THE BREWSPAPER / 14 BEER CUP MEDALS FOR SAN DIEGO BREWERS

TEAM AMPLIFIED--Winners of Category 1 in the 2016 World Beer Cup held in Philadelphia last month, jubilant employees of Amplified Ale Works of Pacific Beach, pose on the victory podium with co-founder Alex Pierson (far right).

GUEST BLOG—By Ryan Lamb, Editor-in-Chief, WestCoastersd.com--Local brewers while in Philadelphia earlier this month for the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). Every two years, CBC culminates with the World Beer Cup awards. Dubbed “The Most Prestigious Beer Competition in the World” and “The Olympics of Beer” San Diegans took home 14 major awards this year and 11 awards at 2014’s rendition.

This year, 1,907 breweries representing 55 countries participated with 6,596 entries in 96 categories. 253 judges from 31 countries — assisted by 155 volunteers — determined the winners.

14 awards were presented to San Diegans:

GOLD

--Amplified Ale Works – Whammy Bar Wheat – Category 1 (American-Style Wheat Beer)

--Breakwater – Rye Dawn – Category 13 (Rye Beer)

--Fall Brewing – Bourbon Barrel Aged Jinx Remover – Category 26 (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer)

--Monkey Paw – Ashes from the Grave – Category 31 (Smoke Beer) – Editor’s Note: This beer began as an annual collaboration w/ Bill Batten from AleSmith (now brewer at Mikkeller SD)

--Mike Hess – Claritas – Category 49 (German-Style Koelsch)

SILVER

--Mother Earth – End of Summer Beer – Category 70 (Extra Special Bitter)

--AleSmith –  Wee Heavy – Category 78 (Scotch Ale)

--Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits – Piper Down – Category 82 (Irish-Style Red Ale)

--Thorn Street – December Nights – Category 92 (Imperial Red Ale)

BRONZE

--Legacy – That Guava Beer – Category 3 (Fruit Beer)

--Ballast Point Scripps Ranch – Pumpkin Down – Category 6 (Pumpkin Beer)

--Toolbox – Bramble on Rose – Category 28 (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer)

--New English –  Brewers Special Brown Ale – Category 73 (English-Style Brown Ale)

--NOVO Brazil – Corvo Negro – Category 79 (British-Style Imperial Stout)