Washington Beer Commission Announces Winners of the 2021 Washington Beer Awards

Seattle, WA, November 5, 2021: Specialty Competitions LLC is proud to release the results of the eighth annual Washington Beer Awards after a hiatus due to the pandemic. This year 99 Washington breweries received recognition of gold, silver, and bronze medals in 70 award category groupings.

The results for this Washington-only professional beer competition were announced on November 5th at the Washington Craft Beer Summit at the Puyallup Fairgrounds where some of Washington’s best brewers received medals for their award-winning beers.

The judging for the Washington Beer Awards was held on October 16th and 17th at Elliott Bay Public House & Brewery in Lake City. The panels of trained judges had to evaluate 1,100 beers from 142 breweries spanning 138 unique styles from the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines for technical and stylistic excellence.

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®.

Four special awards, the Very Small, Small, Mid-Sized and Large Breweries of the Year, were presented to breweries who won numerous medals in many categories. Watt Brewing Company won as the Very Small Brewery of the Year with gold and silver medals. Fair Isle Brewing mustered a strong showing winning in the Small Brewery of the Year category with three golds and two silvers. Cloudburst Brewing won the Mid-Size Brewery of the Year three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes showcasing some amazing Fresh Hop Beers. The Large Brewery of the Year was again dominated by Chuckanut Brewery by scoring four golds and three silvers.

A few special awards were also providing recognizing some unique Washington brewing excellence. Postdoc Brewing won a gold in the “Pro-Am” category for an experimental beer called “We Should Probably Have a Name for This Beer” that was developed by Washington homebrewers Tristan McCoy, Kyle Jung, and John Hocking and scaled up for commercial production. Scuttlebutt Brewing and Sound to Summit Brewing collaborated on a South German Hefeweizen called “Bridging The Trestle” which won gold in this year’s “Collaboration Beer” category.

More information on the competition and the complete list of results can be found at www.wabeerawards.com/winners. Watch for Washington’s award-winning beers marked at your local craft beer bars and beer stores and get ready for the Washington Beer Awards to return in 2022 where new winners will be decided!

2021 Washington Beer Awards Winners:

Light German-Style Lagers:
Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Helles Lager
Silver: Lumberbeard Brewing – Helles
Bronze: Perry Street Brewing – Helles

German-Style Pilsners:
Gold: Seapine – Pilsner
Silver: Cloudburst Brewing – Called To The Light
Bronze: E9 Brewing Co – T-Dome

German-Style Oktoberfests:
Gold: Brick West Brewing Co.  – Festbier
Silver: Valholl Brewing – Valholl Oktoberfest
Bronze: Silver City Brewery – Oktoberfest

German-Style Maerzens:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Old Fest
Silver: Deep Draft Brewing – OLD CROW
Bronze: Brick West Brewing Co.  – Lucky Penny

German-Style Schwarzbiers:
Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Bellevue Brewing Schwarzbier
Silver: Four Generals Brewing – Schwarzbier
Bronze: Anacortes Brewery – Klosterbier

Other European Amber & Dark Beers:
Gold: Four Generals Brewing – Alt Bier
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Dunkel
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Cerny Kov

Bohemian-Style Pilsners:
Gold: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – San Juan Pilsner
Silver: Twin Sisters Brewing Company – Pilsner From Now On
Bronze: Chainline Brewing Company – Polaris Pilsner

Vienna-Style Lagers:
Gold: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – Love Is Love
Silver: Sound To Summit Brewing – Lederhomish
Bronze: Everybody’s Brewing – Vienna Lager

American-Style Light Lagers & Pilsners:
Gold: Resonate Brewery – Mexican Radio
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuck Light
Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Premium Lager

Contemporary American-Style Light Lagers & Pilsners:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – Happy Little Clouds
Silver: Georgetown Brewing Company – Roger’s
Bronze: Gruff Brewing Co – Mexican Lager

Other American-Style Lagers:
Gold: Brick West Brewing Co.  – Out Cold
Silver: Lowercase Brewing – Mexican Lager
Bronze: Meatheads Smokehouse And Beer Works – Festbier

Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lagers:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Cantina Especial
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Lucha Libre
Bronze: Four Generals Brewing – Otra Chela

International-Style Pilseners:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Asian Style Lager
Silver: Ravenna Brewing – Rice Lager
Bronze: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Bellevue Brewing Vacuna Mexican Lager

Strong Lagers:
Gold: Dystopian State Brewing Co. – High Command
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Maibock
Bronze: Bickersons Brewhouse – Baltic Porter

German-Style Kölsches:
Gold: Resonate Brewery – Gold Digger
Silver: Whistle Punk Brewing – Kolsch
Bronze: Twin Sisters Brewing Company – Kolsch

German-Style Wheat Beers:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Sickle & Scythe
Silver: Anacortes Brewery – Whistle Lake Hefeweizen
Bronze: Silver City Brewery – Hefeweizen

Rye and American Wheat Beers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Rye
Silver: Elysian Brewing – Hawkitect
Bronze: Perihelion Brewery – Daedalus

American-Style Cream Ales:
Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Wet Coast Cream Ale
Silver: Sound To Summit Brewing – The Kraken’s Cream Ale
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Mexican Lager

Golden or Blonde Ales:
Gold: Terramar Brewstillery – Old Number 6
Silver: Logan Brewing Company – Easy Mode
Bronze: Counterbalance Brewing Company – Abigale Blonde Ale

English & International Pale Ales:
Gold: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Dick’s Best Bitter
Silver: Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery – Triumvirate
Bronze: Cairn Brewing – Connie’s English Bitter

English Dark Ales:
Gold: Double Bluff Brewing Company – Brown Ale
Silver: Lowercase Brewing – Brown Ale
Bronze: Top Rung Brewing Company – Duke Of Lacey

Irish Ales:
Gold: Watts Brewing Company – Xylocopa
Silver: River City Brewing  – River City Red
Bronze: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Dick’s Cream Stout

Scottish Ales:
Gold: Cairn Brewing – Don’t Call Me Irish
Silver: Haywire Brewing Co. – DUDE, WHERES ME KILT
Bronze: Postdoc Brewing – Kilty MacSporran

British & American Strong Ales:
Gold: Farmstrong Brewing Company – Brahma Barleywine
Silver: Cairn Brewing – Wee Heavy
Bronze: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co – Tyrants Face

Brown Porters:
Gold: Blewett Brewing – Show Pony Porter
Silver: Mac & Jack’s Brewery Inc. – Blackcat Porter
Bronze: San Juan Island Brewing Co. – Black Boar Porter

Robust Porters:
Gold: Georgetown Brewing Company – 9 Pound Porter
Silver: Resonate Brewery – Spirit In The Dark
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery – Robust Porter

British Stouts:
Gold: Brewing Savage Co – Queen Anne’s Stout
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing – Tay More Cowbell
Bronze: Triceratops Brewing Co – Revival Coffee Milk Stout

American-Style Stouts:
Gold: Dystopian State Brewing Co. – Black Circle
Silver: Top Rung Brewing Company – My Dog Scout Stout
Bronze: Varietal Beer Company – Darkwave

Imperial Porters & Stouts:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – This Is Boring
Silver: River City Brewing  – Midnight Marmot
Bronze: No-Li Brewhouse – Wrecking Ball

American-Style Pale Ales:
Gold: Grains Of Wrath Brewing – Papermaker Pale
Silver: Trap Door Brewing – Porch Beer
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing – Call It A Day Pale

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales:
Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Orange Whip
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – Alpenhaze
Bronze: Haas Innovations Brewing – K.A.H. Pale

American-Style Strong Pale Ales:
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Peak Seeker
Silver: Stoup Brewing – Citra IPA
Bronze: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Baronesse Pale Ale

Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ales:
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Enchantments
Silver: Chainline Brewing Company – Tune Up
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – The Mayor IPA

American Amber Ales:
Gold: E9 Brewing Co – Rowdy And Dick
Silver: Bickersons Brewhouse – Steaming Pile Of 2020
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing Co. – Ash Cloud Amber

American-Style Brown and Black Ales:
Gold: Monka Brewing Co – Mano Oculta
Silver: Wet Coast Brewing Co. – Scofflaw CDA
Bronze: Cairn Brewing – Big Buck Bunny Brown

American-Style India Pale Ales:
Gold: Two Beers Brewing – Wonderland Trail IPA
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Heliotrope
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – Lucille IPA

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales:
Gold: MIRAGE – Strangers In Town
Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company – 80 Lbs. Of Hop
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company – Warchild

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:
Gold: Triplehorn Brewing Co  – Wreckless Abandon
Silver: Elysian Brewing – Snailbones
Bronze: Airways Brewing – Sky Hag

Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:
Gold: Ravenna Brewing – Aligned By Nature
Silver: Urban Family Brewing – The Stuff
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company – Hopotheosis

Belgian-Style Witbiers:
Gold: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – Quick Wit
Silver: Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom – Lilywhite Wit
Bronze: Valholl Brewing – Valholl Summer Wit

Belgian & Belgian Inspired Ales:
Gold: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – First To Fall
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Belgian Blonde
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing Co. – Be Happy Hefeweizen

Belgian Strong & Abbey Ales:
Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company – Midwatch
Silver: Hellbent Brewing Company – Mossback Monk Belgian-Style Tripel
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing – Belgian Strong

Belgian and French Farmhouse Ales:
Gold: Fair Isle Brewing – Odelette
Silver: Fair Isle Brewing – Madame R. Galle
Bronze: Fortside Brewing Company – Kanaka Ale

Specialty Saisons:
Gold: Fair Isle Brewing – Montgomery
Silver: Counterbalance Brewing Company – Miming Poetry Saison
Bronze: MIRAGE – Introduces The Metric System In Time

Brett Beers:
Gold: Dwinell Country Ales – Summer Blush
Silver: E9 Brewing Co – Balaton Farmhouse
Bronze: MIRAGE – The Quarterly

Berliner-Style Weisses:
Gold: Wander Brewing – Champagne Toast
Silver: Dru Bru – Berliner Weisse
Bronze: Terramar Brewstillery – Shuksan Sour

Goses:
Gold: Gruff Brewing Co – Birman
Silver: Brick West Brewing Co.  – Get Right
Bronze: Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom – Gose

American-Style Sour Ales:
Gold: Urban Family Brewing – Solar Storm
Silver: The Good Society Brewery & Public House – Be Curious
Bronze: Resonate Brewery – A NU START

Belgian Sour and Wild Ales:
Gold: MIRAGE – Ray
Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Oude AF
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Boysenberry Coolship Sour

American-Style Fruit Beers:
Gold: Triceratops Brewing Co – Bohemian Rhasberry
Silver: Optimism Brewing Company – Solarpunk
Bronze: Big Block Brewing – Cherry Bomb

Fruit Wheat Beers:
Gold: Ten Pin Brewing – Lil’ Groovy
Silver: Crucible Brewing – Blood Orange Smith & Weizen
Bronze: Wenatchee Valley Brewing – Raspberry Wheat

Belgian-Style Fruit Beers:
Gold: The North Fork – Elan Rouge
Silver: Fair Isle Brewing – Ana
Bronze: E9 Brewing Co – Blue Gold

Vegetable, Herb & Spice Beers:
Gold: MIRAGE – Versatile Solutions For Modern Living
Silver: Peddler Brewing Co – Horchata Cream Ale
Bronze: Dystopian State Brewing Co. – Everyone’s Crisis

Pumpkin Beers:
Gold: Cloudburst Brewing – Your Worst Nightmare
Silver: Elysian Brewing – Night Owl
Bronze: Sound To Summit Brewing – Ryes Of The Pumpkin King

Coffee & Chocolate Beers:
Gold: Snow Eater Brewery   – Moose Trot
Silver: Logan Brewing Company – Mind On Midnight
Bronze: Whistle Punk Brewing – Espresso Milk Stout

Smoke Beers:
Gold: Chuckanut Brewery – Rauch Helles
Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Tea-Smoked Helles Lager
Bronze: Meatheads Smokehouse And Beer Works – Moose And Squirrel Rauch

Specialty & Historical Beers:
Gold: Victor 23 Craft Brewery – Spruce Goose
Silver: Snow Eater Brewery – Ipsut
Bronze: Ghostfish Brewing Company – Watchstander Stout

Experimental & Session Beers:
Gold: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co – Tie-It-On Blonde
Silver: Watts Brewing Company – Drone Strike
Bronze: Mac & Jack’s Brewery Inc. – Logboom Pale Ale

Wood & Barrel Aged Beers:
Gold: Fair Isle Brewing – Vince
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing – BeWILDering C
Bronze: Jellyfish Brewing Company – Good Morning Sunshine

Wood & Barrel Aged Barleywines:
Gold: Heathen Brewing – Reindeer Tears
Silver: Pint Size Brewing – Off The Trail
Bronze: Humble Abode Brewing – III Anniversary Barrel Aged Barleywine

Wood & Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts:
Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – Yama – Mizunara Barrel Imp. Stout
Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company – Overstory
Bronze: Matchless Brewing – 5th Anniversary Blend

Other Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beers:
Gold: Bickersons Brewhouse – Gin Barrel Aged D.M.M.K.Y.A
Silver: Victor 23 Craft Brewery – Sleighjacker
Bronze: Silver City Brewery – Magnificent Pursuit

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:
Gold: River City Brewing  – Peach Me Your Ways
Silver: Wander Brewing – Plum Bob
Bronze: Jellyfish Brewing Company – Birra Chiara

Fresh Hop Pale Ales:
Gold: Old Stove Brewing – Streaker Juicy Citra Fresh Hop Pale
Silver: Blewett Brewing – Fool’s Gold Hazy Pale Ale
Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing – Green On Fort Road

Fresh Hop Strong Pale Ales:
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Strata Wet Hop Hazy IPA
Silver: Cloudburst Brewing – Green Is My Favorite Color
Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company – Skyfinder

Fresh Hop American-Style India Pale Ales:
Gold: Loowit Brewing Company – Lando Hoprissian
Silver: Perry Street Brewing – Master Exploder IPA
Bronze: Dru Bru – Fresh Hop

Fresh Hop Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales:
Gold: Best Of Hands Barrelhouse – Fresh Hop Series: Amarillo Fresh Hop IPA
Silver: Silver City Brewery – Amarillo Wet Hop Tropic Haze
Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing – An Uplifting Work Of Staggering Wetness

Other Fresh Hop Beers:
Gold: Wandering Hop – Fresh NUMINOUS
Silver: Matchless Brewing – Fresh Bois
Bronze: Perry Street Brewing – Hassel Hopfenbombe

Pro-Am:
Gold: Postdoc Brewing – We Should Probably Have A Name For This Beer

Collaboration Beers:
Gold: Scuttlebutt Brewing and Sound to Summit Brewing – Bridging The Trestle
Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company – Downtown Sour Brown
Bronze: Trap Door Brewing – Flamingo Croquet

Very Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by YCH Hops, Yakima Chief Hops): Watts Brewing Company
Small Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Washington Hops Commission): Fair Isle Brewing
Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Skagit Valley Malting): Cloudburst Brewing
Large Brewery of the Year (Sponsored by Briess Malt and Ingredients): Chuckanut Brewery