The Annual Canadian Brewing Awards were held this past weekend in Toronto and we now have a full list of this year’s winners.
The major trend for this year seemed to be Ontario breweries stepping up to the plate. Last year, BC breweries put the pressure on and nearly overtook Ontario in total medal count. Well it seems like that lesson was learned, as Ontario came out strong this year and dominated the medal count with a total of 56 overall awards. They increased their count from last year by three, while BC dropped down to 49 overall medals from a high of 51.
Of the provinces that saw the biggest improvement, Alberta brought home 17 medals, a new record for the province and a major improvement over the handful of medals they took home last year.
Brewery of the year went to Ontario’s Clifford Brewing Company which took home a total of four medals, while the best in show was awarded to Central City for their Red Racer After Hours Pale Ale.
Interestingly enough, many of the breweries that often appear on this awards list either reduced medal count, or didn’t receive medals entirely. Instead, 33 newcomers were able to scoop up some medals, and weirdly enough Moosehead of all breweries had a strong showing, something they haven’t been able to do since 2013.
So how does this affect our ongoing top five Canadian breweries list? Well quite significantly in fact. Last year there were a number of tied positions, while this year every single position is held by a single brewery. That means we’ve lost Central City, Parallel 49, PEI Brewing and Great Lakes from the list.
The top 10 list now looks like:
- Amsterdam Brewing (20 award)
- Four Winds (19 awards)
- Nickel Brook (17 awards)
- Great Western Brewing (16 awards)
- A La Fut (15 awards)
Amsterdam has reclaimed the top spot this year, but only by a single award. Of particular note is the fact that Four Winds Nectarous has won an award every single year for the past five years running with just that single beer making up over 25% of their entire medal count! No other beer in the last five years has been this consistently awarded, so take note next time you see a bottle.
If you’re interested, here’s the full list from 2018.
2019 Award Winners:
European Style Lager (Pilsner)
Bronze: Red Racer Pils – Central City Brewers and Distillers – British Columbia
Silver: East Hamilton Lager – Clifford Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Jagged Little Pilsner – Stray Dog Brewing Company – Ontario
European Style Amber to Dark Lager
Bronze: Dingman Dark Lager – Herald Haus Brewing Co. – Ontario
Silver: Raven – Old Flame Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Dark Lager – Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Bock – Traditional German Style
Bronze: Elevator HBB Seasonal Strong Ale – Hell’s Basement Brewery Inc. – Alberta
Silver: Grumpiest Of All Time – Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. – Ontario
Gold: Ides of February – Henderson Brewing Co. – Ontario
Kellerbier/Zwickelbier
Bronze : POTTS PILSNER – Moon Under Water Brewery – British Columbia
Silver: Simple Things – Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Gold: Schwartz – Pump House Brewery Ltd – New Brunswick
German Style Kölsch
Bronze: 78 Kolsch – Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. – British Columbia
Silver: 1857 – Abe Erb Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: King Kolsch – Axe & Barrel Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Wheat Beer – Belgian Style (Wit)
Bronze: Barbe Blanche – Brasserie Tuque de Broue Brewery Inc. – Ontario
Silver: Waterfront Wit – Walkerville Brewery – Ontario
Gold: Witty Belgian – Torque Brewing Inc. – Manitoba
Wheat Beer – German Style (Weiss)
Bronze: Fahr Hefe – Brauerei Fahr – Alberta
Silver: Idyllique – Microbrasserie le bockale inc – Quebec
Gold: Sundown Hefeweizen – Sundown Brewing Company LTD – British Columbia
Baltic Porter
Bronze: Fireside Porter – Yaletown Brewing Company – British Columbia
Silver: Black Mountain Side Baltic Porter – Thornbury Village Craft Brewery – Ontario
Gold: Baltistar Galactiporter – Bent Stick Brewing Co. – Alberta
Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel
Bronze: Dubbel – New Limburg Brewing Company – Ontario
Silver: Quadrupel – New Limburg Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Assoiffé 8 – Brasseurs du Monde – Quebec
Belgian-Style Tripel
Bronze: Red Racer Ocean Playground Belgian Tripel – Central City Brewers and Distillers – British Columbia
Silver: Tante tricotante – Microbrasserie du Lac-Saint-Jean – Quebec
Belgian-Style Abbey Ale / Pale Ale
Bronze: Marigold – Belgian Golden Ale – Clifford Brewing Company – Ontario
Silver: Grimdonk – Grimross Brewing Corp. – New Brunswick
Gold: Mons Abbey Blonde – Belgh Brasse – Quebec
Belgian-Style Strong Ale(Pale / Dark / Specialty)
Bronze: Forty Nine Karat (Juicy Golden Strong Ale) – Collaboration brew with Parallel 49. Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company – British Columbia
Silver: 350 Orange Chocolate Belgian Rye Ale – Nonsuch Brewing Co – Manitoba
Gold: Dark Strong V.1 – Big Rig Brewery – Ontario
French and Belgian Style Saison
Bronze: 3-Point Saison – The Collingwood Brewery – Ontario
Silver: Le Collabo – (Collaboration with La Goutte d’Or) Brasserie Dunham – Quebec
Gold: Clean Slate – Bench Brewing Company – Ontario
Belgian-Style Brett Beer
Bronze: Brett Quad – Royal City Brewing Co. – Ontario
Silver: Boulet Funky – A la Fut – Quebec
Gold: Mélange À Trois – Strange Fellows Brewing – British Columbia
German-Style Sour Ale (Berliner-Style Weisse or Gose)
Bronze: Limoilou Beach – Brasserie Artisanale La Souche – Quebec
Silver: Tourbiere – Brasserie Artisanale La Souche – Quebec
Gold: Gosé Cuervo Tequila Lime Sour – People’s Pint Brewing Company – Ontario
Belgian-Style Sour Ale(Flanders Red Ale , Oud Bruin , Lambic / Gueuze , Fruit Lambic)
Bronze: Cherry Barn – Half Pints Brewing Co. – Manitoba
Silver: QV10 – A la Fut – Quebec
Gold: Cuvée Western – A la Fut – Quebec
Porter
Bronze: The Darkness Porter – Origin Malting & Brewing Co. – Alberta
Silver: Final Bow – Overflow Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Clifford Porter – Clifford Brewing Company – Ontario
Brown Ale
Bronze: British – A la Fut – Quebec
Silver: Rail Ale – Howe Sound Brewing – British Columbia
Gold: Bear’s Hump Nut Brown Ale – Coulee Brew Co. – Alberta
Scotch Ale
Bronze: BEER 101 Strong – Niagara College Teaching Brewery – Ontario
Silver: Wee Angry Scotch Ale – Russell Brewing Company – British Columbia
Gold: Andys Wee Heavy – Common Crown Brewing Company – Alberta
English Style Pale Ale
Bronze: Golden Grover – Foghorn Brewing Company – New Brunswick
Silver: Moosehead Small Batch Ten Penny Stock Ale – Moosehead Breweries – New Brunswick
Gold: 9 Mile Ale – 9 Mile Legacy Brewing Co. – Saskatchewan
English Bitters(Ordinary or Special Bitters / Best Bitter or ESB)
Bronze: BEER 101Bitter – Niagara College Teaching Brewery – Ontario
Silver: Arkell Best Bitter – Wellington Brewery – Ontario
Gold: Warthog (English Style Mild Ale) – Big Rock Brewery – Alberta
Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
Bronze: Darkside Chocolate Stout – Upper Thames Brewing Company – Ontario
Silver: Midnight Kissed My Cow – Big Rig Brewery – Ontario
Gold: Vox Stout Chocolat – Vox Populi brewery – Quebec
Oatmeal Stout
Bronze: Darkling Oatmeal Stout – The Cannery Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Silver: Stout à l’avoine – Brasserie Mille-Îles – Quebec
Gold: St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout – McAuslan Brewing – Quebec
Dry Stout
Bronze: Dry Irish Stout – Persephone Brewing Company – British Columbia
Silver: Stout – Anderson Craft Ales – Ontario
Gold: Black Donald – Calabogie Brewing Company – Ontario
Imperial Stout
Bronze: Nokomis Imperial Stout – Nokomis Craft Ales – Saskatchewan
Silver: Tempest – Amsterdam Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Str8 Flexin – Twin Sails Brewing – British Columbia
English Style India Pale Ale
Bronze: Geronimo IPA – Walkerville Brewery – Ontario
Silver: Tin Hat Dry-Hopped – Townsite Brewing Inc. – British Columbia
Gold: White’s Bay IPA – The Collingwood Brewery – Ontario
North American Style Lager
Bronze: Mucho Oro Lager – Barkerville Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Silver: 3 Speed – Amsterdam Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Ides of January – O-PEE-CHEE Lager – Henderson Brewing Co. – Ontario
North American Style Premium Lager
Bronze: Paradise Lager – The Grove Brew House – Ontario
Silver: Helles Lager – Wellington Brewery – Ontario
Gold: Road Trip Classic Lager – Red Truck Beer Company – British Columbia
North American Style Amber Lager
Bronze: Pond Surfer California Common – Town Square Brewing – Alberta
Silver: Millennium Buzz Hemp Beer – Cool Beer Brewing Co. – Ontario
Gold: Brunette – Old Flame Brewing Company – Ontario
Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager
Bronze: Jackrabbit (Light Lager) – Big Rock Brewery – Alberta
Silver: Stonewall Light – Cool Beer Brewing Co. – Ontario
Gold: First Light Session Lager – Cameron’s Brewing Co. – Ontario
Cream Ale
Bronze: Roger That – Overflow Brewing Company – Ontario
Silver: Okanagan Lake Cream Ale – A-FRAME Brewing Company – British Columbia
Gold: Gold – Big Rig Brewery – Ontario
North American Style Amber/Red Ale
Bronze: 18 Karat Ale – Barkerville Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Silver: Doc Perdue’s Bobcat, West Coast Red Ale – Cowbell Brewing Co – Ontario
Gold: Red Line IPA – Torque Brewing Inc. – Manitoba
North American Style Blonde or Golden Ale
Bronze: Brewmaster Blonde Ale – Common Crown Brewing Company – Alberta
Silver: Bastion Blonde Ale – White Sails Brewing Ltd. – British Columbia
Gold: La Blonde de L’Anse – Pit Caribou – Quebec
American-Style Black Ale
Bronze: Mhmm, Okay. – Four Father’s Brewing Company – Ontario
Silver: Snake Island CDA – White Sails Brewing Ltd. – British Columbia
Gold: DarkHop – OverHop Brewing – Quebec
North American Style Pale Ale
Bronze: Ten Times Ten – Brassneck Brewery – British Columbia
Silver: Forward Progress Pale Ale – Annex Ale Project – Alberta
Gold: Campout West Coast Pale – Fernie Brewing Company – British Columbia
Wheat Beer – North American Style
Bronze: Nine Locks Dirty Blonde – Nine Locks Brewing Co – Nova Scotia
Silver: Rabbit of Caerbannog – Indie Alehouse – Ontario
Gold: Jerkface 9000 – Parallel 49 – British Columbia
American Style India Pale Ale
Bronze : Iron Horse Trail IPA – Red Circle Brewing Co. – Ontario
Silver: IV010 – Four Father’s Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: This Must Be The IPA – Cold Garden Beverage Company Ltd – Alberta
New England Style India Pale Ale
Bronze: Freestyle Milkshake IPA – The Collingwood Brewery – Ontario
Silver: Humans an IPA for the People – The Parkside Brewery – British Columbia
Gold: Life In The Clouds – Collective Arts Brewing – Ontario
Session India Pale Ale
Bronze: Featherweight IPA – Four Winds Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Silver: Sidekick ISA – Bridge Brewing – British Columbia
Gold: Exhibition – Royal City Brewing Co. – Ontario
American Style Imperial India Pale Ale
Bronze: OneLove – OverHop Brewing – Quebec
Silver: Faces Double IPA – Wellington Brewery – Ontario
Gold: The Forgetful Brewer – Outcast Brewing – Alberta
American Belgo-Style Ale
Bronze: Sextuple – Dageraad Brewing – British Columbia
Silver: Grain Bin Landlocked IPA – Grain Bin Brewing Company – Alberta
Gold: Saison houblonnée – Bièrerie Shelton – Quebec
American-style Brett Beer
Bronze: Mr Natural – Brassneck Brewery – British Columbia
Silver: Dry Hopped Brett Saison – The Establishment Brewing Company – Alberta
Gold: Wild American Brett IPA – Field House Brewing Co. – British Columbia
American-style Sour Ale
Bronze: New World Sour – Luppolo Brewing Company – British Columbia
Silver: ZAP! Sour IPA – Nickel Brook Brewing Co – Ontario
Gold: Nectarous Dry-Hopped Sour – Four Winds Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale
Bronze: Moosehead Small Batch Honey Wheat Ale – Moosehead Breweries – New Brunswick
Silver: Heist Maple Stout – The Cannery Brewing Co. – British Columbia
Gold: Moosehead Small Batch Sugar Bush – Moosehead Breweries – New Brunswick
Fruit Beer / Fruit Wheat Beer / Pumpkin Beer
Bronze: After Hours Raspberry Sour – PEI Brewing Company – Prince Edward Island
Silver: Cup Lake Lemon & Earl Grey Sour – A-FRAME Brewing Company – British Columbia
Gold: Anchor Shoes – Short Finger Brewing Co. – Ontario
Gluten Free Beer
Bronze: Glutenberg Gose – Glutenberg Craft Brewery – Quebec
Silver: Glutenberg India Pale Ale – Glutenberg Craft Brewery – Quebec
Gold: Glutenberg Stout – Glutenberg Craft Brewery – Quebec
Session Ale
Bronze: Squirrel Chaser Hazy Pale Ale – Yellow Dog Brewing – British Columbia
Silver: Abbey Lane English Mild – Ribstone Creek Brewery – Alberta
Gold: Throwback: Belgian Table Beer – The Exchange Brewery – Ontario
Experimental Beer
Bronze: BXL FNK – Brasserie Dunham – Quebec
Silver: Fargo – Short Finger Brewing Co. – Ontario
Gold: Red Racer After Hours Pale Ale – Central City Brewers and Distillers – British Columbia
Herb and Spice Beer
Bronze: Coffee Lager – Coal harbour brewing – British Columbia
Silver: Stoked Winter Ale – Mt Begbie Brewing Company – British Columbia
Gold: Whistler Winter Dunkel – Whistler Brewing Company – British Columbia
Smoked Beer
Bronze: Gratzer – Bièrerie Shelton – Quebec
Silver: Smoke & Mirrors Imperial Smoked Ale – Coal harbour brewing – British Columbia
Gold: Prairie Fire Rauchbier – Town Square Brewing – Alberta
Barley Wine-Style Ale(English Style / American Style)
Bronze: Wooly Bugger – Howe Sound Brewing – British Columbia
Silver: Bjorninn Barleywine – Brazen Hall – Manitoba
Gold: Gros Torrieu – Ras L’Bock – Quebec
Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer(Pale to Amber / Dark)
Bronze: Beau Bouquet – Matera Brasseurs Tonneliers – Quebec
Silver: Clifford Barrel Aged Porter – Clifford Brewing Company – Ontario
Gold: Mistral Strange – Strange Fellows Brewing – British Columbia
Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Bronze: Nine Locks Barrel Aged Barley Wine – Nine Locks Brewing Co – Nova Scotia
Silver: Doan’s Brewing Collaboration Barrel Aged Rye Wheat Wine – Russell Brewing Company – British Columbia
Gold: Double Tempest – Amsterdam Brewing Company – Ontario
Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
Bronze: As You Wish – Small Pony Barrel Works – Ontario
Silver: They Go Up – Small Pony Barrel Works – Ontario
Gold: Boxcar Tourist – Iron Road Brewing – British Columbia
Flavoured Stout/Porter
Bronze: Everything is Awesome – Backcountry Brewing – British Columbia
Silver: Bean Me Up Espresso Milk Stout – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks – British Columbia
Gold: Nutty Uncle Peanut Butter Stout – Dead Frog Brewery – British Columbia
Best of Show(Beer of the Year)
Red Racer After Hours Pale Ale – Central City Brewers and Distillers – British Columbia
Brewery Of the Year
Clifford Brewing Company – Ontario
Ale/Sessions 