Ontario Brewing Awards 2009 Winners

The Ontario Brewing Awards for 2009 were presented today at Esplanade Bier Markt. Here's the full list of winners:

NORTH AMERICAN LIGHT LAGER
GOLD: Cool Brewing Stonewall Light
SILVER: Flying Monkeys Antigravity Light
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cool Brewing Stonewall Light

PILSNER
GOLD: Steam Whistle Pilsner
SILVER: King Pilsner
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: King Pilsner

DARK LAGER
GOLD: King Dark Lager
SILVER: Steelback Tiverton Dark
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: King Dark Lager

AMBER ALE
GOLD: Old Credit Amber Ale
SILVER: Great Lakes Devils Pale Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion

BITTER
GOLD: Grand River Galt Knife Old Style
SILVER: Mill Street ESB
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Grand River Galt Knife Old Style

SPECIALTY
GOLD: Mill Street Belgian Tripel
SILVER: Great Lakes Winter Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Grand River Curmudgeon IPA

FRUIT BEER
GOLD: Black Oak Summer Saison
SILVER: Nickel Brook Green Apple Pilsner
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Black Oak Summer Saison

WHEAT BEER
GOLD: Mill Street Belgian Wit

NORTH AMERICAN LAGER
GOLD: Wellington Trailhead Lager
SILVER: Cool Beer
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cool Beer

CREAM ALE
GOLD: Mill Street Stock Ale
SILVER: Nickel Brook Draught
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cameron's Cream Ale

AMBER LAGER
GOLD: Creemore Springs Premium Lager
SILVER: Great Lakes Red Leaf
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Creemore Springs Premium Lager

PALE ALE
GOLD: Mill Street IPA
SILVER: Black Oak Pale Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale

HONEY BEER
GOLD: Steelback Red Maple
SILVER: Old Credit Holiday Honey Beer
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Old Credit Holiday Honey Beer

DARK ALE
GOLD: Muskoka Dark Ale
SILVER: Black Oak Nut Brown Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Wellington County Dark Ale

PORTER/STOUT
GOLD: Scotch-Irish John By Imperial Stout
SILVER: Black Oak Nutcracker Porter
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Black Oak Double Chocolate Cherry Stout

BOCK
GOLD: Creemore Springs urBock
SILVER: Mill Street Helles Bock
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Creemore Springs urBock

Ontario Brewing Awards 2009

On Tuesday April 14th, 2009 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the Bier Markt Esplanade (58 The Esplanade), LN, NOW Magazine and BET365 come together to celebrate Ontario’s finest beers with the 6th Annual Ontario Brewing Awards.

Awards will be given in various beer style categories, and many of the winning beers will be available for sampling.

For more information contact Erin McHattie at erinm@thebiermarkt.com. Space is limited, 19+ event, first come first served.

Canadian Brewing Awards Winners for 2008

The 2008 Canadian Brewing Awards were handed out last Thursday evening at a special event hosted by beer writer Stephen Beaumont and presented by TAPS Magazine at The Richmond. This was the largest year yet for the awards, with 239 beers entered from over 50 breweries across the country.

Even with all of that competition, Ontario breweries cleaned up, taking 35 of the 68 medals awarded. Toronto's very own Mill Street Brewery did especially well, winning 9 medals (6 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) as well as the Brewery Of The Year award for the second year in a row.

The full results appear below, and more information about the awards and the judging process can be read in the Fall, 2008 issue of TAPS.

(Note: Some categories did not have all three medals awarded due to the scoring thresholds used to decide on the winners.)

North American Style Lager
GOLD - Carling, Molson-Coors Canada (ON)
SILVER - Laker Lager, Brick Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Cool Beer, Cool Beer Brewing Co. (ON)

North American Style Premium Lager
GOLD - Lighthouse Lager, Lighthouse Brewing Co. (BC)
SILVER - Old Credit Pale Pilsner, Old Credit Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Great Western Premium, Great Western Brewing Co. (SK)

European Style Lager (Pilsner)
GOLD - Pilsner, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - Rocky Mountain Genuine Lager, Fernie Brewing Co. (BC)
BRONZE - Traditional Pilsner, Creemore Springs (ON)

North American Style Amber Lager
GOLD - Millennium Buzz Beer, Cool Brewing Co. (ON)
SILVER - Dutch Amber, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Red Leaf Smooth Leaf Lager, Great Lakes Brewing Co. (ON)

Bock - Traditional German Style
GOLD - Helles Bock, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - Nickel Brook Ice Bock, Best Bitters Brewing Co. (ON)

North American Style Dark Lager
GOLD - Cameron's Dark Lager, Cameron's Brewing Co. (ON)
SILVER - Two Rivers Red, Fort Garry Brewing Co. (MB)
BRONZE - Waterloo Dark, Brick Brewing Co. (ON)

Light (Calorie Reduced) Lager
GOLD - Brewhouse Light, Great Western Brewing Co. (SK)
SILVER - Coors Light, Molson-Coors Canada (ON)
BRONZE - Moosehead Light, Moosehead Brewing Co. (NB)

Wheat Beer - Belgian Style "White"
GOLD - Tessiev's Witbier, Buckerfield's Brewery (Swans) (BC)
SILVER - Belgian Wit, Granville Island Brewery (BC)
BRONZE - Blanche de Chambly, Unibroue (QU)

Wheat Beer - German Style Hefeweizen
GOLD - Hefeweizen, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)
SILVER - Denison's Weissbier, Denison's (Michael Hancock) (ON)
BRONZE - Whistler Weissbier, Whistler Brewing Co. (BC)

Wheat Beer - North American Style
GOLD - Sungod Wheat Ale, R&B Brewing Co. (BC)
SILVER - Velvet Fog, Wild Rose Brewery Ltd. (AB)

Strong or Belgian Style Ale
GOLD - La Fin Du Monde, Unibroue (QU)
SILVER - La Maudite, Unibroue (QU)
BRONZE - Surley Blonde, Phillips Brewing Co. (BC)

North American Style Amber/Red Ale
GOLD - Yukon Red Amber Ale, Yukon Brewing Co. (YK)
SILVER - Cameron's Auburn Ale, Cameron's Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Fire Chief's Red Ale, Pump House Brewery Ltd. (NB)

Cream Ale
GOLD - Sleeman Cream Ale, Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. (ON)
SILVER - Cameron's Cream Ale, Cameron's Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - True North Cream Ale, Magnotta Brewery Ltd. (ON)

North American Style Blond or Golden Ale
GOLD - Stock Ale, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - Griffon Extra Pale Ale, McAuslan Brewing Co. (QU)

English Style Pale Ale (Bitter)
GOLD - Picaroons Best Bitter, Northampton Brewing Co. (NB)
SILVER - ESB, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
BRONZE - Swans ESB, Buckerfield's Brewery (Swans) (BC)

North American Style Pale Ale/Bitter
GOLD - Tankhouse Ale, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - Plowman's Ale, Grand River Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - SOB (Special Old Bitter), Pump House Brewery Ltd. (NB)

Barley Wine
GOLD - Barley Wine 2007, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - Barley Wine, Wild Rose Brewery Ltd. (AB)
BRONZE - Barley Wine, Pump House Brewery Ltd. (NB)

India Pale Ale
GOLD - Garrison Imperial Pale Ale, Garrison Brewing Co. (NS)
SILVER - Hop Head India Pale Ale, Tree Brewing Co. (BC)
BRONZE - Amnesiac IPA, Phillips Brewing Co. (BC)

Brown Ale
GOLD - Hockley Dark Traditional English Ale, Hockley Valley Brewing Co. (ON)
SILVER - Swans Appleton Brown Ale, Buckerfield's Brewery (Swans) (BC)
BRONZE - First Trax Brown Ale, Fernie Brewing Co. (BC)

Scotch Ale
GOLD - Scotch Ale, Pump House Brewery Ltd. (NB)
SILVER - Scotch Ale, Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Stout
GOLD - St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, McAuslan Brewing Co. (QU)
SILVER - Hockley Stout Traditional Irish Ale, Hockley Valley Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Cobblestone Stout, Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Porter
GOLD - Coffee Porter, Mill Street Brewery (ON)
SILVER - John Sleeman Presents Fine Porter, Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Man's Best Friend Porter, Picaroons, Northampton Brewing Co. (NB)

Fruit & Vegetable Beer
GOLD - Longboat Chocolate Porter, Phillips Brewing Co. (BC)
SILVER - Pommegranate Wheat, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Framboise, Amsterdam Brewing Co. (ON)

Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale
GOLD - Great Lakes Winter Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co. (ON)
SILVER - Honey Brown, Niagara Falls Brewing Co. (ON)
BRONZE - Old Credit Holiday Honey, Old Credit Brewing Co. (ON)

Beer of the Year
Garrison Imperial Pale Ale, Garrison Brewing Co. (NS) (Highest scoring beer of the judging)

Brewery of the Year
Mill Street Brewery (ON)

Ontario Brewing Awards 2008 Winners

The winners of the Ontario Brewing Awards 2008 were announced earlier this week. The full press release, including the list of winners, appears below:

TORONTO, ONTARIO: May 7, 2008…. They excel in the beer industry, exemplify creativity and are determined to succeed. They are the winning brands of the fifth-annual “Ontario Brewing Awards”, sponsored by: Toronto’s Festival of Beer, Esplanade Bier Markt, Ontario Brewers and LibationNation.ca.

Roger Mittag, the Professor of Beer, hosted the awards ceremony and consumer tasting at Toronto’s own nirvana for beer lovers, the Esplanade Bier Markt on Tuesday, May 6th, from 3:00 – 6:00 pm.

This annual competition provides an opportunity for commercially produced beers to be judged against the best beers in the province. It also provides beer lovers with an opportunity to meet the brewers behind the brand, and sample the winning brews for themselves.

After judging 57 brands of Ontario brewed beer in 15 different styles, here are this year's Ontario Brewing Awards for the Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners:

NORTH AMERICAN LIGHT LAGER
GOLD – Robert Simpson Brewing Company for Antigravity Light
SILVER – Brick Brewing Company Limited for Formosa Springs Light
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Nickel Brook for Nickel Brook Pilsner

PILSNER
GOLD – Brick Brewing Company Limited for J.R. Brickman Pilsner
SILVER – Old Credit Brewing for Pale Pilsner
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Mill Street Brewery for Pilsner

DARK LAGER
GOLD - Steelback Brewery for Steelback Tiverton Dark Lager
SILVER - Brick Brewing Company Limited for Waterloo Dark
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Great Lakes Brewery for Black Jack

AMBER ALE
GOLD – Cameron’s Brewing Company for Cameron’s Auburn Ale
SILVER – Old Credit Brewing for Amber Ale
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Nickel Brook for Nickel Brook Ale

BITTER
GOLD – Wellington Brewery for Wellington Arkell Best Bitter
SILVER – Granite Brewery for Best Bitter Special
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Granite Brewery for Best Bitter

SPECIALTY
GOLD – Great Lakes Brewery for Winter Ale
SILVER – Wellington Brewery for Wellington Iron Duke Strong Ale
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Nickel Brook for Nickel Brook Cuvee

FRUIT BEER
GOLD – Mill Street Brewery for Frambozen
SILVER – Nickel Brook for Nickel Brook Green Apple
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Great Lakes Brewery for Orange Peel Ale

WHEAT BEER
GOLD – Mill Street Brewery for Belgian Wit

NORTH AMERICAN LAGER
GOLD – Great Lakes Brewery for Golden Horseshoe
SILVER – Niagara’s Best Beer for Niagara’s Best Lager
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Brick Brewing Company Limited for Laker Lager

CREAM ALE
GOLD - Cameron’s Brewing Company for Cameron's Cream Ale
SILVER - The Robert Simpson Brewing Company for Robert Simpson Confederation Ale
PEOPLE’S CHOICE - Nickel Brook for Nickel Brook Draught

AMBER LAGER
GOLD – Cool Beer Brewing Company for Millenium Buzz
SILVER – Great Lakes Brewery for Red Leaf
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Brick Brewing Company Limited for J.R. Brickman Amber

PALE ALE
GOLD - Mill Street Brewery for Tankhouse Ale
SILVER - Mill Street Brewery for IPA
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Wellington Brewery for Wellington Special Pale Ale

HONEY BEER
GOLD - Brick Brewing Company Limited for J.R. Brickman Honey Red
SILVER - Old Credit Brewing Company for Holiday Honey

DARK ALE
GOLD - Hockley Valley Brewing Company for Dark Traditional English Ale
SILVER – Mill Street Brewery for Scotch Ale
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Great Lakes Brewery for Devil’s Pale Ale

PORTER/STOUT
GOLD – Hockley Valley Brewing Company for Traditional Irish Stout
SILVER - Mill Street Brewery for Coffee Porter
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Granite Brewery for Keefe’s Irish Stout

Ontario Brewing Awards 2008

The 5th annual Ontario Brewing Awards will be taking place on Tuesday, May 6th at the Esplanade Bier Markt (58 The Esplanade).

Hosted by Roger Mittag, the awards will be announced during a media event from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, followed by a public event from 5:00 to 6:00 PM where complimentary samples of the nominated beers will be served.

The full press release follows behind the cut.

Diversity of beer styles reflected in this year’s Ontario Brewing Awards

TORONTO, ONTARIO: May 1, 2008…. They excel in the beer industry, exemplify creativity and are determined to succeed. They are the brands entered in the fifth-annual “Ontario Brewing Awards”. With 15 award categories, there is something for all beer lovers.

Roger Mittag, the Professor of Beer, will host the festivities at Toronto’s own nirvana for beer lovers at the Esplanade Bier Markt on Tuesday, May 6th. From 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, there will be a Press Pub and Awards Ceremony. The doors open to the public from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm for consumer sampling.

This competition provides an opportunity for commercially produced beers to be judged against the best beers in the province. It also provides beer lovers with an opportunity to meet the brewers behind the brand, and sample the winning brews for themselves! Complimentary tastings of these award-winning brands are offered courtesy of our sponsors: Toronto’s Festival of Beer, Esplanade Bier Markt, Ontario Brewers and LibationNation.ca.

Breweries are judged in the following categories:

North American Light Lager, North American Lager, Pilsner, Amber Lager, Dark Lager, Cream Ale, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Dark Ale, Bitter, Honey Beer, Wheat Beer, Porter/Stout, Specialty and Fruit.

The winning entries for the Ontario Brewing Awards will be announced on Tuesday, May 6th at the Esplanade Bier Markt, during the Press Pub and Awards Ceremony for media and brewers only from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The Consumer Tasting event is open to Beer Enthusiasts from 5:00-6:00pm.

Toronto’s Festival of Beer— get beer at beerfestival.ca :

About Toronto’s Festival of Beer
Tickets to Toronto’s Festival of Beer and Toronto’s Festival of Beer satellite events will no longer be available at The Beer Store but can be purchased exclusively at beerfestival.ca, beginning March 1 for the Festival proper and May 2008 for the Bowmans Ball and all Satellite events! A limited number of tickets will also be available at the gates for any days that do not sell out in advance. Set for Aug 7-10, 2008 , on the Lawns of Historic Fort York, Canada’s premier beer festival is celebrating 13 great years of beer by offering a free Festival admission ticket for the Thursday, August 7th Bowmans Ball night—with the purchase of a satellite event ticket (quantities are limited). Friday was sold out in advance last year for the first time and Saturday of the Festival has sold out in advance for the last five years, so buy tickets in advance at beerfestival.ca to guarantee admission!

About The Esplande Bier Markt

Located in one of Toronto's most historic districts, The Esplanade Bier Markt remains a place to see and be seen. Beginning with a selection of over 100 brands of beer from 24 countries, the European brasserie's culinary commitment is defined by season to ensure exceptional quality. Chic and dynamic modern design compliment the stay as do friendly and knowledgeable staff. Be it part of the journey or the destination, your experience at the Esplanade Bier Markt is sure to be memorable.

Canadian Brewing Awards 2007

Last night, the 5th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards Gala was held at the Dub Linn Gate Irish Pub in Vaughan, Ontario. Over 200 beers in 21 categories were entered into the competition this year with awards of gold, silver or bronze given to the top 3 scoring beers in each category.

The CBAs again recognized one brewer for outstanding achievement, with Mill Street Brewery being awarded this year’s "Brewery of the Year". New this year was the "Beer of the Year" for the highest scoring beer in all categories, awarded to Garrisons Brewing Company for their "Imperial Pale Ale".

The full winners list appears behind the cut. To discuss the results with other beer lovers, check out the discussion thread on the Bar Towel Forum

North American Style Amber Lager
GOLD Red Leaf Smooth Red Lager, Great Lakes
SILVER Harvest Lager, Bushwakker Brewing Co. Ltd
BRONZE J.R. Brickman Amber, Brick Brewing Co.

Bock Traditional German Style
GOLD Copper Bock, Canoe Brewpub

Fruit and Vegetable Beer
GOLD Frambozen, Mill Street Brewery
SILVER Raspberry Wheat, Phillips Brewing Co.
BRONZE Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale, Great Lakes

North American Style Dark Lager
GOLD Steelback Tiverton Dark Lager, Steelback
SILVER Hermann's Dark Lager, Vancouver Island Brewing
BRONZE Black Jack Black Lager, Great Lakes

Light (Carlorie Reduced) Lager
GOLD Jack Rabbit, Big Rock Brewery
SILVER Moosehead Light, Moosehead Breweries Ltd
BRONZE Steelback Light, Steelback Brewery

Wheat Beer Belgian Style White
GOLD Blanche de Chambly, Unibroue
SILVER Belgian-Style Wit, Mill Street Brewery

Wheat Beer German Style Hefeweizen
GOLD Muskoka Hefewissbier, Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery Inc.
SILVER True North Wunder Weisse, Magnotta

European Style Lager (Pilsner)
GOLD Walkerville Premium Blond, Walkerville Brewing
SILVER Kelowna Pilsner, Tree Brewing
BRONZE Whistler Premium Export Lager, Whistler Brewing

Strong or Belgian Style Ale
GOLD Swans Legacy Ale, Swans Buckerfields Brewery
SILVER St-Ambroise Vintage Ale, McAuslan Brewing
BRONZE Surly Blonde, Phillips Brewing Co.

Cream Ale
GOLD True North Cream Ale, Magnotta Brewery
SILVER Russell Cream Ale, Russell Brewing Co.
BRONZE Cameron's Cream Ale, Cameron's Brewing

North American Style Lager
GOLD Muskoka Lager, Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery
SILVER Golden Horseshoe Premium Lager, Great Lakes
BRONZE Cameron's Lager, Cameron's Brewing

North American Style Blonde/Golden Ale
GOLD Piper's Pale Ale, Vancouver Island Brewing
SILVER Griffin Extra Pale Ale, McAuslan Brewing
BRONZE Stock Ale, Mill Street Brewery

Porter
GOLD Black Oak Nutrcracker Porter, Black Oak Brewing Co.
SILVER London Style Porter, Propeller Brewing Co
BRONZE Coffee Porter, Mill Street Brewery

English Style Pale Ale (Bitter)
GOLD Cutthroat Pale Ale, Tree Brewing
SILVER Red Devil Pale Ale, R & B Brewing Co.
BRONZE Black Oak Pale Ale, Black Oak Brewing Co.

India Pale Ale
GOLD Imperial Pale Ale, Garrison Brewing Company
SILVER Amnesiac DBL IPA, Phillips Brewing Co.
BRONZE Hophead India Pale Ale, Tree Brewing

Brown Ale
GOLD Stonehammer Premium Dark Ale, F&M Brewery
SILVER Nut Brown Ale, Garrison Brewing Company
BRONZE Tall Timber Ale, Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.

Scotch Ale
GOLD McAuslan Scotch Ale, McAuslan Brewing
SILVER Swans Scotch Ale, Swans Buckerfields

North American Style Amber/Red Ale
GOLD Blue Buck, Phillips Brewing Co.
SILVER Race Rocks Amber, Lighthouse Brewing Co.
BRONZE (tie) Irish Red Ale, Garrison Brewing Company
BRONZE (tie) Tankhouse Ale, Mill Street Brewery

Stout
GOLD Swans Oatmeal Stout, Swans Buckerfields
SILVER Espresso Stout, Yukon Brewing Company
BRONZE Keepers Stout, Lighthouse Brewing Co.

Wheat Beer North American Style
GOLD Grasshopper, Big Rock Brewery
SILVER Sungod Wheat Ale, R & B Brewing Co.
BRONZE High Country Kolsch, Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.

Honey/Maple Lager or Ale
GOLD Niagara Honey Brown, Niagara Brewing Co.
SILVER Steelback Tiverton Bear Honey Brown, Steelback Brewery
BRONZE J.R. Brickman Honey Red, Brick Brewing Co.

Special Awards
BEER OF THE YEAR, Garrisons Imperial Pale Ale
BREWERY OF THE YEAR, Mill Street Brewery

Results of the 1st Annual Canadian International Beer Championship

The First Annual Canadian International Beer Championship was held on July 7th, 2007 in conjunction with the Barrie Brews & BBQ Festival. The event was a BJCP Sanctioned Competition overseen by brewer and BJCP Master Judge Paul Dickey, and the entries were consolidated in similar styles for the awarding of medals as recommended by the BJCP.

Following are the medal winners in each of the ribbon categories. Each entry was judged according to the style guidelines for the style entered. The criteria were aroma, appearance, flavour, mouthfeel and overall impression. In some cases more than one medal may have been awarded, as determined by the panel of judges, if the judges felt the entry would have warranted a medal in the style in which the entry was originally entered.

Medal - Brand - Beer Style - Company Name

Category: North American Lager, Pilsner, European Amber Lager

Gold - Castle - European Amber Lager - South African Breweries
Gold - King Pilsner - Pilsner - King Brewery
Silver - Tyskie - European Amber Lager - Kompania Piwowarska S.A.
Bronze - Peroni - European Amber Lager - s.p.a. Birra Peroni

Category: Light Hybrid Beer, Dark Lager, Bock

Gold - Lug Tread Lagered Ale - Light Hybrid - Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company
Silver - Stock Ale - Light Hybrid - Mill Street Brewery
Bronze - King Dark Lager - Dark Lager - King Brewery

Category: Belgian & French Ale

Gold - Blanche de Chambly - Belgian & French Ale - Unibroue

Category: English Brown Ale, Porter & Stout

Gold - County Ale - English Brown Ale - Wellington Brewery
Silver - Coffee Porter - Porter - Mill Street Brewery
Bronze - John Sleeman Porter - Porter - Sleeman Breweries

Category: Bitter & English Pale Ale

Gold - Tankhouse Ale - Pale Ale - Mill Street Brewery
Silver - Arkel Best Bitter - Bitter & Pale Ale - Wellington Brewery
Bronze - Special Pale Ale - Bitter & Pale Ale - Wellington Brewery

Ontario Brewing Awards 2007

The 4th annual Ontario Brewing Awards will be taking place next Wednesday, April 4th at the Esplanade Bier Markt (58 The Esplanade).

Hosted by Roger Mittag, the awards will be announced during a media event from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, followed by a public event from 5:00 to 7:00 PM where complimentary samples of the nominated beers will be served.

The awards line-up has expanded this year to cover 15 categories including: North American Light Lager, Lager, Pilsner, Amber Lager, Dark Lager, Cream Ale, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Dark Ale, Bitter, Honey Beer, Wheat Beer, Porter/Stout, and Specialty/Flavoured.

The full press release follows behind the cut.

Diversity of beer styles reflected in this year’s Ontario Brewing Awards

TORONTO, ONTARIO: March 28, 2007…. They excel in the beer industry, exemplify creativity and are determined to succeed. They are the brands entered in the fourth-annual “Ontario Brewing Awards”, and there are five additional style categories in this year’s judging, a total of 15 styles! The increase in the number of award categories is representative of the variety of styles that Ontario Brewers are creating, providing a broad choice of top quality beers for Ontarians.

Roger Mittag, the Professor of Beer, will host the festivities at Toronto’s own nirvana for beer lovers at the Esplanade Bier Markt on Wednesday April 4th, from 5:00-7:00 pm.

This competition provides an opportunity for commercially produced beers to be judged against the best beers in the province. It also provides beer lovers with an opportunity to meet the brewers behind the brand, and sample the winning brews for themselves!

Starting at 5:00 pm, complimentary tastings of these award-winning brands are offered courtesy of sponsors NOW Magazine, Toronto’s Festival of Beer, The Beer Store, Esplanade Bier Markt, Ontario Brewers and LibationNation.ca.

Breweries are judged in the following categories:

North American Light Lager, Lager, Pilsner, Amber Lager, Dark Lager, Cream Ale, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Dark Ale, Bitter, Honey Beer, Wheat Beer, Porter/Stout, Specialty/Flavoured.

“I’m very proud to be associated with the OBA’s as these awards show the average beer consumer’s voice can be heard,” said Roger Mittag from Thirst for Knowledge Inc. “What makes this year’s event even more special is the fact that several beers have been awarded gold medals two years in a row. And with a different group of judges than last year, this once again shows that Ontario brewers have been rewarded for their outstanding consistency,” he added.

The winning entries for the Ontario Brewing Awards will be announced on Wednesday, April 4th at the Esplanade Bier Markt, during the Press Pub and Awards Ceremony for media and brewers only from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The Consumer Tasting event is open to Beer Enthusiasts from 5:00-7:00pm. For dinner reservations please contact the Esplanade Bier Markt directly at 416-862-7575.

4th annual Ontario Brewing Awards Judges:

Host Roger Mittag – Roger Mittag is the founder of Thirst For Knowledge Inc., an innovative new company that delivers creative and exciting beer events. He is also recognized as one of Canada's leading draught beer experts. Roger has been helping Canadians appreciate beer since 1997 and is currently teaching Beer Appreciation classes at Humber College.

Scott Rondeau – Scott is the Co-Founder of Toronto’s Festival of Beer which is approaching its twelfth year. He’s the Site Manager for the Juno Awards and also founded The Juno Cup; a hockey event in association with the Junos. Hockey, Music and Beer - the perfect Hat Trick! Scott is generally a big fan of beer. Hello?... He started a Beer Festival!

Bill George – Bill is a retired educator, a BJCP beer judge, and a winner of over 20 medals in North American brewing competitions. He also works part-time for the LCBO.

Robert Medal – Robert is the General Manager of the Esplanade Bier Markt, one of Canada's premier Rest-Bars and a showcase for many of the world’s top beers. Robert's background spans over 11 years in the hospitality and beverage industry with extensive experience in the beer and wine segments.

Candy Higgins – Candy is a marketing executive at NOW Magazine. A veteran of both the restaurant business and the music industry, she has traveled extensively and tasted more beer than it would be prudent to admit. As a result, she can confirm that Canadian beer (tied with Guinness) is the best beer in the world.

Graham Duncan - Graham writes the Drink Up column which appears weekly in NOW Magazine. Graham has also written about food and urban culture for the Globe and Mail and the CBC and was the restaurant reviewer for the Victoria Times Colonist.

John Tyler – John is the Global e-Commerce Manager for Kraft Foods. He has a passion for beer, especially cask conditioned ales, and is an award winning home brewer and certified beer judge.

Jon Purdy – Jon has been living and breathing beer for the last 4 years as the Marketing Manager at The Beer Store. Along with his professional experience, Jon has an overdeveloped nasal cavity and enlarged taste buds that will greatly assist him in his role of assessing various brews.

Aonghus Kealy – is the only writer with a weekly column devoted to beer in Canadian daily newspapers. He began with Sun Media’s 24 Hour Magazine and currently serves as the Food and Drink Editor at Metro Magazine. When not writing about beer, Aonghus can be found doing extensive research on the subject. Slainte!

Niki Bobko – Niki is the Promotions Coordinator at The Beer Store. Besides being a big fan of the golden beverage, she spends her days promoting the biggest Brewery Retail Outlet in the Country and helps in making some of our favourite brands available to us. Who could be better? Bless you Niki!

Josie Dye – Josie is the Midday announcer and Assistant Music Director at 102.1 The Edge. She lives and breathes Rock and Roll. How can she NOT know her beer?

Mirella Amato – Having recently returned to Toronto after living in Italy, where she reluctantly gave up beer in favour of wine (when in Rome!), Mirella has spent the past two months scrupulously retraining her taste buds to recognize the fine points of beer- her drink of choice! They are good and ready for this affair and she can't wait to treat them to Ontario’s finest.

Dan Ferracuti – Dan owns two locations of Safari Bar and Grill, both in Ajax and Toronto. Dan has been in the hospitality business for years and is he’s a HUGE lover of beer.

Lisa Dunbar – As Marketing Manager for the Ontario Craft Brewers, Lisa spends her time building the Ontario Craft Brewers' brand and promoting the virtues of our local brewing industry – who could be better?

Jeff Marek – Jeff is the host of "Leafs Lunch" along with Bill Watters on AM640 Toronto Radio heard Monday to Friday from 12-2pm. One of the country's premier hockey analysts, Marek makes frequent appearances on CBC news Morning, TSN's “Off The Record” and various TV and radio properties across the country. When you have to talk this much you appreciate quenching your thirst with a little brew.

Sara Taylor – Sara is the Manager of Communications for The Beer Store. Since beer has long been her beverage of choice, she figured - why not work for the best place to buy your suds? And after four years of getting to know beer even better at The Beer Store, she feels the best beer is the cold one in your hand!

Barry Taylor – personality on 102.1 the Edge and stand up comedian. Barry works evenings and late afternoons…the reason? His love of beer requires him to sleep in. He’s that dedicated to the hops and barley.

Zach Slootsky – Zach has been organizing the annual beer review for U of T's independent weekly, “The Newspaper”, for three years now, more than doubling its size in the first year alone. He's been throwing keg parties since he turned 19 and is working now as a freelance photographer at takemorephotos.com.

Chris Kelly – Chris spends eight hours of his day as a mild mannered Software Engineer at a Fortune 500 company. This allows him to spend the other sixteen as a fine beer aficionado and avid home brewer. Chris cherishes good beer and does not abide poor ones. As such, Chris looks forward to having his say in which beers are the best that Ontario has to offer.

Jason Davis – Jason is a Financial Systems Specialist on Bay Street. Small-cog-in-the-machine by day, Jason has honed his social networking skills over pints by night. Jason cherishes this newfound opportunity to praise beer while perched on a bar stool.

Josh Rubin – Josh has been drinking good, craft-brewed beer for as long as he can remember. He's spent many a happy afternoon and evening sipping from Bavarian masskrugs, Belgian chalices and English pint glasses across Canada and other great beer countries. These days, he's also the beer writer for the Toronto Star.

Ontario Brewing Awards Winners

The winners of the third annual Ontario Brewing Awards were announced today during an awards presentation event at the Esplanade Bier Markt. And the winners are...

Best Lager
Cameron's Lager
Cameron's Brewing

Best Pilsner
J.R. Brickman Founder's Series Pilsner
Brick Brewing

Best Cream Ale
Niagara's Best Blonde Premium Ale
Niagara's Best Beer

Best Pale Ale
Tankhouse Ale
Mill Street Brewery

Best Amber Beer
Millennium Buzz Beer
Cool Beer Brewing

Best Dark Lager
King Dark Lager
King Brewery

Best Dark Ale
Hockley Dark Traditional English Ale
Hockley Valley Brewing

Best Stout/Porter
Wellington Imperial Stout
Wellington Brewery

Best Specialty Beer
Niagara Eisbock
Niagara Brewing

Best Seller (sponsored by The Beer Store)
Coors Light
Molson Brewing Canada

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Ontario Brewing Awards 2006

The 3rd annual Ontario Brewing Awards will be presented at the Esplanade Bier Markt on Wednesday May 31st. The public portion of the event will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 PM and will feature Roger Mittag from Thirst for Knowledge Inc. presenting awards for Best Lager, Best Pilsner, Best Cream Ale, Best Pale Ale, Best Amber Beer, Best Dark Lager, Best Dark Ale, Best Speciality/Flavoured and Best Porter/Stout.

Canadian Brewing Awards 2006

The winners list for the 2006 edition of the Canadian Brewing Awards has been announced, and plenty of Ontario breweries are represented. Big congratulations go to Magnotta Brewery which was named Brewery Of The Year, with medals being won by five of the six products they had entered in the competition.

Read on for a list of all the Ontario brews that won awards, and a link to the complete winners list.

North American Style Lager
Brick - Red Baron - Silver
Magnotta - True North Lager - Bronze

European Style Lager (Pilsner)
Headstrong - Munich Lager - Gold
Brick – J.R. Brickman Pilsner - Silver

North American Style Amber Lager
Cool Beer – Millenium Buzz Hemp Beer - Gold

Bock - Traditional German Style
Niagara Brewing Co. – Eisbock (2005 L.E.) - Gold

North American Style Dark Lager
King Brewery – King Dark Lager - Silver
Great Lakes – Black Jack - Bronze

Wheat Beer - German Style Hefeweizen
Magnotta - True North Wunder Weisse - Gold

Strong or Belgian Style Ale
Mill Street Brewery – Barley Wine - Gold
Magnotta – True North Strong - Gold
Church-Key Brewing – Biere de Garde - Bronze
Wellington County – Iron Duke - Bronze

North American Style Amber/Red Ale
Cameron’s Brewing – Cameron’s Auburn Ale - Gold
D. Sykes Brewing – Copper Cream Ale - Bronze
Old Credit – Amber Ale - Bronze
Niagara Brewing – Gritstone Premium Ale - Bronze

Cream Ale
Magnotta – True North Cream Ale - Gold

English Style Pale Ale (Bitter)
Niagara Brewing – Niagara Pale Ale - Silver
F & M – MacLean’s Pale Ale - Silver
Mill Street Brewery – Tankhouse Ale - Silver
Headstrong – Pale Ale - Bronze

Brown Ale
Magnotta – Traditional Altbier - Gold

Scotch Ale
Wellington County – County Dark Ale - Bronze

Porter
Mill Street Brewery – Coffee Porter - Gold

Special Honey Lager or Ale
Old Credit – Holiday Honey - Silver

Press release with full winners list