QUAFF dominates local homebrewing contest

Held on an annual basis since 1994, the America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition (AFC) is coordinated thanks to effort and elbow grease from the members of local homebrewing club QUAFF. Not surprisingly, the contest receives a substantial number of entrants from QUAFF members, who regularly rack up plenty of awards, including the Top Club distinction, which goes to the homebrew group that amasses the most points via first-through-third-place finishes and honorable mentions.

Once again, QUAFF took Top Club honors behind a strong performance from its membership, which totaled 19 first-place awards, 18 second-place awards and 15 third-place awards to go with eight honorable mentions. The result was an overall score of 216.19, putting them atop the second- and third-place homebrew clubs, Ace Brewing Society and Arizona Society of Homebrewers, which recorded scores of 36.02 and 34.03, respectively.

A trio of QUAFF members made it into the top five best individual performances, with Benjamin Frymark coming in on top out of 126 participating homebrewers to be named “Brew Machine” for 2026. Frymark earned 11 top-three finishes, including first place in Brown British Beer, Dark European Lager and Specialty Beer. Second place went to John Bell and fourth place went to Doug Brown, both of whom nabbed a pair of first-place finishes.

Bell and Brown also made it into the best-of-show conversation, with the former’s Belgian triple coming in as the second-best beer of the competition behind an Irish red ale from QUAFF’s Brent Krohn. Best of show of the meads and ciders went to Alexandria Perry for her pyment, with Brown’s braggot taking second (and one of his meads getting an honorable mention).

This year, QUAFF swept three categories (one more than 2025): International Lager, Monastic Ale and Melomel. Beyond QUAFF’s accomplishments, a member of another local club, Jason Justeson of Brewing Borrachos, took first place in the IPA (India pale ale) category.

The 2026 AFC included 619 paid entries in 45 beer, cider and mad style categories, as well as 189 registered participants, judges and stewards. This is the first year that the competition included more than 600 submissions. The previous record had been 555 and dates back a decade. This year also saw a record number of homebrew clubs participating with 51, including QUAFF. It is currently the largest annual homebrew competition in the state, having surpassed the California Homebrew Competition.

The following is a complete list of local winners from the 2026 AFC competition…

Best of Show – Beer
1st Place: Lemmiwinks, Irish Red Ale – Brent Krohn, QUAFF
2nd Place: Bell Hammer Miraglia Tripel, Belgian Tripel – John Bell, QUAFF

Best of Show – Mead / Cider
1st Place: Leg of Spider, Eye of Newt, Pyment – Alexandria Perry, QUAFF
2nd Place: The B.O.S.S. Braggot, Braggot – Doug Brown, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Five Star Chick a la Mode, Fruit & Spiced Mead – Doug Brown, QUAFF

International Lager
1st Place: The Great Cornholio, International Pale Lager – Dan Baker, QUAFF
2nd Place: Cuello Azul, International Pale Lager – Eli Palma, QUAFF
3rd Place: Category Roulette for $1000, International Amber Lager – John Bell, QUAFF

Pale Malty European Lager
2nd Place: The Human Fund, Helles Bock –Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Pale Bitter European Beer
2nd Place: Pils from the Doctor, German Pilsner – Richard Bagnell, QUAFF
3rd Place: It’s a Pilsner, German Pilsner – Mike Page, QUAFF

Amber Malty European Lager
1st Place: Lost Marzen, Marzen – John Bell, QUAFF

Dark European Lager
1st Place: Man Hands, Schwarzbier – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF
2nd Place: Night Harvest, Munich Dunkel – Eli Palma, QUAFF

Strong European Beer
1st Place: Ice Water, Eisbock – Ernest Hedberg, QUAFF
2nd Place: The Sea was Angry that Day, My Friends, Doppelbock – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

German Wheat Beer
3rd Place: The Summer of George, Weizenbock – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Pale Commonwealth Beer
2nd Place: Dog’s Bollocks, British Golden Ale – John Bell, QUAFF

Brown British Beer
1st Place: How Can the Same Street Intersect with Itself?, Dark Mild – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Irish Beer
1st Place: Lemmiwinks, Irish Red Ale – Brent Krohn, QUAFF
3rd Place: Irish Stout, Irish Stout – Brian Trout, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Shenanigans Dry Irish Stout, Irish Stout – Jose Dias, QUAFF

Dark British Beer
1st Place: Keep Pounding (Verdat), Oatmeal Stout – Jeff Case, QUAFF
2nd Place: Experimental Stout, Foreign Extra Stout – Allan Polk, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Office Hero Milk Stout, Sweet Stout – Jeff Case, QUAFF

Pale American Ale
Honorable Mention: Blonde Foo v6, Blonde Ale – Jeff Case, QUAFF

Amber & Brown American Beer
2nd Place: Downtown Julie Brown, American Brown Ale – Brian Trout, QUAFF

American Porter & Stout
2nd Place: Monster of the Sea, Imperial Stout – John Bell, QUAFF
3rd Place: Flight to Russia, Imperial Stout – Betty Dehoney, QUAFF

IPA
1st Place: FKI, American IPA – Jason Justeson, Brewing Borrachos
Honorable Mention: Dream Chunks, American IPA – Eli Palma, QUAFF

Strong American Ale
3rd Place: A George Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand!, American Barleywine – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

European Sour Ale
1st Place: Cool as a Cucumber… & Strawberry, Fruit Lambic – Travis Johnson, QUAFF
3rd Place: The Leftorium, Flanders Red Ale – Jeff Case, QUAFF

Belgian Ale
2nd Place: Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Pale Ale – Scott Rauvola, QUAFF

Strong Belgian Ale
1st Place: Duvel Clone, Belgian Golden Strong Ale – Scott Rauvola, QUAFF
2nd Place: Golden Goddess, Belgian Golden Strong Ale – Travis Johnson, QUAFF

Monastic Ale
1st Place: Bell Hammer Miraglia Tripel, Belgian Tripel – John Bell, QUAFF
2nd Place: Properly Carbonated American Tripel, Belgian Tripel – Scott Rauvola, QUAFF
3rd Place: Teddy Bear Pimp, Belgian Dark Strong Ale – Brent Krohn, QUAFF

Historical Beer
3rd Place: Woodford, Kentucky Common – Eli Palma, QUAFF

Ameriacan Wild Ale
2nd Place: If She Can’t Find Me, She Can’t Break Up with Me, Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Fruit Beer
1st Place: One Night Stand: Island Date, Fruit & Spice Beer – Patrick Leon, QUAFF

Alternative Fermentables Beer
2nd Place: Rye Don’t Care, Alternative Grain Beer – Jeff Case, QUAFF

Smoked Beer
1st Place: Camp Fire Porter, Specialty Smoked Beer – Richard Bagnell, QUAFF
3rd Place: Smokey the Beer, Classic Style Smoked Beer – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Specialty Beer
1st Place: It’s Not a Lie if You Believe It!, Experimental Beer – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: SamiClone ‘19, Commercial Specialty Beer – Scott Rauvola, QUAFF

Traditional Cider
3rd Place: Stupid Wild, Spanish Cider – Doug Brown, QUAFF

Strong Cider
1st Place: Good-N-Sweet, Ice Cider – Alan Turken, QUAFF
3rd Place: Serenity Now!, Ice Cider – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF

Specialty Cider
1st Place: Wild Grape Cider, Experimental Cider – Jonathan Schubert, QUAFF
3rd Place: SD Craft Cider 2019 – Apple Pie Ala Mode, Spiced Cider – Brian Trout, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Smooth Booze, Experimental Cider – Alan Turken, QUAFF

Perry
2nd Place: The Bottle Deposit, Experimental Perry – Benjamin Frymark, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Upcycled Trash Perry, Experimental Perry – Doug Brown, QUAFF

Traditional Mead
2nd Place: Oregon Goodness, Semi-Sweet Mead – John Bell, QUAFF

Fruit Mead (without Melomel)
1st Place: Leg of Spider, Eye of Newt, Pyment – Alexandria Perry, QUAFF
3rd Place: Beginner’s Luck (My First Melomel!), Pyment – Doug Brown, QUAFF

Melomel
1st Place: Raspberry Nebbiolo, Melomel – Melissa Greenfield, QUAFF
2nd Place: Move Aside and Let the Mango Through, Melomel – Karl Kahleck, QUAFF
3rd Place: Mass Appeal, Melomel – Doug Brown, QUAFF
Honorable Mention: Persimmon Cyser, Melomel – Melissa Grienfield, QUAFF

Spiced Mead
1st Place: Five Star Chick a la Mode, Fruit & Spice Mead – Doug Brown, QUAFF
2nd Place: Ah Squite Squite, Spice, Herg or Vegetable Mead – Karl Kahleck, QUAFF

Specialty Mead
1st Place: The B.O.S.S. Braggot, Braggot – Doug Brown, QUAFF