The winners of the county’s largest annual professional brewing competition, the San Diego International Beer Competition (SDIBC), have been named. Conducted each year as part of the San Diego County Fair, the competition accepts entries from across the globe. This year’s edition included more than 1,000 entries, and San Diego County breweries earned a total of 58 medals in 55 beer-style categories.
San Diego County operations amassed 15 gold medals, 18 silver medals and 25 bronze medals. While local breweries medaled in most of the categories, San Diego swept four styles altogether: Belgian-style Dark Ale, Belgian-style Pale Ale, Pilsener and Smoked Beer. Counting out-of-town breweries that operate locations within San Diego County adds five to the above medal count for a total of 63.
The local breweries that won the most awards were Deft Brewing and Ballast Point Brewing’s Little Italy brewpub. Both brought home two golds, two silvers and a bronze, with the latter combining with medals won by Ballast Point’s Home Brew Mart location (one bronze) and Long Beach brewpub (one gold, one silver) to amount to the biggest haul of any locally based brewing company.
Last year, San Diego breweries won 75 SDIBC medals, following totals of 54 in 2019, 61 in 2018 and 68 in 2017. The announcement of this year’s winners came later than expected, due mostly to challenges associated with getting enough judges to complete the process.
The following is a complete list of local winners from the 2021 SDIBC…
SAN DIEGO COUNTY WINNERS
Gold Medals
- American-style India Black Ale or Brown Ale: Weasel, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
- American-style Lager: BBR, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: DeftCon 4, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: Not-So-Austere Abbot, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Belgian-style Sour Ale: Flanders, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- British-style Strong Ale: Shipwrecked IIPA, Mission Brewery (East Village)
- Coffee Beer: Great White Buffalo, Black Market Brewing (Temecula) *
- German-style Ale: Claritas, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park)
- Hybrid Belgian-style Ale: South Bay Belgian, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing (Chula Vista)
- Imperial India Pale Ale: Mixed Greens, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Pilsener: Party On Pilsner, Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill (Vista)
- Rye Beer: Wiscommon, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Session Beer: Guillaume, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- Smoked Beer: Schlenkerlish, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Specialty Beer: PUCKEUR FACTOR Berliner Weisse, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- Wood & Barrel-aged Beer & Strong Beer: Barrel Aged Ale Nog, Ballast Point Brewing (Long Beach)
Silver Medals
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale: Gold, Black Market Brewing (Temecula) *
- American-style Lager: Gold, Saint Archer Brewing (Miramar)
- American-style Pale Ale: Greeters, Laguna Beach Beer Co. (Laguna Beach) *
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: DubBelGique, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: DOMESTIQUE Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- Bold Stout: Double Session Black Ale, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: Wild Sour Grapes, Ballast Point Brewing (Long Beach) *
- Coffee Porter & Stout: Vietnamese Coffee Pastry Stout, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park)
- English-style Brown Ale: J Money Brown, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park)
- English-style Pale Ale: Journey Series Session IPA, Saint Archer Brewing (Miramar)
- European Lager: Uber to Helles, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Fruit Beer: Glitz & Glam, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- German-style Ale: GOOOALSCH!, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing (Chula Vista)
- German-style Bock: Breakline Bock, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- German-style Weiss: Don’t Beat a Deft Horse, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Golden or Blonde Beer: Salty Crew Blonde, Coronado Brewing (Bay Park)
- Imperial Red Ale: Can’t Touch This, Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista)
- Imperial Stout: Devil’s Piano, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Kilroy Irish Red, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Pilsener: Noble Tendencies, The Lost Abbey (San Marcos)
- Smoked Beer: Maple Smoked Maibock, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
Bronze Medals
- American-style India Black Ale or Brown Ale: Throwback Brown, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
- American-style India Pale Ale: Norsewoman, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale: Organic Mosaic Hazy Pale Ale, Protector Brewery (Miramar)
- American Wheat Ale & Belgian-style Wit / White Ale: Comet Line, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Australian- / International-style Pale Ale: Carlsbad Crush, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: Jan Quadrupel Vincent, Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill (Vista)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: Bodysurfing Belgian Blonde, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- Bitter & Scottish-style Ale: McGarvey’s Scottish Ale, Oggi’s (San Clemente) *
- Bold Stout: Stout Mask Replica, Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: House Beer with Peaches, Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Coffee Porter & Stout: Chocolate Malted Brunch, Pizza Port Brewing (Bressi Ranch)
- Dark Lager: 10 Browning Street, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- English-style Brown Ale: Beería, Craft Coast Beer & Tacos (Oceanside)
- English-style Pale Ale: The Pub Ale, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
- Fresh Hop Beer: WET DREAM-EUR Wet Hop IPA, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- German-style Bock: Doppelbock, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- German-style Weiss: Krystall Hef, Belching Beaver Brewery Tavern & Grill (Vista)
- Imperial Red Ale: Shark Attack, Port Brewing (San Marcos)
- Imperial Stout: Night Rider, Pizza Port Brewing (Bressi Ranch)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Bellona, Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona)
- Pilsener: Courage Lager, Booze Brothers Brewing (Vista)
- Rye Beer: Rye You Trippin?, Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing (Chula Vista)
- Session Beer: Witherby, Craft Coast Beer & Tacos (Oceanside)
- Smoked Beer: Natural Bridge – Smoked Helles, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- Specialty Beer: DoubleDeft Secret, Deft Brewing (Bay Park)
- Wood & Barrel-aged Beer & Strong Beer: Barrel Aged Quad, Ballast Point Brewing – Home Brew Mart (Linda Vista)
* indicates out-of-town brewing company maintaining a public venue within San Diego County
Click here for the full list of winners from the 2021 San Diego International Beer Competition.