American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
(Photo courtesy Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild)
Minnesota has a vibrant craft beer scene that deserves national attention. And on March 22 the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild celebrated the state’s “best beers of the year” and we’ve all the big winners for you.
This year’s Brewers Cup Competition evaluated 450+ beers from over 90 Minnesota breweries and brewpubs.
Submissions in 23 style categories were blind-tasted by 30 beer judges and the top three awarded. Guild members also voted for Best Member Volunteer, Outstanding Allied Trade Member, Best Collaboration Beer, Best Art & Design, and Most Innovative Brewery this year, which is kinda cool.
Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Surly Brewing took Best in Show for its Axe Man IPA followed by Arbeiter Brewing (Tokki) and Summit Brewing (Sága Imperial IPA).
And here are all of this year’s big winners…
Best in Show
1st Place: Surly Brewing Co, Axe Man IPA
2nd Place: Arbeiter Brewing Company, Tokki
3rd Place: Summit Brewing Company, Sága Imperial IPA
Hard Seltzer
1st Place: Sunken Ship Brewing Company, Minimum Wake
2nd Place: Wooden Hill Brewing Company, The Mule
3rd Place: Chanhassen Brewing Company, Lake Ann – Wild Strawberry & Hibiscus Hard Seltzer
Specialty Beers
1st Place: Indeed Brewing Company, Mexican Honey Imperial Lager
2nd Place: Gambit Brewing Co, Backwoods Lullaby
3rd Place: Wooden Ship Brewing Company, I Have Achieved My Final Form
Wood-Aged Beers
1st Place: Bad Weather Brewing Company, Calamity
2nd Place: Canal Park Brewing Co., Night Trekker Baltic Porter – Barrel Aged
3rd Place: Locale Brewing Co., 2023 Anniversary
Spice, Herb, & Vegetable Beers
1st Place: Big Axe Brewing Company Llc, Coffee Toffee Blonde
2nd Place: Lupulin Brewing Company, Doppelbock
3rd Place: Badger Hill Brewing, Badger Snack Peanut Butter Milk Stout
Fruit & Spice Beers
1st Place: Third Street Brewhouse, Mn Micro Peach
2nd Place: Venn Brewing Company, Cosmosis Tropical Clusterfruit
3rd Place: Thousand Lakes Brewing Company, Llc, Sassy Redhead
Wild, Sour, & Funky Ales
1st Place: Uncommon Loon Brewing Company, Hang Tang
2nd Place: Locale Brewing Co., Scarletta
3rd Place: Inver Grove Brewing Company, Golden Hour Calamansi Sour
Strong Beers
1st Place: Summit Brewing Company, Sága Imperial IPA
2nd Place: Bear Cave Brewing, Long Slumber
3rd Place: Imminent Brewing, Yeastern Bloc
Belgian & Monastic Ales
1st Place: Gambit Brewing Co, Zizou French Farmhouse Ale
2nd Place: Lakeville Brewing Co., Llc, Squad Goals
3rd Place: Falling Knife Brewing Company, Bokkenridjer
American Amber, Brown & Pale Ales
1st Place: Canal Park Brewing Co., Nut Hatchet Brown Ale
2nd Place: Dual Citizen Brewing Company, River Town Brown
3rd Place: Surly Brewing Co, Mosh Pit Juicy Pale Ale
Stouts
1st Place: Thousand Lakes Brewing Company, Llc, Breakfast For Supper
2nd Place: Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Dry Irish Stout
3rd Place: Padraigs Brewing, Padraigs Honey Almond Stout
English Brown Ales & Porters
1st Place: Back Channel Brewing, Jug
2nd Place: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Shire Mild
3rd Place: Bucks Mill Brewing, Mill Pond Porter
English, Scottish, & Irish Ales
1st Place: Locale Brewing Co., Hibernale
2nd Place: Ursa Minor Brewing, Equanimity
3rd Place: Summit Brewing Company, Extra Pale Ale
Double & Specialty IPAs
1st Place: Rapids Brewing Company, Chefs Bubbly Brut
2nd Place: Venn Brewing Company, Chronicopia
3rd Place: Invictus Brewing Company, Flying Ninja Monkeys Black IPA
Hazy IPAs
1st Place: Ursa Minor Brewing, Galactic Face Slap
2nd Place: Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, Lil Haze
3rd Place: Omni Brewing Company, Fad
American IPAs
1st Place: Surly Brewing Co, Axe Man IPA
2nd Place: Fulton Brewing, Hop Kingdom 300 IPA
3rd Place: Luce Line Brewing Co., New Zealand Joy Ride
German Ales
1st Place: Blacklist Brewing Co, Hefe Royale
2nd Place: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Little Düssel Do Ya
3rd Place: Dual Citizen Brewing Company, Elbow Bender
German & Nz Pils & Export Lagers
1st Place: Arbeiter Brewing Company, Haha Pils
2nd Place: Summit Brewing Company, Twins Pils
3rd Place: Venn Brewing Company, Venn Pils
Czech Lagers
1st Place: Utepils Brewing Co, Loonar Eclipse
2nd Place: Stormking Brewpub and Barbecue, Czech-Mate
3rd Place: Brau Brothers Brewing Co, Llc, Thresher Bohemia Style Pilsner
Dark Lagers
1st Place: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Doppelbock
2nd Place: Shakopee Brew Hall, Vincent Van Goat
3rd Place: Schells Brewery, Bock
Amber Lagers
1st Place: Rapids Brewing Company, She Gone Rye Lager
2nd Place: Talking Waters Brewing Co., Lac Qui Parle Lager
3rd Place: Wooden Ship Brewing Company, Vienna Lager
German & International Pale Lagers
1st Place: Arbeiter Brewing Company, Tokki
2nd Place: Wooden Ship Brewing Company, Lady Of The (Brew)House
3rd Place: Imminent Brewing, Heywood Helles
American Blonde, Wheat, & Cream Ales
1st Place: Mineral Springs Brewery, Cinder Hill Cream Ale
2nd Place: Shakopee Brew Hall, Cinco De Shako
3rd Place: Ursa Minor Brewing, Constellation Cream
American Lagers
1st Place: Brau Brothers Brewing Co, Llc, Old 56 Light Beer
2nd Place: Third Street Brewhouse, Mn Gold Light
3rd Place: Falling Knife Brewing Company, Tomm’s
(Special Awards)
Best Member Volunteer – Ashley Hauf, MNCBG Board President
Outstanding Allied Trade Member – ABV Technology
Best Art and Design – Arbeiter Brewing Company
Best Collaboration Beer – Wooden Ship and Team Nevertheless – “Lady Of The (Brew)House”
Most Innovative Brewery – Modist Brewing
###
Congratulations to all this year’s winners…Live long and prosper!
