RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Whether you’re a stout guy, a sour girl, a kölsh king or an experimental queen, you’ll find a beer here. The best-of-the-best craft beer throughout all of Virginia has been sampled and ranked, and the winners of the 2022 Virginia Craft Beer Cup (VCBG) have been announced.
This year’s competition included beer varieties from more than 100 Virginia breweries, 14 of which were new to the event this year. Out of the almost 400 different types of beer entered in the running, around a third were judged to be placeholders in the 33 distinct categories.
“It’s fitting that on the 10th anniversary of SB604, the Virginia Craft Beer Cup has the most competitors in its history. The VCBG is initiating new marketing programs to drive thirsty consumers to tasting rooms to help grow independent craft beer,” said Brett Vassey, VCBG President and CEO.
All winning beers will be featured in their brewery tasting rooms and through brewery wholesale and retail partners. To plan your next visit, you can find a map of Virginia breweries here.
Check out the comprehensive list of all winners grouped by category below:
BEST IN SHOW
- First Place — Decipher Brewing, Barley Late Kölsch
- Second Place — Harvest Gap Brewery, Devil Dog
- Third Place — Port City Brewing, Optimal Wit
ALTERNATIVE GRAIN(S) or SUGAR(S)
- First Place — Makers Craft Brewery, Bragadocious
- Second Place — Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Lucky Cat
- Third Place — No award in this category
AMBER ALES
- First Place — Lake Anne Brew House, Reston Red
- Second Place — Iron Pipe Alewerks, Sassenach
- Third Place — The Garage Brewery, Rusted Nail Amber Ale
AMBER LAGERS
- First Place — Caboose Brewing Company, Vienna Lager
- Second Place — Bingo Beer Company, Costa Chica
- Third Place — Black Hoof Brewing Company, Full Quiver Marzen
AMERICAN LAGERS
- First Place — Richbrau Brewing Company, Richbrau Lager
- Second Place — Cedar Run Brewery, Tiller Lite Lager
- Third Place — Harvest Gab Brewery, Stud Lite
BELGIAN WIT
- First Place — Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit
- Second Place — Ornery Beer Company, Down Wit It
- Third Place — No award in this category
BRITISH BITTERS
- First Place — Cooling Pond Brewery, Boswell’s Tavern Very Special Bitter
- Second Place — Dancing Kilt Brewery, Bitter Duergar Ale
- Third Place — Caiseal Beer and Spirits Co., Red Ale
BROWN ALE
- First Place — Tradition Brewing Company, Tradition Honey Brown
- Second Place — Skipping Rock Beer Company, Roasted Pecan Brown Ale
- Third Place — Three Leg Run, Paper Boy Brown Ale
- Honorable Mention — Caboose Brewing Company, Boxcar Brown
CREAMS and BLONDES
- First Place — Pale Fire Brewing Company, Taking Water
- Second Place — Barley Naked Brewing Company, For Fox Sake
- Third Place — Old Ox Brewery, Cream Ale
DARK EUROPEAN LAGERS
- First Place — Twin Creeks Brewing Company, Black Bar Bier
- Second Place — Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern, Rusty Roadrunner Lager
- Third Place — Barley Naked Brewing Company, Drop Your Schwarz
DOUBLE IPA
- First Place — Alesation Brewing Company, Hopsneeze Gen2
- Second Place — Tucked Away Brewing Company, Not My Problem
- Third Place — Chaos Mountain Brewing, Shut Up John
EUROPEAN SOUR
- First Place — Strangeways Brewing Company, Uberlin
- Second Place — Stable Craft, Porch Sipping
- Third Place — No award in this category
EXPERIMENTAL
- First Place — Benchtop Brewing Company, Trial of Dmitri
- Second Place — Benchtop Brewing Company, Rice Cubed
- Third Place — Blue Mountain Barrel House, Raspberries on Acid
FRUIT
- First Place — South Street Brewery, Bluesbuester
- Second Place — Big Ugly Brewing, Hot Pursuit
- Third Place — Blue Mountain Brewery, Drink a Peach
- Honorable Mention — Lake Anne Brew House, All That Razz
GERMAN AND AMERICAN WHEAT
- First Place — 2 Silos Brewing Company, Hefe
- Second Place — The Virginia Beer Company, Saving Daylight
- Third Place — Barnhouse Brewery, Harvest Hefe
HAZY IPA
- First Place — Three Notch’d Brewing Company, King of Clouds Juicy IPA
- Second Place — Stable Craft, Robot Cowboy
- Third Place — Long Way Brewing, Forecast: Downpour
INTERNATIONAL LAGER
- First Place — Caboose Brewing Company, Bienvenidos Mexican Lager
- Second Place — Stone Brewing, Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager
- Third Place — 2 Silos Brewing, Dos Silos
IPA
- First Place — Precarious Beer Project, Chug Rug
- Second Place — Ornery Beer Company, Pacific Waves
- Third Place — Big Lick Brewing Company, The GreeHeen
IRISH RED
- First Place — Old House Vineyards, Irish Red
- Second Place — Barley Naked Brewing Company, Rockhill Irish Red
- Third Place — No award in this category
- Honorable Mention — Tradition Brewing Company, Red Willie
KÖLSCH
- First Place — Decipher Brewing, Barley Late Kölsch
- Second Place — Jack Mason’s Tavery and Brewery, Log Hopper Kölsch
- Third Place — Bear Chase Brewing Company, Kodiak Kölsch
MIXED FERMENTATION
- First Place — Richbrau Brewing Company, Passionfruit Guava King of Strays Sour Ale
- Second Place — Fine Creek Brewing Company, Biere De Coupage
- Third Place — Fine Creek Brewing Company, Barrel Aged Golden Sour
MONASTIC ALE
- First Place — Nansemond Brewing Station, Golden Express Belgian Singel
- Second Place — Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery, Belgian Blonde
- Third Place — Barking Rose Brewing Co + Farm, Downton Abbey Ale
PALE ALES
- First Place — Alewerks Brewing Company, Chesapeake Pale Ale
- Second Place — Olde Salem Brewing Company, Moonlight Mile
- Third Place — No award in this category
PALE EUROPEAN LAGERS
- First Place — Harvest Gap Brewery, Devil Dog
- Second Place — Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Hardwood Fighting Hokies Lager
- Third Place — Black Hoof Brewing Company, Broadside
PILSNER
- First Place — Caboose Brewing Company, Das Gut
- Second Place — Blue Mountain Brewery, Classic Lager
- Third Place — Beltway Brew Co., Pilsner
PORTERS
- First Place — Port City Brewing Company, Porter
- Second Place — Heliotrope Brewery, Charm Offensive
- Third Place — Alewerks Brewing Company, Protocol Porter
SAISON
- First Place — Crazy Rooster Brewing Company, Touche De Gris
- Second Place — Barking Rose Brewing Co. + Farm, Farmhand
- Third Place — Eastern Divide Brewing Company, Siege of Savannah Saison
SMOKE
- First Place — The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Piggyback
- Second Place — WildManDan Brewery, We are Pivo
- Third Place — Stone Brewing, Stone Smokin’ with The Gnomies
SPECIALTY IPA
- First Place — No award in this category
- Second Place — Benchtop Brewing Company, Blanc Water
- Third Place — Lost Barrel Brewing, Tangerine Imperial IPA
STOUTS
- First Place — Harpers Ferry Brewing Company, Pollywog Irish Stout
- Second Place — Moon Hollow Brewing, New Moon Milk Stout
- Third Place — Gloucester Brewing Company, Shucking Good
STRONG ALE
- First Place — Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern, Bishops Pass Ale
- Second Place — Decipher Brewing, Artemis
- Third Place — Water’s End Brewery, Barley Beast
STRONG EUROPEAN LAGERS
- First Place — Wasserhund Brewing Company, Zero Tolerance
- Second Place — Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery, Prototype Delta Delta 1 Doppelbock
- Third Place — Broken Window Brewing Company, The Lumber Snack
VEGETABLE/SPICE
- First Place — St George Brewing Company, Honey Mead Lager
- Second Place — Richbrau Brewing Company, Edgar Imperial Coffee Stout
- Third Place — Cova Brewing Company, Coffee Snob
WOOD
- First Place — The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Breezy
- Second Place — South Street Brewery, Barrel Aged Satan’s Pony
- Third Place — Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Hardywood Gingerbread Barleywine
- Honorable Mention — Cedar Run Brewery, Barrel Aged Old Odder Barley Wine w/ Vanilla
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