QUAFF is “America’s Finest” homebrew club

There have been so many different brewing competitions going on of late that it’s getting tough to cover them all. To be fair, that’s always the case with the America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition, results of which have been unveiled on the same day as our own San Diego Beer News Awards for the past several years. But no amount of double-booking will keep us from covering this 31-year tradition among recreational fermentationists, not just here in San Diego (AKA: America’s Finest City), but across the nation.

Each year, amateur brewers throughout the U.S. and Mexico – the majority of which are affiliated with homebrew clubs – submit beers, ciders, perries and meads in 40 different style categories (which cover numerous other subcategories). Those entries are then appraised by certified judges who determine the top submissions for each category, as well as best-of-show winners (highest-rated beverages spanning all categories). Each medal a homebrewer is awarded earns them points that are later tallied to determine two special awards: Top Club (most medals earned by a homebrew club’s collective membership) and “Brew Machine” (most medals earned by individuals). 

This year, San Diego County’s largest assembly of homebrewers, QUAFF (Quality Ale & Fermentation Fraternity) was named Top Club with “QUAFFErs” sweeping a pair of categories, European Sour Ale and Strong British Ale. Four of that entity’s (the reigning Club of the Year from 2024’s National Homebrew Competition) members shined solo, with Richard Bagnell taking Best of Show in the beer category for his Munich-style Dunkel and Jeffry Battles coming in third in Best of Show for is lemon-and-ginger-infused mead. Meanwhile, Benjamin Frymark and Scott Rauvola ranked second and fourth place, respectively, in the battle for Brew Machine.

Among the largest amateur brewing contests in the country (and the largest in Southern California), this year’s America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition amassed 477 entries from 113 brewers from 22 different states. The following is a list of all of the local winners from this year’s event…

TOP CLUB

1st Place: QUAFF  with 138 points (12 gold, 12 silver, 9 bronze, 2 honorable mentions)

BEST OF SHOW

1st Place – Beer: Dunkle Down Munich-style Dunkel, Richard Bagnell (QUAFF)
3rd Place – Mead / Cider: Lemon & Ginger Mead, Jeffry Battles (QUAFF)

BREW MACHINE

2nd Place: Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF) with 32 points (3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
4th Place: Scott Rauvola (QUAFF) with 22 points (2 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)

GOLD MEDALS (13)

Alternative Fermentables Beer: The Marble Rye, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Dark European Lager: Dunkle Down Munich-style Dunkel, Richard Bagnell (QUAFF)
European Sour Ale: Ich Bin Ein Berliner-style Weisse, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Fruit Mead: Peach Melomel V2, Ryan Fowler
Pale American Ale: Speedos & Sweaters New Zealand-style Pilsner, Nathan Hausch (QUAFF)
Smoked Beer: A Fireplace in Vienna, Richard Bagnell (QUAFF)
Specialty Beer: Irascible Elf, Scott Rauvola (QUAFF)
Specialty Cider & Perry: Good-N-Sweet Ice Cider, Alan Turken (QUAFF)
Specialty Mead: German Chocolate Cake Bochet, Melissa Greenfield (QUAFF)
Spiced Mead: Lemon & Ginger Mead, Jeffry Battles (QUAFF)
Strong Belgian Ale: Saisean Saison, Sean Gardiner (QUAFF)
Strong British Ale: Hello Newman Wee Heavy, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Wood Beer: Barrel-aged Sons of Liberty Pre-Prohibition Porter, Scott Rauvola (QUAFF)

SILVER MEDALS (12)

Amber & Brown American Beer: Moose on the Loose American Brown Ale, Travis Johnson (QUAFF)
American Wild Ale: Tank 7 Brett Beer, Scott Rauvola (QUAFF)
Belgian Ale: One Day in Bruges Belgian-style Pale Ale, Jeff Case (QUAFF)
Dark British Beer: Southpaw Milk Stout, Jeffry Battles (QUAFF)
European Sour Ale: It’s Not a Lie if You Believe It Lambic, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Fruit Beer: Hit Me with Your Best Tart, Travis Johnson (QUAFF)
International Lager: Cello Azul, Eli Palma (QUAFF)
IPA: FAYUCA, Eli Palma (QUAFF)
Irish Beer: The Hunt for Irish Red, Kevin & Kazuko Masaryk (QUAFF)
Smoked Beer: Smokey the Beer, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Spiced Beer: No Soup For You, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Strong British Ale: Peacoat Buttons, Patrick Leon (QUAFF)

BRONZE MEDALS (12)

Alternative Fermentables Beer: Kramerica, Benjamin Frymark (QUAFF)
Amber & Brown American Beer: Georgy Porgey – RDS American Amber Ale, Brent Krohn (QUAFF)
American Porter & Stout: Borracho Porter, Jason Justeson, Gabe Ralph & Dennis Erick (Brewing Borrachos)
Belgian Ale: Goldie’s Wit, Dan & Randy Stoneman (QUAFF)|
British Beer: ESB, Jason Justeson (Brewing Borrachos)
Dark British Beer: Right Foot Milk Stout, Jeff Case (QUAFF)
European Sour Ale: Kaiser Söze’s Gose, Scott Ravuola (QUAFF)
Fruit Mead: Mango Vanilli V2, Ryan Fowler
Historical Beer: Sons of Liberty Pre-Prohibition Porter, Scott Rauvola (QUAFF)
Specialty Beer: Passionfruit Mousse Imperial Golden Dessert Stout, Jeff Case (QUAFF)
Strong British Ale: Moving Concrete Goalposts Wee Heavy), Jeff Case & Tad Garabedian (QUAFF)|
Strong European Beer: Baltik Porter, Scott Rauvola (QUAFF)

HONORABLE MENTIONS (2)

Fruit Mead: Pomegranate Mulberry Mead, Karl Kahleck (QUAFF)
Traditional Mead: Semi-Sweet Mead, Jeffry Battles (QUAFF)

A full list of winners of the 2025 America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition is available online