Washington Beer Awards – 2023 winners announced. Here they are

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The winners of the Washington Beer Awards were announced on Friday, November 3rd at an awards ceremony in Puyallup. The annual competition is held with the endorsement of the Washington Brewers Guild as a way to celebrate Washington’s growing brewing culture and recognize excellence in the craft. Jump to the complete results.

The panel of expert, trained judges evaluated 1,276 beers from 175 Washington breweries. We’re talking about Washington-brewed beers that were made commercially available in the state of Washington. The entries were evaluated in a blind format using the Brewers Association Style Guidelines and awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze placements for each category grouping.

One of my favorite things about the Washington Beer Awards is that it shines a light on some breweries that you might not otherwise hear about, or that I might not otherwise have an opportunity to talk about. For example, Victor 23 Brewing of Vancouver killed it this year. Among other things, one of its beers won a gold medal for the second year in a row: back-to-back gold for the same beer in the same category. And on top of that, it won the gold medal in a very hotly contested category: American IPA. Victory 23 won medals for its Cockpit Wit witbier, Super Cooper strong lager, and Imitator IPA. That haul earned it the designation of Small Brewery of the Year.

Another thing I love about the Washington Beer Awards is that it validates a lot of things that many of us already know. For example, Icicle Brewing‘s Enchantments Hazy IPA, a personal favorite of mine, won the gold medal for Juicy or Hazy IPA. Also, Icicle Brewing’s Premium Pilsner won a gold medal in the International-Style Pilsner category: there’s a six-pack in the fridge right now. Those medals, along with four others, earned Icicle the designation of Best Large Brewery of the Year. (Pictured at top, from Instagram.)

The Washington Beer Awards provides us all with a shopping list of beers to find and breweries to visit. So get out there and enjoy some Washington-born brews!

The 2023 WA Beer Awards Winners

• Very Small Brewery of the Year: Audacity Brewing
• Small Brewery of the Year: Victor 23 Craft Brewery
• Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year: Grains of Wrath Brewing
• Large Brewery of the Year: Icicle Brewing Company

Light German-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Seapine Brewing Company – Helles
• Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Helles
• Bronze: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Hella Bier

German-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Sound 2 Summit Brewing – Day Sailor Pils
• Silver: E9 Brewing Co – T-Dome Pilsner
• Bronze: Fremont Brewing Company – Golden Pilsner

German-Style Oktoberfests/Wiesns:

• Gold: Brick West Brewing Co – Brick West Festbier
• Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Oktoberfest
• Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Gerstenwolf Fest Bier

German-Style Maerzens:

• Gold: Dru Bru – Festbier
• Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Austrian Powers
• Bronze: Echoes Brewing Company – Oktoberfest

German-Style Schwarzbiers:

• Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Bellevue Brewing Schwarzbier
• Silver: Whistle Punk Brewing – Schwarzbier
• Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing – No Mistakes

Other European Amber & Dark Beers:

• Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Dunkel
• Silver: Bainbridge Brewing – Arrow Point Amber
• Bronze: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – The Late Boat

Bohemian-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – San Juan Pilsner
• Silver: Silver City Brewery – Silver City Pils
• Bronze: Stemma Brewing Company – Stemma PIls

Vienna-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Vienna Lager
• Silver: Whistle Punk Brewing – Vienna Lager
• Bronze: Remlinger Brewing – Red Logger

American-Style Light Lagers:

• Gold: Seapine Brewing Company – Light Lager
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – American Lager
• Bronze: Lumberbeard Brewing – Lumber Light

American-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Western Red Brewing – Little Tugger Lager
• Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Premium Lager
• Bronze: Blewett Brewing – Standard American Lager

Contemporary American-Style Lager:

• Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Fiamma Frosty
• Silver: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Uno Mas Mexican Lager
• Bronze: Stoup Brewing – Cervecita

American-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Everybody’s Brewing – Co-Pilot
• Silver: Lake Chelan Brewery – Big Bay Pilsner
• Bronze: In The Shadow Brewing – ITS Pilsner

Contemporary American-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – The Ocho
• Silver: Georgetown Brewing Co – Roger’s
• Bronze: Icicle Brewing Company – New Zealand Pilsner

American-Style India Pale Lagers:

• Gold: Boundary Bay Brewing Co. – India Pale Lager
• Silver: Fortside Brewing Co. – Blue Mountains
• Bronze: Varietal Beer Company – Inflorescence

Other American-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Stones Throw Brewery – Fest Bier
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Yinz Jawn Pennsylvania Lager
• Bronze: Lowercase Brewing – Fairstate Collab American Dark Lager

Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lagers:

• Gold: El Suenito Brewing Company – Alebrijes Mexican Lager
• Silver: Wander Brewing – See You Tomorrow
• Bronze: Everybody’s Brewing – Mexican Lager

International-Style Pilseners:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Premium Pilsner
• Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Kulshan Especial
• Bronze: Wheelie Pop Brewing – Mahna Mana Japanese Lager

Strong Lagers:

• Gold: Victor 23 Craft Brewery – Super Cooper
• Silver: Wander Brewing – Heller Bock
• Bronze: Figurehead Brewing Company – St. Charlie

Kellerbiers or Zwickelbiers:

• Gold: Formula Brewing – Chasing Trains
• Silver: Airways Brewing – Biergarten Kellerbier
• Bronze: Haas Innovations Brewing LLC. – Haas Zwickelbier

German-Style Kölsches:

• Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Kolsch
• Silver: Dru Bru – Kolsch
• Bronze: Resonate Brewery – Gold Digger

German-Style Wheat Beers:

• Gold: Silver City Brewery – Bavarian Hefeweizen
• Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Weizenheimer
• Bronze: Scuttlebutt Brewing Company – Bridging The Trestle

Rye and American Wheat Beers:

• Gold: Perihelion Brewery – Daedalus
• Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Sickle In Hand
• Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Be Happy

Golden, Blonde & Cream Ales:

• Gold: Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom – Golden Gardens
• Silver: Port Townsend Brewing Co. – Chet’s Gold
• Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Golden

English-Style Bitters:

• Gold: Elysian Brewing – The Wise
• Silver: Big Block Brewing – Special Bitter
• Bronze: Figurehead Brewing Company – Fort Lawton Ale

English Ales:

• Gold: Old Stove Brewing Company – Blitz-Fire Brown
• Silver: Audacity Brewing – The Castle And Ship
• Bronze: Audacity Brewing – Thames At Night

Irish-Style Red Ales:

• Gold: Silver City Brewery – Ridgetop Red
• Silver: Western Red Brewing – Mainline Red
• Bronze: Loowit Brewing Company – Two-Sixteen Red Ale

Scottish Ales:

• Gold: Remlinger Brewing – Grounds Keeper Willie
• Silver: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co – Bonnie Doon Scottish Ale
• Bronze: In The Shadow Brewing – Welle Wee Heavy

Scotch Ales or Wee Heavies:

• Gold: Sound 2 Summit Brewing – Sail Away Scotch Ale
• Silver: Moment Brewing – Wee Heavy
• Bronze: TT’s Brewery And BBQ – So-Val Smoked Scotch

International & Australasian Ales:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Ripsaw IPA
• Silver: Formula Brewing – Who Said That
• Bronze: The Pike Brewing Company – Waterfront

British & American Strong Ales:

• Gold: Reuben’s Brews – Three Ryes Men
• Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Vintage 2020
• Bronze: Silver City Brewery – Old Scrooge

Brown Porters:

• Gold: Big Time Brewery – Coal Creek
• Silver: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Disorder Porter
• Bronze: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – Black Boar Porter

Robust Porters:

• Gold: Georgetown Brewing Co – 9 Pound Porter
• Silver: Reuben’s Brews – Robust Porter
• Bronze: Port Townsend Brewing Co. – Port Townsend Porter

American-Style Stout:

• Gold: Uprise Brewing Co – Stout
• Silver: Top Rung Brewing Company – My Dog Scout Stout
• Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing – Rye Stout

British Stouts:

• Gold: Cairn Brewing – Thor’s Hammer
• Silver: Rooftop Brewing Company – Tank Ride Imperial Stout
• Bronze: Wheelie Pop Brewing – Powerslide Oatmeal Stout

Irish Stouts:

• Gold: Barley POP! Brewing – Friendship Nugget
• Silver: Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company – Trout Stout
• Bronze: Wander Brewing – Correspondent

American-Style Imperial Porters & Imperial Stouts:

• Gold: Loowit Brewing Company – Shimmergloom
• Silver: Bent Bine Brew Co. – Peaceable Porter
• Bronze: Fremont Brewing Company – Dark Star

American-Style Pale Ales:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Papermaker Pale
• Silver: E9 Brewing Co – Don Of Time
• Bronze: Bale Breaker Brewing Company – Daybreak Pale Ale

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales:

• Gold: Hellbent Brewing Company – Seattle Sunshine Hazy Pale Ale
• Silver: YaYa Brewing Company – Fluffy Puffy Sunshine
• Bronze: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – Tiny Pinto Eyes

American-Style Strong Pale Ales:

• Gold: Formula Brewing – Formula 14
• Silver: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Big Red’s IPA
• Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Built For Speed IPA

Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ales:

• Gold: Wander Brewing – Galaxy Single EyePA
• Silver: Reuben’s Brews – Reuben’s Crush
• Bronze: Logan Brewing Company – Green Hill Zone

American Amber Ales:

• Gold: Western Red Brewing – Mainline Red
• Silver: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Hi Jack! Red Ale
• Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Local Amber

Strong American Amber Ales:

• Gold: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery – Imperial Rye Ale
• Silver: Ice Harbor Brewing Co. – Mastodon Imperial Red IPA
• Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing – Say Hi To Your Dad For Me

American-Style Brown & Black Ales:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Falling Up IPA
• Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Clay’s Brown Ale
• Bronze: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Scofflaw CDA

American-Style India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Victor 23 Craft Brewery – Imitator
• Silver: Stoup Brewing – Please & Thank You IPA
• Bronze: Hellbent Brewing Company – Melon Bong

West Coast-Style India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Bale Breaker Brewing Company – Skyward IPA
• Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Trap Door IPA
• Bronze: Varietal Beer Company – Motile Isles IPA

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Enchantments Hazy IPA
• Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company – Not My Monkeys
• Bronze: Half Lion Brewing Company – Wildfire Haze Hazy IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Bull Of The Woods
• Silver: North Jetty Brewing – Rip Current Imperial Cold IPA
• Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – $10 Exorcism

Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Magic Meadow
• Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Juiced Up
• Bronze: RAVENNA BREWING CO – Neon Supernova

Belgian-Style Witbiers:

• Gold: Victor 23 Craft Brewery – Cockpit Wit
• Silver: Reuben’s Brews – White River Wheat
• Bronze: Savage Brewing Company – Blood Orange Witier

Belgian & Belgian Inspired Ales:

• Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing Lake City Way – Sour Gold
• Silver: Echoes Brewing Company – The Golden Blonde
• Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing Lake City Way – Ambrosia Kriek

Belgian Strong & Abbey Ales:

• Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company – Black Ball Dubbel
• Silver: Elysian Brewing – Bete Blanche
• Bronze: The Pike Brewing Company – Monk’s Uncle

Belgian & French Farmhouse Ales:

• Gold: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Sakura
• Silver: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Lenticular Clouds
• Bronze: Resonate Brewery – Shimmer

Chili Pepper Beers:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Cot In The Heat
• Silver: Stemma Brewing Company – Conditus Lager
• Bronze: YaYa Brewing Company – Down The Hatch

Brett Beers:

• Gold: Dwinell Country Ales – Fuzzword
• Silver: Heathen Brewing – Apricot Fixation
• Bronze: Dwinell Country Ales – Summer Blush

Berliner-Style Weisses:

• Gold: Aslan Brewing Co. – Disco Lemonade
• Silver: Terramar Brewstillery – Shuksan Sour
• Bronze: Volition Brewing – Strange News From Another Star

Goses:

• Gold: Terramar Brewstillery – Octopus Garden Gose
• Silver: Snapshot Brewing – Hummingbird Gose
• Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom – Key Lime Gose

American-Style Sour Ales:

• Gold: Beach Cat Brewing – Sourpuss Blackberry Sour
• Silver: RAVENNA BREWING CO – Gemstone Forager
• Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company – Beach Cowboy

Belgian Sour and Wild Ales:

• Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing Lake City Way – De Rode Duivels
• Silver: Dwinell Country Ales – Second Sight
• Bronze: Bainbridge Brewing – 2022 Viognier Sour Blonde

American-Style Fruit Beers:

• Gold: Vice Beer – Cut My Lime Into Pieces
• Silver: Triceratops Brewing Co – Bohemian Rhaspberry Golden Ale
• Bronze: Logan Brewing Company – Sundelion

Fruit Wheat Beers:

• Gold: North Jetty Brewing – Another F**ing Raspberry Hef
• Silver: Dystopian State Brewing Co. – Raspberry Radius
• Bronze: Icicle Brewing Company – Colchuck Raspberry Wheat

Spiced, Field & Herb Beers:

• Gold: Lowercase Brewing – Stillwater Collab Sage Keller Door
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Chai-Spiced Double Happiness Imperial Stout
• Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing Lake City Way – Organic Mashing Pumpkin

Pastry Stouts, Coffee & Chocolate Beers:

• Gold: Georgetown Brewing Co – Gusto Creme
• Silver: Scamp Brewing Co – Exile In Sibeeria – Mocha Almond
• Bronze: Triceratops Brewing Co – Revmo Caramel Coffee Stout

Smoke Beers:

• Gold: Four Generals Brewing – Rauch Helles
• Silver: 210 Brewing Co. – Prime Porter
• Bronze: Black Fleet Brewing – Fire Ship Smoked Red Ale

Specialty & Historical Beers:

• Gold: Rooftop Brewing Company – Hoppin Honey
• Silver: Timber City Ginger Beer – Non-Alcoholic Fruited Ginger Beer
• Bronze: Timber City Ginger Beer – Fruited South Sound Pounder

Session Beers:

• Gold: Halcyon Brewing – Only Good Vibes
• Silver: ANACORTES BREWING COMPANY,LLC – FIDALGO LIGHT
• Bronze: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Daisy

Experimental Beers:

• Gold: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – Rice Rice Baby!
• Silver: Bizarre Brewing – Ghost Bird Sings
• Bronze: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Pineapple Escapade

Experimental India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Boundary Bay Brewing Co. – Sticky Trees
• Silver: Elysian Brewing – Capitol Hill – Dank Dust
• Bronze: Humble Abode Brewing – IPA N’ Chill

Wood & Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts:

• Gold: Skookum Brewery – Solitary Confinement
• Silver: Fortside Brewing Co. – 2022 Bourbon Barrel Aged Night King
• Bronze: Wander Brewing – Earlybird

Other Wood & Barrel Aged Beers:

• Gold: Fremont Brewing Company – 2022 BBOMB
• Silver: Fremont Brewing Company – Brew 7000
• Bronze: RAVENNA BREWING CO – Lion Tamer

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:

• Gold: Wander Brewing – Plum Bob
• Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company – Tempest
• Bronze: North Fork Brewery – Vern’s Peach Tea

Pro-Am:

• Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company – Wonder Woman Wheatwine – homebrewer Laura Meyer

Collaboration Beers:

• Gold: Formula Brewing & Halcyon Brewing – Many Little Steps
• Silver: Heathen Brewing & Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Marzen Invaders
• Bronze: Old Stove Brewing- Post Alley & Varietal Beer Company – Walk, Don’t Run

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