Six Greater Victoria breweries received national accolades for their concoctions.
A total of 11 Vancouver Island Breweries were among the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards winners. The winners were announced earlier in June with more than 800 breweries from across the nation competing for a chance to win medals in 59 categories. Island-based breweries took home a total of 16 medals.
Small Gods Brewing Co. took home a gold medal for Promised Land in the session ale category. The Sidney-based brewery also picked up a silver medal in the European-style lager (pilsner) category for its Neverending beer.
Victoria’s Moon Under Water Brewery picked up a silver for its Potts Pils in Kellerbier/Zwickelbier while Chemanius’ Riot Brewing Co. nabbed bronze for its Lipslide Lager and Hoyne Brewing Company, also based in Victoria, took an honourable mention for Helios in the same category.
It wasn’t Hoyne Brewing’s only medal, its Finnegans Irish Stout nabbed gold in the dry stout category.
Also located on Bridge Street in Victoria, Ile Sauvage Brewing Co. scored a bronze medal for its Raspberry Sour in fruit or field beer.
Located over in Victoria’s Market Square, Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. scored a silver medal for Garden City Fieldberry in historic/regional beers.
Sooke Oceanside Brewery picked up a bronze in bock – traditional German style for Graveyard of the Pacific.
Two Port Alberni companies dominated the Belgian-style dubbel or quadrupel category with Dog Mountain Brewing taking gold for its Friar Belgian Quad and Twin City Brewing Company taking bronze for Nocturne Belgian-style Quadrupel.
Twin City Brewing also picked up a silver medal for its Obscura Berliner-Style Weisse with Plum in the German-style sour ale category, a bronze in American-style sour ale for its Unicycle Sour IPA with El Dorado, and a bronze for Bottlecap Cherry Cola Sour in experimental beer.
Ucluelet Brewing Company nabbed a silver in the porter category for its St. Aiden’s Porter while Courtenay’s Ace Brewing Company Ltd. got bronze for its Cold IPA in specialty IPA.
For a full list of winners, go to canadianbrewingawards.com/2023-winners.
Two Greater Victoria cideries also picked up top honours at the 2023 Northwest Cider Cup.
This competition is open to licensed cideries within the territory of the Northwest Cider Association, which includes Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia. There were a total of 142 registered participants, judges and stewards in this year’s competition.
Victoria Cider Co. nabbed first place for its Quince Cider in the fruit co-fermented category.
Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse won second for its Cherry Lane in fruit post-fermentation additional sweet and second for Pomona in speciality fortified.
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