Sweetwater Brewing of Atlanta was named Grand National Champion at the 2012 U.S. Open Beer Championships in Atlanta.
Sweetwater received the title by winning three gold, three silver, and a bronze meda at the competition, which was sponsored by Beer Connoisseur Magazine and BeerInfo.com. Boston Beer Co., makers of Samuel Adams, took second place honors, and last year’s winner, Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Ore., took third.
For the first time in the competiton’s three years, a group of home-brewers won a gold medal. The winning group, which took honors in the barley wine category, included Michael Habrat, Chris Bartik, Brett Goldstock, and Suzy Pessutti. all of San Diego
“This competition is significant because it accepts entries from breweries around the world and allows national winning home-brews to compete,” Dow Scoggins, director of the championships., said in announcement.
The competition included professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers. More than 1,650 beers in 65 categories were judged.
The list of top winners included Ontario, Canada’s Niagara College Teaching Brewery, which finished 6th, winning 2 golds and 2 silvers. The brewery also sells its ales and lagers through local stores and restaurants. This year, more than 20 international breweries competed. Breweries from Canada, Belgium, Iceland, Germany, Mexico, and England medaled.
Competing beers were judged in 65 different beer style categories. In addition to beer style awards, prizes also were awarded in such categories as organic beer, gluten-free beer, session beer and root beer.
This year’s judges were from England, Canada and the United States.
The top 10 breweries based on the number of beers placing first (3 points), second (2 points) or third (1 point) were:
1. Sweetwater Brewing, Atlanta, Ga.
2. Boston Beer Co., Boston, Mass.
3. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.
4. Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Fla.
5. Black Tooth Brewing, Sheridan, Wyo.
6. Niagara College, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
7. Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Ore.
8. Sprecher Brewing, Glendale, Wisc.
9. Morgan Street Brewing, St. Louis, Mo.
10. Maui Brewing, Lahaina, Hawaii
Judge’s Awards for the top 10 most creative beer names also were presented. The winning names were:
1. Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
2. Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout
3. Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale
4. When Helles Freezes Over Munchner Helles
5. Nude Beach Summer Wheat
6. Phlux Capacitor Strong Ale
7. Smokey the Bear Rauch
8. Honey, I can explain Ale
9. Hazed & Infused Dry Hopped Ale
10. Rudolph’s Red Nose Barley Wine
Below you’ll find the complete list of winners (without the spelling errors we found in the press release) and links to each of the winners:
2012 United States Open Medal Winners
Golden or Blonde ale
Gold: Metolius River Yellow Sally Blonde Ale, World Brews
Silver: Sweetwater 420, Sweetwater Brewing
Bronze: Golden Feather Extra Pale Ale, Feather Falls Casino Brewing
English Summer Ale
Gold: Twilight Ale, Deschutes Brewery
Silver: First Draft Ale, Niagara College
Silver: Sisters of the Moon, Mother Earth Brewing
English Pale Ale
Gold: Hurricane Reef Pale Ale, Florida Beer Co.
Silver: Schooner Pale Ale, Port Jeff Brewing Co.
Bronze: Hooligan English Pale Ale, Sprecher Brewing
IPA
Gold: Inversion IPA – Deschutes Brewery
Silver Full Sail IPA, Full Sail Brewing
Bronze: Naughty Native IPA, Feather Falls Casino Brewing
Bronze: Buzzsaw IPA, Arbor Brewing
Imperial IPA
Gold: Humulo Nimbus, Sound Brewery
Silver: Hopasaurs Rex, Steelhead Brewing
Bronze: Pugsley’s Signature Series XXXX, Shipyard Brewing
Bronze: Incredible Hop Imperial IPA, Fort Collins Brewery
Bitter
Gold: Butler’s Bitter, Niagara College
Silver: Arkell Best Bitter, Wellington County Brewing
Bronze: Neustadt Bitter, Neustadt Brewing
ESB
Gold: Bitch Creek ESB, Grand Teton Brewing
Silver: Stone Pale Ale, Stone Brewing
Bronze: Crown Jewels ESB, David Motter (homebrewer)
English Mild Ale
Gold: Taps Mild Ale, Tapps Brewing
Silver: Bear Ass Brown, Silverton Brewing
Bronze: Original, Box Car Brewing
English Brown Ale
Gold: Samuel Adams Hazel Brown, Boston Beer Co.
Silver: Tilburg’s Dutch Brown, Konlingshoeven
Bronze: Saddle Bronc Brown, Black Tooth Brewing
Porter
Gold: LoneRider DeadEye Jack, LoneRider Brewing
Silver: Exodus Porter, Sweetwater Brewing
Bronze: Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery
Stout
Gold: Stumpy Ridge Stout, Black Tooth Brewing
Silver: Happy Ending, Sweetwater Brewing
Bronze: Jefferson Stout, Lazy Magnolia Brewing
Oatmeal Stout
Gold: Buffalo Sweat Stout, Tallgrass Brewing
Silver: Alaskan Stout, Alaskan Brewing Co.
Bronze: Young’s Oatmeal Stout, Wells & Young’s Ltd.
Imperial Stout
Gold: Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Brewing
Silver: Arcadia Imperial Stout, Arcadia Brewing
Bronze: Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout, Nickel Brook Beers
Old Ale
Gold: Sweetwater 15, Sweetwater Brewing
Silver: Iron Duke, Wellington County Brewing
Bronze: Fuller’s Vintage Ale, Fuller Smith & Turner
Barley Wine
Gold: Nevral Rust – Michael Habrat, Chris Bartik, Brett Goldstock, Suzy Pessutti (homebrewers)
Silver: Church on a Hill, Cigar City Brewing
Bronze: Cerial Killer, Arcadia Brewing
Scottish Ale
Gold: Bomber Mountain Amber, Black Tooth Brewing
Silver:Wee Heavy, Maui Brewing
Bronze: Scottish Pale Ale, Neustadt Brewing
Strong Scottish Ale
Gold: Loch Down, Arcadia Brewing
Silver: Old Chub Scotch Ale, Oskar Blues
Bronze: Harvest Ale, 16 Mile Brewing
Irish Red Ale
Gold: Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale. Boston Beer Co.
SIilver: Grizzly Red, Big Bear Brewing
Bronze: Irish Red Ale, Four Horsemen Brewing
American Amber / Red
Gold: Epicenter Amber, San Tan Brewing
Silver: Red Banshee, Fort Collins Brewery
Bronze: Kentucky Ale, Alltech Lexington Brewing
Bronze: Metolius Amber Ale, World Brews
American Pale Ale
Gold: Roadside Pale Ale, Mother Road Brewing
Silver: Sweatgrass APA, Grand Teton Brewing
Bronze: Devils Ale, San Tan Brewing
American IPA
Gold: Sweetwater IPA, Sweetwater Brewing
Silver: Bootjack IPA , Icicle Brewing
Bronze: Deviant Dale’s IPA, Oskar Blues Brewing
American Brown Ale
Gold: Fresh Sticky Nogs, Sweetwater Brewing
Silver: Savannah Brown, Coastal Empire Brewing
Bronze: 10W30 Brown Ale, Neustadt Brewing
Bronze: Flashback India Brown Ale, Boulder Beer Co.
German Alt
Gold: Samuel Adams Boston Ale, Boston Beer Co.
Silver: Alt, Kent Shultz (homebrewer)
Bronze: Frankenheim Alt, Privatbrauerei Frankenheim
German Kolsch
Gold: Polar Light, Big Bear Brewing
Silver: Kentucky Light, Alltech Lexington Brewing
Bronze: Khos Kolsch, Icicle Brewing
German Wheat
Gold: Tucher Kristall Weizen, Tucher Brau
Silver: Bayern Dragon’s Breath, Bayern Brewing
Bronze: Bayern Face Plant, Bayern Brewing
German Hefeweizen
Gold: EOS Hefeweizen – Nebraska Brewing
Silver: Ayinger Ur-Weisse, Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying
Bronze: Shell’s Hefeweizen, August Schell Brewing
French / Belgian Saison Ale
Gold: Red Hare Saison, Red Hare Brewing
Silver: Raspberry Saison, Stevens Point Brewing
Bronze: Golden Cap, New Holland Brewing
French / Belgian Ale
Gold: St. Feuillian Tripple, Brasserie St. Feuillien
Silver: Tripel Karmeliet, Brouwerij Bosteels
Bronze: La Trappe Tripl, Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven
Belgian Abbey Ale
Gold: Belgian Tripel, Sound Brewing
Silver: Belle Star, Lone Rider Brewing
Bronze: Velvet Rooster, Tallgrass Brewing
Belgian Lambic
Gold: The Dissident, Deschutes Brewery
Silver: Samuel Adams American Kriek, Boston Beer Co.
Bronze: Sprecher Kriek Lambic, Sprecher Brewing Co.
Belgian Witbier
Gold: Witty, Chameleon Brewing
Silver: La Perouse White, Maui Brewing
Bronze: Fu Man Brew, Monday Night Brewing
American Light
Gold: Kraftig Light, William K. Busch Brewing
Silver: Schell Light- August Schell Brewing
Bronze: Evans Light Lager, Evans Brewing Co.
American Lager / Pilsener
Gold: Bruce County Lager, Neustadt Brewing
Silver: Cable Car Lager,World Brews
Bronze: Tiger Crystal, Tiger Brewing
American Premium Lager
Gold: Session Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing
Silver: Special Lager, Stevens Point Brewing
Bronze: Evans Original Lager, Evans Brewing
American Amber/California Common
Gold: Southern Lager, FullSteam Brewing
Silver: Firebrick, August Schell Brewing
Bronze: Winter Skål, Capital Brewery
Bohemian Pilsener
Gold: Golden Pilsner, Morgan Street
Silver: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Boston Beer Co.
Bronze: Red Hook Pilsner, Red Hook Brewing
Geman Lager / Pilsener
Gold: Cameron’s Lager, Cameron’s Brewing Co.
Silver: Soaring Eagle Pilsner – Feathers Falls Casino Brewing
Bronze: Bayern Pilsner, Bayern Brewing
Munchner Helles
Gold: Helenboch Beer, Niagara College
Silver: When Helles Freezes Over. Morgan Street Brewing
Bronze: Full Sail LTD 3, Full Sail Brewing
Munchner Dunkel / Dark
Gold: -Session Black Permium Dark Lager, Full Sail Brewing
Silver: Capital Dark, Capital Breweing
Bronze: Winter Brew, Sprecher Brewing
Marzen / Oktoberfest
Gold: Dirty Face Amber, Icicle Brewing
Silver: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston Beer Company
Bronze: Point Octoberfest, Stevens Point Brewing
Schwarzbier
Gold: Black Bavarian, Sprecher Brewing
Silver: B3K, Wynkoop Brewing
Bronze: Land Ho!, Heavy Seas Brewing
BronzeL Ligero, Cigar City Brewing
Bock
Gold: Bayern Maibock, Bayern Brewing
Silver: Capital Mai Bock, Capital Brewery
Bronze: Bucking Bock, Rahr & Sons Brewing
Dopple / Strong Bock
Gold: Sprecher Dopple Bock, Sprecher Brewing
Silver: Regulator, Rahr & Sons Brewing
Bronze: Deviator, Cameron’s Brewing
American Cream Ale
Gold: Cameron’s Cream Ale, Cameron’s Brewing
Silver: El Toro Cream Ale, Fullsteam Brewing
Bronze: Hop Cream , Capital Brewery
American Wheat
Gold: Honey Wheat Lager, Morgan Street brewing
Silver: Indian Summer, Lazy Magnolia Brewing
Bronze: White Water Wheat, Grand Canyon Brewing
American Specialty Wheat
Gold: Tallgrass Halcyon, Tallgrass Brewing
Silver: Haystack Wheat, Left Hand Brewing
Bronze: Circus Boy, Magic Hat Brewing
Fruit / Vegetable beer
Gold: Samuel Smith’s Apricot Ale, Samuel Smith’s Brewing
Silver: Sobre Humano Palena’ole – Maui Brewing/Jolly Pumpkin
Bronze: Mandarin Gold, Big Island Brewhaus
Bronze: Spring IPA with Kumquats, Fullsteam Brewing
Herb and Spice beer
Gold: Yule 2011, La Cervecería Calavera
Silver: Coconut Porter, Maui Brewing
Bronze: Fire Side Chat, 21st Amendment Brewing
Bronze: White Mountain Porter, Big Island Brewhaus
Chocolate / Cocoa Beer
Gold: Honahpu’s Impertial Stout, Cigar City Brewing
Silver: Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, Boston Beer Co.
Bronze: Banana Split Chocolate Stout, Thomas Creek Brewery
Coffee Beer
Gold: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing
Silver: Espresso Porter, South Street Brewing
Bronze: Drip Dry Coffee Stout, Maui Brewing
Baltic Porter
Gold: Kalevipoeg Baltic Porter, Cigar City Brewing
Silver: Black Eagle Porter, Black Tooth Brewing
Bronze: Big George, Icicle Brewing
Rye/Roggen
Gold: Rich and Dan’s Rye IPA, Harpoon Brewing
Silver: Rye Pale Ale – South Street Brewing
Bronze: Emerald Rye ,August Shell Brewing
Wood / Barrel aged beer
Gold: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Alltech Lexington Brewing
Silver: Innis & Gunn Original, Innis & Gunn
Bronze: Barrel Aged Porter, Port Jeff Brewing
Wood / Barrel aged strong beer
Gold: Utopias 2011, Boston Beer Co.
Silver: Bertwell Barrel Aged Barley Wine, Niagara College
Bronze: 2010 Old Guardian Barley Wine, Stone Brewing
Smoked / Rauch beer
Gold: Lava Smoked Imperial Stout, Olvisholt Brugghus
Silver: Samuel Adams Cinder Block ,Boston Beer Co.
BronzeL Smokey the Bear, Big Bear Brewing
Specialty / Anything Goes
Gold: Honey, I Can Explain,South Street Brewing
Silver: Golden Sabbath – Big Island Brewing
Bronze: Allies Win the War, 21st Amendment Brewing
BronzeL Leviathan Red Squared, Harpoon Brewing
Out of Bounds Pale Ale
Gold: Silverback Pale Ale, Wynkoop Brewing
Silver: Headstock IPA, Nickel Brook Beers
BronzeL Indian Paintbrush Ale, Black Tooth Brewing
Best of Show Organic
Gold: Foret Organic, Brasserie Dupont
Silver: Baba, Uinta Brewing
Bronze: OB1, Snake River Brewing
Bronze: Steemer Summer, Orlando Brewing
Gluten Free
Gold: Brunehaut Amber, Brunehaut Brewing
Silver: Brunehaut Blond, Brunehaut Brewing
Bronze: Gluten Free, Nickel Brook Beers
Experimental
Gold: Orange Avenue Wit, Coronado Brewing
Silver: Chocolate Orange IPA,Thomas Creek Brewing
Bronze: Anniversay Ale, Terrapin Beer Co.
Session Beer
Gold: Bitter American, 21st Amendment Brewing
Silver: Easy Rider,Terrapin Beer Co.
Bronze: Samuel Adams Belgian Session Ale, Boston Beer Co.
American Black Ale
Gold: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Stone Brewing
Silver: Back in Black, 21st Amendment
Bronze: Hop in the Dark, Deschutes Brewery
Bronze: Dubhe, Uinta Brewing
Baltic Porter
Gold: Kalevipoeg Porter, Cigar City Brewing
Silver: Black Eagle Porter, Black Tooth Brewing
Bronze: Big George, Icicle Brewing
Wood Barrel Aged Sour
Gold: Window Pane Blackberry, Mother Earth Brewing
Silver: Framboozled, Arbor Brewing
Bronze: Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red, Boston Beer Co.
Wood Barrel Imperial Stout
Gold: Love Craft Beer, Cervecería Calavera
Silver: Dragon’s Milk – New Holland Brewing
Bronze: Black Betty Imperial Stout – Nebraska Brewing
Bronze: Silent Night Imperial Stout – Mother Earth Brewing
Root Beer
Gold: Saranac Root Beer, F.X. Matt Brewing
Silver: Mount Angel Root Beer, Mt. Angel Brewing
Bronze: Permium Root Beer, Stevens Point Brewing
Bronze Steelhead Root beer, Steelhead Brewing