Precarious Beer tapped for statewide awards leads strong local showing at Virginia Craft Beer Cup

If you want to taste the two of the best beers in the state, look no further than the Amber Ox Public House  home of Precarious Beer Project in Williamsburg VA.

Master brewer Greg Fleehart with Precarious took home first place in the Strong American Ale category for their “Everything Is Lava But the Swings Are Base” beer and third place in the specialty beer category for Reve Du Jour at the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild’s annual Virginia Craft Beer Cup awards Monday night.

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild announced the 2018 Virginia Craft Beer Cup winners earlier this week at WestRock in Richmond. More than 300 brewers and spectators were in attendance, the release said. This year, attendance was up compared to the last two years. In 2017, 240 brewers were in attendance and in 2016, 280.

The competition was judged by Master Beer Judge Certification Program Judge Tom Cannon, along with 38 judges and 15 stewards.

This year 375 beers in 27 categories competed for awards. The judging took place May 19 at Fair Winds Brewing Company in Lorton, Virginia.

Other local  area winners included the Virginia Beer Company first place medal for their Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout,  Alewerks Brewing with took home a Second Place medal for their  Tavern Brown Ale,  Oozlefinch Craft Brewery with a first place medal for their  Dr. Rendezvous American Wild Ale, Bold Mariner Brewing Company’s Monkey’s Fist received a third-place medal, Coelacanth Brewing Company’s Tailgate was first in International Lager. Bull Island Brewing Company won first place for King Street Kolsch and Wasserhund Brewing Company snagged a second place for their Bourbon Barrel Haywire Husky

The coveted Best of Show award went to Harrisonburg’s Brothers Craft Brewing for its Lil’ Hellion Helles Lager. Blue Mountain Brewery’s Adambeor ale and Port City Brewing’s Optimal Wit witbier rounded out the top three.

The Virginia Craft Beer Cup continues to be the largest state competition of its kind in the United States.

The VCBG is committed to giving its members the opportunity to compete, obtain critical feedback from certified judges, and get statewide recognition that will help build their brands. “Contributing to the development of outstanding independent craft beer is central to our mission,” said Brett Vassey, President & CEO, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. “The Cup is an important part of helping to expand public recognition and peer appreciation for great craft beer.”

The 2018 Virginia Craft Beer Cup winners are as follows:

First Place         Brothers Craft Brewing, Lil’ Hellion

Second Place     Blue Mountain Barrel House & Organic Brewery, Adambeor

Third Place          Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit

 Amber and Brown American Beer

First Place            Legend Brewing Company, Brown Ale

Second Place       Alewerks Brewing Company, Tavern Brown Ale

Third Place           MoMac Brewing Company, Craney Island Brown Ale

Amber Malty and Bitter European Lager

First Place               Mustang Sally Brewing Company, Article One Amber Lager

Second Place         Caboose Brewing Company, Vienna (VA) Lager

Third Place              Starr Hill Brewery, Jomo

American Porter and Stout

First Place               Wild Wolf Brewing Company, American Stout

Second Place          Old Ox Brewery, Black Ox

Third Place              Stone Brewing, Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout

American Wild Ale

First Place                The Oozlefinch Craft Brewery, Dr. Rendezvous

Second Place           Reaver Beach Brewing Company, The Reaver

Third Place               Väsen Brewing Company, Guava Gose

Belgian Ale

First Place               Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit

Second Place         Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery, Belgian Wit

Third Place             Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, Queens Guard

British and Scottish Ale

First Place               Ballad Brewing, Fast Mail

Second Place         Port City Brewing Company, Monumental IPA

Third Place             Twin Creeks Brewing Company, Across the Pond British Brown Ale

Czech Lager

First Place               Port City Brewing Company, Downright Pilsner

Second Place         Ardent Craft Ales, Bohemian Pilsner

Third Place             Champion Brewing Company, Shower Beer

Dark and Strong British Beer

First Place            The Virginia Beer Company, Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout

Second Place       Adventure Brewing Company, Black Sail Scotch Ale

Third Place           Brew Republic Bierwerks, Nightmare

European Dark and Strong Lager

First Place            Wasserhund Brewing Company, Doppeldog Lager

Second Place       Barrel Oak Farm Taphouse, Winter Solstice

Third Place           Beer Hound Brewery, Zoeie

European Sour Ale

First Place            Red Dragon Brewery, Here Be Dragons

Second Place       Beale’s Beer, Bearliner

Third Place           Strangeways Brewing, Uberlin

Fruit Beer

First Place            Olde Salem Brewing Company, Swag Surfin’ Oceanside Gose

Second Place       Big Lick Brewing Company, Smile Like You Mean It

Third Place           The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Monkey’s Fist

German Wheat Beer

First Place             Black Hoof Brewing Company, Weissbier

Second Place        Alesation Brewing Company, Das Weizen

Third Place            Crooked Run Brewing, Best Days

Historical and Smoked Beer

First Place              Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery, Adambeor

Second Place         Rock Bottom Restaurants and Brewery, Oh, Here is Gose-gain

Third Place             Portner Brewhouse, Portner Porter

International Lager

First Place              Coelacanth Brewing Company, Tailgate

Second Place         Bick Lick Brewing Company, A Huevo! Mexican Lager

Third Place             South Street Brewery, VA Lager

IPA

First Place              Final Gravity Brewing Company, The Doppler Effect

Second Place         Final Gravity Brewing Company, Retrograde

Third Place             Starr Hill Brewery, Looking Glass

Irish Beer

First Place              Pale Fire Brewing Company, Red Molly

Second Place         Old Busthead Brewing Company, Vixen

Third Place             Ono Brewing Company, Black Pearl

Pale American Ale

First Place              6 Bears and a Goat, Mae West

Second Place         2 Silos Brewing Company, Mason Pale Ale

Third Place            Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Ghost of the 43^rd

Pale Bitter European Beer

First Place              Bull Island Brewing Company, King Street Kolsch

Second Place         Fair Winds Brewing Company, Quayside Kolsch

Third Place             Backroom Brewery, Kiss-Me-Kolsch

Pale Malty European Lager

First Place              Brothers Craft Brewing, Lil’ Hellion

Second Place         Random Row Brewing Company, Not Yours Maibock

Third Place             Beale’s Beer, Gold

Specialty Beer

First Place              Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Brandt

Second Place         Apocalypse Ale Works, Dreamsicle

Third Place             Precarious Beer Project, Reve Du Jour

Spiced Beer

First Place               Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Heir Apparent

Second Place          Steam Bell Beer Works, Tiramisu

Third Place              Old Ox Brewery, Kristin’s Passion

Standard American Beer

First Place               Trapezium Brewing Company, Mexican Lager

Second Place          Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond Lager

Third Place              Bald Top Brewing Company, Manor House Ale

Strong American Ale

First Place                Precarious Beer Project, Everything Is Lava But the Swings Are  Base

Second Place           Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Citra Happens

Third Place               Ballad Brewing, Home

Strong Belgian Ale

First Place                Belly Love Brewing Company, 50 Shades of Gold

Second Place           Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Singel

Third Place               Reaver Beach Brewing Company, Oceanus Arum

Trappist Ale

First Place                Barrel Oak Farm Taphouse, BOFT Dubbel

Second Place           Blue Mountain Brewery, Marsedon

Third Place               The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Wes’ Maul

Wood Beer

First Place                Brothers Craft Brewing, Resolute

Second Place           Wasserhund Brewing Company, Bourbon Barrel Haywire Husky

Third Place               Kindred Spirt Brewing, Barrel “The Goodness” Imperial Stout

Many of the award-winning beers will be served at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest, which is scheduled for Aug. 18 at Charlottesville’s IX Art Park. Learn more at vacraftbrewersfest.com.