2019 Washington Beer Awards Winners

This past Saturday, June 15th, the 7th 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 79 beer award categories.

Judging for the Washington Beer Awards took place prior to the 2019 Washington Brewers Festival when a team of 78 trained beer judges evaluated 1,467 beers from 193 Washington breweries at the seventh annual Washington Beer Awards and awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals in 79 different award categories. This year saw an increase of 170 beers being entered by 12 additional breweries as the categories increased by 5 to make it 79 categories.

Each year the Washington Beer Awards provides an opportunity for all of Washington’s craft brewers to compete in a blind format. The entries were evaluated in a blind format using the Brewers Association Style Guidelines by panels of trained beer judges who awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze placements for each category grouping.

The biggest winner to come out of the 2019 Washington Beer Awards is Chuckanut Brewery. The Bellingham based brewer won Large Brewery of the Year! Led by Brewmaster, Will Kemper, Chuckanut Brewery took home 5 Gold Medals, 1 Silver Medal, and 3 Bronze Medals.

Other notable winners were Lowercase Brewing (Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year), Dystopian State (Small Brewery of the Year), and Headless Mumby Brewing (Very Small Brewery of the Year).

A few of our Portland area brewers from across the Columbia River took home medals on Saturday. This includes Grains of Wrath with 5 Medals, Trap Door Brewing with 4 medals, Fortside Brewing and Brothers Cascadia both with 2 medals each, and Barrel Mountain Brewing, Ghost Runners Brewery, Everybody’s Brewing, Heathen Brewing, and Backwoods Brewing all with one medal each.

Here is a list of the 2019 Washington Beer Awards winners.

German Pale Lagers:
Gold: Dystopian State – Heliophant
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Helles
Bronze: MIRAGE – Patek Water

German-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Jellyfish Brewing Company – Hydra Pils
Silver: Bellevue Brewing Co – Bellevue Brewing Pilsner
Bronze: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Luger Pils 

Bohemian-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Chainline Brewing Company – Polaris
Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – The People’s Pilsner
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Pilsner

Vienna-Style Lagers:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Vienna Lager
Silver: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Rabbit Punch
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Archduke

German-Style Schwarzbiers:
Gold: Paradise Creek Brewery – After Dark
Silver: Odd Otter Brewing – Von Himmel
Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Schwarzbier

Other German Dark Lagers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Dunkel
Silver: Dru Bru – Bru Ski Patrol
Bronze: Chainline Brewing Company – Cerne

Light American-Style Lagers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – American Light LAGER
Silver: Odin Brewing Co. – Freya’s Gold Lager
Bronze: STONES THROW BREWERY – Raincountry Liquid Sunshine

Contemporary American-Style Pilseners:
Gold: Single Hill Brewing – Citizen Grain
Silver: Bellevue Brewing Co – Bellevue Brewing IPL
Bronze: Dreadnought Brewing LLC – Old Man

Other American-Style Lagers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – Mexican LAGER
Silver: Headless Mumby Brewing – Cascadian Brown Lager
Bronze: Four Generals Brewing – Rentoncito

International Lagers:
Gold: Varietal Beer Company – Casita
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Asian Lager
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Mexican Lager

German-Style Heller Bock/Maibocks:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Maibock
Silver: Anacortes Brewing Company – Mai-Oh-Mai Bock
Bronze: Redhook Brewlab – Motorhook

Other Strong Lagers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – EISBOCK
Silver: Big Barn Brewing Co. – Deitz Bock
Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Doppelbock

German-Style Kölsches:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Kolsch
Silver: North Jetty Brewing – Yellow Boots Kolsch Style Ale
Bronze: North Jetty Brewing – North Jetty Kolsch

German-Style Altbiers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Alt
Silver: Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. – Ein Malz Und Hopfen (EMuH)
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Der Alte

German-Style Maerzens:
Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing Co – West Seattle – My Favorite Marzen
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – Dirtyface Amber
Bronze: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery – Flying Bock

South German-Style Hefeweizens:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Hefeweizen
Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company – Folle Pulle!
Bronze: 20 Corners Brewing Company – Scud Runner

Other German Wheat Beers:
Gold: Flyers Restaurant And Brewery – Heat Seeker Hefe
Silver: Stoup Brewing – Darker Fields Weizenbock (Collaboration With Holy Mountain)
Bronze: STONES THROW BREWERY – Kristal Who?

American Wheat Beers:
Gold: Fish Brewing Company – Hefeweizen
Silver: Snoqualmie Falls Brewery – Haystack
Bronze: Metier Brewing Company – Wheat

Rye Beers:
Gold: Headless Mumby Brewing – Smoked Rye Lager
Silver: Haywire Brewing Co. – Ryed Into The Dark
Bronze: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Rye Lager

American-Style Cream Ales:
Gold: Postdoc Brewing – Hydrogen Blonde
Silver: Pacific Brewing And Malting – 1897 Lager
Bronze: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Beaver Deceiver

Golden or Blonde Ales:
Gold: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Golden Ale
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Blonde
Bronze: Diamond Knot Brewing Co. – Northwest Blonde

Session Beers:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – Tell Me Lies
Silver: Perry Street Brewing – Session IPL
Bronze: Perry Street Brewing – Session IPmaybeA

English-Style Bitters:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – ESB
Silver: Elliott Bay Brewing Co – West Seattle – Organic Alembic Pale
Bronze: Fish Brewing Company – Organic IPA

English Pale Ales:
Gold: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – Quarry No.9 Pale Ale
Silver: Anacortes Brewing Company – Humpday English Mild
Bronze: Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Hometown Blonde

English Dark Ales:
Gold: North 47 Brewing – Guvnuh
Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Couve A’licious
Bronze: Dog Days Brewing – Mildly Infuriating

British Strong Ales:
Gold: Cairn Brewing – Wee Heavey
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Old Scrooge
Bronze: Odin Brewing Co. – Thor’s Reserve Stout

Scottish Shilling Ales:
Gold: Scamp Brewing Co. – And My Axe
Silver: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Bonnie Doon Scottish Ale
Bronze: North Jetty Brewing – Leadbetter Red Scottish Style Ale

Scotch Ales:
Gold: Silver City Brewery – Magnificent Bastard
Silver: Black Raven Brewing – Second Sight
Bronze: The Pike Brewing Company – Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

Irish Red Ales:
Gold: Silver City Brewery – Ridgetop Red
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Dukes Up
Bronze: Haywire Brewing Co. – Foxtrail

Brown Porters:
Gold: Iron Goat Brewing – Bob’s Your Uncle Brown Porter
Silver: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – Black Boar Porter
Bronze: Aslan Brewing Co – Bham Brown 

Robust Porters:
Gold: Ravenna Brewing Co – Lion Tamer
Silver: Pacific Brewing And Malting – Grit City Porter
Bronze: Flyers Restaurant And Brewery – Pacemaker Porter

Sweet/Cream Stouts:
Gold: Bushnell Craft Brewing Company – Dunkadelic
Silver: Pacific Brewing And Malting – Mama Bear Milk Stout
Bronze: Ten Pin Brewing – Snake Eye Stout

Oatmeal Stouts:
Gold: Dreadnought Brewing LLC – Chocolate Jesus
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Built For Comfort Stout
Bronze: American Brewing – American Oatmeal Stout

Irish Stouts:
Gold: Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company – Trout Stout
Silver: Odin Brewing Co. – Thor’s Shadow Imperial Stout
Bronze: Lagunitas Brewing Company – Pint O’ Danny’s Irish Stout

American-Style Stouts:
Gold: Top Rung Brewing Company – My Dog Scout Stout
Silver: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Gentlemens Stout
Bronze: Hop Nation Brewing Company – Lane Splitter Stout

American-Style Imperial Stouts:
Gold: Black Raven Brewing – Grandfather Raven
Silver: Urban Family Brewing Company – Dunkable
Bronze: Gig Harbor Brewing Co. LLC – Gig Harbor Imperial Stout

American-Style Pale Ales:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Papermaker Pale
Silver: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Troll Tears
Bronze: Hellbent Brewing Company – Always Naked Summer Pale

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales:
Gold: MIRAGE – Final Rose
Silver: Reuben’s Brews – 1406 Brewery – Hazealicious
Bronze: Hellbent Brewing Company – Seattle Sunshine Hazy Pale

American-Style Strong Pale Ales:
Gold: Single Hill Brewing – Eastside IPA
Silver: Stoup Brewing – Citra IPA
Bronze: Hellbent Brewing Company – DANG! Citra IPA

American Amber Ales:
Gold: Hellbent Brewing Company – Funky Red Patina
Silver: Big Block Brewing – Flathead Red
Bronze: Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company – Overlord Amber Ale

American-Style Brown and Black Ales:
Gold: Big Block Brewing – Big Block Brown
Silver: Populuxe Brewing – Beer Snob Brown
Bronze: Western Red Brewing – Crew Boss CDA

American-Style India Pale Ales:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Overkill IPA
Silver: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Unplug IPA
Bronze: The Pike Brewing Company – Pike Bitterlake IPA

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales:
Gold: Trap Door Brewing – Glowed Up
Silver: Trap Door Brewing – TANG
Bronze: Old Schoolhouse Brewery – Eddy Hopper

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:
Gold: Sumerian Brewing Co. – Hopruption Double IPA
Silver: Ghost Runners Brewery – Pre-HOPtaine
Bronze: Taneum Creek Brewing – Never Lift IIPA

Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:
Gold: Trap Door Brewing – Popular Culture
Silver: Reuben’s Brews  – Triple Crush
Bronze: Urban Family Brewing Company – Game Breaker

Other American Strong Ales:
Gold: Double Bluff Brewing Company – Anthesian India Red Ale
Silver: Three Bull Brewing Co. – Elk Camp Porter
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – 18 Pound

Barleywines:
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Decline
Silver: Boundary Bay Brewery And Bistro – Old Bounder
Bronze: Three Magnets Brewing Company – Old Skook Barleywine

Belgo-American & International Ales:
Gold: Reuben’s Brews – 1406 Brewery – Crikey IPA
Silver: Reuben’s Brews  – Triumvirate
Bronze: Sound Brewery – Monk’s Indiscretion

Belgian-Style Witbiers:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing – WITBIER
Silver: Reuben’s Brews  – Lilywhite Wit
Bronze: Standard Brewing – Eclair Blanche

Belgian Ales:
Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – Bainbridge Blonde
Silver: Diamond Knot Brewing Co. – Binnacle
Bronze: Wander Brewing – Wanderale

Light Abbey-Inspired Ales:
Gold: Triplehorn Brewing Co – Stupid Monke
Silver: Northish Beer Company  – Petit Epeautre
Bronze: Sound Brewery – Tripel Entendre

Dark Abbey-Inspired Ales:
Gold: Everybody’s Brewing – Dubbel Parked
Silver: Sound Brewery – Dubbel Entendre
Bronze: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Grand Cru

Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ales:
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Double Entendre
Silver: Counterbalance Brewing Company – Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Bronze: Metier Brewing Company – Belgian Golden

Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ales:
Gold: Decibel Brewing Co – Pour Some Sugar On Me
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Giant Made Of Shadows
Bronze: Odin Brewing Co. – Thor’s Equinox

Belgian and French Farmhouse Ales:
Gold: Snoqualmie Falls Brewery – Meadowbrook
Silver: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – L’Internationale
Bronze: Ravenna Brewing Co – First Harvest

Specialty Saisons:
Gold: Dystopian State – Black Swan Project
Silver: Figurehead Brewing Company – 1710 Saison
Bronze: Mac & Jacks Brewery Inc. – Brett Saison

Brett Beers:
Gold: Standard Brewing – Old Money
Silver: Matchless Brewing – Bright & Brux
Bronze: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Cadenza 

Mixed Culture Brett Beers:
Gold: E9 Brewing Co – Les Chalmeures
Silver: E9 Brewing Co – Ohgma’s Blessing
Bronze: Tin Dog Brewing – CatWalk

German-Style Sour Beers:
Gold: Aslan Brewing Co – A Study Of Dreams
Silver: Single Hill Brewing – Lemonade Rocketship
Bronze: Wander Brewing – Champagne Toast

Contemporary-Style Goses:
Gold: Ten Pin Brewing – Guava Gose
Silver: Old Stove Brewing – Gose 2.0
Bronze: Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria – One Red Thread

American-Style Sour and Wild Ales:
Gold: Standard Brewing – Apocryphal
Silver: Heathen Brewing – Mojita Sour
Bronze: Northish Beer Company  – Rarified Inertia

Belgian Sour Beers:
Gold: Tin Dog Brewing – Errant Whispers
Silver: Elliott Bay Brewing Co – Lake City – Big Pun
Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing Co – Lake City – De Rode Duivels

American-Style Fruit Beers:
Gold: Twin Sisters Brewing Company – Strawberry Zwickelbier
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Sun Glitter
Bronze: Ice Harbor Brewing Co. – Tropika IPA

Fruit Wheat Beers:
Gold: Ten Pin Brewing – Groove
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing – Taphouse – Tropical Groove
Bronze: Steam Donkey Brewing Co. – Currant Situation

Belgian-Style Fruit Lambics:
Gold: E9 Brewing Co – Last Truck To Clarksville
Silver: E9 Brewing Co – Genus Rubus
Bronze: E9 Brewing Co – Wild Tacoma Bing Cherry

Vegetable Beers:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – Grandma Take Me Home
Silver: Black Raven Brewing – Coco Jones
Bronze: North Fork Brewery  – Golden Beet Berliner

Chili Pepper Beers:
Gold: 20 Corners Brewing Company – Zicatella
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing – Taphouse – Smokin’ Hot Blonde
Bronze: Rail Hop’n Brewing Co – Firebox Jalapeno Amber 

Coffee & Chocolate Beers:
Gold: Rooftop Brewing Company – Ladro Sul Tetto
Silver: Cloudburst Brewing – Bad Timing
Bronze: Silver City Brewery – Kwik Stout

Belgian-Style Fruit Beers:
Gold: Silver City Brewery – Foxy Lady
Silver: Reuben’s Brews  – Brettania – Blackberry And Boysenberry
Bronze: Perihelion Brewery – Black Current

Herb & Spice Beers:
Gold: Varietal Beer Company – Varietal Rose
Silver: Atwood Ales Farm Brewery – Mo’s Saison
Bronze: Ten Pin Brewing – Taphouse – Horchata Stout

Smoke Beers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Rauch Helles
Silver: Packwood Brewing Co – Butter Peak Porter
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Smoked Tea Helles Lager

Specialty & Historical Beers:
Gold: Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria – King Bee
Silver: Dystopian State – Gold Sigil
Bronze: Chainline Brewing Company – Steinbier

Experimental Beers:
Gold: 20 Corners Brewing Company – Calypso
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing – Taphouse – Strata Brut
Bronze: MIRAGE – Life Trap

Wood & Barrel Aged Beers:
Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Port/Bourbon Barrel Aged Kanaka
Silver: Dystopian State – Barrel Aged Old Rye Old Fashioned
Bronze: Iron Goat Brewing – Gin Barrel Aged Buzzsaw McThunder IPA

Wood & Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts:
Gold: Wander Brewing – Earlybird
Silver: Elliott Bay Brewing Co – Lake City – Bourbon Fauntleroy Imperial Stout
Bronze: Rainy Daze Brewing – Resin Ball Stout

Other Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beers:
Gold: Elysian Brewing Co – Cyclops
Silver: Backwoods Brewing Company – Tequila Cutt IIPA
Bronze: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co. – Aged Gentlemen

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:
Gold: Urban Family Brewing Company – Vernal Bloom
Silver: Georgetown Brewing Company – Sea Of Life
Bronze: 7 Seas Brewing Co. – Sour Raspberry Blend

Pro-Am:
Gold: Lowercase Brewing & Homebrewer Cory Geerdts – Dorkmunder
Silver: Redhook Brewlab & Homebrewer Phil Cammarano – La Saison De Phil
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing & Homebrewer Matt Geimer – Uncle’s Rice Lager

Collaboration Beers:
Gold: Redhook Brewlab & Brewhall – LabHall
Silver: Lowercase Brewing & Floating Bridge Brewing – Forbidden Rice Lager
Bronze: Trap Door Brewing & Dwinell Country Ales – Gift Horse

Best Washington Agricultural Product Inspired Beer: Crossbuck Brewing – Blue Crew Lavender Wit
Best Washington Malt Beer (Sponsored by Skagit Valley Malting): 20 Corners Brewing Company – La Push

Very Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Crosby Hops): Headless Mumby Brewing
Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Washington Hops Commission): Dystopian State
Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by YCH Hops, Yakima Chief – Hopunion): Lowercase Brewing
Large Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Briess Malt and Ingredients): Chuckanut Brewery