srl
Silver: Merklinska Radost (Czech Republic) Brewed by Pivovar Petr Petružálek
Bronze: Cruiser Pale Ale (United States) Brewed by Mother Earth Brew Co.

Category 39 — Pale&Amber Ale: Belgian Style IPA

Gold: Lupulus Hopera (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Lupulus SPRL
Silver: Dikkenek Citra Hop (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Lefebvre
Bronze: Delta IPA (Belgium) Brewed by Brussels Beer Project
Bronze: Jack’s Precious IPA (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij The Musketeers

Category 40 — Pale&Amber Ale: Belgian-Style – Spéciale Belge

Gold: Bolleke De Koninck (Belgium) Brewed by Duvel Moortgat
Silver: Rainmaker Ale (United States) Brewed by Stormcloud Brewing Company
Bronze: Patience for Eylenbosch Belgian Pale Ale (Belgium) Owned by Brouwerij Eylenbosch

Category 41 — Pale&Amber Ale: Best Bitter

Gold: No award.
Silver: No award.
Bronze: HertenHeer (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Het Nest

Category 42 — Pale&Amber Ale: Bières De Garde

Gold: Sint Idesbald Rousse (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij L. Huyghe NV
Silver: GrandMir Ambrée (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie du Grand Mir
Bronze: Ambrée Triple (France) Brewed by Brasserie-Distillerie Cap d’Ona

Category 43 — Pale&Amber Ale: Bitter

Gold: No award.
Silver: No award.
Bronze: Bertinchamps Légère (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie de Bertinchamps
Bronze: Ciapa Fiá (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Dulac

Category 44 — Pale&Amber Ale: Double Saison

Gold: Bellerose (France) Brewed by Brasserie des Sources
Silver: Bons Voeux (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Dupont
Bronze: Nunnans Skördeöl (Sweden) Brewed by Vreta Kloster Bryggeri

Category 45 — Pale&Amber Ale: Double IPA

Gold: Blue Tornado (Italy) Brewed by DC SRL
Silver: Page 24 Double IPA (France) Brewed by Brasserie St Germain / Page 24
Bronze: Crazy Rabbit (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Sabino
Bronze: Drunk Lake (China) Brewed by No. 18 Brewery

Category 46 — Pale&Amber Ale: English IPA

Gold: Tsingtao India Pale Ale (China) Brewed by Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd.
Silver: Drunken Sailor IPA (Germany) Brewed by CREW Republic Brewery GmbH
Bronze: Red Stone IPA (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Mezzopasso

Category 47 — Pale&Amber Ale: Golden Ale

Gold: Brugse Zot Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Halve Maan
Silver: Blonden Os (Belgium) Brewed by John Martin SA
Silver: Demi de Mêlée (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Brabandere
Bronze: Abbaye Saint-Ghislain Blonde (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Deseveaux

Category 48 — Pale&Amber Ale: IPA Alcohol-Free/Low

Gold: 7 Hop 7 Grain DDH IPA (Belgium) Owned by BRULO
Silver: Samuel Adams Gold Rush (United States) Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Silver: Wanderlust (Netherlands) Owned by Van Moll Craft Beer
Bronze: Brand IPA 0.0 (Netherlands) Brewed by Brand Bierbrouwerij B.V.

Category 49 — Pale&Amber Ale: Kölsch

Gold: No award.
Silver: No award.
Bronze: Seafarer (United States) Brewed by Three Weavers Brewing Co.

Category 50 — Pale&Amber Ale: Light Bitter Blond/Golden Ale

Gold: Ter Dolen Armand (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Ter Dolen
Silver: Artevelde Leute (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij L. Huyghe NV
Bronze: Chimay Dorée (Belgium) Brewed by Bières de Chimay
Bronze: St-Feuillien Five (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie St-Feuillien

Our stewards beginning to distribute the beers for us to taste.

Category 51 — Pale&Amber Ale: Modern Saison

Gold: Mannenliefde (Netherlands) Owned by Oedipus Brewing
Silver: Saison Biolithics (Belgium) Brewed by Belgo Sapiens Brewers – Brasserie Ceres Belgique SPRL
Bronze: Beau Monde (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar BV
Bronze: Tokyo White (Japan) Brewed by Far Yeast Brewing Company

Category 52 — Pale&Amber Ale: New England IPA

Gold: Hazers Gonna Haze Hazy IPA (United States) Brewed by Belching Beaver Brewery
Silver: Destihl DeadHead Tourbus Hazy IPA (United States) Brewed by Destihl Brewery
Silver: Over-the-Top (South Korea) Brewed by Artmonster Brewery, Inc.
Bronze: Have You Ever Been Yellow (Netherlands) Brewed by Uiltje Brewing Company

Category 53 — Pale&Amber Ale: Pacific IPA

Gold: West Coast IPA (United States) Brewed by pFriem Family Brewers
Silver: Scraggy Bay (Ireland) Brewed by Kinnegar Brewing
Bronze: Big Swell IPA (United States) Brewed by Maui Brewing Co.

Category 54 — Pale&Amber Ale: Session IPA

Gold: Dance Rave Dance (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Surréaliste
Silver: Session IPA #3 Chinook (Italy) Brewed by Brewpub Trulla
Bronze: Rifle (Italy) Brewed by Il Mastio SSA

Category 55 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Amber

Gold: Millican Extra (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Mezzopasso
Silver: Beer de Garde Ambrée Impériale (Netherlands) Brewed by Gooische Bierbrouwerij
Bronze: Farsons Double Red (Malta) Brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc

Category 56 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Blonde

Gold: Bon Secours Tradition (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Caulier SRL
Silver: OMER. Traditional Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Omer Vander Ghinste
Bronze: Martha Sexy Blond (Belgium) Brewed by Belgian Brew Factory

Category 57 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong/Extra Special Bitter

Gold: Farsons Blue Label (Malta) Brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc
Silver: No award.
Bronze: Backdoor Bitter (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio L’Orso Verde SRL

Category 58 — Pale&Amber Ale: Traditional Saison

Gold: Weizen Saison (Belgium) Brewed by L’Annexe
Silver: Double Tree Saison (China) Brewed by NEWME Brewery
Bronze: Saison Dupont (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Dupont

Category 59 — Red Ale: American Red Ale

Gold: No award.
Silver: Ignifer (Italy) Owned by Alchimie SRL
Bronze: Babylone (Belgium) Brewed by Brussels Beer Project

Category 60 — Red Ale: Irish Red Ale

Gold: No award.
Silver: Brotas Beer Red Ale (Brazil) Brewed by Brotas Beer Industria de Bebidas LTDA
Bronze: No award.

Category 61 — Red Ale: Oud Rood (Flanders Red Ale)

Gold: Rodenbach Grand Cru (Belgium) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers
Silver: Rodenbach Classic (Belgium) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers
Bronze: Rodenbach Alexander (Belgium) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers

Category 62 — Speciality Beer: Alcohol-Free

Gold: Bird of Prey 0.2% (Netherlands) Owned by Uiltje Brewing Company
Silver: Affligem Blond 0.0% (Belgium) Brewed by Alken-Maes
Bronze: Force Majeure Bruin (Belgium) Owned by Force Majeure
Bronze: Vicaris NANO° (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Dilewyns

Category 63 — Speciality Beer: Barley Wine

Gold: Aged Bock (Germany) Brewed by Schwarzbräu GmbH
Silver: Father Time (United States) Brewed by River North Brewery
Bronze: Mansueto 2021 (Italy) Brewed by IPC SRL
Bronze: Rest in Peace (Germany) Brewed by CREW Republic Brewery GmbHBrewed by IPC SRL

Category 64 — Speciality Beer: Brett Beer

Gold: Eylenbosch Wild Blond (Belgium) Owned by Brouwerij Eylenbosch
Silver: Pravda Brewery. Berliner Weisse Merlot BA (Ukraine) Brewed by Restoracija “Na Rynku” Ltd
Bronze: Templin Family Fouder Brett Bier (United States) Brewed by Templin Family Brewing

Category 65 — Speciality Beer: Brut Beer

Gold: Bière Brut Methode Originale Gôde (France) Owned by Brasserie Gode
Silver: Metodo Classico 60 Mesi (Italy) Brewed by Selezione Baladin SRL
Bronze: Leopoldina Italian Grape Ale (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Leopoldina

Category 66 — Speciality Beer: Gluten Free

Gold: Bavaria Pilsener Glutenfree (Netherlands) Brewed by Swinkels Family Brewers
Gold: Nun Gluten Blonde (Sweden) Brewed by Vreta Kloster Bryggeri
Silver: Mahou Cinco Estrellas Sin Gluten (Spain) Brewed by MAHOU
Bronze: Theresianer Senza Glutine (Italy) Brewed by Theresianer Birra Italiana 1766

Category 67 — Speciality Beer: Low-Alcohol

Gold: Hazy NONnetje (Netherlands) Brewed by Jopen Bier
Silver: VrIJwit (Netherlands) Owned by Brouwerij ‘t IJ
Bronze: Ana Hop (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Lefebvre

Category 68 — Speciality Beer: Home Brewers

Gold: Sonnig Swert (Netherlands) Owned by Brouwland BV
Silver: Saison Baron (Belgium) Owned by Brouwland BV
Bronze: Prizekant (Belgium) Owned by Brouwland BV

Category 69 — Speciality Beer: Hybrid Beer

Gold: Mele Bebè (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Sabino
Silver: Timmermans Lambicus Blanche (Belgium) Brewed by John Martin SA
Bronze: Rena Bianca (Italy) Owned by Harvest Srls

Category 70 — Speciality Beer: Low Carb Beer

Gold: No award.
Silver: Black Rice Ale (United States) Brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
Bronze: No award.

Category 71 — Speciality Beer: Old Style Gueuze-Lambic

Gold: Organic Geuze Natur-Elle (Belgium) Brewed by BV Lambiek Fabriek
Silver: Lindemans Oude Gueuze Cuvée René (Belgium) Brewed by Lindemans NV
Silver: Young & Wild Fontan-Elle (Belgium) Brewed by BV Lambiek Fabriek
Bronze: Oude Geuze Brett Elle (Belgium) Brewed by BV Lambiek Fabriek
Bronze: Oude Gueuze Tilquin à l’ancienne – Cuvée Marie-Catherine (Belgium) Brewed by Gueuzerie Tilquin S.A.

Category 72 — Speciality Beer: Other Sour Ale

Gold: Goyck (Belgium) Brewed by Lindemans NV
Silver: Wäls Berliner (Brazil) Brewed by Wäls
Bronze: Everest (Brazil) Brewed by Hop Bros Cervejaria Artesanal
Bronze: Masterpiece Van Gogh (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Masterpiece

Category 73 — Speciality Beer: Sake Yeast Beer

Gold: NBeer Kanpai Saki-Inspired Ale (China) Brewed by NBeer Craft Brewing Co.
Silver: No award.
Bronze: No award.

Category 74 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer (Higher Than 7 ABV)

Gold: Daobrew Dandao Vanilla imperial Sour Stout (China) Brewed by Chengdu Fengshou Craft Beer Company, Ltd
Silver: Offtrail Trick Or Treat Yourself (Japan) Brewed by Far Yeast Brewing Company
Bronze: Chococonut – Imperial Dessert Stout (China) Owned by SUPERMALT (Beijing) Trade Co., Ltd.
Bronze: Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker

Category 75 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer (Less Than 7 ABV)

Gold: Gooisch Rood (Netherlands) Brewed by Gooische Bierbrouwerij
Silver: The Headwaters IPA (Japan) Brewed by Far Yeast Brewing Company
Silver: Viva El Rye 5.0 (Netherlands) Brewed by Jopen Bier
Bronze: Capri-Derhosen (United States) Brewed by Quarter Celtic Brewpub

Category 76 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer: Italian Style Grape Ale

Gold: Gadduresa (Italy) Owned by Harvest Srls
Silver: Druif Rouge (United States) Brewed by pFriem Family Brewers
Bronze: La Belle des Vignes (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Minne
Bronze: Tokée (Belgium) Owned by NovaBirra

Category 77 — Speciality Beer: Winter Ales

Gold: 21 12 (Italy) Brewed by Microbirrificio Artigianale Incanto di Iavarone Ignazio
Silver: Ter Dolen Winter (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Ter Dolen
Bronze: Gouden Carolus Christmas (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker
Bronze: Pietra Bière de Noël (France) Brewed by Brasserie Pietra

Category 78 — Stout/ Porter: American Stout

Gold: Rye Stout (Italy) Brewed by La Collina
Silver: No award.
Bronze: All Black (Netherlands) Owned by Stanislaus Brewskovitch Brouwerij BV

Category 79 — Stout/ Porter: Baltic Porter

Gold: Special One – Ibeer (Italy) Brewed by Ibeer-Spirito Agricolo SRL
Silver: Dark Porter (China) Brewed by NEWME Brewery
Bronze: Porter Baltycki Trzech Kumpli (Poland) Owned by Browar Trzech Kumpli Sp., z.o.o.

Category 80 — Stout/ Porter: Dry Stout

Gold: Brotas Beer Dry Stout (Brazil) Brewed by Brotas Beer Industria de Bebidas LTDA
Silver: Monk’s Stout Dupont (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie Dupont
Silver: Wheeler (Poland) Owned by Browar Trzech Kumpli Sp.. z.o.o.
Bronze: No award.

Category 81 — Stout/ Porter: Oatmeal Stout

Gold: No award.
Silver: No award.
Bronze: Colorado Terezinha (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Colorado
Bronze: Olonella (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Di Legnano SRL

Category 82 — Stout/ Porter: Porter

Gold: Porter (Italy) Brewed by Birra Puddu SRL
Silver: Port City Porter (United States) Brewed by Port City Brewing Company
Bronze: Bulk (Italy) Brewed by Hammer Italian Craft Beer
Bronze: Robust Porter (United States) Brewed by Reuben’s Brews

Category 83 — Stout/ Porter: Russian Imperial Stout

Gold: Hel & Verdoemenis (Netherlands) Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Silver: Singularity (Sweden) Brewed by Northern Light Brewery
Bronze: Paliata (Italy) Brewed by Drink Up SRL
Bronze: Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout (United States) Brewed by No-Li Brewhouse

Category 84 — Stout/ Porter: Export Stout

Gold: Cervecera Cuello Negro (Chile) Brewed by Cervecera Cuello Negro Spa
Silver: Hul Extra Stout (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Wilde Brouwers
Bronze: Elbow Patches (United States) Brewed by The Virginia Beer Company
Bronze: GrandMir Noire (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie du Grand Mir

Category 85 — Wheat: Dubbel Wit/Imperial White

Gold: IJwit (Netherlands) Owned by Brouwerij ‘t IJ
Silver: Dominicains Dubbel (Belgium) Brewed by Brasserie 3F
Bronze: PokerFace (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Het Nest

Category 86 — Wheat: Dunkel Weizen (Doppel)Bock

Gold: TAP6 Aventinus (Germany) Brewed by Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH
Silver: No award.
Bronze: No award.

Category 87 — Wheat: Gose

Gold: NBeer Beijing GOSE Modern (China) Brewed by NBeer Craft Brewing Co.
Silver: Gosexy (Italy) Brewed by Bozner Weisse GmbH
Bronze: Haihe River Gose (China) Brewed by Trueman Brewing Co.

Category 88 — Wheat: Weizen

Gold: Sonhoshin German Style Wheat Beer (China) Brewed by Beijing Sonhoshin & Five Star Beer Co., LTD
Silver: Primátor Weizen (Czech Republic) Brewed by Primátor A.S.
Bronze: Hawley Hefeweizen (United States) Brewed by Wallenpaupack Brewing Company
Bronze: Zebra Craft Weissbier (China) Brewed by Zebra Craft Beer

Category 89 — Wheat: Weizen (Doppel)Bock

Gold: Maisel’s Weisse Bajuwarus (Germany) Brewed by Brauerei Gebr. Maisel GmbH & Co. KG
Silver: Aloha 26 (China) Brewed by GuangXi Dongming Beer Co., LTD
Bronze: No award.

Category 90 — Wheat: White IPA/Hoppy Weizen

Gold: Meteor White IPA (France) Brewed by Brasserie Meteor
Silver: TAP5 Hopfenweisse (Germany) Brewed by Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH
Bronze: Der Weizen (Germany) Owned by Tilmans Biere

Category 91 — Wheat: Witbier

Gold: Brugs Tarwebier (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij De Halve Maan
Silver: Leopoldina Witbier (Brazil) Brewed by Cervejaria Leopoldina
Silver: Nachtraaf – De Witte Raaf (Belgium) Owned by De Nachtraafbrouwers
Bronze: Ter Dolen Wit (Belgium) Brewed by Brouwerij Ter Dolen

The Comac Trophy, awarded to the Best Beer of the Competition, this year was won by:

Millican Extra (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Mezzopasso, in the category Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Amber

You can also find a list of the winners at the Brussels Beer Challenge website.

Bistro IPA Festival Winners 2023

November 11, 2023 By Jay Brooks

Today was the 25th annual IPA Festival at the Bistro. It was another lovely sunny day in Hayward, making it perfect beer festival weather, although we’d returned to being sequestered in the basement for judging. The full list of winners is below.

Judging today at the Bistro for their IPA Festival.

IPAs

1st Place: Tenma Beer Project Infinite Self: Freestyle Nelson IPA
2nd Place: Goal Brewing. Salzburg Red
3rd Place: Faction Brewing Hop Salad IPA

And Tenma also won People’s Choice for favorite IPA at the festival.

Top 50 Breweries For 2022

April 18, 2023 By Jay Brooks

The Brewers Association just announced the top 50 breweries and craft breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2022, which is listed below here. I should also mention that this represents “craft breweries” according to the BA’s membership definition, and not necessarily how most of us would define them, as there’s no universally agreed upon way to differentiate the two. For a number of years now, they’ve also released a list of the top 50 breweries, which includes all breweries. In the past I’ve posted the two lists separately, but have decided going forward to present them together since the two are getting increasingly intermingled. I confess I used to look more forward to this list every year as it represented greater and wider acceptance of craft in the marketplace, but it doesn’t seem to hold the same thrill for me anymore, perhaps I’m getting jaded. Here is this year’s craft brewery list:

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

Rank	Company	City	State
1	D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc	Pottsville	PA
2	Boston Beer Co	Boston, Milton	MA, DE
3	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Chico	CA
4	Duvel Moortgat USA	Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown	CA, MO, NY
5	Gambrinus Company	Shiner, Berkeley	TX, CA
6	Artisanal Brewing Ventures	Dowingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn	PA, NY, NY
7	Stone Brewing*	Escondido	CA
8	CANarchy	Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas	CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
9	Tilray Beer Brands	Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego	GA, NY, CA
10	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
11	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
12	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
13	Athletic Brewing Company	Milford	CT
14	Matt Brewing Co	Utica	NY
15	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
16	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
17	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co	San Jose	CA
18	Great Lakes Brewing Company	Cleveland	OH
19	Stevens Point Brewery	Stevens Point	WI
20	Allagash Brewing Company	Portland	ME
21	Georgetown Brewing Co	Seattle	WA
22	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
23	Rhinegeist Brewery	Cincinnati	OH
24	Three Floyds Brewing	Munster	IN
25	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
26	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
27	Narragansett Brewing Co	Providence	RI
28	Craft Ohana	Kihei, San Diego	HI, CA
29	August Schell Brewing Company	New Ulm	MN
30	Kings & Convicts Brewing	San Diego	CA
31	Pittsburgh Brewing Co	Pittsburgh	PA
32	Alaskan Brewing Co	Juneau	AK
33	Kona Brewing Co	Kailua-Kona	HI
34	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
35	Abita Brewing Co	Covington	LA
36	Fiddlehead Brewing	Shelburne	VT
37	Creature Comforts Brewing Co	Athens	GA
38	BrewDog Brewing Company	Canal Winchester	OH
39	Revolution Brewing	Chicago	IL
40	Lost Coast Brewery	Eureka	CA
41	Rogue Ales Brewery	Newport	OR
42	Surly Brewing Company	Minneapolis	MN
43	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Eugene	OR
44	Saint Arnold Brewing Co	Houston	TX
45	IndieBrew	Atlanta, Nashville	GA, TN
46	Shipyard Brewing Co	Portland	ME
47	Jack’s Abby Brewing	Framingham	MA
48	North Coast Brewing Co	Fort Bragg	CA
49	Pizza Port Brewing Company	Carlsbad	CA
50	Made by the Water	New Orleans, Apalachicola, Asheville, Charleston	LA, FL, NC, SC

The data was also accompanied by the following press release:

“The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers—today released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry. In 2022, small and independent brewers collectively produced 24.3 million barrels of beer, on par with 2021’s numbers, and craft’s overall beer market share by volume grew to 13.2%, up from 13.1% the previous year.

The overall beer market* shrank 3% by volume in 2022. Retail dollar value was estimated at $28.46 billion, representing a 24.6% market share and 6% growth over 2021. Sales growth was stronger than volume due to pricing, share shift to smaller brewers—who are more likely to sell onsite and via distributed draught—as well as the continued channel shift back to on-premise, which has a higher average retail value. Craft brewers provided 189,413 direct jobs, a 9% increase from 2021, driven both by growth in the number of breweries and a continued shift to hospitality-focused business models.

“2022 presented small brewers with a number of challenges, including rising operating and material costs and increasing competition, particularly in distribution,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “In this maturing and competitive market, collective growth for the category is hard to come by.”

The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2022, reaching an all-time high of 9,552, including 2,035 microbreweries, 3,418 brewpubs, 3,838 taproom breweries, and 261 regional craft breweries. The total U.S. operating brewery count was 9,709, up from 9,384 in 2021. Throughout the year, there were 549 new brewery openings and 319 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the continued decline reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2022 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 3%.

“The relatively low closure rate reflects both the solid demand for fuller flavored local beer as well as the versatility and flexibility of small brewers,” added Watson.”

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies

Rank	Company	City	State
1	Anheuser-Busch Inc (a)	St. Louis	MO
2	MolsonCoors (b)	Chicago	IL
3	Constellation (c)	Chicago	IL
4	Heineken USA (d)	White Plains	NY
5	Pabst Brewing Co (e)	Los Angeles	CA
6	Diageo (f)	Norwalk	CT
7	D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc	Pottsville	PA
8	FIFCO USA (g)	Rochester	NY
9	Boston Beer Co (h)	Boston, Milton	MA, DE
10	Kirin-Lion / New Belgium Brewing (i)	Fort Collins, Comstock	CO, MI
11	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	Chico	CA
12	Duvel Moortgat USA (j)	Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown	CA, MO, NY
13	Founders Brewing / Mahou San Miguel (k)	Grand Rapids, Boulder	MI, CO
14	Gambrinus (l)	Berkeley, Shiner	CA, TX
15	Artisanal Brewing Ventures (m)	Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn	PA, NY, NY
16	Stone Brewing (n)	Escondido	CA
17	CANarchy (o)	Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas	CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
18	Tilray Beer Brands (p)	Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego	GA, NY, CA
19	Sapporo USA (q)	San Francisco	CA
20	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
21	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
22	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
23	Athletic Brewing Company	Stratford	CT
24	Matt Brewing Co (r)	Utica	NY
25	Minhas Craft Brewery (s)	Monroe	WI
26	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
27	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co	San Jose	CA
28	Great Lakes Brewing Company	Cleveland	OH
29	Stevens Point Brewery (t)	Stevens Point	WI
30	Allagash Brewing Company	Portland	ME
31	Georgetown Brewing Co	Seattle	WA
32	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
33	Rhinegeist Brewery	Cincinnati	OH
34	Three Floyds Brewing (u)	Munster	IN
35	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
36	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
37	Narragansett Brewing Co	Pawtucket	RI
38	Craft Ohana (v)	Kihei, San Diego	HI/CA
39	August Schell Brewing Company (w)	New Ulm	MN
40	Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast Point	San Diego	CA
41	Pittsburgh Brewing (x)	Pittsburgh	PA
42	Alaskan Brewing Co	Juneau	AK
43	Kona Brewing Co (y)	Kailua-Kona	HI
44	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
45	Abita Brewing Co	Covington	LA
46	Fiddlehead Brewing	Shelburne	VT
47	Creature Comforts	Athens	GA
48	BrewDog Brewing Co	Canal Winchester	OH
49	Revolution Brewing	Chicago	IL
50	Lost Coast Brewing Co	Eureka	CA

But this second list requires quite a few footnotes, which tells you a lot, honestly.

Footnote notes from brand lists are illustrative and may not be exhaustive.

Volumes reflected are of beer brands only and do not include flavored malt beverages or hard seltzers. Ownership stakes reflect greater than 25% ownership. Consequently, Mark Anthony Brands, owner of White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade as well as other brand families, does not appear in these rankings.

(a) Anheuser-Busch, Inc includes 10 Barrel, Bass, Beck’s, Blue Point, Bud Light,
Budweiser, Breckenridge, Busch, Craft Brew Alliance, Devils Backbone, Elysian, Four
Peaks, Golden Road, Goose Island, Karbach, King Cobra, Landshark, Michelob, Natural,
Platform, Rolling Rock, Shock Top, Veza Sur, Wicked Weed, and Ziegenbock brands, as
well as other brand families and imported brands;
(b) MolsonCoors includes A.C. Golden, Atwater, Batch 19, Blue Moon, Colorado Native,
Coors, Hamms, Hop Valley, Icehouse, Keystone, Killian’s, Leinenkugel’s, Mickey’s,
Milwaukee’s Best, Miller, Olde English, Revolver, Steel Reserve, Tenth & Blake, and
Terrapin brands, as well as other brand families and imported brands;
(c) Constellation Brewing Co includes domestic brands Four Corners, Funky Buddha, and
Tocayo Brands; it also includes imported brands Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, and Victoria;
(d) Heineken Brewing Co includes domestic brand Lagunitas Brewing Co as well as
imported brands Dos Equis, Heineken, and Tecate;
(e) Pabst Brewing Co includes Ballantine, Lone Star, National Bohemian, Pabst, Pearl,
Primo, Rainier, Schlitz, Small Town, and Stroh’s brands, as well as other brand families;
(f) Diageo Brewing Co includes both domestically produced and imported Guinness brands;
(g) FIFCO USA includes Dundee, Genesee, Labatt Lime, Mactarnahan’s, Magic Hat, and
Pyramid brands as well as import volume;
(h) Boston Beer Co includes Alchemy & Science, Angel City, Concrete Beach, Coney Island
Dogfish Head, and Sam Adams brands. Does not include volume from Truly, Twisted
Tea or Angry Orchard brands;
(i) New Belgium Brewing Co includes Bell’s and Magnolia Brewing brands;
(j) Duvel Moortgat includes Firestone Walker and the Duvel Moortgat USA brands of
Boulevard and Ommegang;
(k) Mahou San Miguel includes Founders and Avery Brewing volume;
(l) Gambrinus includes Shiner and Trumer brands;
(m)Artisanal Brewing Ventures includes Sixpoint, Southern Tier, and Victory brands; Does
not include Bold Rock Hard Cider volume;
(n) Stone Brewing was acquired by Sapporo late in 2022. It will be included in the Sapporo
USA volume starting in 2023. See footnote (q);
(o) CANarchy was acquired by Monster Beverage Corporation in 2021. Volume includes
Cigar City, Deep Ellum, Oskar Blues Brewing Co, Perrin, and Utah Brewers Cooperative
brands;
(p) Tilray Beer Brands include Sweetwater, Montauk, Green Flash, and Alpine Beer brands;
(q) Sapporo USA includes Anchor Brewing and imported brands. Stone Brewing (n) will be
included in future years;
(r) Matt Brewing Co includes Flying Bison, Saranac, and Utica Club brands;
(s) Minhas Craft Brewery includes Huber, Mountain Crest, and Rhinelander brands as well
as export volume;
(t) Stevens Point Brewery includes James Page and Point brands;
(u) Three Floyds Brewing also includes volume for the WarPigs USA brand;
(v) Craft Ohana includes Maui Brewing and Modern Times brands;
(w)August Schell Brewing Co includes Grain Belt and Schell’s brands;
(x) Pittsburgh Brewing includes Iron City, IC Light, and other brand families;
(y) Volume is for the independently owned Kona Brewing Co in Hawaii. Does not include Kona volume owned by Anheuser-Busch (a) sold in the mainland USA.

Bear Republic Merges With Drake’s Brewing

February 15, 2023 By Jay Brooks

They’ve been working behind the scenes for some time now, but as of today most of the details have been worked out, so they’re making it official. Rich Norgrove, along with his wife Tami Norgrove, owners of Bear Republic Brewing of Cloverdale are partnering with John Martin and Roy Kirkorian of Drake’s Brewing, headquartered in San Leandro, to effectively merge the two breweries. In official terms, today they “jointly announced the sale and purchase of certain assets of Bear Republic to Artisan Brewers LLC” (which is Drake’s Brewing’s official business name).

What that means in practical terms is that “Racer 5 is shifting gears once again, beginning a new collaborative partnership with The Drake’s Brewing Co. The iconic West Coast IPA, once at the forefront of the California craft beer boom, is merging lanes to accommodate industry-wide challenges, while keeping a firm ‘pedal to the metal,’ moving forward.” The deal means Drake’s will acquire “all of Bear Republic Brewing Company’s recipes, formulas, and intellectual property, and will allow The Drake’s Brewing Company to continue producing the Bear Republic lineup of beers, including its Racer 5 IPA, as well as their other brands, plus new beers in the coming months. The long-time industry friends are aligned in their vision, bringing Bear Republic Brewing Company into new markets, new communities and new opportunities moving forward.

“We have always admired Drake’s Brewing Company’s passion for craft beer, their community as well as their commitment to quality,” said Bear Republic Brewing Company’s CEO Richard Norgrove. “Joining forces with Drake’s will allow us to bring our beers to even more customers, and we’re excited to be a part of the Drake’s family.” Throughout the merger, Norgrove will continue to be a shepherd of the brand, helping to represent the family-owned brewery in the manufacturing, production and sales of BRBC’s recipes.

So it’s not a straight sale, as is often the case, but instead, as Norgrove explains it, it’s more like “not coming in and buying the car, but buying the engine and driver.” Norgrove, as well as his longtime brewmaster, Peter Kruger, will continue to work with the Bear Republic brand. It will continue to be brewed in Cloverdale, but brewing will be transitioning over the coming months to San Leandro.

I spoke to both Martin and Norgrove this afternoon, and they stressed that this deal “makes them both stronger.” Bear Republic’s best-selling beer, accounting for 92-percent of sales, is Racer 5, so that, along with new favorite, Racer 7 (a 7-percent hazy IPA), will be the primary focus during the transition period. Naturally, the two have known one another for decades in the Bay Area brewing community and have even shared some of the same brewers who have worked for both companies. So as Martin described it, there are “so many cool things from a synergistic point of view.” They also share distributors in some key markets, which will help make the transition smoother. The good news here for beer overs is that Bear Republic beer will continue to be brewed in the Bay Area and may lead to it being even easier to find. The two have already started talking about future satellite locations, starting in Sonoma County, similar to Drake’s Dealership in Oakland and The Barn in West Sacramento.

From right to left: Rich Norgrove, Tami Norgrove, John Martin, Laura Norgrove, and Paul Marshall at Judy Ashworth’s place for a beer tasting recently.

About the two companies.

Drake’s originally was founded as Lind Brewing in 1989 by Roger Lind. He sold the brewery to a local coffee company in 1998 and they changed the name to Drake’s, which had been a name used for many of the beers. In 2008, John Martin and Roy Kirkorian bought the brewery. Martin, along with his brother Reid Martin, also started Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, one of the earliest brewpubs in the country when it opened in 1986. After taking the reins, Martin and Kirkorian opened Drake’s Barrel House in 2011, its brewery tasting room and a few years later, in 2016, opened Drake’s Dealership, a beer garden and restaurant in downtown Oakland at the site of a former Dodge automobile dealership. In 2018, they opened another satellite location in West Sacramento known as The Barn.

Me with John Martin at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley a few years ago.

Bear Republic Brewing was founded in 1995 by Ricardo and Tami Norgrove, along with his parents, Richard and Sandy Norgrove. By 1999, they’d won a gold medal at GABF for their Racer 5 IPA, one of the first popular West Coast-style IPAs. The original brewpub was located in downtown Healdsburg, but in 2005 they built a much larger production brewery in Cloverdale. In 2006, they won big at GABF, winning Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year. In 2017, they opened a second brewpub in Rohnert Park, and in 2019 due to issues with the landlord closed the Healdsburg location. But Covid hit them hard, as it did most breweries, and this led to them closing the Rohnert Park location, as well, focusing instead on their package beer and distribution.