Award-Winning Beers in Richmond

Finding an award-winning beer to drink is now even easier here in Richmond, Virginia. From the 12 area breweries that took home 21 awards at the VA Craft Beer Cup presentation on Aug. 16 to the many other winning Virginia beers distributed in the area, your palate is sure to be pleased, at the breweries or at area restaurants and retailers.

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild hosted the 2016 VA Craft Beer Cup awards at WestRock in Richmond. The judges, using Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) standards, chose from the 378 beers entered for review from 83 breweries. Ninety-three awards were given out in 31 categories.

Among the most noteworthy Richmond winners were four for Tony Ammendolia’s Original Gravity (out of the five maximum entries per brewery) and one each from two new breweries, Castleburg and Steam Bell.

This year’s Best of Show winner reflects the ability of craft breweries to come back from negative reputations. Whereas James River Brewery had received negative reviews, often from infected beers, the brewery won highest marks for its River Runner ESB and received the competition’s top award.

“The Virginia Craft Beer Cup recognizes outstanding beer made by some of Virginia’s best independent craft brewers,” said Brett Vassey, President & CEO, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. “Congratulations to every competitor and this year’s award winners.”

The Richmond area’s award-winning beers are:

• Lickinghole Creek Pony Pasture Pilsner
• Ardent Craft Ales Schwarzbier
• Midnight Not My Job British brown ale
• Final Gravity Irish Goodbye Irish stout
• Castleburg Bishop’s Brown Ale
• Legend Brown
• Final Gravity Fire Station 5 amber ale
• The Answer Larceny American IPA
• Final Gravity Venus Rising double IPA
• Final Gravity The Message double IPA
• Lickinghole Creek Virginia Black Bear strong ale
• Triple Crossing Black Dolphin strong ale
• Hardywood Singel Belgian blond
• Strangeways Uberlin Berliner Weisse sour European ale
• Garden Grove Death Strong Belgian Ale
• Triple Crossing Brett Saison Anniversary Ale wild yeast specialty beer
• The Answer Mami Cereza fruit beer
• Midnight Watermelon Lime Kölsch fruit beer
• Steam Bell Beer Works Tiramisu Stout
• Legend Bourbon Barrel Brown
• Ardent Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey Ginger

Of course, many worthy beers don’t receive medals. After all, each brewery can only enter five of their beers and not all breweries enter the competition. So don’t let lack of an award keep you from trying other beers and declaring them as winners. Click here for BOOMER’s listing of Richmond-area breweries.

The complete list of 2016 Virginia Craft Brewers Cup winners follows:

Best of Show

First Best of Show, James River Brewery, River Runner ESB

Second Best of Show, Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Oktoberfest

Third Best of Show, Backroom Brewery, Lemon Basil Wheat Beer

Light American Beer

1st: Beer Hound Brewery, Olde Yella

2nd: Wolf Hills Brewing Company, Carry on Wheatward Sun

3rd: Beer Hound Brewery, Teddy

Czech Lager

1st: Port City Brewing Company, Downright Pilsner

2nd: Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Rhino Chasers Pilsner

3rd: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Pony Pasture Pilsner

Munich Lager

1st: Fair Winds Brewing Company, Hells Navigator

2nd: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Brew Betties Maibock

3rd: South Street Brewery, My Personal Helles

Kölsch

1st: Mad Fox Brewing Company, Kölsch Ale

2nd: Ornery Beer Company, Kölsch

3rd: Bull and Bones Brewhaus, Kölsch

German Pils and International Lager

1st: Sunken City Brewing Company, Dam Lager

2nd: Back Bay Brewing Company, Gringo

3rd: Escutcheon Brewing Company, John Riggins’ 4th & 1 Pilsner

Märzen and Vienna Lager

1st: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Oktoberfest

2nd: Starr Hill Brewery, Jomo

3rd: Caboose Brewing Company, Crossroads Vienna Lager

German Wheat Beer

1st: Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Final Glide HefeWeizen

2nd: Starr Hill Brewery, The Love

3rd: River Company Brewery, Farmhouse Hefeweizen

British Bitter

1st: James River Brewery, River Runner ESB

2nd: Lake Anne Brew House, Lord Fairfax English Pale Ale

3rd: Port City Brewing Company, Monumental IPA

Old Ale and Wee Heavy

1st: Backroom Brewery, The Ferminator

2nd: Heritage Brewing Company, King’s Mountain

3rd: Redbeard Brewing Company, 221B Baker Brown

Darker European Beer

1st: Ardent Craft Ales, Schwarzbier

2nd: Big Ugly Brewing Company, Ghost Rider Porter

3rd: Bull and Bones Brewhaus, Appalachia Alt

British Dark Ale

1st: Pleasure House Brewing, No Waves

2nd: Midnight Brewery, Not My Job

3rd: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, No Veto Brown Ale

Irish Red Ale

1st: Dirt Farm Brewing, Red Merl

2nd: Pale Fire Brewing Company, Red Molly

3rd: Capitol City Brewing Company, Irish Red Ale

Irish Stout

1st: Backroom Brewery, Oatmeal Stout

2nd: Final Gravity Brewing Company, Irish Goodbye

3rd: Old 690 Brewing Company, Old 690 Chocolate Milk Stout

American Blonde and Brown Ale

1st: Caboose Brewing Company, Caboose Brown Ale

2nd: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, Bishop’s Brown Ale

3rd: Legend Brewing Company, Brown Ale

American Pale Ale

1st: Pro Re Nata Brewing Company, Old Trail Pale Ale

2nd: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Ghost of the 43rd Pale Ale

3rd: Beltway Brewing Company, Rain or Shine

American Amber Ale

1st: Final Gravity Brewing Company, Fire Station 5

2nd: O’Connor Brewing Company, Red Nun Red Ale

3rd: Lake Anne Brew House, Reston Red

American Dark Ale

1st: Old Ox Brewery, Black Ox

2nd: Sunken City Brewing Company, The Columbian Coffee Stout

3rd: Port City Brewing Company, Porter

American IPA

1st: The Answer, Larceny

2nd: Fair Winds Brewing Company, Howling Gale IPA

3rd: Old Ox Brewery, Hoppy

Specialty IPA

1st: Sunken City Brewing Company, Red Clay IPA

2nd: Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Dawn Patrol Session IPA

3rd: Parkway Brewing Company, Factory Girl Session IPA

Double IPA

1st: Final Gravity Brewing Company, Venus Rising

2nd: Pale Fire Brewing Company, Village Green

3rd: Final Gravity Brewing Company, The Message

Strong Ale

1st: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Virginia Black Bear

2nd: Triple Crossing Brewing Company, Black Dolphin

3rd: Studio Brew, Czardust

Belgian Blond and Saison

1st: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Scurvy Dog

2nd: The Virginia Beer Company, Saison Tournante

3rd: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Singel

Sour European Ale

1st: Strangeways Brewing, Uberlin Berliner Weisse

2nd: Ornery Beer Company, Go Go Gose

3rd: Corcoran Brewing, Life Gose Round

Belgian Wit, Pale Ale, and Biere de Garde

1st: Starr Hill Brewing Company, Sublime

2nd: Bull and Bones Brewhaus, Sun Lit Wit

3rd: Reaver Beach Brewing Company, Full Broadside

Strong Belgian Ale

1st: Apocalypse Ale Works, Brohead Fred

2nd: Garden Grove Brewing Company, Death

3rd: Chaos Mountain Brewing, Agents of Chaos

Wild Yeast Specialty Beer

1st: Triple Crossing Brewing Company, Brett Saison Annivesary Ale

2nd: Reaver Beach Brewing Company, Reaver’s Salvation

3rd: Reaver Beach Brewing Company, Reaver en Noir

Fruit Beer

1st: The Answer, Mami Cereza

2nd: Midnight Brewer, Watermelon Lime Kolsch

3rd: Big Ugly Brewing Company, Mango Rockers IPA

Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer

1st: Backroom Brewery, Lemon Basil Wheat Beer

2nd: Beer Hound Brewery, Snots

3rd: Steam Bell Beer Works, Tiramisu Stout

Specialty and Experimental Beers

1st: Parkway Brewing Company, Floyd Fest Hi-Test

2nd: South Street Brewery, Peanut Butter Cup Soft-Serv

3rd: Fair Winds Brewing Company, Sirens Lure

Smoked or Wood-Aged Beer

1st: Legend Brewing Company, Bourbon Barrel Brown

2nd: Adventure Brewing Company, 2nd Anniversary Barleywine

3rd: Ardent Craft Ales, Boubon Barrel Aged Honey Ginger