Categories: Beer Awards, Brewery News, British ColumbiaPublished On: December 21, 2011

Author

Derek Hyde

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It was another great year for brewing in BC. This year our brewers managed to take home 1/3 of the Canadian Brewing Awards!

Howe Sound took home 7 awards (more than any other brewery), while Driftwood’s Fat Tug IPA was named ‘Beer of the Year’. Congratulations to all the winners. Here’s the list from BC:

Gold:
Fat Tug IPA, Driftwood Brewing Co.
Hermannator Ice Bock, Vancouver Island Brewery
High County Kolsch, Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.
Sea Dog Amber Ale, Vancouver Island Brewery
Belgian Wit, Granville Island Brewing Co.
Hill’s Special Wheat, Yaletown Brewing Co.
Thor’s Hammer, Central City Brewing Co.
Sap Sucker Maple Porter, Fernie Brewing Co.
Pepper Lime Lager, Dead Frog Brewery
Serendipity #3, Tree Brewing Co.

Silver:
Hermann’s Dark Lager, Vancouver Island Brewery
Navigator Doppelbock, Lighthouse Brewing Co.
Porter, Okanagan Spring Brewery
Harvest Moon Organic Hemp Ale, Nelson Brewing Co.
Scotch Ale, Swans Buckerfields Brewery
Baldwin and Cooper Best Bitter, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Hoppelganger IPA, R&B Brewing Co.
Red Racer Imperial, Central City Brewing Co.
Cypress Honey Lager, Granville Island Brewing Co.
Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Singularity Russian Imperial Stout, Driftwood Brewing Co.
Yaletown Oud Bruin, Yaletown Brewing Co.
Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout, Howe Sound Brewing Co.

Bronze:
Overboard Imperial Pilsner, Lighthouse Brewing Co.
Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale, Tree Brewing Co.
Brewmaster’s Black Lager, Okanagan Spring Brewery
Captivator Doppelbock, Tree Brewing Co.
Howe Sound Lager, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Analog 78, Phillips Brewing Co.
Garibaldi Honey Pale Ale, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Pandora Pale Ale, Swans Buckerfields Brewery
East Side Bitter, R&B Brewing Co.
Woolly Bugger, Howe Sound Brewing Co.
Citra IPA, Dead Frog Brewery
Hop Head Double IPA, Tree Brewing Co.

The BC brewers did well in a couple of international competitions, in addition to receiving a number of readers choice awards from the North West Brewing News:

Best IPA: Driftwood Fat Tug IPA
Best Barley Wine: Central City Thor’s Hammer
Best ESB: Central City Red Racer ESB
Best Herb or Spice Beer: Saltspring Island Heather Ale
Best Cider: Sea Cider Rumrunner

Yeah, I know the Reader’s Choice Awards are a bit of a popularity contest, but consider the U.S. population in the Pacific Northwest… now consider some of the brews in that region. BC took BEST IPA and Barleywine! Clearly the people of British Columbia are impressed by their brewers!

If you’ve been following the monthly BC Beer Releases here, you’ll know there’s been a heck of a lot this year. The craft beer industry is certainly healthy in BC. A number of Brewers are expanding distribution into Ontario, and there’s continued growth here as well.

In 2012 we’ll finally see the new production facility for Central City Brewing, along with at least 4 brand new starts: Townsite Brewing in Powell River, Firehall Brewery in Oliver, Hoyne Brewing in Victoria, and Parallel 49, which is affiliated with St. Augustines in Vancouver.

It’s GREAT to be here!