B.C. Beer Awards 2024: These are the province's best beers

As the final votes were cast in the B.C. election on Saturday evening, another frothy provincial contest was coming to a head.

The B.C. Beer Awards announced its winners at a tasting event in New Westminster, with breweries honoured in 30 different beer-style categories.

The big winners of the night were Port Alberni's Twin City Brewing Company, which won brewery of the year, and Strange Fellows Brewing in Vancouver, whose Coolship Lambic was named Best in Show. Twin City won an impressive haul of two first-place trophies, two second-places and a third. 

Five other breweries managed to score two first-place trophies for their beers: Bayview Brewing Company in Ladysmith, Brassneck Brewery and Parallel 49 Brewing in Vancouver, and Dageraad Brewing and Steamworks Brewery in Burnaby. Bayview, Brassneck and Steamworks each also won a second-place award.

Judges evaluated 1,010 entries from an event-record 140 breweries over several days in the lead-up to the awards, organizers said.

The provincial awards celebration came a day after the B.C. Craft Brewers Conference was capped by the Canada Cup of Beer awards, which were also held in New Westminster this year.

B.C. breweries put in a strong showing in the national competition, winning almost 40 per cent of the awards on offer.

The awards weekend was a bright spot amid what's been a challenging few years for the province's beer industry. 

Small, independent breweries, in particular, have faced a number of challenges ranging from pandemic restrictions to inflation and the rising cost of rent and ingredients.

Several breweries have either closed or curtailed operations in the past year, but more than 220 remain across the province, according to the B.C. Ale Trail.

"The B.C. Beer Awards are instrumental in showcasing the best beers from across the province," said Ken Beattie, executive director of the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild, in a statement. 

"The event provides brewers a much needed celebration as we continue to recover from COVID [and] increased costs of ingredients and packaging materials."

Here's the full list of winners of the 2024 B.C. Beer Awards:  

International Lager

1. Nelson Brewing Company, Loki Lager
2. Coast Mountain Brewing, Crystal Chair Lager
3. Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Happy Hoppy

Pale Malty German Lager

1. Twin City Brewing Company, Falltoberfest
2. Strange Fellows Brewing, Ludwig Festbier
3. Land & Sea Brewing Co., Goldfinch Helles

Pale Bitter German Lager

1. Gladstone Brewing Company, Gladstone Glad Light
2. The Parkside Brewery, Dawn Pilsner
3. Beere Brewing Company, Beere Light

Amber Lager    

1. Farm Country Brewing, Sausage Party
2. Neighbourhood Brewing, Jessie
3. Yellow Dog Brewing Co., Rollover Cerveza Negra

Dark Lager

1. Sooke Brewing Company, Czech Dark Lager
2. 33 Acres Brewing Company, 33 Acres Of Darkness
3. Vancouver Island Brewing, Dominion Dark Lager

Strong Ale & Lager

1. Vancouver Island Brewing, Hermannator Ice Bock
2. Mile Zero Brewing, Porter
3. Field House Brewing Co., Salted Black Porter

Kölsch

1. Faculty Brewing Co., 110 Kölsch
2. Love Shack Libations, Killer Kölsch
3. Gladstone Brewing Company, Gladstone Kolsch

Weissbier

1. Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Bierfest Hefeweizen
2. Brassneck Brewery, Umlaut
3. 101 Brewhouse and Distillery, Shingleroof Hefeweizen

Hoppy U.K. Ale    

1. Giant's Head Brewing, Dark Fantasy
2. Yellow Dog Brewing Co., Retriever Golden Ale
3. Smugglers Trail Caskworks, Flaskers British Ale

Malty U.K. & Irish Ale

1. Beva Brewing & Blending, Brico
2. Longwood Brewery, Steam Punk Dark Ale
3. Mt. Begbie Brewing Co., Brave Liver Scotch Ale

U.K. & Irish Stout

1. Mountainview Brewing Co., Serpent's Back Stout
2. Old Yale Brewing, Sasquatch Stout
3. Backcountry Brewing, Never Taken A Shortcut Before?

Fruit Beer

1. Rustic Reel Brewing Company, Raspberry Hibiscus Sour
2. Lillooet Brewing Company, Mountain Goat Apricot Sour
3. Smugglers' Trail Caskworks, Scrumpers Blueberry Peach Sour

Specialty Fruit Beer

1. Twin City Brewing Company, Out On A Limb
2. Field House Brewing Co., Sparkling Citrus Mimosa Sour
3. Smugglers Trail Caskworks, Picnic

Spice, Herb and Vegetable Beer

1. Mayne Island Brewing Company, Beet Buck
2. Moody Ales & Co., Lavender Sour
3. Twin City Brewing Company, Spruce Tip Swedish Gymnast

Smoke & Wood Aged Beer

1. Whitetooth Brewing Co., Dirt Brigade Smoked ESB
2. Firehall Brewery, Holy Smoke Stout
3. Category 12 Brewing, Quantum

Specialty/Experimental Beer

1. Ucluelet Brewing Company, Sugar Shack Canadian Maple Lager
2. Patina Brewing Co., Italian Pilsner
3. Strange Fellows Brewing, Nevertheless IPA

North American Light Lager

1. Brassneck Brewery, No Brainer
2. Steamworks Brewing Co., John Oliver Lager
3. Red Truck Beer Company, Road Trip Classic Lager

North American Light Ale

1. Bayview Brewing Company, Famous Ladysmith Blonde
2. Twin City Brewing Company, Swedish Gymnast
3. Land & Sea Brewing Co., Glacier Cream Ale

North American Pale Ale

1. Yellow Dog Brewing Co., Chase My Tail Pale Ale
2. Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company, Salish Sea Pale Ale
3. The Parkside Brewery, Dusk Pale Ale

North American Amber & Brown Ale

1. Bayview Brewing Company, Cowichan Valley Common
2. Bayview Brewing Company, Bayview Brunette
3. Gladstone Brewing Company, Gladstone Red Ale

North American Porter & Stout

1. Four Winds Brewing Co., Four Winds Porter
2. Dog Mountain Brewing, Creme Brulee Imperial Stout
3. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co., Bellhop Porter

North American IPA

1. Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Filthy Dirty
2. Whitetooth Brewing Co., Blower Pow IPA
3. Land & Sea Brewing Co., Westward IPA

Specialty IPA

1. Steamworks Brewing Co., Halo
2. Rusted Rake Brewing, The Wandering Scotsman Sitka Spruce Tip Brut IPA
3. Torchlight Brewing Co., X Tenth Anniversary Ale

Hazy IPA

1. Superflux Beer Company, Colourer & Shapyest
2. Fern & Cedar Brewing Co., Survival Guide NEIPA
3. Boombox Brewing Company, Juicy AF

Imperial IPA

1. Steamworks Brewing Co., Empress
2. Twin City Brewing Company, Big Yikes!
3. Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., Super Power Hazy IPA

Belgian Ale

1. Dageraad Brewing, Burnabarian
2. Strange Fellows Brewing, Jongleur Wit
3. Farm Country Brewing, Witty By Nature

Belgian Strong Ale

1. Dageraad Brewing, Blonde
2. 33 Acres Brewing Company, 33 Acres Of Euphoria
3. Trading Post Brewing, Belgian Quad

Saison    

1. Electric Bicycle Brewing, Zephyr Major Belgian Table Beer
2. Deadfall Brewing, Grisette
3. Trading Post Brewing, SMASH Saison

Sour & Wild Ale

1. Strange Fellows Brewing, Coolship Lambic
2. Sooke Brewing Company, Saison Brett
3. Beva Brewing & Blending, Figurati

Specialty Wild Ale

1. Brassneck Brewery, Rose Changeling
2. Whistle Buoy Brewing Co., Fuzzy Peach
3. Luppolo Brewing Company, Tart Wild Ale With Raspberries

Legend Award  

Tony Dewald        

Rookie of the Year  

Beva Brewing & Blending        

Judge's Choice   

Dageraad Brewing, Blonde        

Brewery of the Year  

Twin City Brewing Company    

Best of Show   

Strange Fellows Brewing, Coolship Lambic