2017 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Winners Announced

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild hosted its annual Virginia Craft Beer Cup Awards Ceremony yesterday, June 5, at WestRock in downtown Richmond. This competition highlights statewide craft breweries and their most esteemed brews, and is the largest state competition of its kind in the United States.

356 beers were submitted among 24 different categories, from breweries all across the Virginia. Richmond competitors made us all proud, with ten breweries earning medals in 13 different categories.

Garden Grove Brewing Company went home with a heavy neck, after earning three medals in two separate categories. Trapezium Brewing Company, Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, and Ardent Craft Ales also seem to have dazzled the judges, with two different awards each. Other Richmond brewery winners include Strangeways Brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Legend Brewing Company and Extra Billy’s Smokehouse and Brewery.

With going on 200 breweries in Virginia, it can be overwhelming to even the savviest craft beer drinker. Here’s the list of award-winning breweries to be sure to put on your “must visit” list:

Best of Show

First Place Best of Show: Smartmouth Brewing Company | Safety Dance

Second Place Best of Show: Old Ox Brewery | Black Ox

Third Place Best of Show: St. George Brewing Company | Summer Ale

Pale Bitter European Beer

First Place: Smartmouth Brewing Company | Safety Dance

Second Place: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | Pils

Third Place: Mustang Sally Brewing Company | Dortmunder Lager

Pale Malty European Lager

First Place: Alewerks Brewing Company | Weekend Lager

Second Place: Fair Winds Brewing Company | Hells Navigator

Third Place: Strangeways Brewing | Helles Frozen Over

Amber and Dark European Lager

First Place: Caboose Brewing Company | Crossroads

Second Place: Green Flash Brewing Company | Sea to Sea

Third Place: Hammer & Forge Brewing Company | Night Witches

Czech Lager

First Place: Lost Rhino Brewing Company | Rhino Chasers

Second Place: Adventure Brewing Company | Classic Lager

Third Place: Port City Brewing Company | Downright Pilsner

International Lager and Strong European Beer

First Place: South Street Brewery | Virginia Lager

Second Place: Ardent Craft Ales | Defenestrator

Third Place: Big Ugly Brewing | Ghost Rider Porter

Scottish and Irish Ale

First Place: Brass Cannon Brewing | Smoothbore

Second Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company | Blackwall Porter

Third Place: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company | Red Maiden

British Pale Ale

First Place: St. George Brewing Company | Summer Ale

Second Place: Red Dragon Brewery | Cook Lane

Third Place: Lake Anne Brew House | Lord Fairfax English Pale Ale

Brown British Ale

First Place: Heroic Aleworks | Max Nix

Second Place: Lake Anne Brew House | Beer Run Recovery Ale

Third Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company | No Veto Brown

Dark British Ale

First Place: Studio Brew | Ferguson

Second Place: Crooked Run Brewing | Dulce De Leche

Third Place: Great Valley Farm Brewery | GVFB Stout

Strong British Ale

First Place: Big Ugly Brewing | Barnfind Barleywine

Second Place: Garden Grove Brewing Company | Old Iron Dog

Third Place: Heritage Brewing Company | Kings Mountain

Standard American Beer

First Place: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom | Castleburg Cream Ale

Second Place: Backroom Brewery | Festival Wheat Beer

Third Place: Rip Rap Brewing Company | Breakwater

Pale American Beer

First Place: Port City Brewing Company | Essential Pale Ale

Second Place: Pale Fire Brewing Company | Skinny Dennis

Third Place: Green Flash Brewing Company | GFB

Amber and Brown American Beer

First Place: Capitol City Brewing Company | Amber Waves

Second Place: Stable Craft Brewing | Britchin Brown Ale

Third Place: Trapezium Brewing Company | Brown Ale

American Porter and Stout

First Place: Old Ox Brewery | Black Ox

Second Place: Coelacanth Brewing Company | Quiet Storm

Third Place: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom | Court Jester Porter

IPA

First Place: Barrel Oak Farm Taphouse | BOFT IPA

Second Place: Alesatian Brewing Company | Hop Sneeze

Third Place: South Street Brewery | Astrognomer

Strong American Ale

First Place: Beer Hound Brewery | Kujo

Second Place: Pale Fire Brewing Company | Village Green

Third Place: Green Flash Brewing Company | West Coast IPA

German Wheat Beer

First Place: Starr Hill Brewery | The Love

Second Place: The Oozlefinch Craft Brewery | Lady in White

Third Place: Ardent Craft Ales | Berliner Weisse

Belgian Ale

First Place: Lake Anne Brewhouse | New Year’s Golden Ale

Second Place: Center of the Universe Brewing Company | Chic Saison

Third Place: Port City Brewing Company | Optimal Wit

Trappist Ale

First Place: Extra Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery | Tripel Overtime

Second Place: Garden Grove Brewing Company | Minor Threat and the Funkadelic 4

Third Place: Garden Grove Brewing Company | Barrel Aged Death

Historical, Alternative and American Wild Ale

First Place: Coelacanth Brewing Company | Passion Fruit Gose

Second Place: Spencer Devon Brewing | Ol’Goseanna

Third Place: Pro Re Nata Brewing Company | Go Johnny Gose

Wood Aged and Smoked Beers

First Place: Studio Brew | Bourbon Barrel Furguson

Second Place: Legend Brewing Company | Bourbon Barrel Brown Ale

Third Place: Maltese Brewing Company | Barrel Aged Joe’s Stout

Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer

First Place: Great Valley Farm Brewery | Lemongrass Basil Saison

Second Place: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery | Great Commander Imperial Stout

Third Place: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company | Baja Roasted Ale

Fruit Beer

First Place: Trapezium Brewing Company | Strawberry Blonde

Second Place: BadWolf Brewing Company | Mother Pucker

Third Place: Wild Wolf Brewing Company | Area 151

Specialty Beer

First Place: Benchtop Brewing Company | Trial of Dmitri

Second Place: Wasserhund Brewing Company | Haagen Dog Stout

Third Place: Fair Winds Brewing Company | Siren’s Lure