Congratulations to the 2020 NYS Craft Beer Competition Winners
On Thursday, May 7th, the New York State Brewers Association (NYSBA) announced the winners of it’s fourth annual New York State Craft Beer Competition, presented by 1886 Malt House. It is the second largest state competition in the U.S.
The awards ceremony (sponsored by Marathon Energy) took place virtually with 130+ breweries in attendance. It was also live streamed to the public on Facebook and YouTube.
Watch a replay of the Awards Ceremony here.
Thirty-six awards were presented across 13 categories including two special awards. The Governor’s Craft Beer Cup given to the Best of Show beer was awarded to Big aLICe Brewing Co. for The Many Lives of Our Lives in the Fruit and Spice Beer – sour category. This beer also took gold in the NYS Ingredient Award category, sponsored by NY Hop Guild, which recognizes a beer that uses NYS hops and all other ingredients at the current 60% standard. 135 entries in the competition met this threshold.
“While we cannot celebrate together in person, we still wanted to honor the high-quality beers coming out of New York State,” said Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association. “The virtual ceremony allowed us to not only connect with breweries across the state but also consumers, who normally don’t get to see the awards being announced. We hope it will further encourage consumers to support these and other New York State breweries.”
In addition, the New York State Brewers Association is hosting a Virtual Craft Beer Tasting Experience on Saturday, June 13th, featuring four of the award winning breweries! Click here for more info.
Overall Competition Highlights
2020 Governor’s Excelsior Craft Beer Cup
- The 2020 NYS Governor’s Excelsior Craft Beer Cup was awarded to Big aLICe Brewing (Long Island City, NY) for their “The Many Lives of Our Lives” in the fruited sour beer category.
Big aLICe Brewing “The Many Lives of Our Lives”
Most Medals Won
- (3) medals were won by Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing, Weedsport NY
- Two (2) medals were won by Big aLICe Brewing, Long Island City, and Mad Jack Brewing, Schenectady NY
Style Categories
This year the most-entered categories was Hazy IPA with 88 entries. The top five entered categories were:
- Hazy IPA (88 entries)
- Light Lagers (83 entries)
- Fruit and Spice Beer (73 entries)
- Fruit and Spice Beer – non-sour (66 entries)
- American IPA (61 entries)
Summary: 2020 New York Craft Brewers Competition and Governor’s Craft Beer Cup (4th year.)
- 467 Breweries in New York State
- 989 beers entered
- 29 medal-winning breweries
- 35 total medals awarded
- 12 style categories judged, plus Governor’s Excelsior Cup
- 30 judges from across NYS
- Out of the 989 entries, 446 were judged. 135 entries qualified as NYS labeled beer under the 2020 law of at least 60% NYS hops and 60% NYS malt
Category Winners:
Category 1: American DIPA – 28 Entries
Gold: Open Wide EXP – Spider Bite Beer Co., Holbrook
Silver: Late Knight IPA – Middle Ages Brewing, Syracuse
Bronze: Intonation – Brown’s Brewing Company, Troy
Category 2: American IPA – 61 Entries
Gold: Power Tools – Industrial Arts Brewing Company, Garnerville
Silver: Re4resh IPA – Frog Alley Brewing Co., Schenectady
Bronze: Premiere – Interboro Spirits & Ales, Brooklyn
Category 3: American IPA Variations– 33 Entries
Gold: Elegant Pride – Prison City Pub & Brewery, Auburn
Silver: White Oak Borderland – 42 North Brewing Company, East Aurora
Bronze: Stomping Grounds IPL – Mad Jack Brewing Co., Schenectady
Category 4: Pale Ale – 30 Entries
Gold: Exit 40 Pale Ale – Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co., Weedsport
Silver: Ale Aboard Pale Ale – Twisted Rail Brewing Company, Geneva
Bronze: Pk Pale – The Millhouse Brewing Company, Poughkeepsie
Category 5: Hazy IPA – 88 Entries
Gold: Trial By Wombat – Thin Man Brewery, Buffalo
Silver: Dare To Know – Threes Brewing, Brooklyn
Bronze: Hologrpahic Haze – Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore
Category 6: Hazy Pale Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Right Time and Place – Unified Beerworks, Ballston Spa
Silver: Tiny Juicy IPA – Five Boroughs Brewing Co., Brooklyn
Bronze: Richard, or is it Dick? – ONCO Fermentations, Tully
Category 7: Fruit and Spice Beer – sour – 73cEntries
Gold: The Many Lives of Our Lives – Big Alice Brewing Company, Long Island City – Queens *Governors Craft Beer Cup Winner*
Silver: Boysen Rebus – Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn
Bronze: Blue Razz Sour – K2 Brothers Brewing, Rochester
Category 8: Fruit and Spice Beer – non-sour – 66 Entries
Gold: Salted Caramel Waffle Beer – Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, Lake Placid
Silver: Brewery Saphouse – West Kill Brewing, Lexington
Bronze: Elderberry Kolsch – Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co., Weedsport
Category 9: Kettle and Simple Sours – 15 Entries
Gold: Bel Air – Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn
Silver: No Sliver Awarded
Bronze: M-Town Haze – Clemson Bros. Brewery, Middlestown
Category 10: Wheat Beer (American, Wit, Hefe) – 28 Entries
Gold: Gather House – Drowned Lands Brewery, Warwick
Silver: Witte – Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown
Bronze: W8 Blegian Wit – Transmitter Brewing, Buffalo
Category 11: Collaboration Beer – 9 Entries
Gold: Stomping Grounds IPL – Mad Jack Brewing Co. in collaboration with C.H. Evans Brewing Company
Silver: Taconic Mist Hazy Pale Ale – King’s Court Brewing in collaboration with Torch & Crown Brewing Company
Bronze: No Bronze Awarded
Category 12: New York State Beer – 135 Qualified Entries
At least 20% NYS hops, NYS Malt and other NYS ingredients
Gold: The Many Lives of Our Lives – Big aLICie Brewing, Long Island City – Queens
Silver: Exit 40 Pale Ale – Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co., Weedsport
Bronze: Champagne Guapi: Red – Eli Fishing Brewing Co., Batavia
Bronze: Necessary Means for a Necessary Means – Fidens Brewing Company, Albany