The Best of the Best in BC Beer

By Sara Hancock

October 19, 2013 was the 4th annual BC Beer Awards honouring the best of best craft beers being brewed in our beautiful province. The sold-out event was held at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver and hosted by CBC’s Stephen Quinn. While I was not able to attend I still wanted to share the list of winners and draw attention to BC’s ever-expanding and ever-diversifying craft beer scene.

A big congratulations to all the winners competition looked pretty stiff in some of the categories!

Here is the rundown courtesy of www.bcbeerawards.com:

2013 BC BEER AWARD WINNERS

BEST OF SHOW

Vancouver Island Brewery – Hermannator Ice Bock – Ralf Pittroff

SESSION LAGER – 13 ENTRIES

1st Place – Big Surf – Big Surf Lager – Wolfgang Hoess

2nd Place – High Mountian Brewing Company – Lifty Lager – Derrick Franche

3rd Place – Coal Harbour Brewing Co – 311 Helles Lager- Ethan Allured

PILSNER – 13 ENTRIES

1st Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Red Racer Pilsner – The Central City Brew Crew

2nd Place – Tree Brewing Co. – Kelowna Pilsner – Dave Gokiert

3rd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Crane Kick – Graham With

Special Mention – Four Winds Brewing Company – Pilsner – Brent Mills

SPECIAL LAGER – 8 ENTRIES

1st Place – Vancouver Island Brewery – Hermannator Ice Bock – Ralf Pittroff

2nd Place – Dead Frog Brewery – The Session Vienna Lager – Tony Dewald

3rd Place – Tree Brewing Co. – Captivator Doppelbock – Dave Gokiert

SESSION ALE – 26 ENTRIES

1st Place – The Nelson Brewing Co. – Wild Honey Organic Ale – Mike Kelly

2nd Place – Phillips Brewing Co. – Slipstream Ale

3rd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Red Eye – Graham With

ENGLISH ALE – 14 ENTRIES

1st Place – The Nelson Brewing Co – Hop Good Organic Session IPA – Mike Kelly

2nd Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Red Racer ESB – The Central City Brew Crew

3rd Place – Powell Street Craft Brewery – Old Jalopy Pale Ale – David Bowkett

Special Mention – Okanagan Spring – Pale Ale

AMERICAN ALE – 28 ENTRIES

1st Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Gypsy Tears – Graham With

2nd Place – Old Yale Brewing Co. – Old Yale Pale Ale – Larry Caza

3rd Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Red Racer Pale Ale – The Central City Brew Crew

WHEAT BEER – 18 ENTRIES

1st Place – Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers – Quick Wit Wheat Ale – Kevin Emms

2nd Place – Moon Under Water Brewery – The Victorious Weizenbock – Clay Potter

3rd Place – Howe Sound Brewing – King Heffy Imperial Heffeweizen – Paul Wilson & Franco Corno

FRUIT BEER – 18 ENTRIES

1st Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Red Racer Raspberry Wheat Ale – The Central City Brew

Crew

2nd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Seed Spitter – Graham With

3rd Place – Fernie Brewing Company – What the Huck – Gord Demaniuk/Paul Graham

VEGETABLE / SPICE BEER – 20 ENTRIES

1st Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Red Racer Pumkin Ale – The Central City Brew Crew

2nd Place – Steamworks Brewing Company – Steamworks Espresso Stout – Caolan Vaughn & Takeshi

Guenette

3rd Place – R&B Brewing Company – Birra Fresca Cucumber Mint I.P.A. – Todd Graham

SPECIAL BEER – 25 ENTRIES

1st Place – Howe Sound Brewing – Wee Beastie Oak Aged Scotch Ale – Paul Wilson & Franco Corno

2nd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – From East Van With Love – Graham With

3rd Place – Coal Harbour Brewing Co. – Smoke & Mirrors Smoked Imperial Ale – Ethan Allured

SCOTTISH / IRISH – 7 ENTRIES

1st Place – Lighthouse Brewing Company – Race Rocks Amber – Dean Mcleod

2nd Place – Tree Brewing Co. – Groove Session Ale – Dave Gokiert

3rd Place – Fernie Brewing Company – Fernie Big Caboose Red Ale – Gord Demaniuk/Paul Graham

BROWN / PORTER – 23 ENTRIES

1st Place – Phillips Brewing Co. – Chocolate Porter

2nd Place – Townsite Brewing – PowTown Porter- Cedric Dauchot

3rd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Old Boy – Graham With

Special Mention – Hoyne Brewing Company – Dark Matter – Sean Hoyne (no trophy)

STOUT – 14 ENTRIES

1st Place – Persephone Brewing Company – Stout-Off Stout – Anders McKinnon

2nd Place – Longwood Brewing – Stoutnik Russian Imperial Stout – Harley Smith

3rd Place – Old Yale Brewing Co. – Sasquatch Stout – Larry Caza

BELGIAN / SOUR BEER – 15 ENTRIES

1st Place – Yaletown Brewing Company – Yaletown Oud Bruin – Yaletown Brewers

2nd Place – Granville Island Brewing – Thirsty Farmer Saison – Vern Lambourne

3rd Place – Four Winds Brewing Company – Wild Flower Saison – Brent Mills

IPA – INDIA PALE ALE – 34 ENTRIES

1st Place – Driftwood Brewing Company – Fat Tug IPA – Jason Meyer & Kevin Hearsum

2nd Place – Driftwood Brewing Company – Sartori Harvest IPA – Jason Meyer & Kevin Hearsum

3rd Place – Moon Under Water Brewery – Tranquility IPA – Clay Potter

Special Mention – Hoyne Brewing Company – Devils Dream IPA – Sean Hoyne (no trophy)

IMPERIAL IPA – 11 ENTRIES

1st Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Central City Imperial IPA – The Central City Brew Crew

2nd Place – Phillips Brewing Co. – Amnesiac Double IPA

3rd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – The Hopnitist – Graham With

STRONG – 8 ENTRIES

1st Place – Central City Brewers and Distillers – Thor’s Hammer – The Central City Brew Crew

2nd Place – Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Vow of Silence – Graham With

3rd Place – Townsite Brewing – Biere d’Hiver – Cedric Dauchot

CBC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Powell Street Craft Brewery – Whiskey Porter

DAN SMALL HOMEBREW AWARD

1st Place – John Folinsbee

2nd Place – Takashi Guenette

3rd Place – Adam Crandall