Each year, Florida’s craft breweries send in their best beers to the Best Florida Beer Competition. Those beers are then judged by a panel of peer brewers and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) certified judges and the beers that are awarded the most points by the judges are awarded medals. Then the points tallied are added up and the Best Beer in Florida is awarded.
Once the official list is released, look for it to be posted on Florida Beer News.
The top winners of the overall event were:
**Best Beer In Florida**
Five Six One Hefeweizen, West Palm Beach Brewery in West Palm Beach
Runner Up: Oatmeal Stout, Scotty’s Bierwerks in Cape Coral
Second Runner Up: REEFraction from Deep Brewing Company in Tallahassee
*Best Of Show Awards*
Best Brewpub: Big Bear Brewing Company of Coral Springs
Best Cider/Mead: Drop Bear, Garagiste Meadery of Tampa
Best Small Batch Beer in Florida:
1st Place: Maerzen, Woodwright Brewing Company
2nd Place: Midland, Big River Grill and Brewing Works of Orlando
3rd Place: BA Russian Interference, Angry Chair Brewing Company of Tampa
Strong Stout:
1st Place: Psycho Sisters Imperial Russian Stout, Royal Palm Brewing Company of Royal Palm Beach
2nd Place: Foshizzle, Escape Brewing Company of Trinity
3rd Place: Tombstone, Zydeco Brew Works of Ybor
American Wheat Beer:
1st Place: Sand Loafer, Fort Myers Brewing of Fort Myers
2nd Place: Coriander Orange Wheat, 81Bay Beer Company of Tampa
3rd Place: Half Moon Island American Witbier, Royal Palm Beach Brewing
Mead:
1st Place: Drop Bear, Garagiste Meadery of Tampa
2nd Place: Rum Barrel Aged Pirate Booty, Mad Beach Brewing of Madeira Beach
3rd Place: General Tom Thumb, Bootleggers Brewing of Brandon
Honorable Mention: Pirate Booty, Mad Beach Brewing of Madeira Beach
Fruit Beer:
1st Place: Limoncello Cream Ale, Big Bear Brewing Company of Coral Springs
2nd Place: Wappy Sprayberry Reprise, De Bine Brewing Company of Palm Harbor
3rd Place: Quat, Tampa Bay Brewing Company
Cider:
1st Place: Home Made Apple Pie, Cigar City Cider & Mead of Ybor City
2nd Place: Caribe Pineapple Tropical Hard Cider, Florida Beer Company of Port Canaveral
3rd Place: I am Brut – Raspberry, Gren Bench Cider and Mead of St. Petersburg
Herb/Spice/Pumpkin Beer:
1st Place: Passion of the Heights, Florida Avenue Brewing Company of Tampa
2nd Place: Pinch and Squeeze, Fishweir Brewing Company of Jacksonville
3rd Place: Pumquistador, Ancient City Brewing of St Augustine
Field Beer:
1st Place: Warm Cockles, Blackadder Brewing Company of Gainesville
2nd Place: Decklin’s Indulgence, Big Top Brewing Company of Sarasota
3rd Place: Cool Cucumber IPA, House of Beer Brewing Company of Dunedin
Honorable Mention: Wake me up before you coco, Hop Life Brewing of Port St. Lucie
Chili Beer:
1st Place: Hazy Mangover, Dissent Brewing of St. Petersburg
2nd Place: Me so jalapeno honey, Craft Life Brewing of Land O Lakes
3rd Place: Florida Heat, American Icon Brewery of Vero Beach
Coffee/Chocolate Beer:
1st Place: Matte Black, Brew Hub Brewing of Lakeland
2nd Place: Cacophany, South Cypress Brewing of Naples
3rd Place: Somebody Else’s Dream, Fort Myers Brewing Company
Coffee Stout/Porter:
1st Place: Gong Show, Brew Bus Brewing Company
2nd Place: The Goat, Momentum Brewhouse of Bonita Springs
3rd Place: Whiskey Jitters, Side Door Brewing Company of Port St. Lucie
Specialty/Experimental:
1st Place: Here Plums the Sun, 81Bay Beer Company of Tampa
2nd Place: Riot Juice, Hidden Springs Ale Works of Tampa
3rd Place: Deja Moon, Hidden Springs Ale Works of Tampa
Honey/Rye Beer:
1st Place: To the window, Arkane Ale Works of Largo
2nd Place: Ryeght Angle, Fat Point Brewing of Punta Gorda
3rd Place: Honey On the Double, (Honey Double IPA), Grove Roots Brewing Company of Winter Haven
Traditional Sour Ale:
1st Place: Prickly Pear Zinger, Tarpon River Brewing of Fort Lauderdale
2nd Place: Key Lime Coconut Sour Ale, Good liquid Brewing Company of Bradenton
3rd Place: Queen of Tarts, South Cypress Brewing
Brett Beer:
1st Place: 3 Sisters Saison, New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company
2nd Place: Foederhead, Calusa Brewing Company of Sarasota
3rd Place: Helter Spelte, Green Bench Brewing Company of St. Petersburg
Honorable Mention: Seeds of Change, Escape Brewing Company of Trinity
Wood and Barrel Aged Beer:
1st Place: Azucar, Concrete Beach Brewery of Miami
2nd Place: Greater of two evils, Arkane Ale Works of Largo
3rd Place: Barrel of Drunken Monkeys, Cueni Brewing Company of Dunedin
Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout:
1st Place: BA Russian Interference, Angry Chair Brewing of Tampa
2nd Place: Ganache, Two Frogs Brewing Company of Tarpon Springs
3rd Place: Barrel Aged Blindfolded Stoutasaurus, De Dine Brewing of Palm Harbor
Wood & Barrel Aged Sour with/without Fruit:
1st Place: Soul Finger, Coppertail Brewing of Tampa
2nd Place: Delayed Ryeaction, 7venth Sun Brewing of Dunedin & Tampa
3rd Place: The In Between, Calusa Brewing of Sarasota
German Pale Lager:
1st Place: Dortnumbers, Dunderbrau @ Mr. Dunderbaks of Tampa
2nd Place: The Factory Pilsner, American Icon Brewery of Vero Beach
3rd Place: UnderDuck Lager, Central 28 Beer Company of DeBary
Smoked Beer:
1st Place: Grey Mangrove, Point Ybel Brewing Company of Fort Myers
2nd Place: Wreck it Rauch, Aardwolf Brewing of Jacksonville
3rd Place: Smoked Dunkelweizen, Woodwright Brewing Company of Dunedin
Honorable Mention: Smoked Porter, House of Beer Brewing Company of Dunedin
Light Lager:
1st Place: Base Lager, Tactical Brewing Company of Orlando
2nd Place: Bench Life, Green Bench Brewing Company of St. Petersburg
3rd Place: Polotmavy, Rapp Brewing Company of Seminole
Pilsner:
1st Place: Double Tall Boy, Southern Lights Brewing of Clearwater
2nd Place: Grandpa Jack’s Pils, Crooked Thumb Brewing of Safety Harbor
3rd Place: 1845 Pilsner, Pensacola Bay Brewing Company of Pensacola
European Dark Lager:
1st Place: Schwarzhound, Pinellas Ale Works of St. Petersburg
2nd Place: Bock, Cigar City Brewing of Tampa
3rd Place: Revenge, Mash Monkeys Brewing Company of Sebastian
Oktoberfest or Doppelbock:
1st Place: Maerzen, Woodwright Brewing Company of Dunedin
2nd Place: Swamp Fest, Swamp Head Brewery of Gainesville
3rd Place: Oktoberfest, Tampa Bay Brewing Company
American Lager or Cream Ale:
1st Place: Super Nova Smash, House of Beer Brewing Company of Dunedin
2nd Place: O’Leno Cream Ale, Halpatter Brewing Company of Lake City
3rd Place: Florida Avenue Lager, Florida Avenue Brewing Company of Tampa
American Amber Lager:
1st Place: El Chupacabra, Carrollwood Brewing Company of Tampa
2nd Place: Harbor Lager, Crooked Thumb Brewing Company of Safety Harbor
3rd Place: Sunshine State FL Lager, Florida Beer Company of Port Canaveral
German Hybrid Ale:
1st Place: Lutz Junction, In The Loop Brewing Company of Land O Lakes
2nd Place: Alterior Notion, Tidal Brewing Company of Spring Hill
3rd Place: Put Me In Kolsch, St. Pete Brewing Company
German Sour Ale:
1st Place: Gyose, 7venth Sun Brewing Company of Dunedin & Tampa
2nd Place: Collapsible Spoof, Overflow Brewing of St. Petersburg
3rd Place: Son of a Motherless Goat, Tampa Bay Brewing Company
German Style Wheat:
1st Place: Five Six One Hefeweizen, West Palm Beach Brewing
2nd Place: Weiz Up, Bock?, Tidal Brewing Company of Spring Hill
3rd Place: Amber Weizen, Woodwright Brewing Co of Dunedin
Saison
1st Place: Jarrahdale Saison, Infinite Ale Works of Ocala
2nd Place: Tower & Rose, Hourglass Brewing Company of Longwood
3rd Place: Jen’s Gin Saison, Tomoka Brewing Company of Ormond Beach and Port Orange
Belgian Pale Beer
1st Place: Single Pack, Main & Six Brewing Company of Jacksonville
2nd Place: Florida Cracker, Cigar City Brewing of Tampa
3rd Place: Bromance, Fishweir Brewing Company of Jacksonville
Belgian Strong Ale
1st Place: Bru Man Chu, Fat Point Brewing of Punta Gorda
2nd Place: Drunken Monkey, Cueni Brewing of Dunedin
3rd Place: Belgian Quad, SJ Brewing of Yulee
English Ales
1st Place: Scotch Ale, Rapp Brewing of Seminole
2nd Place: The McCracken, St Petersburg Brewing
3rd Place: Mad Beach Blonde, Mad Beach Brewing of Madeira Beach
English Brown Ale
1st Place: Midland, Big River Grille & Brew Works of Orlando
2nd Place: Jack Brown, Deep Brewing Company of Tallahassee
3rd Place: Big Buck Brown, Hell N Blazes Brewing Company of Melbourne
Honorable Mention: McGuires Brown, McGuire’s Pub & Brewery of Destin & Pensacola
Porter
1st Place: Tupac ShaPorter, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company of Orlando
2nd Place: I Ain’t Afraid Of No Roast, Deviant Wolfe Brewing of Sanford
3rd Place: Gate Keeper, 3 Bridges Brewing of Venice
Sweet Or Cream Stout
1st Place: Oatmeal Stout, Scotty’s Bierworks of Cape Coral
2nd Place: Babycakes Oatmeal Stout, Walking Tree Brewery of Vero Beach
3rd Place: The Full Breakfast, Point Ybel Brewing Company of Fort Myers
Strong Ale
1st Place: Barleywine, Six Ten Brewing Company of Tampa
2nd Place: Heavy Mettle, Arkane Ale Works of Largo
3rd Place: Thresher, Motorworks Brewing Company of Bradenton
Irish Red Ale
1st Place: Feeding Frenzy Irish Red, New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company
2nd Place: Razzle Me, Palm City Brewing Company of Fort Myers
3rd Place: Reel Slo Irish Red, 81Bay Brewing Company of Tampa
Golden Or Blonde Ale
1st Place: Cheeky Blonde, Leaven Brewing Company of Riverview
2nd Place: 30A Beach Blonde, Grayton Beer Company of Santa Rosa Beach
3rd Place: Blonde O’ Lakes, In The Loop Brewing of Land O Lakes
Pale Ale
1st Place: Slanted Ladders, Grove Roots Brewing of Winter Haven
2nd Place: Tandem, Two Frogs Brewing Company of Tarpon Springs
3rd Place: Guayabera, Cigar City Brewing of Tampa
American IPA
1st Place: Hibernating IPA, Big Bear Brewing of Coral Springs
2nd Place: Ursa, First Magnitude Brewing Company of Gainesville
3rd Place: Show Pigeon, Central 28 Beer Company of DeBary
Imperial IPA
1st Place: Frequency, Dissent Brewing Company of St. Petersburg
2nd Place: Got $12 Bucks, Pareidolia Brewing Company of Sebastian
3rd Place: McStagger, Crooked Can Brewing Company of Winter Garden
Amber Or Red Ale
1st Place: REEFraction, Deep Brewing Company of Tallahassee
2nd Place: Rose’s Red Imperial Red Ale
3rd Place: Red Light Return Amber Ale, Oyster City Beer Company of Apalachicola
American Brown or Black Ale
1st Place: Liquid Vinyl, Broken Strings Brewery of Orlando
2nd Place: Nuthin’ Fancy, Orchid Island Brewery of Vero Beach
3rd Place: Handsworth, Main & Six Brewing Company of Jacksonville
Juicy Or Hazy Double IPA
1st Place: Land Manatee, Swamp Head Brewery of Gainesville
2nd Place: Image Is Everything, 7venth Sun Brewery of Dunedin and Tampa
3rd Place: Skyway Hazy Double IPA, Green Bench Brewing Company of St. Petersburg
Honorable Mention: Luplin Grin, 3 Bridges Brewing Company of Venice
Juicy Or Hazy IPA or Pale Ale
1st Place: Citronious, Calusa Brewing of Sarasota
2nd Place: Hope Without The E, Bowigens Beer Company
3rd Place: Tropical Kush, Tampa Beer Works
Floridaweisse
1st Place: Never Too Late for Summer, Florida Avenue Brewing Company of Tampa
2nd Place: Dingleberry, Hell N Blazes Brewing Company of Melbourne
3rd Place: Anti-Guavity Boots, Arkane Ale Works of Largo
In the meantime, a sampling of the winners’ photos are below. If you are a brewer, and you want to know if we have any photos of you or higher resolution photos, please reach out to mark@floridabeernews.com, as we took about 250 photos of the event.
