Winners of the San Diego International Beer Festival’s professional brewing competition were released today. A component of the San Diego County Fair’s annual festivities, the competition included entries from across the globe judged by professional beer judges and Southern California brewing professionals in late-April. A total of 68 medals were awarded to San Diego-based breweries. Of that number, 23 were gold, 21 were silver and 24 were bronze.
San Diego breweries won all three medals in eight categories: American-style Red/Amber Ale, Bitter, Bold Stout, Brett and Other Sour Beer, German-style Ale, German-style Weiss, Imperial Stout and Pilsener. Miramar-based AleSmith Brewing Company once again took home Champion Brewery honors behind three medals—a gold and silver in the same category (one of which was awarded to a Scotch ale) and a gold in the Barley Wine category.
The most local medals went to Pizza Port. That brewpub’s Carlsbad brewpub also won a gold and two silvers. Its Ocean Beach arm won two (one gold, one bronze) and Bressi Ranch production brewery earned a silver. The most medals awarded to a single brewery went to San Marcos’ Rip Current Brewing Company and less-than-a-year-old North Park interest Eppig Brewing. Both of those companies earned a gold, silver and two bronzes. San Marcos’ The Lost Abbey and South Park Brewing Company earned three medals apiece, as well. Also impressive was Rip Current winning two of three medals in the German-style Bock category.
The following is a complete list of the winners from this years SDIBF…
Gold Medals
- AleSmith Brewing Old Numbskull, Barley Wine
- AleSmith Brewing Private Stock Ale, British-style Strong Ale
- Bagby Beer Sweet Ride, Pilsener
- Bagby Beer Three Beagles Brown, English-style Brown Ale
- Barrel Harbor Brewing Rungnir, Belgian-style Dark Ale
- Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside) Here Comes Mango! IPA, Fruit Beer
- Burgeon Beer Taking the Biscuit, Bitter
- Council Brewing Magic Factory Lickable Staves, Brett and Other Sour Beer
- Dos Desperados Brewery Blonde Kolsch, German-style Ale
- Duck Foot Brewing Black Leprechaun, Specialty Stout
- Duck Foot Brewing London Calling, Porter
- Eppig Brewing Kottbusser, American Wheat Ale
- Finest Made Ales Imperial Red Ale, Imperial Red Ale
- Karl Strauss Brewing Mosaic Session IPA, Session Beer
- Mason Ale Works Charley Hustle, American-style Amber/Red Ale
- Mike Hess Brewing Umbix, Imperial Stout
- Mother Earth Brew Co. Renown Brown, American-style Brown Ale
- North Park Beer Covington Cream Ale, Golden or Blonde Beer
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad) Z Man, Bold Stout
- Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) Junk In Da Trunkel Dunkel, German-style Weiss
- Prohibition Brewing Hop Chronicles, American-style Strong Pale Ale
- Resident Brewing Golden Kiss, French- and Belgian-style Ale
- Rip Current Brewing Java Storm Coffee Imperial Stout, Coffee Porter and Stout
Silver Medals
- AleSmith Brewing Wee Heavy, British-style Strong Ale
- 2kids Brewing Incredulous Ordinary Bitter, Bitter
- Breakwater Brewing Rye Dawn, Rye Beer
- Burning Beard Get Thee to a Nunnery, Belgian-style Pale Ale
- Coronado Brewing Coastwise, Session Beer
- Eppig Brewing Glitz and Glam, Fruit Beer
- Intergalactic Brewing Shut Up Wesley Wheat, American Wheat Ale
- Karl Strauss Brewing Windansea Wheat, German-style Weiss
- The Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout, Imperial Stout
- The Lost Abbey Veritas 018, Brett and Other Sour Beer
- Mason Ale Works Gunnar Noir, American-style India Black Ale
- Mikkeller San Diego Forste Fodselsdag, Specialty Beer
- Pizza Port (Bressi Ranch) Sharkbite Red Ale, American-style Amber/Red Ale
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad) Kickflip Kolsch, German-style Ale
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad) Today Was a Good Day, Australian/International-style Pale Ale
- Pure Project Brewing Sensei, Pilsener
- Rip Current Brewing Breakline Bock, German-style Bock
- San Diego Brewing Biere Welter Wit, Belgian-style Wit or White Ale
- Second Chance Beer Mulligan Irish Red, Irish-style Red Ale
- South Park Brewing Grassmarket, Scottish-style Ale
- Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station Cimmerian Portal, Bold Stout
Bronze Medals
- Abnormal Beer Tummy Cuddles, Chocolate and Chili Beer
- Amplified Ale Works Barrel-Aged Nyctophobia, Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout
- Ballast Point Brewing Piper Down, Irish-style Red Ale
- Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill Thizz Is What It Is, Imperial India Pale Ale
- Burning Beard Brewing Circle of Hops, American-style Pale Ale
- Coronado Brewing Seacoast Pilsner, American-style Lager
- Council Brewing Magic Factory Broken Wand with Raspberries, Brett and Other Sour Beer
- Culver Beer Tiger Ride, Belgian-style Pale Ale
- Eppig Brewery Natural Bridge Baltic Porter, Porter
- Eppig Brewing Sinister Path, Bold Stout
- Fall Brewing Plenty for All, Pilsener
- Indian Joe Brewing Pineapple Passionfruit Gose, German-style Weiss
- The Lost Abbey Carnevale Ale, French- and Belgian-style Ale
- Mike Hess Brewing Deceptio, American-style India Black Ale
- New English Brewing Barleywine, Barley Wine
- Nickel Beer Devil’s Copper, Rye Beer
- Novo Brazil Brewing Mulata, American-style Amber/Red Ale
- Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) Eyelashes, Belgian-style Pale Strong Ale
- Rip Current Brewing Delaminator Doppelbock, German-style Bock
- Rip Current Brewing Rescue Buoy Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout
- Societe Brewing The Harlot, Hybrid Belgian-style Ale
- South Park Brewing 2 Griffs, Bitter
- South Park Brewing Here N Gone, German-style Ale
- Stone Brewing Delicious IPA, American-style India Pale Ale
The three-day public beer-fest portion of the SDIBF will take place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18. Tickets and information can be found online.