San Diego Area Breweries Reap Numerous Awards at the World Beer Cup 2010!

The San Diego area scored numerous awards at this year’s bi-annual World Beer Cup! This event, sponsored by The Brewers Association, was created to promote greater consumer awareness about the quality and diversity of various beers around the world. It also strives to promote worldwide responsible consumption of beer. Registration for this year’s prestigious event started in October of 2009. Entries were to be received in Denver, CO between February 22 and February 26, 2010. The judging took place in Chicago on April 6-7 and the winners were announced at the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Dinner in Chicago on April 10, 2010.

The San Diego county breweries that garnered awards included:

Champion Brewer and Brewmaster, Small Brewing Company (15,000 barrels or less per year) – Ballast Point Brewing Co.

“Other Strong Beer” category
Silver Medal: Green Flash Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co.

“Traditionally Brewed Beer” category
 Gold Medal: Fathom IPL, Ballast Point Brewing Co.
 Silver Medal: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co.

“Wood- and Barrel-Aged” category
 Gold Medal: Bourbon Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Co.

“German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock” category
 Gold Medal: Broken Skeg, Breakwater Brewing Co.

“Baltic-Style Porter” category
 Bronze Medal: Token, Alpine Beer Co.

“Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey

“Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“English-Style Brown Ale” category
 Silver Medal: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Scotch Ale” category
 Gold Medal: AleSmith Wee Heavy, AleSmith Brewing Co.
 Bronze Medal: Reed’s Wee Heavy, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock” category
 Bronze Medal: AleSmith Decadence 2009, AleSmith Brewing Co.

“Irish-Style Red Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co.
 Bronze Medal: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout” category
 Silver Medal: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“American-Style Strong Pale Ale” category
 Gold Medal: O’Brien’s IPA, Alpine Beer Co.

“American-Style India Pale Ale” category
 Bronze Medal: Duet, Alpine Beer Co.

“American-Style Amber/Red Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Rudolph’s Red, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla)

“Imperial Red Ale” category
 Bronze Medal: Shark Attack, Pizza Port Solana Beach

“American-Style Stout” category
 Gold Medal: Black Magic Stout, Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co.
 Silver Medal: Sticky Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad

“International Pale Ale” category
 Gold Medal: Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co.

So not only does San Diego County have the top brewer award for Small Brewing Company (Ballast Point Brewing Co.), they collected nine gold medals, seven silver medals and six bronze medals! Not bad considering that there were participants from 47 states and 44 countries! It’s no wonder that the San Diego area is fast becoming one of the premier brewing capitals, not only of the United States, but of the world!

James Omlid, San Diego is Brewing