Tampa, FL: Every January, commercial brewers across Florida submit their beer entries in different beer categories for judging in the Best Florida Beer Championships. Gold, Silver and Bronze category medals, along with "Best of Show" and special recognition medals, are awarded on the first Sunday of March at the annual Brewers' Ball beerfest in Tampa. For 2017, anonymous judging took place February 11-12 at 81 Bay Brewing, Tampa. Breweries were then notified if their beers earned medals; however, results generally remain secret until officially announced at the Brewers' Ball beerfest, which features only medal-winning beers. On Sunday, March 5, the medalists were announced during the awards ceremony, held at Water Works Park, Tampa. Best Florida Beer Championships coincides with the first weekend of Tampa Bay Beer Week.
This year, around 800 entries were submitted in the competition, which consisted of 31 medal categories, and judged according to beer style guidelines.
Best of Show:
Best Beer: Walking Tree Brewery, Vero Beach: Barnacled Manatee (British Style Barleywine)
Runner-up: Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton: Cruiser Kolsch (German-Style Kolsch)
2nd Runner-up: Hourglass Brewing, Longwood: Violet Sour (Sour/Wild Beer)
Best Large Brewery: Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton
Best Small Brewery: Walking Tree Brewery, Vero Beach
Because this writer's home base is North Florida, local area winners are listed specifically here:
Winner of Best Brewpub (Florida) is Wicked Barley Brewing Company, Jacksonville, which opened July 2016.
Special Award, Small Batch:
Wicked Barley Brewing, Jacksonville: Gold, Small Batch: Dortmunder Export SB, Dortmunder/European-Style Export
Gold Medals:
Wicked Barley Brewing, Jacksonville: Gold, "Dortmunder Export," Style: Dortmunder/European-Style Export (European Dark Lager/Ale category)
Wicked Barley Brewing, Jacksonville: Gold, "Gose," Style: Leipzig-Style Gose (Gose category)
Aardwolf Brewing, Jacksonville: Gold, "Belgian Pale Ale (BPA)," Style: Belgian-Style Pale Ale (Belgian/French Ale category)
Ancient City Brewing, St. Augustine: Gold, "Matanzas River Red Ale," Style: American-Style Amber/Red Ale (American Amber/Brown Ale category)
First Magnitude Brewing, Gainesville: Gold, "Drift," Style: English-Style Dark Mild Ale (English Ale category)
Silver Medals:
Wicked Barley Brewing, Jacksonville: Silver, "Orange Blossom Mead," Style: Semi-Sweet Mead (Mead category)
Pinglehead Brewing, Orange Park: Silver, "Magnolia Springs," Style: German-Style Pilsner (Euro and International Beer category)
Aardwolf Brewing, Jacksonville: Silver, "Cherry Lovely," Style: Fruited Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer (Wild Beer category)
First Magnitude Brewing, Gainesville: Silver, "Batch 200," Style: Imperial Red Ale (Imperial IPA/Red category)
Bronze Medals:
Tomoka Brewing, Port Orange: Bronze, "Peter the Great," Style: American-Style Imperial Stout (Imperial Stout category)
Full Medal List:
Via a press release issued this afternoon, a list of all Best of Show and category medalists can be viewed here.
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Medalists!
About Best Florida Beer: The Best Florida Beer (BFB) Professional Championship is an American Homebrewers Assn. (AHA) and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned professional competition, sponsored by Best Florida Beer. As the most prestigious professional beer competition in Florida, the Best Florida Beer seeks to promote Florida's commercial breweries, their brewers and their excellent craft beer; provide a focal point to advertise Florida's craft-brewed beers; encourage brewing of outstanding beer in Florida; and feature medal-winning craft-brewed beer at the Brewers' Ball. BFB is a non-profit organization organized to aid in the development and promotion of both homebrewers and commercial brewers, their craft beers and the brewing enthusiast community. BFB organizes fair and credible competitions and increases awareness of commercial breweries through consumer education, marketing, events and competitions. BFB strives to serve as a model of cooperation in its efforts to unify the Florida brewing community by establishing partnerships and cultivating resources with like organizations statewide.
See also, companion story on www.iwantabuzz.com, Jacksonville.
Full Medal List:
Via a press release issued this afternoon, a list of all Best of Show and category medalists can be viewed here.
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Medalists!
About Best Florida Beer: The Best Florida Beer (BFB) Professional Championship is an American Homebrewers Assn. (AHA) and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned professional competition, sponsored by Best Florida Beer. As the most prestigious professional beer competition in Florida, the Best Florida Beer seeks to promote Florida's commercial breweries, their brewers and their excellent craft beer; provide a focal point to advertise Florida's craft-brewed beers; encourage brewing of outstanding beer in Florida; and feature medal-winning craft-brewed beer at the Brewers' Ball. BFB is a non-profit organization organized to aid in the development and promotion of both homebrewers and commercial brewers, their craft beers and the brewing enthusiast community. BFB organizes fair and credible competitions and increases awareness of commercial breweries through consumer education, marketing, events and competitions. BFB strives to serve as a model of cooperation in its efforts to unify the Florida brewing community by establishing partnerships and cultivating resources with like organizations statewide.
See also, companion story on www.iwantabuzz.com, Jacksonville.
Cheers,
Linda Johnson
Certified Cicerone®