This year, the San Diego International Beer Festival returned to the San Diego County Fair. Beers from far-off countries and nearby neighborhoods were popped and a good time was had by all, but its professional brewing contest component, the San Diego International Beer Competition, did not occur in conjunction with the event this year. It will take place in the coming months, but another “all’s-fair” affair took place last month at the California State Fair’s commercial-brewing comp.
A half-dozen San Diego brewing companies medaled at the California State Fair this year, with the county’s longest continually operating beer interest, Karl Strauss Brewing, nabbing a pair of ribbons with two of its popular core beers. Uncle Karl’s crew took first place in the Session Beer category for its Mosaic IPA, and second in Irish-style Red Ale category for Red Trolley Ale.
Carlsbad-based Burgeon Beer Co. joined Karl in the Session Beer winner’s circle, taking third with its New Zealand-hopped pilsner, Clever Kiwi. Another near-local sweep occurred in the Berliner-style Weisse category, with Carmel Mountain Ranch’s Second Chance Beer Co. coming in first with Velvet Boots (a beer brewed in collaboration with the local chapter of brewing-industry women’s advocacy group, Pink Boots Society) and Barrio Logan’s Border X Brewing taking third for its strawberry-infused kettle sour ale, La Popis.
Oceanside’s Black Plague Brewing captured one of the most prestigious prizes, taking first place in the highly contested American-style IPA category for its Hell in the Cellar. And winning points for its Belgian-beer prowess was Duck Foot Brewing, which came in third in the Trappist-style Ale category for its tripel, Sasquack.
The following is a full list of this year’s winning local beers…
First Place
- American-style India Pale Ale: Hell in the Cellar, Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside)
- Berliner-style Weisse: Velvet Boots, Second Chance Beer Co. (Carmel Mountain Ranch)
- Session Beer: Mosaic IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
Second Place
- Irish-style Red Ale: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
Third Place
- Berliner-style Weisse: La Popis, Border X Brewing (Barrio Logan)
- Session Beer: Clever Kiwi, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
- Trappist-style Ale: Sasquack, Duck Foot Brewing (Miramar)