Today, winners were announced from the 2022 edition of the San Diego International Beer Competition. A professional-brewing contest associated with the San Diego County Fair’s annual international beer festival, it has taken place since 2007 and is the largest local competition of its kind.
This year’s competition received 1,063 total entries from breweries around the world. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in 57 categories, with 75 of them going to beers produced by 42 different San Diego County brewing companies. Of those, 27 were gold medals, 20 were silver and 28 were bronze. Additionally, San Diego breweries swept five categories: Amber Lager, Belgian-style Dark Ale, Fresh Hop Beer, German-style Ale, International-style Pilsener.
Pizza Port’s Ocean Beach brewpub collected the most gold medals with three, while its sister spot in Carlsbad Village tied with three other operations–Burning Beard Brewing (which nearly swept the Belgian-style Sour Ale category with a gold and bronze), Eppig Brewing and Mcilhenney Brewing–that notched two first-place finishes. Kilowatt Brewing, Kings & Convicts Brewing and TapRoom Beer Co. tied for most overall medals with four apiece, and seven local beermakers came away with three medals.
All of the award-winners were named except for Best of Show, which will be announced at an official in-person ceremony at Del Mar brewpub, Viewpoint Brewing, later this month.
Last year, San Diego breweries won 58 medals (15 gold, 18 silver, 25 bronze) in a field that included roughly as many total entrants. Local breweries’ performance at this year’s competition represented something of a return to form to 2020, when the county’s beer companies also amassed 75 total awards.
The following is a complete list of local winners from this year’s competition…
GOLD (27)
- Amber Lager: Alta Mar, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- American-style Amber / Red Ale: Summon Ifrit, BattleMage Brewing (Vista)
- American-style Brown Ale: Lifeblood, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
- American-style Cream Ale: Sunny Vibes, Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: NYJAH, Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside)
- Australian / International-style Pale Ale: Parallel Paradise, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: Jan Quadrupel Vincent 16, Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill (Vista)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: The Bruges, Pizza Port (Carlsbad)
- Belgian-style Sour Ale: In Praise of Bacchus, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- Bold Stout: Zman, Pizza Port (Carlsbad)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: Song of Orpheus, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- Chocolate & Chili Beer: Chocolate Macadamia Nut Stout, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Coffee Porter & Stout: Early Bird French Toast Milk Stout, Coronado Brewing (Coronado)
- English-style Brown Ale: Skidmark, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- French & Belgian-style Ale: Rooftop, OB Brewery (Ocean Beach)
- Fresh Hop Beer: Sunday of Summer, Helia Brewing (Vista)
- Fruit Beer: Paloma, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- German-style Ale: Rival, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- Herb & Spice Beer: Guns Out for Grain Out, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- Hybrid Belgian-style Ale: The Harlot, Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Imperial Stout: Dark Seas, Mission Brewery (East Village)
- International-style Pilsener: Special Lager, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Ruby Red, Prohibition Brewing (Vista)
- Muchner-style Helles: Lager Magnifico, Dos Desperados Brewery (San Marcos)
- Smoked Beer: Smokepoint, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Specialty Stout: DryRish, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
- Wood & Barrel-aged Strong Stout: Chocolate Cream Pie, Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo)
SILVER (20)
- Amber Lager: La Flama Roja, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing (Chula Vista)
- American-style Brown Ale: Weasel, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
- American-style India Pale Ale: Treevana, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale: Organic Citra Juicy DIPA, Protector Brewery (Miramar)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: OB Dubbel Bubble, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: DOMESTIQUE Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- Chocolate & Chili Beer: Habanero Whiptail, Double Peak Brewing (San Marcos)
- Dark Lager: Sea Reina, SouthNorte Beer Co. (Chula Vista)
- English-style Pale Ale: Turf Tavern, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
- Fresh Hop Beer: New Magic Wand, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
- German-style Ale: Liberty Kolsché, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
- German-style Bock: Oh Me, Oh Maibock, Kings & Convicts Brewing (Miramar)
- Golden or Blonde Beer: Boss Brew, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
- Herb & Spice Beer: S3 – 2X Peach Cobbler, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Imperial Red Ale: Seismic / Stone Ain’t That a Kick in the Red, Stone Brewing (Escondido)
- International-style Pilsener: Abnormally Czech, Abnormal Beer Co. (Rancho Bernardo)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Kilroy Irish Red, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Rye Beer: Devil’s Copper, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
- Session Beer: Friars Robe, The Original 40 Brewing (North Park)
- Specialty Beer: Gamblin’ Gamelin’s German Chocolate Cake Stout, Five Suits Brewing (Vista)
BRONZE (28)
- Amber Lager: Blow Off Steam, Kings & Convicts Brewing (Miramar)
- American-style India Black Ale: Carnal Intent, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale: Hesher, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
- American-style Lager: Kamakura, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- American-style Pale Ale: Crouchback King, Kings & Convict Brewing (Miramar)
- Australian / International-style Pale Ale: Celestial Navigation, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: Hell Camino Belgian-style Quad, Dos Desperados Brewery (San Marcos)
- Belgian-style Sour Ale: In Praise of Flanders, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- Bold Stout: Stonewall Stout, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: Rum Barrel-aged Sour, Kings & Convicts Brewing (Miramar)
- British-style Strong Ale & Barley Wine: Righteous Son, The Lost Abbey (San Marcos)
- Coffee Beer: Golden Stout with Coffee, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
- English-style Brown Ale: Shady Oak, Gravity Heights (Sorrento Mesa)
- English-style Pale Ale: Pub Life, Mission Brewery (East Village)
- French & Belgian-style Ale: Fairies Wear Boots, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
- Fresh Hop Beer: My Way Wet Hop IPA, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
- German-style Ale: Claritas, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park)
- German-style Pilsener: St. Malo, South O Brewing (Oceanside)
- Golden or Blonde Beer: LiteHouse, Embolden Beer Co. (Miramar)
- Hybrid Belgian-style Ale: Witty Moron, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Garden – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
- Imperial India Pale Ale: Strata Starburst, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
- International-style Pilsener: Surf Punk, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
- Muchner-style Helles: Bavarian Gold, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Porter: Dawn of the Deft, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Rye Beer: Rye God Rye, Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside)
- Session Beer: Safety Meeting, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
- Smoked Beer: Maple Smoked Maibock, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Specialty Beer: Peach Afternoon, The Lost Abbey (San Marcos)