Six San Diego County craft breweries won nine gold medals at the 2024 Brewers Cup of California, the annual statewide brewing competition.
Local breweries won 26 medals overall, a total that includes 12 silver and five bronze.
Pizza Port Brewing Company captured a San Diego-best four golds and six medals overall, including two silvers. Three of Pizza Port’s Golds came from its Ocean Beach brewery, and one from its Carlsbad location.
North Park’s TapRoom Beer Company ranked second among locals with four medals, including three Silver and one Bronze.
The gold medal beers include:
- Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside) – Medusa for “Specialty Stout” category
- Burgeon Beer Company (Carlsbad) – Clever Kiwi for “Session Beer”
- Kilowatt Brewing Company (Kearny Mesa) – Brew for Ukraine for “Imperial Stout”
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad) – Apollyon for “Belgian Pale Strong/Tripel”
- Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) – Guillaume for “Belgian Session/Other Belgian Ale”
- Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) – Paloma Sour for “Beliner Weisse”
- Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) – OB La Di OB La Da for “Mild Ale”
- Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona) – Joslyn for “Chocolate Beer”
- The Julian Beer Co. – Juniper Flats for “Historical Beer”
The competition is put on by the Sacramento Area Brewers Guild, in partnership with other brewers guilds in the state. The Brewers Cup defines gold medal winners as “world-class beer that accurately exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance.”
“I particularly appreciate the geographic diversity of our winners from North County to Central County to East County,” said San Diego Brewers Guild Executive Director Erik Fowler. “It just goes to show you can live in or visit any part of San Diego and find great beer to enjoy.”
Silver winners include Embolden Beer Company/New Motion Beverages (Miramar), Kairoa Brewing Company | Brewpub, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park), Pizza Port (Carlsbad), Pizza Port (Ocean Beach), Pure Project Brewing, Smoking Cannon Brewery, TapRoom Beer Company and the Julian Beer Co.
Bronze winners include Coronado Brewing Company, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park), Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside) and TapRoom Beer Company.
This year’s Brewers Cup drew more than 1,300 entries from nearly 200 breweries. There were 83 categories, and all judging was double blind. See the full list of winners.
Other notable upcoming brewing competitions include the World Beer Cup on April 24 and and Great American Beer Festival on Oct. 12.