2018 Washington Beer Awards Winners Announced

On Saturday, June 16th the 6th Annual Washington Beer Awards took place during the two-day Washington Brewers Festival in Redmond, Washington. Held at Marymoor Park, the Washington Beer Commission with the assistance of Specialty Competitions LLC announced the winners in 74 award categories.

Judging for the Washington Beer Awards was held from June 2-3, 2018 at Elliott Bay Public House & Brewery in Lake City. The panels of trained judges evaluated 1,297 beers from 181 breweries spanning 131 unique styles from the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines for technical and stylistic excellence. For its 2018 awards, 117 Washington breweries received recognition of gold, silver, and bronze medals in 74 different award categories.

One brewery that is close to home for us that came up big was Camas based Grains of Wrath Brewing as it took home six medals including Very Small Brewery of the Year as it entered the competition for the very first time! Mike Hunsaker and his brew team were awarded 1 Gold Medal, 4 Silver Medals and 1 Bronze Medal. Not a bad showing for a brewery that just opened its doors a few months ago.!

The competition was held with the endorsement of the Washington Beer Commission as a way to celebrate Washington’s growing brewing culture and recognize excellence in the craft. All of Washington’s craft breweries were invited to submit entries to the competition held in a similar format to other craft beer competitions like the Great American Beer Festival® and World Beer Cup®. – Washington Beer Awards

Local Portland Metro area brewers that were awarded multiple awards include Grains of Wrath Brewing (1 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze); Heathen Brewing (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze); Barrel Mountain Brewing (1 Gold, 3 Bronze); Brothers Cascadia Brewing (3 Silver); Loowit Brewing (1 Silver, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze); and Trap Door Brewing (1 Gold, 1 Bronze).

Other local Portland Metro area brewers that were awarded single medals include 54-40 Brewing Company, Hopworks Urban Brewery Vancouver, Trusty Brewing Company, Trap Door Brewing and Dwinell Country Ales Collaboration, McMenamins on the Columbia, and Fortside Brewing Company.

Here is the list of winners from the 2018 Washington Beer Awards.

German Pale Lagers:
Gold: Mirage – Ski Mask
Silver: Beardslee Public House – Duh Dortmunder
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Luv Ya Lager

German-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Luger Pils
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Kulshan Pilsner
Bronze: Wander Brewing – Doglost

Bohemian-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Heisenberg Pils
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Pilsner
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Pilsner

American-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Airways Brewing – Pre Flight Pilsner
Silver: Farmstrong Brewing Co. – Cold Beer Skagit Pils
Bronze: Yakima Craft Brewing Co. – Pilsnerd

Vienna-Style Lagers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Vienna Lager
Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Austro-Naut
Bronze: Triceratops Brewing Company – Pennsyltucky Lager

German Dark Lagers:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – No Mistakes
Silver: Redhook Brewery – Dunkel Town
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Dunkel

American-Style Lagers:
Gold: Loowit Brewing Company – Loowit Lager
Silver: Odin Brewing Co. – Freya’s Gold Lager
Bronze: Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. – 1897 Pale Lager

Other American-Style Lagers:
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – James Street – Amber Lager
Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Crazy 88
Bronze: Lowercase Brewing – MEXICAN LAGER

International Lagers:
Gold: 54-40 Brewing Company – 1862
Silver: Mollusk Brewing – Dexter Daily
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Mexican Lager

Bocks and Doppelbocks:
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Kulshan Maibock
Silver: Hopworks Urban Brewery Vancouver – Doppel 07
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Doppelbock

German-Style Kölsch:
Gold: Watts Brewing Company – The Leafcutter (as Kellerbier)
Silver: Watts Brewing Company – The Leafcutter (as Kolsch)
Bronze: Icicle Brewing Company – Snow Creek Kolsch

Other German Amber Beers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Marzen
Silver: Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria – Lithium
Bronze: Dru Bru – Copper

German Wheat Beers:
Gold: North 47 Brewing Co. – Amber Waves
Silver: Dru Bru – Hefeweizen
Bronze: Cairn Brewing – Donnie Dunkel (Weizen)

American Wheat Beers:
Gold: Three Magnets Brewing – Shig Faced
Silver: Populuxe Brewing – Bring That Wheat Back
Bronze: Fish Brewing Company – Dunkelweizen

Rye Beers:
Gold: Dreadnought Brewing – Red Elvis
Silver: Loowit Brewing Company – Grimlock Rye Porter
Bronze: Lowercase Brewing – IPA

American-Style Cream Ales:
Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Wet Coast Cream Ale
Silver: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Beaver Deceiver
Bronze: Flyers Restaurant And Brewery – Penn Cove Pilsner

Golden or Blonde Ales:
Gold: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Golden Ale
Silver: North 47 Brewing Co. – Bitchin Betty
Bronze: McMenamins Breweries  (McMenamins on the Columbia) – Nebraska Bitter

Session Beers:
Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – Mosquito Fleet Session IPA
Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Best Day Ever
Bronze: Fremont Brewing – Session Pale

Ordinary & Special/Best Bitters:
Gold: Rainy Daze Brewing – Test Drive Amber
Silver: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Dick’s Best Bitter
Bronze: Puyallup River Brewing Co. – English Pale Ale

Extra Special Bitters:
Gold: San Juan Island Brewing – Bull Kelp ESB
Silver: Elysian Brewing – The Wise
Bronze: Ravenna Brewing Company – ESB-Real

English Pale Ales:
Gold: Flyers Restaurant And Brewery – Humbles Blonde Ale
Silver: Port Townsend Brewing Co – Hop Diggidy
Bronze: Stones Throw Brewery – Flat Penny Pale

English Dark Ales:
Gold: Puyallup River Brewing Co. – British Bronze
Silver: Foggy Noggin Brewing – Butch’s Brew
Bronze: Cardinal Craft Brewing – Brown Ale

British Strong Ales:
Gold: Cairn Brewing – Wee Heavy
Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Mighty Knight Imperial Stout
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Winch It Out Stout

Scottish Shilling Ales:
Gold: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Bonnie Doon Scottish Ale
Silver: Postdoc Brewing – Kilty MacSporran
Bronze: Geaux Brewing – Wee Y’at?

Scotch Ales:
Gold: Heathen Brewing – Highland Charge
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Magnificent Bastard
Bronze: Cairn Brewing – Don’t Call Me Irish

Irish Red Ales:
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Red Cap
Silver: Whitewall Brewing Company – Sassy Lassie
Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Arson

Brown Porters:
Gold: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Disorder Porter
Silver: Machine House Brewery – Porter
Bronze: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Uncle Big’s Brown

Robust Porters:
Gold: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery – Phinneywood
Silver: Stoup Brewing – Robust Porter
Bronze: Airways Brewing – Curbside Porter

Strong Porters:
Gold: Sound Brewery – Baltic Porter
Silver: Melvin Brewing Bellingham – Melixor Baltica
Bronze: Bent Bine Brew Co. – Peaceable American Porter

Sweet/Cream Stouts:
Gold: Four Generals Brewing – Buddhahed Milk Stout
Silver: Cairn Brewing – Thor’s Hammer
Bronze: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Sneak Thief Stout

Oatmeal Stouts:
Gold: Backwoods Brewing Company – Ridge Run Stout
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Built For Comfort
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Starway Stout

Irish Stouts:
Gold: Wander Brewing – Correspondent
Silver: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Dick’s Cream Stout
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Dry Stout 

American-Style Stouts:
Gold: Aslan Brewing Company – American Stout
Silver: Top Rung Brewing Company – My Dog Scout Stout
Bronze: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Hooligan Stout

American-Style Imperial Stouts:
Gold: Black Raven Brewing – Grandfather Raven
Silver: Heathen Brewing – Epitaph
Bronze: Bale Breaker Brewing Co. – Wood & Wire Imperial Stout

American-Style Pale Ales:
Gold: Odd Otter Brewing Co. – Ottzel Quatzel
Silver: Stoup Brewing – Mosaic Pale
Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Papermaker Pale

American-Style Strong Pale Ales:
Gold: Melvin Brewing Bellingham – Tiger Style
Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Overkill IPA
Bronze: Everybody’s Brewing – Mountain Mama Pale Ale

American Amber Ales:
Gold: Valholl Brewing Company – Valkyrie Red
Silver: Chainline Brewing Company – Recumbent
Bronze: Manfish Brewing – Red-Headed Step Child

American-Style Brown Ales:
Gold: Iron Goat Brewing – Brown
Silver: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery – Gentle Ben
Bronze: Trap Door Brewing – Uptown Brown

American-Style Black Ales:
Gold: Reuben’s Brews – Small Batch Brewery – Black Imperial IPA
Silver: Trusty Brewing Company – Dark Marc
Bronze: North 47 Brewing Co. – Nightmare 21

American-Style India Pale Ales:
Gold: Hellbent Brewing Company – Gate City IPA
Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Fans In Denial
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – Bodhizafa

American-Style India Pale Ales – Northeastern Substyle:
Gold: McMenamins Breweries (Anderson School Brewery) – Egyptian Cotton IPA
Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – You Like ‘A Da Juice
Bronze: Airways Brewing – Luxury Jet

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:
Gold: Cash Brewing Co – Top Spin Double IPA
Silver: Good Brewing Co. – 100% Pink Boots
Bronze: Sumerian Brewing Co. – Hopruption Double IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale – Northeastern Sub-Style:
Gold: Trap Door Brewing – Juicy Vuitton
Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Onslaught
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Small Batch Brewery – Triple Crush

Imperial or Double Red Ales:
Gold: Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria – Red Sector
Silver: No-Li Brewhouse – Born & Raised
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Small Batch Brewery – Life On Mars

Barleywines:
Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company – First Leg
Silver: Optimism – Ale X
Bronze: River City Brewing – Colonel Crusher

Belgo-American & International Ales:
Gold: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Silver Star Session
Silver: Chainline Brewing Company – Pump Track
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Triumvirate

Belgian-Style Witbiers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – WITBIER
Silver: E9 Brewery LLC – E9 Belgian White
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing – Belgian Witbier

Belgian Ales:
Gold: Wander Brewing – Wanderale
Silver: Bainbridge Brewing – Bainbridge Blonde
Bronze: Lost Woods Brewery – Lost Woods Belgian

Abbey-Inspired Ales:
Gold: Perihelion Brewery – Quasar
Silver: Cash Brewing Co – Dubbel Header
Bronze: North Fork Pizza & Brewing Inc – Brother Crazy John

Belgian Strong Ales:
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – James Street – Belgian Golden Strong
Silver: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Brewhouse Bully
Bronze: Figurehead Brewing Company – Midwatch

Belgian and French Farmhouse Ales:
Gold: Northish Beer Company – Stable Boy
Silver: Optimism – Pride
Bronze: Fortside Brewing Company – Kanaka

Specialty Saisons:
Gold: Aslan Brewing Company – Justice Temple
Silver: Dystopian State – O.G. Farmhouse
Bronze: Cairn Brewing – Winter Sunshine

Brett Beers:
Gold: Standard Brewing – Time Crystals #2
Silver: E9 Brewery LLC – Aeons
Bronze: E9 Brewery LLC – Catharsis

Mixed Culture Brett Beers:
Gold: E9 Brewery LLC – Atma
Silver: Tin Dog Brewing – Mandala
Bronze: Mirage – Drie Valleien

Berliner-Style Weisses:
Gold: Wander Brewing – Foeder-Aged Berliner Weiss
Silver: Ravenna Brewing Company – North Potion
Bronze: Aslan Brewing Company – Disco Lemonade

Goses:
Gold: Ten Pin Brewing Co. – Guava Gose
Silver: Reuben’s Brews – Gose
Bronze: 20 Corners Brewing Company – Mountain Berry Gose

American-Style Sour Ales:
Gold: Stoup Brewing – Pale Sour
Silver: Dirty Bucket Brewing Co – BlackBerry Sour Part Of Our Dirty Lil Pucker Collection
Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Raspberry Rhubarb Sour

Belgian and Wild Sour Beers:
Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing Company LCW – Spontaneous
Silver: Harmon Brewing Company – Flander Red
Bronze: Tin Dog Brewing – Melange Deux

American-Style Fruit Beer:
Gold: Big Block Brewing – Cherry Sour
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Sun Glitter
Bronze: Haywire Brewing Co. – U-PICK STRAWBERRY PALE ALE

Fruit Wheat Beers:
Gold: Populuxe Brewing – Raspberry Wheat
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing – Groove Pineapple Wheat
Bronze: North Jetty Brewing – Another F**king Raspberry Hef

Belgian Fruit Beers:
Gold: E9 Brewery LLC – The Duel
Silver: E9 Brewery LLC – MERAKI #2
Bronze: North Fork Pizza & Brewing Inc – No. 13 Baby

Vegetable Beers:
Gold: Airways Brewing – Batch Number 707
Silver: Métier Brewing – Coconut Porter
Bronze: Propolis Brewing – Melissa 

Chili Pepper Beers:
Gold: Beardslee Public House – Pepper Lime Pils
Silver: Steam Donkey Brewing Co. – Shindig En Fuego
Bronze: 20 Corners Brewing Company – Pepper Lager

Chocolate or Cocoa Beers:
Gold: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Cocoa Chaos
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – DARKER Persuasion
Bronze: Icicle Brewing Company – Dark Persuasion

Coffee Beers:
Gold: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Udder Chaos
Silver: Georgetown Brewing Company – Bob’s Coffee Brown
Bronze: Top Rung Brewing Company – Three Sixty Coffee Red

Herb & Spice Beers:
Gold: Atwood Ales Farm Brewery – Mo’s Saison
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing Co. – Horchata Snake Eye Stout
Bronze: Ten Pin Brewing Co. – All About That Bas-Il

Smoke Beers:
Gold: Dru Bru – Rauchbier
Silver: Walking Man Brewing – Zero Bullsh#t Monastery
Bronze: Headless Mumby Brewing – Smoked Rye Lager

Specialty & Historical Beers:
Gold: Populuxe Brewing – Maltøl
Silver: Rooftop Brewing Company – Hoppin’ Honey
Bronze: The Pike Brewing Company – Pike Hive Five Honey Ale

Experimental Beers:
Gold: The Hidden Mother Brewery – Pine Tree Peppercorn Saison
Silver: The Hidden Mother Brewery – Morel Mushroom Red
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Peanut Butter Cream Stout

Wood & Barrel Aged Beers:
Gold: Willapa Brewing Co – Double Knee Whiskey Stout
Silver: Wander Brewing – Wild Warehouse
Bronze: Ten Pin Brewing – Barrel Aged BeWILDering C 

Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beers:
Gold: Steam Donkey Brewing Co. – Shindig On The Beach
Silver: Fremont Brewing – Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star
Bronze: Loowit Brewing Company – Cryptodome

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:
Gold: Stoup Brewing – Funky Cold Bordelleaux
Silver: Optimism – Raspberry Solar Punk
Bronze: Wander Brewing – Plum Bob

Pro-Am:
Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company and Homebrewer Paul Navarrette – Big Wheel Brown (English Brown Ale)
Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing and Homebrewer Blake Dopeker – Cuke Nukem (Field Beer)
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews and Homebrewer Brian Hale – Game Over (Scotch Ale)

Collaboration Beers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing and Georgetown Brewing – Italian PILSNER
Silver: Trap Door Brewing and Dwinell Country Ales – Gift Horse
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing and Four Generals Brewing – Weizenbock

Best Washington Agricultural Product Inspired Beer: Propolis Brewing – Cherry Damiana
Best Washington Malt Beer (Sponsored by Skagit Valley Malting): Atwood Ales Farm Brewery – Triticale

Very Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Crosby Hops): Grains of Wrath Brewing
Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Washington Hops Commission): Populuxe Brewing
Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by YCH Hops, Yakima Chief – Hopunion): E9 Brewery LLC
Large Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Briess Malt and Ingredients): Wander Brewing