After the opening series at Petco Park, wherein this native San Diegan’s beloved Friars failed to score a single run against the Dodgers, it’s hard to even type the letters LA. But fortunately, I have a very positive reason to do so thanks to the Los Angeles International Beer Competition, the results of which were recently posted. Numerous San Diego breweries garnered awards, proving that, while we still can’t get a hit off Clayton Kershaw, SD has plenty going for it where brewing is concerned.
San Diego County-based breweries brought home 43 medals in 96 diverse beer categories. Certain breweries just plain cleaned up. And they’re not the larger, better-known interests you might have expected. For instance, the brewery to win the most medals was Miramar’s small (but expanding) Intergalactic Brewing Company. That space-themed operation amassed 10 medals (two of which were gold), while Mike Hess Brewing Company took five, Sorrento Valley’s New English Brewing Company nabbed four and San Marcos-based Rip Current Brewing Company further solidified its reputation for quality beer across many styles with five medals, including a gold for its Breakline Bock, which won that same award at last year’s Great American Beer Festival.
Among all of the hundreds of beers submitted, Council Brewing Company’s Gaderian, a Brettanomyces-spiked, barrel-aged English-style old ale, took Best of Show honors. The Kearny Mesa nanobrewery also won two of the three spots—silver and bronze—in the American-style Brett Ale category for its newly released Les Saisons and Nicene, respectively, and notched another silver with the cherry version of its Beatitude Tart Saison. A full list of the winners from this year’s competition is included below.
Best of Show
- Gaderian, Council Brewing Co. (Old Ale or Strong Ale)
Gold Medals
- Breakline Bock, Rip Current Brewing Co. (Bock)
- Brewers Special Brown Ale, New English Brewing Co. (English-style Brown Ale)
- Gaderian, Council Brewing Co. (Old Ale or Strong Ale)
- Horchata Golden Stout, Border X Brewing Co. (Experimental Beer)
- Kona Storm, Rip Current Brewing Co. (Coffee Beer)
- Maiden Voyage, Mission Brewery (German-style Sour Ale)
- Mosaic Session IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. (Session Beer)
- Mighty Joe Young, Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery (American-style Stout)
- Passion Fruit Kicker, Green Flash Brewing Co. (Fruit Wheat Beer)
- Red Shirt #30 English Pale Ale, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Ordinary or Special Bitter)
- Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. (Irish-style Red Ale)
- Shut Up Wesley Wheat, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (American-style Wheat Beer)
- Umbrix, Mike Hess Brewing Co. (Imperial Stout)
Silver Medals
- Astro Amber Ale, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Scottish-style Ale)
- Barrel-Aged Zumbar, New English Brewing Co. (Wood- & Barrel-aged Strong Stout)
- Beatitude Cherry Tart Saison, Council Brewing Co. (Belgian-style Fruit Beer)
- Black Lagoon Scottish Strong, Rip Current Brewing Co. (Scotch Ale)
- Body Surfing Blonde, Rip Current Brewing Co. (Belgian- & French-style Ale)
- Galactober Fest, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (German-style Marzen)
- Good News Everyone!, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (
- Grapefruit Solis IPA, Mike Hess Brewing Co., (American-style Fruit Beer)
- Les Saisons (Spring), Council Brewing Co. (American-style Brett Ale)
- Main St, Mother Earth Brew Co. (English-style Summer Ale)
- My Other Vice, Mike Hess Brewing Co. (German-style Sour Ale)
- Orion’s Stout, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Oatmeal Stout)
- Pepper Magna Cucurbita, Mike Hess Brewing Co. (Chili Pepper Beer)
- Poppycock! ESB, 2Kids Brewing Co. (Extra Special Bitter) – no gold medal awarded
- Red Shirt #44 Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Chocolate Beer)
- Space Oasis Coconut Porter, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Field Beer)
- The Peach Around, Legacy Brewing Co.
Bronze Medals
- Buckshot Biere de Garde, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. (Belgian- & French-style Ale)
- Dia de los Serranos, Green Flash Brewing Co. (Chili Pepper Beer)
- Dragoon, New English Brewing Co. (Double Red Ale)
- Frontside Foreign Extra Stout, Rip Current Brewing Co. (Foreign-style Stout)
- Gatling Gun, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. (Imperial Stout)
- Habitus IPA, Mike Hess Brewing Co., (Rye Beer)
- Helles, Lightning Brewery (Mnich-style Helles)
- Krystal Weizen, Mission Brewery (German-style Wheat Ale)
- Nicene, Council Brewing Co. (American-style Brett Ale)
- Red Shirt #38 Cucumber Grapefruit White IPA, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Fruit Beer)
- Scripps Pier Stout, Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery (Oatmeal Stout)
- Shock Bock, Intergalactic Brewing Co. (Bock)
- Why Not Wheat, New English Brewing Co. (American-style Wheat Beer)
Honorable Mention
- Ashes from the Grave, Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery./AleSmith Brewing Co. (Smoke Beer)