09 Jul It’s Open Season on Medals for Indiana at the US Open Beer Championship
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
The US Open Beer Championship awarded their 2019 medals on July 8th and Indiana once again performed extremely well. A total of 22 medals were won by nine Indiana breweries, and Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis was named Grand Champion with a total of six medals – three gold and three silver. Interestingly Indiana took the top two medals in the American-Belgo Style Ale group with Metazoa Brewing taking gold with their dry-hopped saison called Klipspringer and Taxman Brewing winning silver with their farmhouse ale, La Maison.
The US Open is one of the largest competitions in the country, with over 7000 entries this year, and it draws beers and breweries from all over the country and world. Medals this year were awarded to breweries from 38 states (plus Washington, DC) and nine countries in more categories than ever. Hemp beer made it’s debut as a judging category, and this along with the anything goes and peanut butter beer categories and specialty sub-groups such as brandy, tequila, wine, and rum barrel aged beers means that medals were won in a total of 131 styles and sub-styles.
This competition is also unique in that award winning home brewers from the AHA National Homebrew Competition are allowed to compete directly against the professional brewers. This year one bronze medal was awarded to home brewers in in 2019 – David Byer and John O’Brien from Hot Springs, NC in the English barleywine. A portion of the proceeds generated the competition were donated to YMCA Camp Campbell Gard in the form of the ice packs used to ship the beer samples. Camp Campbell Gard, located on 600 acres near Hamilton, OH, is one of the premier special needs camps in the country.
Judging for the US Open Beer Championship is blinded, and minimum scores must achieved for a medal to be awarded. This means that entries from categories with fewer entries are still technically superior beers. Congratulations to all the recognized breweries for all medals won. As for Indiana, here are all the winners:
Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, head brewer Dave Colt –
Grand Champion
Gold – International Style Pilsner, Pachanga
Gold – Belgian Style Fruit Beer, Cherry Busey
Gold – Barrel Aged Brett/Wild Beer, Midnight Choir
Silver – Barrel Aged Stout/Porter Specialty, Proof
Silver – Brandy Barrel Aged Beer, Brandy Barrel Aged Touched by an Angel
Silver – Russian/British Imperial Stout, Shadow Proof
Metazoa Brewing in Indianapolis, brew master John J. Hill –
Gold – American-Belgo Style Ale, Klipspringer
Bronze – Belgian Dubbel, Dalmatian
Bronze – Peanut Butter Beer, Puppy Slumber Party
Flix Brewhouse in Carmel, head brewer Rob Malad –
Gold – Brett Beer, Saison de Walt
Bronze – Belgian Pale Ale, Super Power Potion
Bronze – Gose, Bloodties
Taxman Brewing in Bargersville, head brewer David Yancey –
Silver – Belgian Quadruppel, Qualified
Silver – American-Belgo Style Ale, La Maison
Daredevil Brewing in Speedway, head brewer Michael Pearson –
Bronze – Imperial IPA, Rip Cord
Bronze – American Premium Lager, Race Day Lager
The Bier Brewery in Indianapolis, head brewer Darren Connor –
Silver – German Kolsch, Special
Field Brewing in Westfield, head brewer Rian Umbach –
Gold – Rye Beer, Home Field
New Oberpfalz Brewing in Griffith, head brewer Gus Lehnerer –
Gold – Munchner Helles Lager, Helles Lager
The Tap Brewery in Bloomington, head brewer Jarrod May –
Bronze – Vienna Style Lager, Brickyard
banner image credit: US Open Beer Championships
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