Even in a year when fans of local beer were prohibited from cheering on their favorites at the San Diego County Fair, the region’s breweries fared extremely well at the San Diego International Beer Competition (SDIBC). Our region’s largest annual brewing competition, SDIBC draws entries from far and wide, including many Southern California operations. Local operations have historically shown well and—as announced during today’s virtual awards ceremony—this year was no different.
San Diego brewing companies took 75 medals in 55 beer-style categories, with Carlsbad’s Rouleur Brewing winning Best of Show for its Domestique Blonde Ale. Additionally, San Marcos’ Rip Current Brewing and Downtown’s Resident Brewing came in second and third, respectively, in the running for Champion Brewery. On top of that, San Diego breweries swept four categories, taking all the medals in German-style Bock, American-style Amber/Red Ale, British-style Strong Ale, and French and Belgian-style Ale (only a gold and silver were awarded in this category).
“We were so blessed to have so many breweries join us in the competition this year,” says Nicola Martinez, Exhibit Supervisor for the Del Mar Fairgrounds, who has worked with local publicans Tom Nickel and Tyson Blake to organize the SDIBC and its associated public beer festival for many years. “Even though things couldn’t be the same this year due to COVID-19, we thought about how we could thank them for their support and do something special for them.”
The result of that thoughtful brainstorming was tonight’s awards ceremony, which was unlike any in SDIBC history, and not simply because it was streamed live online via Zoom. In previous years, a list of awards would be distributed prior to the awards ceremony, which would then take place during the festival with the unannounced Best of Show winner as its lone mystery. This year, winners were kept under wraps and announced in categorical order, much as they are in major competitions such as the annual Great American Beer Festival and bi-annual World Beer Cup contests, making for increased entertainment value. That factor was further bolstered by Nickel and Blake, who served as emcees and took time to discuss the history of the SDIBC as well as some of the safety precautions taken this year during the in-person judging process.
Another first this year was inclusion of a Fresh Hop Beer category. Typically, competition judging occurs in the spring, with winners announced during the San Diego County Fair in mid-summer. Because this year’s competition took place at the end of summer, during hop-harvest season—the only time of year when fresh-hop (AKA: wet-hop) beers can be produced—breweries were welcomed to enter their creations. Julian’s Nickel Beer Co., the county’s most prolific producer of wet-hop beers, took gold and bronze in that category.
Adding a dramatic element to tonight’s festivities which will likely never be duplicated was the presentation of the Best of Show trophy, which was handed to Rouleur Brewing owner Rawley Macias by a PPE-clad member of the competition committee who was dispatched to the Carlsbad company’s tasting room for the presentation. Macias was told he was one of three finalists for the award and that he and his contemporaries should plan on logging into Zoom in case they heard their names called, when all along, Macias was the only one told to tune in, making for a fun moment.
San Diego breweries won 19 gold, 22 silver and 34 bronze medals in this year’s competition. Resident took home the most hardware of any local operation, earning three silver and two bronze, but came in behind Rip Current in overall standings because that interest won a pair of golds, a silver and a bronze, resulting in a higher overall score. Miramar’s AleSmith Brewing and Ballast Point Brewing’s Little Italy brewpub also earned four medals apiece (with Ballast Point’s Home Brew Mart location in Linda Vista also garnering a medal). The following is a complete list of winners from the 2020 SDIBC…
SAN DIEGO COUNTY WINNERS
Best of Show – Beer: Domestique Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
Champion Brewery Award – Beer
First Runner Up: Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
Second Runner-Up: Resident Brewing (Downtown)
Gold Medals
- Fruit Wheat Beer & Vegetable Beer: Coconut IPA, Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar)
- Chocolate & Chili Beer: Paranormal Porter, Double Peak Brewing (San Marcos)
- Session Beer: Clever Kiwi, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Hybrid Belgian-style Ale: The Harlot, Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Wood & Barrel Aged Beer: Noble Empire, AleSmith Brewing (Miramar)
- Pilsener: Natural Bridge Special Lager, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- European Lager: High Surf Helles, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- German-style Bock: Ragnabock, Longship Brewery (Mira Mesa)
- American-style Pale Ale: Ripper, Stone Brewing (Escondido)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale: Stratacaster, Amplified Ale Works (Miramar)
- American-style Amber/Red Ale: Red Rover, My Yard Live (San Marcos)
- Imperial Red Ale: Red Racoon, Ballast Point Brewing Home Brew Mart (Linda Vista)
- English-style Brown Ale: Skidmark, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- French & Belgian-style Ale: Saized And Confused, Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside)
- Belgian-style Pale Ale: Domestique Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- Porter: Plain Porter, Pizza Port Bressi Ranch (Carlsbad)
- Specialty Stout: Oats, Pizza Port (Solana Beach)
- British-style Strong Ale: Black Lagoon, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- Fresh Hop Beer: Hook In Mouth Chinook, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
Silver Medals
- Fruit Wheat Beer & Vegetable Beer: Vacation Coconut IPA, Resident Brewing (Downtown)
- Coffee Beer: Golden Stout, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
- Specialty Beer: Hop Soda, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- Session Beer: Guillaume, Pizza Port (Ocean Beach)
- Rye Beer: Riley’s Wild Rye’d, Double Peak Brewing (San Marcos)
- Hybrid Belgian-style Ale: Industrial Gris, Resident Brewing (Downtown)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: Shagtastic Voyage, My Yard Live (San Marcos)
- Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout: Bourbon Barrel Aged Devil’s Piano, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Pilsener: Where Vultures Fare, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- American-style Lager: Barrio Lager, Thorn Brewing (Barrio Logan)
- German-style Bock: Doppelbock, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- American-style Strong Pale Ale: Good Of The Public, Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- American-style India Pale Ale: …And Beyond IPA, Thorn Brewing (Barrio Logan)
- American-style Amber/Red Ale: Railside Red, Breakwater Brewing (Oceanside)
- Bitter: Chronic, Pizza Port Bressi Ranch (Carlsbad)
- Scottish-style Ale: Grassmarket, South Park Brewing (South Park)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
- French & Belgian-style Ale: Golden Kiss, Resident Brewing (Downtown)
- Belgian-style Pale Strong Ale: Horny Devil, AleSmith Brewing (Miramar)
- Specialty Stout: Delusions Of Grandeur, Breakwater Brewing (Oceanside)
- Imperial Stout: Older Rescue Buoy, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- British-style Strong Ale: 12 Guinea, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
Bronze Medals
- American Wheat Ale: Meister, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- Fruit Beer: Forgeberry, AleSmith Brewing (Miramar)
- Chocolate & Chili Beer: Slow Burn, Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar)
- Coffee Beer: Coffee Big Boy, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- Rye Beer: Devil’s Copper, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
- Brett & Other Sour Beer: The Thief, Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beer: Regal Nottingham, Resident Brewing (Downtown)
- Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout: Nyctophobia, Amplified Ale Works (Miramar)
- American-style Lager: It’s Merica Time, Viewpoint Brewing (Del Mar)
- German-style Bock: Breakline Bock, Rip Current Brewing (San Marcos)
- English-style Pale Ale: Flying Bear, Two Roots Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Australian/International-style Pale Ale: The Brightness, Gravity Heights (Sorrento Mesa)
- American-style Pale Ale: Bonkeur Mosaic Pale Ale, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- American-style Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale: La Calina, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- American-style Strong Pale Ale: 10:45 To Denver, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
- American-style India Pale Ale: IPA, Mission Brewery (East Village)
- American-style India Black Ale: Hit The Lights!, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
- Imperial India Pale Ale: Teahupo’o, Breakwater Brewing (Oceanside)
- American-style Hazy or Juicy Imperial India Pale Ale: Citra Juicy DIPA, Protector Brewery (Miramar)
- American-style Amber/Red Ale: Five Oaks, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
- Bitter: Brewer’s Best, Gravity Heights (Sorrento Mesa)
- Scottish-style Ale: Reapeur Wee Heavy, Rouleur Brewing (Carlsbad)
- Irish-style Red Ale: Kilroy Irish Red, Little Miss Brewing (Miramar)
- American-style Brown Ale: Weasel, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
- German-style Ale: Kölsch, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- German-style Weiss: Fish Face, Culver Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Belgian-style Wit or White Ale: White Walker, Wavelength Brewing (Vista)
- Belgian-style Sour Ale: In Praise Of Bacchus, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
- Belgian-style Dark Ale: OB Bubble Dubbel, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Porter: Tabula Rasa, Second Chance Beer Co. (Carmel Mountain Ranch)
- Bold Stout: Stoutly Independent, Ballast Point Brewing (Little Italy)
- British-style Strong Ale: Private Stock Ale, AleSmith Brewing (Miramar)
- Barley Wine: Royal Nottingham, Resident Brewing (Downtown)
- Fresh Hop Beer: Overnight To Julian, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)