2011 Canadian Brewing Awards + Driftwood Takes Beer of the Year!

The 2011 Canadian Brewing Awards were announced late last week, and Victoria’s Driftwood Brewing Company won the highly coveted Beer of the Year prize for their Fat Tug IPA (watch this space – I will profile Fat Tug in this week’s DRINK).

The CBA have emerged as the premiere competition for judging the quality of Canadian brewed beer. The contest is the only truly national competition that invites breweries of all sizes from across the country to compete in a blind tasting to see who brews the best beer in 31 style categories.

A Canadian Brewing Award medal is now a widely recognized symbol of brewing excellence in Canada. A panel of approximately 20 Certified Beer Judges (BJCP), consider five criteria: aroma, appearance, flavour, mouth-feel, and overall impression. A maximum of fifty points can be attained.

The competition also serves as an important vehicle for informing the Canadian beer-drinking public about the variety of and quality of commercially available beers throughout the land. Every year the competition attracts new entries from small startup breweries, to the largest of the large that are dedicated to carefully crafting their product.

As always, BC brews fared very well, with many breweries snagging medals of various colours in highly varied categories.

Without further adieu, here are the 2011 Canadian Brewing Awards Winners:

North American Style Lager

Gold: Moosehead Lager, Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

Silver: Carling Lager, Molson Coors Canada

Bronze: Red Baron Lager, Brick Brewing Co. (ON)

North American Style Premium Lager

Gold: Muskoka Craft Lager, Muskoka Brewery (ON)

Silver: Great Western Pilsner, Great Western Brewing Co. (SK)

Bronze: Brewhouse Pilsner, Great Western Brewing Co. (SK)

European Style Lager (Pilsner)

Gold: Creemore Traditional Pilsner, Creemore Springs Brewery (ON)

Silver: Rickard’s Blonde, Molson Coors Canada

Bronze: Overboard Imperial Pilsner, Lighthouse Brewing Co. (BC)

North American Style Amber Lager

Gold: King Vienna Lager, King Brewery (ON)

Silver: Buzz Beer, Cool Beer Brewery (ON)

Bronze: Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)

North American Style Dark Lager

Gold: King Dark Lager, King Brewery (ON)

Silver: Hermann’s Dark Lager, Vancouver Island Brewery (BC)

Bronze: Brewmaster’s Black Lager, Okanagan Spring Brewery (BC)

Light (Calorie-Reduced) Lager

Gold: Carling Light, Molson Coors Canada

Silver: Moosehead Light, Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

Bronze: Molson Canadian 67, Molson Coors Canada

Bock – Traditional German Style

Gold: Hermannator Ice Bock, Vancouver Island Brewery (BC)

Silver: Navigator Doppelbock, Lighthouse Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Captivator Doppelbock, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)

Kellerbier

Gold: Creemore Kellerbier, Creemore Springs Brewery (ON)

Silver: Helles, Microbrasserie Hopfenstark (QC)

Bronze: Howe Sound Lager, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Porter

Gold: Coffee Porter, Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Silver: La Gaspesienne No. 13, Microbrasserie Pit Caribou (QC)

Bronze: Muskoka Dark Ale, Muskoka Brewery (ON)

Strong Porter (Baltic)

Gold: Grand Baltic Porter, Garrison Brewing Co. (NS)

Silver: Porter, Okanagan Spring Brewery (BC)

Cream Ale

Gold: Northumberland Ale, Church Key Brewing (ON)

Silver: Original 16, Great Western Brewing Co. (SK)

Bronze: Sleeman Cream Ale, Sleeman Breweries

Kolsch

Gold: High County Kolsch, Mt. Begbie Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: Harvest Moon Organic Hemp Ale, Nelson Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Analog 78, Phillips Brewing Co. (BC)

North American Style Amber/Red Ale

Gold: Sea Dog Amber Ale, Vancouver Island Brewery (BC)

Silver: Yukon Red Amber, Yukon Brewing Co. (YT)

Bronze: La Bringue, Acadie-Broue Inc. (NB)

North American Style Blonde/Golden Ale

Gold: Red Cap, Brick Brewing Co. (ON)

Silver: Moosehead Pale Ale, Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

Bronze: Garibaldi Honey Pale Ale, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Brown Ale

Gold: Brown Ale, Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Silver: Nut Brown, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)

Bronze: Bytown Brown Ale, Clocktower Brewpub (ON)

Scotch Ale

Gold: St. Ambroise Scotch Ale, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Silver: Scotch Ale, Swans Buckerfields Brewery (BC)

Bronze: Wellington Iron Duke, Wellington Brewery. (ON)

English Style Pale Ale (Bitter)

Gold: Best Bitter, Picaroon’s Traditional Ales (NB)

Silver: Baldwin and Cooper Best Bitter, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Pandora Pale Ale, Swans Buckerfields Brewery (BC)

North American Style Pale Ale (Bitter)

Gold: Crazy Canuck Pale Ale, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Silver: Miami Weiss, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Bronze: East Side Bitter, R&B Brewing Co. (BC)

Wheat Beer – Belgian Style White/Wit

Gold: Belgian Wit, Granville Island Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: Oranje Weiss, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)

Bronze: Blanche de Chambly, Unibroue (QC)

Wheat Beer – German Style Hefeweizen

Gold: Hill’s Special Wheat, Yaletown Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: Summer Weiss, Muskoka Brewery (ON)

Bronze: True North Wunder Weisse, Magnotta Brewery (ON)

Wheat Beer – North American Style

Gold: Sir John A Honey Wheat, Gahan Brewery (PEI)

Silver: Grasshopper Wheat, Big Rock Brewery (AB)

Bronze: Dooryard Summer Ale, Picaroon’s Traditional Ales (NB)

Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Gold: Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus, Microbrasserie Charlevoix (QC)

Silver: Dominus Vobiscum Triple, Microbrasserie Charlevoix (QC)

Bronze: Noire de Chambly, Unibroue (QC)

Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale

Gold: Don de Dieu, Unibroue (QC)

Silver: Trois Pistoles, Unibroue (QC)

Bronze: Quatre-Centieme, Unibroue (QC)

English Style Barley Wine

Gold: Thor’s Hammer, Central City Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: St. Ambroise Vintage Ale, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Bronze: Woolly Bugger, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

American Style Barley Wine

Gold: Frappabord, Microbrasserie du Lac Saint-Jean (QC)

Silver: Unicorn Ale, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Bronze: Ol’ Fog Burner, Garrison Brewing Co. (NS)

Stout

Gold: Timber Hog Stout, Picaroon’s Traditional Ales (NB)

Silver: Diamond Head Oatmeal Stout, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Imperial Stout

Gold: Tartan Tsar Russian Imperial Stout, Bushwakker Brewing Co. (SK)

Silver: Dude Where’s My Czar?, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Bronze: Stout Imperiale, Microbrasserie La Chouape (QC)

English Style India Pale Ale

Gold: Beaver River, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. (ON)

Silver: Hoppelganger IPA, R&B Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Yippee IPA, Picaroon’s Traditional Ales (NB)

American Style India Pale Ale

Gold: Fat Tug IPA, Driftwood Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: Mad Tom IPA, Muskoka Brewery (ON)

Bronze: Citra IPA, Dead Frog Brewery (BC)

Imperial India Pale Ale

Gold: Ten Bitter Years, Black Oak Brewing Co. (ON)

Silver: Red Racer Imperial, Central City Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Hop Head Double IPA, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)

French and Belgian Style Saison

Gold: No Chance With Miranda, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Silver: Saison Station 55, Microbrasserie Hopfenstark (QC)

Bronze: Nit Wit, Garrison Brewing Co. (NS)

Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale

Gold: Sap Sucker Maple Porter, Fernie Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: Cypress Honey Lager, Granville Island Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Royal York Stinger, Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Fruit Beer

Gold: Pepper Lime Lager, Dead Frog Brewery (BC)

Silver: St. Ambroise Raspberry Ale, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Bronze: Ginger Beer, Granville Island Brewing Co. (BC)

Fruit Wheat Beer

Gold: Framboise, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)

Silver: Ephemere Pommes, Unibroue (QC)

Bronze: Thai Wheat, Pump House Brewery Ltd. (NB)

Pumpkin Beer

Gold: St. Ambroise Pumpkin Ale, McAuslan Brewing Inc. (QC)

Silver: Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Highballer Pumpkin Ale, Grand River Brewing Co. (ON)

Wood and Barrel Aged Beer

Gold: Serendipity #3, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)

Silver: American Whisky Barrel, Cameron’s Brewing Co. (ON)

Bronze: Winter Ale Barrel-Aged, Great Lakes Brewery (ON)

Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beer

Gold: Buteuse Brassin Special, Microbrasserie Le Trou Du Diable (QC)

Silver: Singularity Russian Imperial Stout, Driftwood Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: Ol’ Fog Burner (Glenora Barrel-Aged), Garrison Brewing Co. (NS)

Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beer

Gold: Dulcis Succubus, Microbrasserie Le Trou Du Diable (QC)

Silver: Yaletown Oud Bruin, Yaletown Brewing Co. (BC)

Experimental Beer

Gold: Cache-a-epices, Microbrasserie du Lac Saint-Jean (QC)

Silver: Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout, Howe Sound Brewing Co. (BC)

Bronze: 666, Le Saint-Bock Brasserie Artisanale (QC)

Beer of the Year – Fat Tug IPA, Driftwood Brewing Co. (BC)

Brewery of the Year – Picaroon’s Traditional Ales (NB)