Beer just keeps getting better—cheers to the 9th Annual Ontario Brewing Awards. Pick your favourite style, then give these winning brews a try.
If you need help sorting out The Very, Very Many Varieties of Beer, click the link and scroll around the info-packed poster from Pop Chart Lab.
North American Light Lager
Gold: Cool Beer Brewing Company – Stonewall Light
Silver: Labatt – Rolling Rock Extra Pale
People’s Choice: Labatt – Rolling Rock Extra Pale
North American Lager
Gold: HogsBack Brewing Company – HogsBack Vintage Lager
Silver: Labatt – Blue
People’s Choice: Hogsback Brewing Company – HogsBack Vintage Lager
European Style Lager (Pilsner)
Gold: King Brewery – Pilsner
Silver: Kichesippi Beer Co. – Natural Blonde
People’s Choice: Kichesippi Beer Co. – Natural Blonde
Amber Lager
Gold: Cool Beer Brewing Company – Millennium Buzz
Silver: Great Lakes Brewery – Red Leaf Smooth Red Lager
People’s Choice: Nickel Brook Beers – Märzenbier Bavarian Style Red
Dark Lager
Gold: Cameron’s Brewing Co. – Cameron’s Dark 266
Silver: King Brewery – Dark Lager
People’s Choice: Mill Street Brewery – Mill Street Rauchbier
Bock
Gold: Amsterdam Brewery – Spring Bock
Silver: Cameron’s Brewing Co. – Cameron’s Deviator Doppelbock
People’s Choice: Amsterdam Brewery – Spring Bock
Honey/Maple Beers
Gold: F&M Brewery – Stone Hammer Maple Red Ale
Silver: Railway City Brewing Company – Honey Elixir
People’s Choice: F&M Brewery – Stone Hammer Maple Red Ale
German Style Wheat Beer
Gold: Denison’s Brewing Company – Weissbier
Silver: Magnotta Brewery – True North Wonder Weisse
People’s Choice: Denison’s Brewing Company – Weissbier
Belgian Style Wheat Beer
Gold: Amsterdam Brewery – Oranje Weiss
Silver: Mill Street Brewery – Belgian Style Wit
People’s Choice: Amsterdam Brewery – Oranje Weiss
Cream Ale
Gold: Muskoka Brewery – Cream Ale
Silver: Grand River Brewing – 1913 Traditional
People’s Choice: Muskoka Brewery – Cream Ale
British Pale Ale
Gold: Black Oak Brewing Company – Pale Ale
Silver: Grand River Brewing – Plowman’s Ale
People’s Choice: Grand River Brewing – Plowman’s Ale
North American Pale Ale
Gold: Nickel Brook Beers – Naughty Neighbour Pale Ale
Silver: Great Lakes Brewery – Crazy Canuck Pale Ale
People’s Choice: Black Creek Historic Brewery – Pale Ale
British IPA
Gold: Grand River Brewing – Curmudgeon IPA
Silver: Mill Street Brewery – India Pale Ale
People’s Choice: Mill Street Brewery – India Pale Ale
North American IPA
Gold: Cameron’s Brewing Co. – Cameron’s Rye Pale Ale
Silver: Muskoka Brewery – Mad Tom IPA
People’s Choice: Cameron’s Brewing Co. – Cameron’s Rye Pale Ale
Amber Ale
Gold: Amsterdam Brewery – Big Wheel Deluxe Amber
Silver: The Clocktower Brew Pub – Clocktower Red
People’s Choice: Amsterdam Brewery – Big Wheel Deluxe Amber
Dark Ale
Gold: Muskoka Brewery – Dark Ale
Silver: Black Oak Brewing Company – Nut Brown Ale
People’s Choice: Black Oak Brewing Company – Nut Brown Ale
Porter
Gold: Mill Street Brewery – Coffee Porter
Silver: Black Oak Brewing Company – Nutcracker Porter
People’s Choice: Mill Street Brewery – Coffee Porter
Stout
Gold: F&M Brewery – Stone Hammer Oatmeal Coffee Stout
Silver: Railway City Brewing Company – Black Coal Stout
People’s Choice: F&M Brewery – Stone Hammer Oatmeal Coffee Stout
Imperial Stout
Gold: Wellington Brewery – Wellington Imperial Russian Stout
Silver: Nickel Brook Beers – Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout
People’s Choice: Wellington Brewery – Wellington Imperial Russian Stout
Fruit Beer
Gold: Amsterdam Brewery – Framboise
Silver: The Clocktower Brew Pub – Raspberry Wheat
People’s Choice: Amsterdam Brewery – Framboise
Flavoured Beer
Gold: Grand River Brewing – Highballer Pumpkin Ale
Silver: Sawdust City Brewing Co. – Skinny Dipping Stout
People’s Choice: Cameron’s Brewing Co. – American Whiskey Barrel
Strong Beer
Gold: Niagara College Teaching Brewery – Rudolph’s Red Nose Ale
Silver: Mill Street Brewery – Ambre de la Chaudière
People’s Choice: Niagara College Teaching Brewery – Rudolph’s Red Nose Ale
Newcomer of the Year: HogsBack Brewing
Beer of the Year: Mill Street Brewery – Mill Street Coffee Porter
[This version has been corrected: #$%@! There were a number of errors in the original list. HogsBack Brewing was most wronged by a flawed press release I relied on—thanks to owner Paige Cutland for sending me the correct list.]