CALGARY, AB – The 1st annual edition of the Alberta Beer Awards took place last night at the Palace Theatre in Calgary, with the gala event also serving as a closing party for the 2nd annual Alberta Craft Brewing Convention.
Spearheaded by Jason Foster and Owen Kirkaldy, and hosted by the Alberta Small Brewers Association, the inaugural ABAs featured 66 medals in 22 style categories, plus awards for Best of Show and Brewery of the Year. The winners were selected from a pool of almost 320 beers submitted by 57 Alberta breweries.
The full list of winners is posted below. For more details, see Foster’s summary of the event at his blog OnBeer.org.
PATIO BEER
Gold: Crisp Pils, Jasper Brewing
Silver: 10 Peaks Pale Ale, Canmore Brewing
Bronze: Scona Gold, Alley Kat Brewing
AMBER/DARK HOPPY SESSIONABLE BEER
Gold: East Lake Amber, Fitzsimmons
Silver: Red Rage, Tool Shed
Bronze: Altbierta, Olds College
GERMAN/CZECH STYLE PILSNER
Gold: License to Pil, Wild Rose
Silver: Cryostasis, Zero Issue
Bronze: House of Pilsner, Coulee
FARMHOUSE BEER
Gold: Mango Saison, 4th Meridian
Silver: Homesteader, Troubled Monk
Bronze: One Summer in Saskatoon, Cold Garden
LIGHT HOPPY SESSIONABLE BEER
Gold: Plainsbreaker, Banded Peak
Silver: River Session Ale, Blindman
Bronze: 9 Mile Session Pale Ale, Dog Island
BROWN BEER
Gold: Last Post Brown Ale, Origin Brewing and Malting
Silver: Barrracks Brown, Wild Rose
Bronze: Open Road Brown, Troubled Monk
STOUT
Gold: Tamarack, Grain Bin
Silver: Velveteen Nitro Stout, Cold Garden
Bronze: Flat Cap, Tool Shed
BARREL-AGED BEER
Gold: Tequila Barrel Aged Barley Wine, Grizzly Paw
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Blindman
Bronze: 11:59 PM, Bent Stick
EXTRA STRONG BEER
Gold: KGB Imperial Stout, Elbeck Brews
Silver: Blue Monk Barley Wine, Brewsters
Bronze: Winter Warmer, Medicine Hat Brewing
AMBER BEER
Gold: OKT, Blind Enthusiasm
Silver: Pond Surfer California Common, Town Square
Bronze: Rutting Elk Red, Grizzly Paw
CANADIAN CEREAL ALE
Gold: Papa Bear Prairie Ale, Half Hitch
Silver: Canadian Cereal Ale Vol. 1, Cold Garden
Bronze: Parti-Gyle Best Bitter, Blindman
WHEAT BEER
Gold: ZuS, Blind Enthusiasm
Silver: Passion d’Ale, Two Sargeants
Bronze: Wild Wolf Witbier, Minhas
FRUIT BEER
Gold: Main Squeeze, Alley Kat
Silver: Belly Flop Apricot Grisette, Big Rock
Bronze: Aprikat, Alley Kat
SPICED BEER
Gold: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with Coconut, Troubled Monk
Silver: The Darkness Chocolate Porter, Origin
Bronze: Moreau Cinammon Coconut Tropical Stout
PALE ALE/BITTER
Gold: Forward Progress, Annex Ales
Silver: Full Moon Pale Ale, Alley Kat
Bronze: Multiverse, Zero Issue
OTHER FLAVOURED BEER
Gold: Batch #500, Last Best
Silver: Javalanche, Banded Peak
Bronze: Street Beat Pollen Wheat, Blind Enthusiasm
SOUR BEER
Gold: Oak Aged Flemish Red, Big Rock
Silver: Sour Saison Dark, Blindman
Bronze: Beets by Sinden, Town Square
BELGIAN ALES
Gold: Belgian Dip, Tool Shed
Silver: Corvus Belgian Dark Strong, Troubled Monk
Bronze: Tripel Cross, Situation
DOUBLE IPA
Gold: Argyll Dragon, Alley Kat
Silver: Triple Sow Pow, Troubled Monk
Bronze: Howling Fantods, Annex Ales
OTHER STRONG HOPPY BEER
Gold: Acme Red, Blind Enthusiasm
Silver: Venom, Zero Issue
Bronze: Cascadian Dark Ale, Blindman
IPA
Gold: This Must Be The IPA, Cold Garden
Silver: High 5 IPA, Trolley 5
Bronze: Railway Ave Rye IPA, Canmore
TRENDY BEER OF THE YEAR: NEW ENGLAND STYLE ALE
Gold: New England Pale Ale, Blindman
Silver: Gettin’ All Hopped Up, Origin
Bronze: Wickid Smaht, Troubled Monk
BEST OF SHOW
Gold: Last Post Brown Ale, Origin
Silver: New England Pale Ale, Blindman
Bronze: Oak Aged Flemish Red, Big Rock
BREWERY OF THE YEAR
Gold: Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company
Silver: Alley Kat Brewing Company
Bronze: TIE Troubled Monk Brewery & Blindman Brewing