The 2017 BC Beer Awards Winners

The BC Beer Awards are one of the more anticipated events of each year in BC craft beer. 2017 was no exception with a record 879 beers being entered from a whopping 97 different breweries.

To spice things up, the BC Beer Awards team added some new categories into the mix including awards for packaging, innovation and marketing efforts.

All opinions aside, The writing is on the wall and these are the 2017 best beers and breweries as judged by the BC Beer Awards panel.

Brewery Awards

BREWERY OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY TAP & BARREL
Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company

BREWERS CHALLENGE – PRESENTED BY KRONES
Postmark Brewing – Bohemian Pilsner SMaSH

BEST IN SHOW – PRESENTED BY COUNTRY MALT GROUP
Swans Brewery and White Sails Brewing – Oktoberfest Flammenbeer

CBC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Boombox Brewing – Rad Seeker

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY NEWLANDS SYSTEMS
Twin Sails Brewing

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY RICHARDS BUELL SUTTON LLP
Backcountry Brewing

Beer Categories

INTERNATIONAL LAGER – 34 ENTRIES
1: Bomber Pilsner – Bomber Brewing
2: Red Pilsner – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
3: Premium Pilsner – Strathcona Beer Co.

GERMAN PALE LAGER – 27 ENTRIES
1: Craft Lager – Parallel 49 Brewing
2: Ridge Runner Pilsner – Back Country Brewing
3: King Maker – Brassneck Brewery

KOLSCH – 12 ENTRIES
1: Analogue 78 – Phillips Brewing & Malting Co
2: Kolsch – Doan’s Craft Brewing
3: Kūl Daddy Kölsch – Callister Brewing Co.

AMBER & DARK EUROPEAN BEER – 19 ENTRIES

1: Backroads Brewing Marzen – Backroads Brewing Co.
2: Dark Lager – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
3: Red Racer Across The Nation Collaboration Wide Open Spaces Kellerbier – Central City Brewers & Distillers

GERMAN WHEAT BEER – 18 ENTRIES
1: Hefeweizen – The 101 Brewhouse & Distillery
2: Roundhouse Wheat – Yaletown Brewing Co.
3: KPU Weissbier – KPU Brewing

BRITISH BITTER – 21 ENTRIES
1: Organic Pale Ale – Forbidden Brewing
2: Tickity Boo – Twin City Brewing Co.
3: Nelson Hopgood Organic Session IPA- Nelson Brewing Co.

BRITISH PALE ALE – 18 ENTRIES
1: Tasman – Lighthouse Brewing Co.
2: Bomber Pale Ale – Bomber Brewing
3: El Dorado Golden Ale – Backroads Brewing Co.

BRITISH BROWN ALE – 33 ENTRIES
1: Shake A Paw Smoked Porter – Yellow Dog Brewing
2: Raven Cream Ale – R & B Brewing
3: Proper Treacle – Parallel 49 Brewing

SCOTTISH & IRISH ALE – 13 ENTRIES
1: Wee Angry Scotch Ale – Russell Brewing Co.
2: Renfrew Red Ale – Sooke Oceanside Brewery
3: Short & Stout Dry Stout – Callister Brewing Co.

BRITISH STOUT – 20 ENTRIES
1: Chocolate Milk Stout – Hearthstone Brewery
2: Nelson Blackheart Oatmeal Stout – Nelson Brewing Co.
3: Con Leche – Twin Sails Brewing

STRONG BEER – 15 ENTRIES
1: Woolly Bugger – Howe Sound Brewing
2: Baltic – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
3: Sleigh Booster Imperial Red IPA – Bridge Brewing

FRUIT BEER – 50 ENTRIES
1: Anno 2016 – Dageraad Brewing
2: Ravens Raspberry Hefeweizen – Ravens Brewing Co.
3: Corvus Lingonberry Lime Gose – Ravens Brewing Co.

SPECIALTY FRUIT BEER – 22 ENTRIES
1: Go Get It Ginger Lime Gose – Yellow Dog Brewing
2: Megadestroyer – Howe Sound Brewing
3: Atomic Cherry Tart Cherry Ale – Dead Frog Brewery

SPICE, HERB & VEGETABLE BEER – 39 ENTRIES
1: Alakazam – Parallel 49 Brewing
2: Towers & Trains – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
3: Roselle – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.

SMOKE & WOOD AGED BEER – 34 ENTRIES
1: Octoberfest Flammenbeer – Swans Brewery Collaboration with White Sails Brewing
2: Tonique Carpano Biere Aperitif – Powell Brewery
3: Russian Imperial Stout – Parallel 49 Brewing
HM: Entropy Series No. 3 – Dageraad Brewing

HISTORICAL BEER – 14 ENTRIES
1: Gose With Peach – Granville Island Brewing
2: No Brainer – Brassneck Brewery
3: Roggen Weizen – Steel & Oak Brewing Co.

SPECIALTY BEER – 18 ENTRIES
1: Double Secret Probation Doppel Sticke Altbier – Bomber Brewing
2: Launch Pad Belgian-Inspired Rye Ale – Whitetooth Brewing Co.
3: Anniversary Sour Raspberry Nut Brown Ale – Dead Frog Brewery
HM: Gin & Lime Pilsner – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks

NORTH AMERICAN LIGHT BEER – 33 ENTRIES
1: Red Truck Lager – Red Truck Beer
2: Nelson Hooligan Organic Pilsner – Nelson Brewing Co.
3: Cariboo Blonde – Pacific Western Brewing

AMERICAN BLONDE ALE – 17 ENTRIES
1: Arrowsmith Blonde – Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Co.
2: 107 Blonde – Faculty Brewing
3: Tofino Blonde Ale – Tofino Brewing Co.

NORTH AMERICAN PALE ALE – 60 ENTRIES
1: Trail Breaker Pale Ale – Back Country Brewing
2: Day Blink – Twin Sails Brewing
3: Sky Pilot – Howe Sound Brewing
HM: Dude Chilling Pale Ale – R & B Brewing

NORTH AMERICAN AMBER ALE – 25 ENTRIES
1: Steamworks Heroica Red Ale – Steamworks Brewing Co.
2: Coastal Common – Whistler Brewing Co.
3: Brassneck Ale – Brassneck Brewery

NORTH AMERICAN DARK BEER – 25 ENTRIES
1: Str8 Flexin’ – Twin Sails Brewing
2: Bomber Russian Imperial Stout – Bomber Brewing
3: Dark Side – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks

NORTH AMERICAN IPA – 82 ENTRIES
1: Vancouver Special IPA – R & B Brewing
2: Widow Maker IPA- Back Country Brewing
3: Parkside Motel – The Parkside Brewery

SPECIALTY IPA – 57 ENTRIES
1: Rad Seeker – Boombox Brewing
2: Colour & Shape – Superflux Beer Co.
3: Ocaso – Andina Brewing Co.

IMPERIAL IPA – 16 ENTRIES
1: Bachelor Pad – Twin Sails Brewing
2: Kicking In Speakers – Twin Sails Brewing Collaboration with Boombox Brewing
3: Beach Week – Twin Sails Brewing
HM: Hopnotist – Parallel 49 Brewing

BELGIAN ALE – 19 ENTRIES
1: 33 Acres Of Sunshine – 33 Acres Brewing Co
2: Dim Wit – The Parkside Brewery
3: Take A Walk Wit – Yellow Dog Brewing

SAISON – 32 ENTRIES
1: Lake City Farmhouse – Dageraad Brewing
2: Sea Run Saison – Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Co.
3: Vancouver Mural Festival Single Hopped Grisette – Main Street Brewing

BELGIAN STRONG & TRAPPIST ALE – 23 ENTRIES
1: Louise – Dageraad Brewing
2: Antwerpen – Dageraad Brewing
3: Black Dog Quad – Red Collar Brewing

MIXED FERMENTATION BEER – 46 ENTRIES
1: Reynard – Strange Fellows Brewing Company
2: Brett IPA- Luppolo Brewing Co.
3: Tempus Corvi 2017 – Moon Under Water Brewery
HM: Wild Gin Saison – R & B Brewing

WILD SPECIALTY BEER – 37 ENTRIES
1: Little Red One – Strange Fellows Brewing Company
2: De Witte – Dageraad Brewing
3: Dino Sour – Phillips Brewing & Malting Co

DAN SMALL AWARD
Bryan Major – SMaSH Pils with Pils Malt, Mosaic hop

BC Beer Awards Marketing Awards

BEST CAN DESIGN, PRESENTED BY WEST COAST CANNING
Doan’s Craft Brewing (Crystal Weiss)

BEST BOTTLE LABEL DESIGN, PRESENTED BY GREAT LITTLE BOX COMPANY
Steamworks Brewing Co (Barrel Aged Series Imperial Stout)

BEST PACKAGING – BOXES AND CARRIERS, PRESENTED BY GREAT LITTLE BOX COMPANY
Doan’s Craft Brewing (Happy Pack)

BEST TAP HANDLE, PRESENTED BY SMOOTH EDGE DESIGN
Steamworks

BEST WEBSITE, PRESENTED BY MYZONE MEDIA
Field House Brewing

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE, PRESENTED BY AGENCY MEDIA
Backcountry Brewing

Learn more about the BC Beer Awards at http://bcbeerawards.com/