Judging 1,048 beers over two days sounds like a dream job until you do the math. Then it sounds like a marathon with really good hydration stations along the route. TL;DR Jump straight to the list of winners.
That’s the formidable task the judges tackled in September at Elliott Bay Public House & Brewery in Lake City. They worked through entries from 153 breweries and cideries across 142 styles from the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines, judging for both technical and stylistic excellence. On Monday, the results of the twelfth annual Washington Beer Awards were announced at the Washington Craft Beer Summit at the Sea-Tac Doubletree.
The headline number: 92 Washington breweries and cideries took home gold, silver, or bronze medals across 67 category groupings. Do the math on that one, too. Nearly two out of three of the breweries that entered the competition went home with some shiny hardware around their necks.
Then there are the Brewery of the Year awards, which go to the folks who piled up medals in multiple categories. This year’s winners:
- Very Small Brewery of the Year: Haas Innovations Brewing
- Small Brewery of the Year: Ilk Beer, with a gold and two silvers
- Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year: Fortside Brewing Company, which had what can only be described as a dominating year with four golds and a silver
- Large Brewery of the Year: Icicle Brewing Company, with five golds and a silver
Some things that caught my eye at the awards ceremony last night:
- Georgetown Brewing Company won gold in the Pro-Am category for a session IPA developed by Washington homebrewer Ryan Hopkins, then scaled up for commercial production. (Every homebrewer’s fantasy, right? Your recipe, on a real brewery’s tap list, with a medal on top.)
- Formula Brewing and Sun River Brewing teamed up on an Australian Pale Ale called Chase Down, which took gold in the Collaboration Beer category. Two breweries, one beer, one gold. Not really surprising considering the strength and medal-winning history of the two breweries involved.
- I recently visited Larrabee Lager Company in Bellingham and ordered a Vienna Lager. I thought it was an exceptional beer and a great representation of the style. So when it won the gold medal last night, it stroked my ego. I suffer from imposter syndrome and often wonder if I really do know what I’m talking about. Yay for Larrabee and yay for me.
- Dang, Icicle, now you just showin’ off! Five golds and a silver. That’s a big night.
- Haas Innovations: The experimental brewery at Yakimia’s John I. Haas Co. (think, Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory) won Very Small Brewery of the Year “by strength of victory over three other breweries.” In other words, there was a four-way tie that had to be broken. FYI, John I. Haas is an international organization with a large-scale outpost in Yakima. Haas is the largest hop supplier in the world.
The competition has the endorsement of the Washington Beer Commission and the Washington Brewers Guild, and it follows a format similar to the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. It exists to celebrate what makes Washington’s brewing scene worth celebrating. And with the industry facing such tough sledding right now, I’ll take every excuse to raise a glass to the people out there making great beer.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners. Here’s the full list.
Complete Results
Munich-Style Helles
- Gold: Formula Brewing – Chasing Space
- Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Helles Lager
- Bronze: Larrabee Lager Company – Original
German-Style Pilsners
- Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Production – Flowers Of Alsace
- Silver: Holy Mountain Brewing – Moonchild
- Bronze: Longmire Springs Brewing – Pilsner
German-Style Oktoberfest/Festbiers
- Gold: Uprise Brewing – Festbier
- Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Fest Bier
- Bronze: Scuttlebutt Brewing Company – Oktoberfest 2026
Czech-Style Pale Lagers
- Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Pilsner
- Silver: Obec Brewing – Czech Pils
- Bronze: Stemma Brewing Company – Stemma Pils
Other Czech Lagers
- Gold: Sound2Summit Brewery – Czech Mates
- Silver: Larrabee Lager Company – Double L
- Bronze: Mighty Pine Brewing – Camber
Italian-Style Pilseners
- Gold: Heathen Brewing – Pagani
- Silver: Single Hill Brewing – Howdy!
- Bronze: Lumberbeard Brewing – Postcards
International-Style Pilseners
- Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Premium Pilsner
- Silver: Recluse Brew Works, LLC – Grendel’s Lament Danish-Stlye Pils
- Bronze: Metier Brewing Co. – We Got Y’all
Other European Lagers
- Gold: Varietal Beer – Truth Prevails
- Silver: Victor 23 Brewing – Coconspirator
- Bronze: Beach Cat Brewing – Southpaw – Bagheera
Mexican-Style Light Lagers
- Gold: Kulshan Brewing – K2 – Especial
- Silver: Uprise Brewing – Mexican Lager
- Bronze: Larrabee Lager Company – Larraveza
Mexican-Style Pale Lagers
- Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Uno Mas
- Silver: Redd Dog Brewing Company – Porch Buddy
- Bronze: Rainy Daze Brewing – Lucha Libre
Vienna-Style Lagers
- Gold: Larrabee Lager Company – Palace Stroll
- Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Selecta
- Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Vienna Lager
German-Style Maerzens
- Gold: Gruff Brewing Company – King Of Mars
- Silver: Sound2Summit Brewery – Snohotoberfest
- Bronze: Metier Brewing Co. – Steelfest
Rice Lagers
- Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Akoya Rice Lager
- Silver: Haas Innovations Brewing LLC. – Rice Lager
- Bronze: Fast Fashion Brewing – Omakase Rice Lager
Other International Lagers
- Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Yinz Jawn Pennsylvania Lager
- Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Japanese Style Lager
- Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Karakuchi Japanese Lager
American-Style Light Lagers
- Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Alpine Light
- Silver: Wander Brewing – Wander Litely
- Bronze: Sound2Summit Brewery – Boat Beer
Contemporary American-Style Lagers
- Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Say Less
- Silver: Georgetown Brewing Company – Tavern Beer
- Bronze: Sig Brewing Co – Sig Pilsner
American Pilsners
- Gold: Halcyon Brewing – Urban Hike
- Silver: Uprise Brewing – Pilsner
- Bronze: Everybody’s Brewing – Co-Pilot
Hoppy American Lagers
- Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Production – Mash’n Jazz
- Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut West Coast Pils
- Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Rancho Cowabunga
Other American-Style Lagers
- Gold: Kulshan Brewing – K2 – Premium Lager
- Silver: Longmire Springs Brewing – Hide And Seek Champion
- Bronze: Wander Brewing – Golden Lager
German-Style Kölsches
- Gold: Larrabee Lager Company – Coast City
- Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Post Cologne
- Bronze: Uprise Brewing – Kolsch
German-Style Altbiers and Kellerbiers
- Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Alt
- Silver: Gruff Brewing Company – Altered Course
- Bronze: Bainbridge Brewing – Arrow Point Amber
German-Style Wheat Beers
- Gold: Stoup Brewing-Capitol Hill – Stoup Dunkelweizen
- Silver: Larrabee Lager Company – White Duck
- Bronze: Holy Mountain Brewing – Pilgrimage
Rye and American Wheat Beers
- Gold: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Be Happy
- Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Rock N Brown
- Bronze: Beach Cat Brewing – Southpaw – Catastrophe
Golden, Blonde and Cream Ales
- Gold: Beach Cat Brewing – Southpaw – Cats Blue Ribbon
- Silver: Old Stove Brewing – Mira Aqui
- Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Gulf Of Mexico (But Actually Done As A Cream Ale)
Bitters
- Gold: Bizarre Brewing – Cemetery Polka
- Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Test Drive Amber
- Bronze: Cardinal Craft Brewing – Skoolz Out
English Ales
- Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Couve A’licious
- Silver: Lowlander Brewing – Six Wickets
- Bronze: Loowit Brewing Company – Shadow Shinobi
Scottish and Irish Ales
- Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Muckle Flugga Scotch Ale
- Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Kilty MacSporran
- Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Arson
International & Australasian Ales
- Gold: Formula Brewing – Chase Down
- Silver: Longmire Springs Brewing – Pale Ale
- Bronze: WHISTLE PUNK BREWING – NZ Pale Ale
New Zealand-Style India Pale Ales
- Gold: Formula Brewing – Loyal To The Soil
- Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Wastelandia
- Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Production – Ripsaw
Brown Porters
- Gold: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Big Valley Brown
- Silver: Obec Brewing – Porter #3
- Bronze: San Juan Island Brewing Co – Black Boar Porter
Robust Porters
- Gold: Holy Mountain Brewing – Black Beer
- Silver: Resonate Brewery – Spirit In The Dark
- Bronze: Stoup Brewing – Robust Porter
British Stouts
- Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Night King
- Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Moocifer Cream Stout
- Bronze: U-Neek Brewing Company – Putin Out
Irish Stouts
- Gold: Hellbent Brewing Company – Moon Tower Stout
- Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Haulin Oats Stout
- Bronze: Lotic LLC – Existential Vacuum
American-Style Imperial Porters and Stouts
- Gold: No-Li Brewhouse – Wrecking Ball
- Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Mighty Knight
- Bronze: ANACORTES BREWING COMPANY,LLC – Empress
American-Style Pale Ales
- Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Papermaker
- Silver: Stoup Brewing – Mosaic Pale
- Bronze: Bale Breaker Brewing Company – Daybreak Pale Ale
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales
- Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – Shore Power Hazy Pale
- Silver: Odd Otter Brewing Co. – Otter Fuzz
- Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing – Ride The Cylone
American-Style Strong Pale Ales
- Gold: Loowit Brewing Company – Alley Cat
- Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Trap Door IPA
- Bronze: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Easy Runaway
Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ales
- Gold: Chainline Brewing Company – Tune Up
- Silver: Bale Breaker Brewing Company – Duskbound
- Bronze: Logan Brewing Company – Green Hill Zone
American-Style Amber/Red Ales
- Gold: Stoup Brewing – NW Red
- Silver: Ilk Beer – The Long Pour American Amber Lager
- Bronze: Sound2Summit Brewery – Night Sky Red
American-Style Dark Ales and Stouts
- Gold: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Hooligan Stout
- Silver: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Scofflaw CDA
- Bronze: Peace Of Mind Brewing – Xenowort
American-Style India Pale Ales
- Gold: Hellbent Brewing Company – Dog Party IPA
- Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Built For Speed
- Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing – Elliott Bay IPA
West Coast-Style India Pale Ales
- Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Peak Series Beta 1.0 IPA
- Silver: Formula Brewing – Formula 34
- Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Northbank Trail
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales
- Gold: Project 9 Brewing – King Lupu’s Happy Juice
- Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – Cloud Piercer Hazy IPA
- Bronze: Echoes Brewing – Galactic Haze
Imperial or Double India Pale Ales
- Gold: Bale Breaker Brewing Company – Bottomcutter IIPA
- Silver: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Ruud Awakening
- Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Punchface Champion
Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ales
- Gold: Skookum Brewery – Skook-Nukem
- Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Juiced Up
- Bronze: No-Li Brewhouse – Juicy Squatch
Other American-Style Strong Ales
- Gold: Big Time Brewery – Scarlet Fire
- Silver: San Juan Island Brewing Co – Kingtide Barleywine
- Bronze: White Bluffs Brewing – Scrooge McBluffs
Belgian & Belgian Inspired Ales
- Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company – Beer So Brown
- Silver: Outer Planet Brewing – Brown Dwarf
- Bronze: Irrelevant Beer – Sundressed
Other Belgian Strong & Abbey Ales
- Gold: Echoes Brewing – The Golden Blonde
- Silver: San Juan Island Brewing Co – Lime Kiln Belgian Tripel
- Bronze: U-Neek Brewing Company – Clumsily Ass Up
Belgian & French Farmhouse Ales
- Gold: Ilk Beer – Gris Matter
- Silver: Ilk Beer – Helsing Junction Farmhouse Ale
- Bronze: Propolis Brewing – Montem
Brett and Mixed-Culture Beers
- Gold: Bizarre Brewing – Ghosts Of Goslar Bing & Chelan Cherry
- Silver: Bizarre Brewing – We Become The Prairie
- Bronze: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Westchester – Arctic White Nectarine
German Style Sour Beers
- Gold: Kulshan Brewing – Sunnyland – Gose
- Silver: Terramar Brewing – Octopus Garden Gose
- Bronze: Terramar Brewing – Raspberry Tart
American-Style Sour Ales
- Gold: Varietal Beer – Prey Item
- Silver: Stoup Brewing-Capitol Hill – Sour Pop Mixed Berry
- Bronze: Single Hill Brewing – Island Time
Belgian Sour and Wild Ales
- Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing – Ambrosia Kreik
- Silver: Elliott Bay Brewing – Lake City – De Rode Duivels
- Bronze: North Fork Brewery – Velouria
Fruit Beers
- Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Neon Squeeze
- Silver: Varietal Beer – Sunflight
- Bronze: Snow Eater Brewing Company – Conseulos Cerveza
Chili Pepper Beers
- Gold: FrinGe Brewing – Call Me Cuddles
- Silver: Steam Donkey Brewing Co. – Salsa & Friends
- Bronze: Barley POP! Brewing – Sweet & Sassy
Spiced, Field & Herb Beers
- Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing – HospitaliTEA White Tea Lager
- Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Kilty MacPumpkin
- Bronze: North Fork Brewery – Torta De Platano
Coffee Beers
- Gold: Kulshan Brewing – Sunnyland – Cuppa Joe
- Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Cram Session
- Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – Gusto Creme
Session Beers
- Gold: The Good Society Brewery – First To Fall
- Silver: Uprise Brewing – Half Tone
- Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – Little Baby Bodhi
Smoked Beers
- Gold: Beach Cat Brewing – Northpaw – Lil Smokey
- Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Grodziskie
- Bronze: Old Stove Brewing – Smoked Porter
Chocolate or Pastry Beers
- Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Darker Persuasion – Caramel Macchiato
- Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Mjolnir
- Bronze: Snow Eater Brewing Company – Moose Trot
Specialty, Experimental & Historical Beers
- Gold: Old Stove Brewing – Grodziskie
- Silver: Fremont Brewing – NA Dark
- Bronze: Elysian Brewing – Gator Pie
Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stouts
- Gold: Uprise Brewing – Phases Of The Moon
- Silver: Old Stove Brewing – Gardens – Quiet Eon 2022
- Bronze: Skookum Brewery – Chronocask
Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beers
- Gold: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Barrel Aged Year Three
- Silver: Lumberbeard Brewing – Anniversary Year 6
- Bronze: Old Stove Brewing – Gardens – Castaway 2023
Other Wood & Barrel Aged Beers
- Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – 13th Anniversary Vanilla Bean BA Stout
- Silver: Dru Bru – Margarita Sour
- Bronze: Odd Otter Brewing Co. – Velvet Orchard
Seltzers
- Gold: Ram Restaurant And Brewery – Blackberry Seltzer
- Silver: Triceratops Brewing Company – Blood Orange Cream Hard Soda
- Bronze: Triceratops Brewing Company – Lemon Lime Hard Soda
Pro-Am
- Gold: Georgetown Brewing Company & Homebrewer Ryan Hopkins – Hopkin’s
- Silver: North 47 Brewing Co Homebrewer Brad Shellito – Dead Reckoning
- Bronze: Beach Cat Brewing – Northpaw & Homebrewer Rob Rogers – Cold Cocked IPA
Collaboration Beers
- Gold: Formula Brewing & Sun River Brewing – Chase Down
- Silver: San Juan Island Brewing Co & Kulshan Brewing – Pub Ale
- Bronze: Vice Beer & Ladd and Lass Brewing – Brewing Bridges
Brewery of the Year
- Very Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Crosby Hops): Haas Innovations Brewing LLC.
- Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Country Malt Group): Ilk Beer
- Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Yakima Chief Hops): Fortside Brewing Company
- Large Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Briess Malt and Ingredients): Icicle Brewing Company
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