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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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GBBF Winners Announced

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The winners of this year’s Great British Beer Festival were announced yesterday. Here’s the list:

CHAMPION BEERS:

GOLD: Crouch Vale Brewers Gold
SILVER: Harveys Sussex Best Bitter
BRONZE: Triple fff Moondance
 

CATEGORY WINNERS:

Milds:

  1. Mighty Oak’s Oscar Wilde Mild (Essex)
  2. Elgood’s Black Dog (Cambridgeshire)
  3. Grainstore Rutland Panther (Rutland)

Bitters:

  1. Elgood’s Cambridge Bitter (Cambridgeshire)
  2. Acorn Barnsley Bitter (South Yorkshire)
  3. TIE
    • Sharp’s Doombar Bitter (Cornwall)
    • Woodforde’s Wherry (Norfolk)

Best Bitters:

  1. Harveys Sussex Best Bitter (East Sussex)
  2. Triple fff Moon Dance (Hampshire)
  3. TIE
    • Kelburn, Red Smiddy (East Renfrewshire)
    • Surrey Hills Shere Drop (Surrey)

Strong Bitters:

  1. York Brewery, Centurions Ghost Ale (Yorkshire)
  2. Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (Derbyshire)
  3. Weetwood Oasthouse Gold (Cheshire)

Speciality Beers:

  1. Cairngorm Trade Winds (Highlands)
  2. Wolf Straw Dog (Norfolk)
  3. William Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale (Alloa)

Golden Ales:

  1. Crouch Vale Brewers Gold (Essex)
  2. Hop Back Summer Lightning (Wiltshire)
  3. Holden’s Golden Glow (West Midlands)

 

BOTTLED BEER:

  1. White Shield: White Shield Brewery (Staffordshire)
  2. Hen’s Tooth: Greene King (Suffolk)
  3. Titanic Stout: Titanic (Staffordshire)

The scene at this year’s Great British Beer Festival.

Crouch Vale Brewers Gold Best Beer in Britain

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For the second year in a row, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold has won Champion Beer of Britain. Crouch Vale’s website describes the beer as “pale, refreshing and hoppy beer with gorgeous aromas of tropical fruits.”

From the CAMRA press release:

The beer is described in the 2006 edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide as: “Honey-toned golden ale, with grapefruit sharpness offset by suggestions of melon and pineapple.”

The Essex brewed beer was chosen as the overall winner from over fifty finalists in eight categories including beers from tiny micros to major regional brewers.

Roger Protz, one of the finalist judges and Editor of the Good Beer Guide said: “It’s a tremendous victory for a brewery committed to its cask beer and richly deserved for this marvelous hoppy and fruity beer.”

Colin Bocking, Managing Director of Crouch Vale brewery said, “I am speechless. It was enough of a surprise to have won Champion Beer of Britain in 2005, but to have been voted Britain’s best beer for a second year in a row is truly unbelievable.

“Thanks to all the people who have supported the brewery over the years, especially those that have enjoyed this remarkable beer. This great news could not have come at a better time for us as we are in the middle of expanding the brewery.”

The Silver award went to Harveys brewery in Sussex for their Sussex Best Bitter. The Bronze was awarded to Triple fff brewery in Hampshire for Moondance.

Colin Bocking from Crouch Vale Brewery accepting this year’s Champion Beer of Britain Award.

Brother David Wins Best of Show

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Anderson Valley Brewing’s Brother David’s Double, in addition to being awarded a gold medal in the Belgian Strong Ale category, was declared “Best of Show” in the Commercial Craft Brewing Competition at the 2006 California State Fair.

From the press release:

“We’re very proud of the Brother David’s Abbey Style Ales,” said Brewery President, Ken Allen. “Not only did Brother David’s Double win the Best of Show, but our Brother David’s Triple received the Third Place Bronze. We think our abbey style ales stand up to just about anything the Belgians themselves are producing, and the public response to these two beers has been very gratifying,” he added.

Certified beer judges and craft brewers from around the state chose the winners at this year’s competition from 411 California beers submitted by 74 breweries in 35 categories. “California Craft Brewers once again show us why they are leaders in the American micro brewing renaissance. They are actively pushing the industry forward with high levels of quality and
stylistic innovations,” said J.J. Jackson, state fair craft brew competition organizer. He described Brother David’s Double as “a unique, stylistic beer and one that I enjoyed tasting after the judges awarded it.”

Vic Kralj, co-owner of the Bistro, with the real Brother David, Dave Keene, owner of the Toronado.

First Radical Beer Open Winners Announced

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The first annual Radical Beer Open, sponsored by Real Beer and Brewers Supply Group, and inspired by Randy Mosher’s book, Radical Brewing, was held last week in New Mexico. Brewers were only allowed two entries and were judged by a blind panel of commercial brewers and BJCP judges. The results were announced today, with Real Beer News writing the story.

Here is a list of the winners:

CATEGORY 1: 5% ABV & LESS

Gold – Witbier, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, New Mexico
Silver: Orange Blossom Wheat, Papago Brewing, Scottsdale, Arizona
Bronze: Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse, Nodding Head Brewery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

CATEGORY 2: 5.1-7.5%

Gold: Temptation, Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
Silver: Supplication, Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
Bronze: Cerise Cassée, Cambridge Brewing, Cambridge, Massachusetts

CATEGORY 3: 7.6% ABV & MORE

Gold: Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York
Silver: World Wide Stout, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware
Bronze: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co., Cincinnati, Ohio (brewery)

CATEGORY 4: WILD

Gold: Le Woody, Pizza Port, Solana Beach, California
Silver: La Folie, New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
Bronze: De Wilde Zuidentrein, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, Illinois

Randy Mosher’s Radical Brewing, which inspired the Radical Beer Open.

Alaskan Brewing Finalist for Business Awards

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Okay, I admit it. I’d never heard of the American Business Awards or the coveted Stevie Award — Greek for “crowned” — before I received the press release from Alaskan Brewing Co.

But out of 1,500 companies who entered, Alaskan Brewing is a finalist in four categories: Best Marketing Team, Best Creative Team, Best Marketer and Best Corporate Communicator. That last one made me chuckle, because my friend Kristi Monroe is the person nominated for that award and she’s also the person who sent out the press release telling me about it. But she deserves to win, so I’ll be rooting for her to win. Founders Geoff and Marcy Larsen are great people and they’ve managed to assemble a great group of people.

Oh, and they make great beer, too. Geoff, who also literally wrote the book about smoked beers, makes one of the best smoked beers in the world. The Alskan Smoked Porter is one of those rare beers that continues to improve dramaticially with age. I did a great lateral tasting of four vintages of the Smoked Porter a number of years ago put on by All Saints Brands at GABF.

From the press release:

The Alaskan Brewing Company is a finalist in every category it entered in its first year competing for the coveted Stevie Awards. Winners will be announced at the Fourth Annual American Business Awards in New York on June 12.

Citing innovative marketing programs and collateral materials, Alaskan Brewing is a finalist in four categories: Best Marketing Team, Best Creative Team, Best Marketer and Best Corporate Communicator.

“Our Brew Crew put together a series of highly effective marketing programs that catapulted Alaskan Brewing growth, making it the leading West Coast craft brewer during 2005,” said Sales and Marketing Director, Fred Hees, finalist in the Best Marketer category.

Hailed as “the business world’s version of the Oscars” by the New York Post (April 27, 2005), the American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.

“With 1,500 nominees submitted for consideration, we are so excited to be recognized with the likes of Microsoft and other large corporations,” said Kristi Monroe, finalist for Best Corporate Communicator. “Despite being a small business on a conservative budget in a remote location of Alaska, we are producing quality programs and obtaining successful, measurable results.”

“Among the work recognized are our partnerships with the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Alaska Airlines and Alaska Seafood,” said Brand Manager Cindy Burchfield, a key member of the Creative and Marketing teams, both of which are finalists. “We are thrilled to share this honor with these friends of Alaskan Brewing and our longtime supporters.”

Good luck guys, I’ll be rooting for you.

California Wins Big at World Beer Cup

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California came up big at the World Beer Cup this year, winning 25 of the 159 medals awarded to American breweries. The next closest state — Wisconsin — won 14. Held every two years, the World beer Cup is becoming one of the world’s most prestigious worldwide competitions. Personally, I’d like to see more breweries from abroad competing but that will likely take a little more time. For now, smost likely because it’s judged in the United States, the majority of entries — a healthy 64% — were from American breweries. But the 36% of overseas breweries also nabbed 36% of the medals so there’s no reason more shouldn’t be entering. There were 2,221 beers entered from 540 breweries in 56 countries. And while that’s impressive, I imagine there are many, many more who did not enter. So it would be great to see this event grow into an event that almost every brewery in the world entered. That would, I think, make it even more meaningful, not to take one iota away from any of the winners because certainly a representative sampling of brewing countries did participate. Happily, it does seem to be going in that direction.

Here is a list of the winners from California breweries:

  • Pure Hoppiness, Alpine Beer Co., Silver, Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
  • Dorado Double IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co., Bronze, Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
  • Nit Wit, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Silver, Belgian-Style White (or Wit) / Belgian-Style Wheat
  • Old Grind Porter, Etna Brewing Co., Gold, Brown Porter
  • Firestone Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Gold, American-Style Pale Ale
  • IPA Nectar, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Gold, American-Style Strong Pale Ale
  • Firestone IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Silver, American-Style Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter
  • Mission Street Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Silver, American-Style Pale Ale
  • Hemp Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Bronze, American-Style Brown Ale
  • Green Flash Extra Pale Ale, Green Flash Brewing Co., Silver, English-Style Summer Ale
  • Green Flash Nut Brown Ale, Green Flash Brewing Co., Silver, English-Style Brown Ale
  • Epiphany, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Bronze, American-Style Amber / Red Ale
  • Centennial Ale, Lengthwise Brewing Co., Silver, English-Style India Pale Ale
  • Sharkbite Red Ale, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Gold, American-Style Amber / Red Ale
  • Night Rider Imperial Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Silver, Imperial Stout
  • Dawn Patrol Dark, Pizza Port San Clemente, Silver, English-Style Mild Ale
  • Shark Attack, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Gold, Imperial or Double Red Ale
  • Bottom’s Up Kolsch, Rock Bottom Brewery – Campbell, Gold, German-Style Kölsch / Köln-Style Kölsch
  • Blind Pig IPA, Russian River Brewing Co., Gold, American-Style India Pale Ale
  • Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Co., Gold, Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
  • Temptation, Russian River Brewing Co., Gold, Other Belgian-Style Ale
  • Old Woody, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Silver, Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer
  • Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Brewing Co., Bronze, American-Style India Pale Ale
  • TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Gold, Irish-Style Red Ale
  • Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, Gold, German-Style Pilsener

Congratulations to all of the California winners.

For a full list of all the winners, see the Brewers Association.

Russian River Wins Triple Gold

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Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, the owners of Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa, California were beaming Friday night at the Gala Awards Dinner for the 2006 World Beer Cup. And with good reason, they’d won not only three gold medals but also World Beer Cup Champion Brewmaster and Brewery of the Year for Large Brewpub.

The three gold medals were for Temptation (in Category 48: Other Belgian-Style Ale), Blind Pig IPA (in Category 79: American-Style India Pale Ale), and Pliny the Elder (in Category 80: Imperial or Double India Pale Ale).

Vinnie and Natalie, with BA President Charlie Papazian, accepting one of their three golds.

Back on stage for the big award.

Natalie leans in for a celebratory kiss. Congratulations to Vinnie and Natalie and Russian River Brewing.