Winners Announced From 2013 U.S. Open Beer Championship

Atlanta, GA- Breweries from around the world sent in more than 2500 beers representing 68 different categories for the 2013 U.S. Open Beer Championship, the only brewery competition to include professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers. Judges from England, Canada and the United States announced the winners this week, noting that “The Dairy State” could earn a new moniker, “The Beer State,” based on how well Wisconsin beers fared in the national event. The oldest brewery in the United States and the oldest brewery in the world also medaled.

Capital Brewery out of Middleton, Wisconsin, was named Grand National Champion, winning three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Last year’s champion, Sweetwater Brewing out of Atlanta, took second, and one of the nation’s oldest breweries, Stevens Point Brewing in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, took third.

Last year’s gold medal winners at the AHA National Homebrew Competition were invited to compete, and homebrewers won a record 4 medals at the U.S. Open. Gautam Bagchi from Ohio won a silver medal for his Barky Pilsner while Kelsey McNair, Mark Girard and Andrew Mitchell took home bronze medals for their beers.

“This competition is significant because it accepts entries from breweries around the world and allows national winning homebrewers to compete,” said Dow Scoggins, director of the U.S. Open Beer Championships. “We’re excited that one of the oldest craft breweries in the United States won. Capital Brewery was founded in 1984, when only a handful of craft breweries existed in America. On the other hand, the oldest brewery in world, Weihenstephaner, founded in 1050, won Gold and Silver Medals in the German Wheat category.

This year, more than 20 international breweries from Canada, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Columbia, Sweden, Finland and England medaled in the competition.

Other “winners” benefitting from The U.S. Open Beer Championship were the Norcross Fury Soccer Club and Collins Hill High School in the Atlanta area, which received hundreds of ice packs used to pack and deliver U.S. Open beer entries.

Sponsors of this year’s U.S. Open are The Beer Connoisseur magazine, a leading consumer educator of the beer industry, and BeerInfo.com, the leading craft brewery news website.

Top 10 Breweries 2013
The top 10 breweries based on the number of beers placing first (3 points), second (2 points) or third (1 points) are:

Capital Brewery – Middleton, Wisconsin
Sweetwater Brewing – Atlanta, Georgia
Stevens Point Brewing – Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Neustadt Springs Brewing – Neustadt, Ontario
Big Island Brewhaus – Waimea, Hawaii
Reuben’s Brews – Seattle, Washington
Nebraska Brewing – Papillion, Nebraska
Mother Earth Brewing – Kinston, North Carolina
Fullsteam Brewing – Durham, North Carolina
Oskar Blues Brewery – Longmont, Colorado
The judges also named a “Judges Award” for the top ten “Most Creative Names.” Among the favorites:

Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus – Sawdust City
Brew Free! Or Die IPA – 21st Amendment
Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout – Wynkoop Brewing
The Abyss – Deschutes Brewery
Bitch’n Camaro – Sun King Brewing
Naked Pig Pale Ale – Back Forty Brewing
Triple Lindy – Big Bear Brewing
Mass Whole Hefe Weizen – Wormtown Brewing
Hotter than Helles – Cigar City Brewing
Octopus Ink – Pike Brewing
Honorable mention goes to homebrewer, Mark Girard for Cntl-Alt-Delete Alt. Two of the directors of the U.S. Open have Computer Science degrees.

2013 United States Open Medal Winners

Golden or Blonde ale
GOLD – Honey Badger – Appalachian Brewing – North Carolina
SILVER – Sweetwater 420 – Sweetwater Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – Shipyard Export Ale – Shipyard Brewing – Maine

English Summer Ale
GOLD – Twilight Ale – Deschutes Brewery – Oregon
SILVER – Summer Pale Ale – Bronx Brewing – New York
SILVER – First Draft Ale – Niagara College – Canada

English Pale Ale
GOLD – Saranac Pale Ale – Saranac Brewing – New York
SILVER – EPA – Four Horsemen Brewing – Indiana
BRONZE – SPA – Wellington County Brewing – Canada

IPA
GOLD – India Pale Ale – Goose Island Brewing – Illinois
GOLD – First Coast IPA – Elevation Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Ethos – Tallgrass Brewing – Kansas

Imperial IPA
GOLD – Nickel Brook Immodest Imperial IPA – Better Bitters Brewing – Canada
SILVER – GUBNA Imperial IPA – Oskar Blues Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Hopulence American Double IPA – Wormtown Brewing – Massachusetts

Bitter
GOLD – True Britt – Lonerider Brewing – North Carolina
SILVER – Arkell Best Bitter – Wellington County Brewing – Canada
BRONZE – Butler’s Bitter – Niagara College – Ontario

ESB
GOLD – Burnside Stock Ale – Burnside Brewing – Oregon
SILVER – Public Ale – Community Brewing – Texas
BRONZE – Minnesota Special Bitter – Badger Hill Brewing – Minnesota

English Mild Ale
GOLD – Everard – Neustadt Brewing – Ontario
SILVER – Mill Rage Mild – Grand River Brewing – Ontario
BRONZE – X-3134 English-Style Mild-Beer Army Combat Brewery – North Carolina

English Brown Ale
GOLD – Bandit Brown – City Star Brewing – Colorado
SILVER – Southern Pecan – Lazy Magnolia Brewing – Mississippi
BRONZE – Alfred Brown – Peticolas Brewing – Texas

Porter
GOLD – Anniversary Porter – Mother Road Brewery – Arizona
SILVER – Robust Porter – Rueben’s Brews – Washington
BRONZE – Pro-Am Porter – Wormtown Brewing – Massachusetts

Stout
GOLD – Secret Stache Stout – Finch’s Beer Co. – Illinois
SILVER – Happy Ending – Sweetwater Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – Pike 5X Stout – Pike Brewing – Washington

Oatmeal Stout
GOLD – Lord Falconer – Mystic Brewing – Massachusetts
GOLD – Black Jack – Feathers Falls Casino – California
SILVER – Starboard Oatmeal Stout – Port Jeff Brewing – New York
BRONZE – Poet – New Holland Brewing – Michigan

Imperial Stout
GOLD – Nectar Ales Black Xantus – Firestone Walker Brewing – California
SILVER – Giant Slayer – Tri City Brewing – Michigan
BRONZE – Zhukov’s Imperial Stout – Cigar City Brewing – Florida

Old Ale
GOLD – The Gimp – Sweetwater Brewing – Georgia
SILVER – XX Bitch Creek – Grand Teton Brewing – Idaho
BRONZE – Iron Duke – Wellington County Brewing – Ontario

Barley Wine
GOLD – Fathead Barley Wine – Nebraska Brewing – Nebraska
SILVER – 2012 Barley Wine – Mill Street Brewing – Ontario
BRONZE – Up the Creek – Thomas Creek Brewing – South Carolina
BRONZE – Johan the Barleywine – Sun King Brewing – Indiana

Scottish Ale
GOLD – Whole Hog Scotch Ale – Stevens Point Brewing – Wisconsin
SILVER – Scottish Pale Ale – Neustadt Brewing – Ontario
BRONZE – Scotch Ale – Guadalupe Brewing – Texas

Strong Scottish Ale
GOLD – Iron Thistle – Rahr and Sons – Texas
SILVER – Old Chub Scotch Ale – Oskar Blues – Colorado
BRONZE – Great Scot! – Peticolas Brewing – Texas

Irish Red Ale
GOLD – Strike Imperial Red – Strike Brewing – California
SILVER – Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale – Boston Beer Company – Pennsylvania
BRONZE – Single Engine Red – Denali Brewing – Alaska
BRONZE – GRB IRA – Grand River Brewing – Ontario

American Amber / Red
GOLD – Velvet Hammer – Peticolas Brewing – Texas
SILVER – Colorojo – Wynkoop Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Red Giant – Big Island Brewhaus – Hawaii

American Pale Ale
GOLD – Freeride APA – Alaskan Brewing – Alaska
SILVER – Alchemy – Widmer Brewing – Oregon
BRONZE – Cardinal Pale Ale – Nebraska Brewing – Nebraska

American IPA
GOLD – Overboard IPA – Big Island Brewhaus – Hawaii
SILVER – G’Knight – Oskar Blues Brewing – Colorado
SILVER – Torpedo – Sierra Nevada Brewing – California
BRONZE – Pacific Passage IPA – Kelsey McNair

American Brown Ale
GOLD – American Brown – Rueben’s Brewing – Washington
SILVER – Bitch Creek ESB – Grand Teton Brewing – Idaho
SILVER – St. Bernard Brown Ale – Steelhead Brewing – Oregon
BRONZE – Sweet Josie – Lonerider Brewing – North Carolina

American Style Black Ale
GOLD – Captain California Black – Ruhstaller Brewing – California
SILVER – Cowboy in Black – Lonerider Brewing – North Carolina
BRONZE – Back In Black – 21st Amendment Brewing – California

German Alt
GOLD – AMB Common – Appalachian Brewing – North Carolina
SILVER – Ol’ Woody Alt – Sawdust Brewing – Ontario
BRONZE – Ctrl+Alt+Delete – Mark Girard

German Kolsch
GOLD – Full Circle – New Holland – Michigan
SILVER – Khos Kolsch – Icicle Brewing – Washington
BRONZE – Summer Beer – Harpoon Brewing – Massachusetts

German Wheat
GOLD – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – Weihenstephaner – Germany
SILVER – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel – Weihenstephaner – Germany
BRONZE – Sanctum 2013 – Calavera – Mexico
BRONZE – Brewmaster Wheat – Niagara College – Canada

German Hefeweizen
GOLD – EOS Hefeweizen – Nebraska Brewing – Nebraska
SILVER – Mass Whole – Wormtown Brewing – Massachusetts
BRONZE – Sunny Haze – Mother Earth Brewing – North Carolina

French / Belgian Saison Ale
GOLD – Whole Hog Raspberry Saison – Stevens Point Brewing – Wisconsin
SILVER – Belgian Session Ale – Boston Beer Company – Pennsylvania
BRONZE – Savignon Blanc Saison – Mystic Brewing – Massachusetts

French / Belgian Ale
GOLD – Red Headed Stranger – Brasserie Saint James – Nevada
SILVER – Farmhouse Hatter Belgian IPA – New Holland Brewing – Michigan
BRONZE – Barquentine Belgian Pale Ale – Port Jeff Brewing – New York

Belgian Abbey Ale – Dubbel
GOLD – Lustful Maiden – Apocalypse Brewing – Virginia
SILVER – Double Vision – Bastone Brewing – Michigan
BRONZE – Inspiration – Community Beer Company – Texas

Belgian Abbey Ale – Tripel
GOLD – Trippel – South Street Brewing – Virginia
SILVER – Trippel – New Belgium Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Abbey Triple – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin

Belgian Abbey Ale – Quad
GOLD – American Tetrais – Boston Beer Company – Massachusetts
SILVER – Day of Doom – Mystic Brewing – Massachusetts
BRONZE – Apis IV – Elevation Brewing – Colorado

Belgian Lambic
GOLD – Framboise – Lindermans – Merchant Du Vin
SILVER – American Wild Ale – AC Golden – Colorado
BRONZE – Flambouant Wild Red – Arbor Brewing – Michigan

Belgian Witbier
GOLD – Beasley’s Honey White – Fullsteam Brewing – North Carolina
GOLD – Fu Man Brew – Monday Night Brewing – Georgia
SILVER – Witbier – Community Beer Company – Texas
BRONZE – Blance de Namur – Brasserie Du Bocq – Belgium

American Light
GOLD – Kräftig Light – William K Busch Brewing – Missouri
SILVER – Leprechaun Lager – Four Horsemen Brewing – Indiana
BRONZE – Yuengling Light – Yuengling and Son – Pennsylvannia

American Lager / Pilsener
GOLD – Original – Evans Brewing – New York
SILVER – Session – Full Sail Brewing – Oregon
BRONZE – Supper Club – Capital Brewing – Wisconsin

American Premium Lager
GOLD – Florida Lager – Florida Beer Co. – Florida
SILVER – Lager – Neustadt Brewing – Canada
BRONZE – Kraftig Lager – William K Busch Brewing – Missouri

American Amber/California Common
GOLD – Schell FireBrick – August Schell Brewing – Minnesota
SILVER – Wisconsin Amber – Capital Brewery – Wisconsin
BRONZE – Colorado Native – AC Golden – Colorado

Bohemian Pilsener
GOLD – LTD Bohemian Pilsner – Full Sail Brewing – Oregon
SILVER – Hurricane Reef Caribbean Pilsner – Florida Beer – Florida
BRONZE – Mama’s Little Yella Pils – Oskar Blues Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Golden Pilsner – Morgan Brewing – Missouri

Geman Lager / Pilsener
GOLD – Capital Pilsner – Capital Brewery – Wisconsin
SILVER – Barky Pilsner – Gautam Bagchi – Ohio Homebrewer
BRONZE – Schell Pils – August Schell Brewing – Wisconsin

Munchner Helles
GOLD – Lake House – Capital Brewery – Wisconsin
SILVER – Bikini Blonde – Maui Brewing – Hawaii
BRONZE – Helles Lager – Bayern Brewing – Montana

Munchner Dunkel / Dark
GOLD – Capital Dark – Capital Brewery – Wisconsin
SILVER – Dark Cloud – Mother Earth Brewing – North Carolina
BRONZE – Black – Evans Brewing – New York

Marzen / Oktoberfest
GOLD – Adiordack – Saranac Brewing – New York
SILVER – 456 – Neustadt Brewing – Canada
BRONZE – Sam Adams Octoberfest – Boston Beer Company – Pennsylvania

Schwarzbier
GOLD – Black Bavarian – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin
SILVER – Point 2012 – Stevens Point Brewing – Wisconsin
BRONZE – Black Lager – Boston Beer Company – Massachusetts

Bock
GOLD – Maibock – Morgan Brewing – Missouri
SILVER – Maibock – Bayern Brewing – Montana
BRONZE – MaiBock – Capital Brewing – Wisconsin

Dopple / Strong Bock
GOLD – Dwarskopke! – Dirk Dennemann – Germany
SILVER – Double Vision Dopple – Grand Teton Brewing – Idaho
BRONZE – The Regulator – Rahr and Son – Texas

American Cream Ale
GOLD – Cream Ale – Cameron’s Brewing – Canada
SILVER – Ta Ta Cream Ale – Cherry Street Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – Schell Deer Brand – August Schell Brewing – Minnesota

American Wheat
GOLD – Nude Beach – Stevens Point Brewery – Wisconsin
SILVER – Indian Summer – Lazy Magnolia – Mississippi
BRONZE – White Hatter – New Holland Brewing – Michigan

American Specialty Wheat
GOLD – Halcyon Wheat – Tallgrass Brewing – Kansas
SILVER – A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale – Lagunitas Brewing – California
BRONZE – Baaad Boy Black Wheat – 3 Sheeps Brewing – Wisconsin

Fruit / Vegetable beer
GOLD – Maui CoCoNut PorTeR – Maui Brewing Company – Hawaii
SILVER – Passion Fruit Saison – Brewzzi Brewing – Florida
BRONZE – Son of a Peach – RJ Rockers Brewing Company – South Carolina
BRONZE – Maracuy – Cerveceria Brumar – Columbia

Herb and Spice beer
GOLD – FullSteam Cackalacky Ginger – Fullsteam Brewing – North Carolina
SILVER – White Mountain Porter – Big Island Brewhaus – Hawaii
BRONZE – Hibiscus Saison – Andrew Mitchell

Chocolate / Cocoa Beer
GOLD – Hunahpu’s Impertial Stout – Cigar City Brewing – Florida
SILVER – Chocolate Porter Rabbits Reserve Series – Red Hare Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – Sex Panther Double Chocolate Porter – Santan Brewing – California

Coffee Beer
GOLD – Expresso Imperial Russian Stout – Stone Brewing – California
SILVER – Hello, My Name is Joe – 3 Sheeps Brewing – Wisconsin
BRONZE – Blue Bridge Coffee Stout – Coronado Brewing – California
BRONZE – Coffee Porter – Mill Street Brewing – Canada

Baltic Porter
GOLD – Black Eagle Porter – Black Tooth Brewing – Wyoming
SILVER – Carnegie Porter – Carlsberg Sverige – Sweden
BRONZE – Sinebrychoff Porter – Oy Sinebrychoff – Finland

Rye/Roggen
GOLD – LowRyeDer – Sweetwater Brewing – Georgia
SILVER – Rastafa Rye – Blue Point Brewing – New York
BRONZE – Timber Beast – Lazy Magnolia Brewing – Mississippi

Wood / Barrel aged beer
GOLD – Sodibo – Arbor Brewing – Michigan
SILVER – Black Butte XXIV – Deschutes Brewery – Oregon
BRONZE – Savannah Brown Barrel Age- Coastal Empire Beer Co. – Georgia

Wood / Barrel aged strong beer
GOLD – 1314 – Black Tooth Brewing – Wyoming
SILVER – Utopias 2012 – Boston Beer Company – Massachusetts
BRONZE – Utopias 10th Anniversary – Boston Beer Company – Massachusetts

Wood Barrel Aged Sour
GOLD – Gatlin Damnosaus – Anderson Valley Brewing – California
SILVER – Stupid Sexy Flanders – Sun King Brewing – Indiana
BRONZE – Oak Lactovision – Morgan Brewing – Missouri

Wood Barrel Imperial Stout
GOLD – Kosmonaut – Lake Bluff Brewing – Illinois
SILVER – Long Dark Voyage to Uranus – Sawdust Brewing
SILVER – Silient Night Imperial Stout – Mother Earth Brewing
BRONZE – Black Betty – Nebraska Brewing

Smoked / Rauch beer
GOLD – Cinder Block – Boston Beer Company – Ohio
SILVER – Paka Bock – Big Island Brewhaus – Hawaii
BRONZE – Hogwash Hickory Smoked Brown Porter – Fullsteam Brewing – NC

Aged Beer
GOLD – Auld Heritage – Rueben’s Brewing – Washington
SILVER – 15 – Sweetwater Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – 2012 Great Scott – Peticolas Brewing – Texas

Specialty / Anything Goes
GOLD – Belgo Hoptologist – Knee Deep Brewing – California
SILVER – Smoked Vanilla Gorilla – Red Brick Brewing – Georgia
BRONZE – Golden Sabbath – Big Island Brewhaus – Hawaii

Out of Bounds Pale Ale
GOLD – Our Dark Secret – Moylans Brewing – California
SILVER – Macho – Proof Brewing Company – Florida
BRONZE – Hazed and Infused Pale Ale – Boulder Beer Company – Colorado

Best of Show Organic
GOLD – Organic Strawberry – Samuel Smith’s Brewing – England
SILVER – Bare Scott – Pagosa Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – Doble Imperial IPA – Orlando Brewing – Florida

Gluten Free
GOLD – Buck Wheat Creamy Amber – Dark Hills Brewing – Arkansas
SILVER – Shakdaro – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin
BRONZE – Brunehaut Amber – Brunehaut – Belgium

Experimental
GOLD – Windowpane – Mother Earth Brewing – North Carolina
SILVER – Brown’s Canyon – Elevation Brewing – Colorado
BRONZE – White IPA – Phat Matts Brewing – Oregon

Session Beer
GOLD – Big Wave Golden Ale – Kona Brewing – Hawaii
SILVER – Bitter American – 21st Amendment Brewing – California
BRONZE – Terrapin RecreationAle – Terrapin Beer Co. – Georgia

Root Beer
GOLD – B. Stiff & Sons Root Beer – Oskar Blues Brewing – Colorado
SILVER – Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer – Shipyard Brewing – Maine
BRONZE – Sprecher Root Beer – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin

For more information:
Dow Scoggins
Director: U.S. Open Beer Championship
Phone:334-444-3346
Email: [email protected]