ASBA Alberta Beer Awards 2021
For the fourth year now, The Alberta Beer Awards has taken place. For 2021, the awards ceremony was at Bo’s Bar & Stage in Red Deer.
Note that not all Alberta Breweries submitted beer into this competition.
In fact, a brewery must have an active membership with ASBA (Alberta Small Brewers Association) in order to submit beer for judging & awards. This rule has been in place for 2020 & 2021.
Various levels of BJCP judges, along with some brewers & industry folk, were the judges of this competition. The judging took place over 5 days, hosted at Alley Kat Brewery in Edmonton, on Sept. 9, 10, 11, 24 & 25. Each year the judging as well as the awards rotate from Edmonton, to a Central AB location, to Calgary.
The gold medal winner from each category was advanced to a Best in Show category where a 6 person team of Judges narrowed down the various styles to arrive at top 3 “Beer of the Year” list.
Pass got third for Best New Brewery of the Year and third in the Brown Ale category.
Patio Beer
Gold; Catalyst Lager, Delta Silver; Get Lucky Lager, Born Colorado Daycation Lager, Troubled Monk
Session Hoppy Beer
Gold: Light Rail Pale Ale, Campio Silver: The Wolf, Sea Change Bronze: Brighten The Corners, The Establishment
German/Czech Style Pilsners
Gold: Pilsgnar German Pilsner, The Establishment
Silver: O’Brewski’s Pilsner, Campio Bronze: Kinabik Pilsner, Snake Lake
American-Style Wheat Beer
Gold: Grasshopper, Big Rock Silver: Hay City wheat beer, Olds College Bronze: Golden Ale, Hawk Tail
German and Belgian-style Wheat Beer
Gold: Hefe, Fahr
Silver: Don’t Hassel The Hefe, Hubtown Bronze: B.S. Wit, Bent Stick
Amber Ale
Gold: Cow Killa, Tool Shed Silver: Irish Red Ale, Sawback Bronze: Red Rage, Tool Shed
Amber and Dark Lager
Gold: Opposite Day amber lager, Born Colorado
Silver: The Conductor of amber lager, Trolley 5
Bronze: Come Acme Bro, Blind Enthusiasm
Brown Ale
Gold: Brakeman brown ale, Siding 14 Silver: Brown Ale, Spectrum Bronze: Whiskey Six Scotch ale, The Pass Porter
Gold: Row Away Baltic Porter, O.T. Silver: Brick & Mortar Porter, MH BrewCo Bronze: Porter, Good Mood
Stout
Gold: Gentleman’s Stout, MH BrewCo Silver: Flat Cap Stout, Tool Shed Bronze: Decade of Darkness, Campio
Pale Ale/Bitter
Gold: Full Moon pale ale, Alley Kat Silver: Dead Woodsman pale ale, Apex Predator
Bronze: Ten Peaks pale ale, Canmore IPA
Gold: Cornerstone IPA, Town Square Silver: Gold Knuckle West Coast IPA, Sea Change
Bronze: Moraine West Coast IPA, Folding Mountain
New England-Style/Hazy Ale
Gold: Night Gallery hazy pale ale, Eighty Eight
Silver: Hazy Pale Ale, Long Hop Bronze: Colour Burst 4 DDH NEIPA, Ale Architect
Specialty IPA
Gold: Day Tripper New Zealand Spritzer IPA, Snake Lake
Silver: French Bay IPA, Cold Lake Bronze: Winter IPA, Travois
Double/Imperial IPA
Gold: Double Night Gallery hazy double IPA, Eighty Eight
Silver: Apex Predator double IPA, Apex Predator
Bronze: Irrational Things, Imperial
New England IPA w/ Phantasm, The Establishment
Belgian Ales
Gold: Summer Wit, Hubtown
Silver: All Ouvre Again, Longroof Bronze: Rich & Strange honey Tripel, Sea Change
Strong Belgian Ales
Gold: X Belgian Quadrupel, Cabin Silver: Oh My Quad Belgian Quadrupel, Brewsters
Bronze: Quarantine Quad Belgian style Quad, Bent Stick
Farmhouse Ale
Gold: Construction Saison, Campio Silver: A Magnificent 7 Farmhouse ale, Dandy
Bronze: Party Farmer dry hopped farmhouse ale, Bent Stick
Imperial Strength Beer
Gold: Skelton Crew Fog Newton Barley Wine Silver: Fuego Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout, Cabin
Bronze: Move Your Car out of the windrows that froze overnight into a concrete-like icy mess Imperial Stout, Grain Bin
Fruit Beer
Gold: Creamsicle, MedHat
Silver: Golden Hour apricot sour, SYC Bronze: Cherry-Raz Wit Belgian Fruit Wit, Bow River
Spiced Beer
Gold: Luna & Fuego Barrel Aged Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout, Cabin
Silver: Ice Cutter Vanilla Latte Stout, Snake
Lake
Bronze: All Nighter Vanilla Cappuccino Porter, Cold Garden
Other Flavoured Beer
Gold: Okami Kasu Japanese Ale, Ol’ Beautiful
Silver: Left My Wallet in El Segundo Lichtenhainer with pineapple, The Establishmen
Bronze: Prairie Night Porter smoky porter, Bow River
Sour Beer
Gold: Passionfruit Coconut Sour, Odd Company
Silver: Duotang Dry Hopped Sour, Eighty Eight
Bronze: Pineapple Sour, MH Brew Co
Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: 24-2 Barrel Aged Brett stock ale, Blindman
Silver: Baltistar Galactiporter Rum Barrel Aged Baltic Porter, Bent Stick Bronze: Defense Against the Dark Arts
Series Chapter 1: Barrel Aged Stout, Hell’s Basement
Mixed Fermentation Beer
Gold: Etceteras Rye Brett Saison, Annex Ales
Silver: Erlton Street Golden Sour Blend, The Establishment
Bronze: Harry Dunne, Troubled Monk Mixed Fermentation Beer with Fruit Gold: Ruby, My Dear red mixed culture sour beer aged in oak barrels w raspberries, The Establishment
Silver: Dwarf Sour Cherry fruited Saison, Blindman
Bronze: Solera: The First Featuring Cherries, Grain Bin
Trendy Beer of the Year (2021): LowAlcohol Beer
Gold: Vestige, Blindman
Silver: Gold Past Life Czech pale lager, The Establishment
Bronze: Abbey Lane English Mild, Ribstone Creek
All-Alberta Malt Beer
Gold: Elevator Doppelbock, Hell’s Basement Silver: 5 Mile Rustic Saison, Blindman
Bronze: Barley Trail; A Local Lager, Old’s College
The awards below do not count towards medal count (brewery of the year)
Seltzer and Ready-to-Drink Beverages
Gold: Savage Love Tom Collins, Last Best Silver: White Peaks Hard Steeped Tea with Meyer Lemon, Big Rock
Bronze: Inglewood Iced Tea, Cold Garden
Best of Show
Gold: Gentleman’s Stout, MH BrewCo Silver: Etceteras Rye Brett Saison, Annex Bronze: Skeleton Crew fig Newton barleywine, Eighty Eight
Brewery of the Year
This category tallies up medals on a points system.
Gold = 5pts • Silver = 3pts • Bronze = 1pt 2021 Brewery of the Year is;
The Establishment Brewing Company 7 medals, 16pts.
The runners up for Brewery of the Year are; - Eighty Eight Brewing Company 14pts - Blindman Brewing 12pts
- Medicine Hat Brew Co 11pts
- Campio 11pts.