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Saison wrote:We aren't using BJCP categories though, we are using CBA categories which separated the two. I'm not going to give Garrison a pass anymore than Alexander Keith's.
Yes I know, categories 16a and 16c. Was just trying to point out some similarities in the two styles.
CBA does use bjcp style guidelines, and bjcp certified judges.
I'm not saying Picaroons isn't worthy... just curious.
They won two golds (as well as two bronze), but there were other multiple award winners as well.
IMHO, Howe Sound has continued to raise the bar and really hit their stride this year. The fact they took home 7 awards (more than any other brewery) really illustrates this. It was nice that they were able to show up at the event, despite the overlap with the Great Canadian Beer Festival.
As for the venue... Toronto is very central, but I know they've talked about moving it around the country. Last year BC took almost 1/4 of the awards, and this year they're up to almost 1/3! Maybe they should host next years event at the GCBF? Could be one hell of an after party!
Nice to see Unibroue still taking home a number of medals (up to 6 this year, from last years 4). Sleemans and Sapporo have continued their hands-off approach, and they continue to do what they do best. They certainly have the largest, most consistent portfolio of Belgian-style brews. Well deserved.
Great Lakes was also up there with 6 awards. Also very well deserved... too bad distribution is limited.
It was announced that next year the gala will be in Montreal and in the spring rather than at the end of summer. I guess we'll have to see if it actually happens but I imagine the location was chosen in hopes on enticing more Quebec breweries to enter.
It was too bad that many of the awards were won by BC breweries and so few were there. Bad timing and far trip, I guess Montreal won't change that last one.
saints_gambit wrote:
Macro beer makes up, oh, 90% of the beer that's sold in Canada. It doesn't matter that you don't like it, which you clearly don't.
I agree with you on most points Jordan except this one. 90% of people drink macros, not because they "like" them but merely because it's the product that's been shoved in their face by advertising, lack of any choice, parents, peers, government collusion and fashion since they were teenagers. Often, marcro is the only beer available to someone for most of their life so I feel that saying 90% of people "like" it is unfair.
The generation that grew up out of prohibition only knows macro beer. I have four uncles and none of them have ever had more than a sip of anything but macro and many of their peers are the same (probably about 90%).
If you were to agree that the 90% figure is heavily skewed, it's easier to understand people's frustration with multiple-category beer awards for macro style beer. You literally could put a well crafted lager in at least 5 categories on any given Sunday and it could walk away with gold.
Again, I'm not faulting or taking anything away from macro brewers or the CBAs, they are just doing their job and doing it well.
Is that the main reason that the majority of people drink beer from big brewers, or is it more the fact that people like dependable products that aren't too adventurous? I mean more people watch Dancing with the Stars than Breaking Bad or Parks and Recreation. More people will probably go see the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie than any of this years Best Picture Oscar nominees. And more people will buy Honda Civics than German sports cars? It is pretty much the same with any product so why would anyone expect beer to be any different? It is not like prohibition can be blamed for people's choices in TV shows or movies or books.
Plus with beer most people aren't even looking to explore new flavours and challenge themselves. They are looking to get drunk at a moderate pace. If that is your intended goal, why bother spending money on good beer, the same way if you just needed a car to get to work and back why would you buy a porche?
As far as the awards go, like others have mentioned these are industry awards, so they should reflect what the industry is producing. I mean I am looking at the awards site for the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, and with their awards they still have catergories for compact cars under $21,000. But if you were to go by what people are talking about here they should probably only have awards for luxury and sports cars.
ritzkiss wrote:It was announced that next year the gala will be in Montreal and in the spring rather than at the end of summer. I guess we'll have to see if it actually happens but I imagine the location was chosen in hopes on enticing more Quebec breweries to enter.
It was too bad that many of the awards were won by BC breweries and so few were there. Bad timing and far trip, I guess Montreal won't change that last one.
Montreal is a great location. The Quebec brewers took home quite a few awards, but yeah, it looks like there's a lot that didn't even enter. LTM really should (they do one hell of a Baltic Porter). Actually, they brew a variety of different things, and do them better than most. I think they'd certainly be in the running for brewery of the year.
Derek wrote:Montreal is a great location. The Quebec brewers took home quite a few awards, but yeah, it looks like there's a lot that didn't even enter. LTM really should (they do one hell of a Baltic Porter). Actually, they brew a variety of different things, and do them better than most. I think they'd certainly be in the running for brewery of the year.
LTM entered last year and got several medals if I remember correctly, including the porter.
Kel Varnsen wrote:
Is that the main reason that the majority of people drink beer from big brewers, or is it more the fact that people like dependable products that aren't too adventurous? I mean more people watch Dancing with the Stars than Breaking Bad or Parks and Recreation. More people will probably go see the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie than any of this years Best Picture Oscar nominees.
Of course most people like crap but that's my point...those Industries don't revere mediocrity. Not too familiar with automotive awards but I don't see the connection between a car winning an award for being well made and affordable and a contrived beer style.
BTW, I don't blame prohibition for people liking bad movies.
boney wrote:
Aren’t awards supposed to be for excellence? Are you arguing that there should be awards simply based on popularity? If so, Justin Beiber must the best singer that ever lived.
I'm pretty sure Bieber has won many Grammy's, Juno's, MTV, Muchmusic... I bet the list is endless. You won't see him nominated for the Polaris, Shortlist or Mercury prizes though. There are different competitions out there, if you only want to see craft/micro or whatever you want to call it in the winner's circle stick to the Golden Tap Awards.
Ok, bad analogy. I’m probably not making my point all that well. Let me clarify. I like 99% of what the CBA’s are about. I’m not getting my nose out of joint, screaming “oh my God, these awards are shite, won’t somebody think of the children!”. I just think the categories of North American Lager and Light Lager are a little out of place within the larger context of the awards.
First of all, let’s take “Macro” off the table. I like Creemore, Unibroue, Goose Island etc and have no problem with them winning any awards anywhere in the world. They are tasty, well put together beers. I am not a fan of bland North American Lagers that are the legacy of homogenization, appeal to the least offensive or lowest common denominator, mergers and globalization. All of which are more commonly, but not exclusive to Macro brewing. These are crap beers, regardless of who brews them. I want good beers acknowledged, whoever brews them. No anti-macro agenda here.
Second, what constitutes good beer? Yes it is somewhat subjective and my version may not be the same as those judging the CBA’s. However, let’s not force ourselves into to post-modern reflexive nihilism, here. There are real differences between good beer and bad beer. That line may be defined by certain preferences, absolute amounts of flavour, balance, even technical precision. Everyone’s line will be different, but the line exists. In the case of the CBA’s, that line is likely a compromise. TAP’s and the CBA’s inhabit a good even ground between the beer geek and the general population that may not know a lot about beer, but are willing to learn and experiment. If you take someone who is open about learning about beer, spend one afternoon talking about beer and sharing your knowledge, at the end of that afternoon they would be able to tell you North American Lagers are pretty bad and most everything else at the CBA’s are not bad-to-great.
To hijack Lamber’s analogy, the CBA’s are much closer to the Polaris Music Prize than the Grammy’s, which makes certain categories stick out like a sore thumb. What the North American Lager category celebrates is the very best of a really horrible category. Yes, they are produced by exquisite brewing technique. But that’s all they have going for them. Why do people buy beer? There are a million reasons, but the most common are to be social, to get drunk, to quench thirst, or they like the way it tastes. Technical skill no doubt plays a role in one way or another into a beers enjoyment, but I’ve had some very enjoyable beers that were produced by very amateurish means or that even had some brewing flaws. I doubt anyone has ever solely purchased a beer based on the technical prowess of the brewer alone. Beers are indeed judged for flaws and how close they are to style, but ideally, they should be flavourful as well. Otherwise, why even have awards for them in the first place? “Wow, this beer deserves an award because it makes me feel cooler, sexier and gets me drunk faster. Gold medal!”. As a consumer who thinks it’s worthy to celebrate good tasting beers, the category of North American Lager is just a throwaway junk category no matter the skill level of the person who produced it. Which brings me to my last point.....
Yes, I understand that the CBA’s are industry awards and if I want to exert my iron fisted will, I can do so through the Golden Tap’s (Please, for the love of God, pick up on the sarcasm there). However, the winners of the CBA’s are disseminated publically and many breweries use the fact that they got an award in their advertizing and quest to attract new drinkers. Unless you get bogged down in the semantics of what good beer really represents and what awards really mean (ie. Only those us us involved in this conversation), the average open minded, newly inquisitive beer drinker will think “wow, that must be a great tasting beer to have won a medal” not “the precision in which the brewer has managed to maintain consistency in such a bland, flavourless low alcohol product is truly breathtaking!”. After being enticed by a CBA, that person will walk away thinking “this beer tastes just like every other beer. WTF?" Does this really help anyone? As long as breweries are vying for my business and others, I get to have an opinion on the legitimacy of certain awards. Everyone does (please, don't misinterpret my words and claim that I am saying the CBA’s are not legitimate. I’m only saying a couple categories are kind of funny in the larger context).
boney wrote:As long as breweries are vying for my business and others, I get to have an opinion on the legitimacy of certain awards. Everyone does (please, don't misinterpret my words and claim that I am saying the CBA’s are not legitimate. I’m only saying a couple categories are kind of funny in the larger context).
Nice post. I agree with you that a few categories are out of place and I completely disregarded them when browsing the winners. I hadn't thought of someone going to the LCBO and picking up a sixer of Carling Light because it's advertised as a "Gold Medal" beer. I can understand that would be disappointing to the consumer and possibly cause them to think less of beers advertised as CBA winners in the future.
