(Local breweries from Hampton Roads celebrated at Tuesday’s Golden Tap Beer Awards)
By Jeff Maisey
Southern Bank presented VEER Magazine’s 2015 Golden Tap Awards December 8 with Norfolk’s O’Connor Brewing Company scoring the most overall points to earn the Golden Tap for Brewery of the Year.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were given in brewery/beer categories recognized by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild as well as for best tasting room, collaboration, brew pub and events.
Additionally, awards were presented in a variety of restaurant/bar categories. Bottle shops, festivals and home brew supplies were also featured.
Fifty percent of the overall tally came from a popular vote conducted online. A panel of judges weighed-in for the other half of the scoring with each judge casting one weighted vote per category.
Participating breweries included Pleasure House, Reaver Beach, Young Veterans, Brass Cannon, Wasserhund, Home Republic, Big Ugly, Smartmouth, Back Bay, Alewerks, St. George, Commonwealth, Wharf Hill and O’Connor.
Following are VEER’s 2015 Golden Tap Award results.
BREWERIES/BEERS
Light Lager
GOLD: Back Bay, Steel Pier
SILVER: O’Connor, Cinco de Maibock
BRONZE: No Entry
Pilsner
GOLD: Smartmouth, Safety Dance Pilsner
SILVER: St George, Pilsner
BRONZE: Commonwealth, Aureole
Amber and Dark Lager
GOLD: O’Connor, O’Ctoberfest
SILVER: Wasserhund, Dunkel
BRONZE: O’Connor, Commonwealth Common
Light American Ale
GOLD: O’Connor, Green Can Golden Ale
SILVER: Alewerks, Shorty Time
BRONZE: Young Veterans, New Recruit Honey Blonde Ale
Kolsch and Altbier
GOLD: O’Connor, Walk-Off Kolsch
SILVER: Home Republic, King Kolsch
BRONZE: Reaver Beach, Riptide Altbier
British Bitter
GOLD: Pleasure House, First Landing ESB
SILVER: Alewerks, Maizie’s ESB
BRONZE: Alewerks, Best Bitter
Scottish and Irish Amber Ale
GOLD: St George, Winter Scotch
SILVER: No Entry
BRONZE: No Entry
American Amber and Brown Ale
GOLD: St George, Nut Brown Ale
SILVER: Smartmouth, Murphy’s Law Amber
BRONZE: O’Connor, Red Nun Red Ale
English Mild and Brown Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Olde Stitch
SILVER: Pleasure House, No Waves
BRONZE: Brass Cannon, Barrage Brown Ale
American Pale Ale
GOLD: O’Connor, Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale
SILVER: Reaver Beach, Ghost Ship
BRONZE: Smartmouth, Indecision Pale Ale
IPA
GOLD: O’Connor, El Guapo Agave IPA
SILVER: O’Connor, Spyhop White IPA
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Rockers IPA
Imperial IPA
GOLD: Smartmouth, Notch 9 Double IPA
SILVER: Reaver Beach, Hoptopus
BRONZE: Alewerks, Bitter Valentine
Porter
GOLD: St George, Porter
SILVER: Big Ugly, Ghost Rider
BRONZE: O’Connor, Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter
Stout
GOLD: Alewerks, CoffeeHouse Stout
SILVER: Smartmouth, Cowcatcher Milk Stout
BRONZE: O’Connor, Bold Man Oyster Stout
Russian Imperial Stout
GOLD: Alewerks, Café Royale
SILVER: O’Connor, Ibrik Imperial Turkish Coffee Stout
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Ape Hanger RIS
Strong Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Grand Illumination
SILVER: Back Bay, Queen Anne’s Revenge
BRONZE: Pleasure House, Winter Champs
German Wheat Beer
GOLD: Wasserhund, Hefeweizen
SILVER: Smartmouth, Sommer Fling Hefeweizen
BRONZE: Young Veterans, Pineapple Grenade Hefeweizen
Belgian Session Ales
GOLD: Smartmouth, Alter Ego Saison
SILVER: Alewerks, White Ale
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Split Window Saison
Belgian Strong Ales
GOLD: O’Connor, Bells Beach Galaxy Saison
SILVER: O’Connor, S-Turns Honey Saison
BRONZE: Reaver Beach, Polaris
Sour Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Lover’s Greed
SILVER: Smartmouth, Lactobacillusaurus Berliner Weisse
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Bim’s Magic Berlinerbus
Smoked and Wood Aged Beer
GOLD: O’Connor, Backyard Bonfire Smoked IPA
SILVER: Smartmouth, Hive Mind Honey Saison
BRONZE: Alewerks Bourbon Barrel Porter
Herb, Spice, and Vegetable Beer
GOLD: Alewerks, Pumpkin Ale
SILVER: Big Ugly, Ghost Pepper Gose
BRONZE: O’Connor, Punkelweisse
Fruit Beer
GOLD: Smartmouth, Alter(ed) Ego Raspberry Saison
SILVER: Big Ugly, Mango IPA
BRONZE: Big Ugly Brewing, Blackberry Gose
Specialty
GOLD: Smartmouth, Missing Digit Hemp IPA
SILVER: St George Brewing Company, Honey Meade Lager
BRONZE: Commonwealth Brewing Co, Taonga
Collaboration
GOLD: O’Connor & Smartmouth, Treaty of Ghent Belgian Dubbel
SILVER: O’Connor & Three Notch’d, 40 Mile to the Border
BRONZE: Alewerks & Virginia Beer Co., Public Frenemy #1 Red Rye IPA
Brew Pub
GOLD: Gordon Biersch
SILVER: Home Republic
BRONZE: Wasserhund
Brewery Tasting Room
GOLD: O’Connor
SILVER: Big Ugly
BRONZE: Smartmouth
RESTAURANTS/BARS
Best Overall Draft Beer Selection (Number of taps/quality) – 20+ Taps
GOLD: The Birch Bar
SILVER: Yard House
BRONZE: Cogans North
Best Overall Draft Beer Selection (Number of taps/quality) – Under 20 Taps
GOLD: DoG Street Pub
SILVER: The Bier Garden
BRONZE: AW Shucks
Best Overall Bottle & Can Beer Selection
GOLD: Bier Garden
SILVER: DoG Street Pub
BRONZE: 80/20 Burger Bar
Best Overall American Craft Beer Selection
GOLD: 80/20 Burger Bar
SILVER: DoG Street Pub
BRONZE: County Grill & Smokehouse (Yorktown)
Best International Selection
GOLD: The Bier Garden
SILVER: The Birch Bar
BRONZE: DoG Street Pub
Best Draft Beer Tap Display
GOLD: Cogans Ghent
SILVER: Cogans North
BRONZE: Yard House
Best Virginia Craft Beer Selection
GOLD: Public House
SILVER: 80/20 Burger Bar
BRONZE: Cogans North
Best Beer with Outdoor Patio
GOLD: DoG Street Pub
SILVER: Bier Garden
BRONZE: Cogans North
Best Beer with an Atmosphere
GOLD: DoG Street Pub (Williamsburg)
SILVER: Bier Garden
BRONZE: Norfolk Taproom
Best Beer and Pizza
GOLD: Cogans Ghent
SILVER: Cogans North
BRONZE: Wasserhund
Best Beer and Live Music
GOLD: Belmont House of Smoke
SILVER: Taphouse (Ghent)
BRONZE: County Grill (Yorktown)
Best Sports Bar Beer Selection
GOLD: Cogans North
SILVER: Red Dog Saloon
BRONZE: Shorebreak Pizza & Taphouse
Food Truck at a Brewery
GOLD: Karnage Asada
SILVER: Bro’s Fish Tacos
BRONZE: Seoul 757 Tacos
Bottle Shop
GOLD: Grape & Gourmet
SILVER: bottleBOX
BRONZE: Hair of the DoG
Major Retail
GOLD: Total Wine & More Ghent
SILVER: Total Wine & More Hilltop
BRONZE: Harris Teeter Hanbury Road
Home Brew Supplies
GOLD: Home Brew USA Janaf
SILVER: Brew & Bottle
BRONZE: Home Brew USA Hampton
Best Brewery Event
GOLD: Treasure Chest Fest @ Green Flash
SILVER: O’Connoroo
BRONZE: Back Bay Kiss My Cask
Best Outdoor Beer Festival
GOLD: Virginia Beer Festival (Town Point Park)
SILVER: Whistle Belly Festival
BRONZE: Virginia Beach Craft Beer Festival
Best Beer Event (Non-festival, non-brewery)
GOLD: Battle of the Beers @ Tapped
SILVER: 43 Hours of Sour @ The Birch
BRONZE: MOCA Blues & Brews
