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.

Chris Cook, Greg Fleehart, Andrew Voss-Precarious Beer Project/ Amber Ox
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 43rd
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.