Locals get medals

Two of the region’s brewers won medals in the recent Los Angeles International Beer Competition.

The Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville got a gold for its Pious Monk Dunkel, in the European-Style Dark Lager/Munich Dunkel category in which it has been a consistent winner over the past several years.

A relative newcomer, the Race Street Brew Works in Clarion, won a silver in Belgian-Style Fruit Beer for its aged-on-raspberries-and-cherries Saison La Roux. The folks at that brewpub were thrilled, too, considering that the gold went to the Peche [peach] Mel Scaldis made by Dubuisson, “one of the oldest and most authentic breweries of Belgium, founded in 1769!”

The blind-judged competition, in its 17th year, judged beers in 95 categories. There were 1,460 entries from 240 breweries, and the judges awarded 88 gold medals, 89 silver and 81 bronze, plus 35 honorable mentions. Get the full list of winners at labeercomp.com.

Brewers Series continues

The next in the always-interesting Brewers Series of spirits that Wigle Whiskey makes with regional brewers will be released Friday. Malty Baere was fermented local “Wild Angels” yeast from Millvale’s Draai Laag Brewing Co. Distiller Michael Foglia says the spirit was aged for more than 2½ years in toasted, not charred, barrels and so can’t be classified as a brown “straight” whiskey, but it does have “a light golden hue” and unusual profile that he describes as “bright tropical fruit flavors and a spice note (cinnamon/ nutmeg) [that] complement the biscuity and toffee qualities .... To appreciate the more subtle notes, I’d recommend the simplest preparations for Malty Baere: neat, on the rocks or with a twist of lemon.”

Try it and Draai Laag’s unusual brews during the release party from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Wigle’s North Side Barrelhouse & Whiskey Garden ($15, wiglewhiskey.com/event-tickets).