ASBA Alberta Beer Awards 2021

For the 4th 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.

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 Establishment

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): Low-Alcohol 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