The National Honey Board made the call for the best made with honey beers in the nation, and the Beer Judge Certification Program sent 12 judges to taste, smell and rate 228 submitted beers. When all was sniffed, tasted and assessed, a beer from Newport, Oregon’s Rogue Ales & Spirits came out on top: a general ale named Honey Kolsch. This was the third time in six years Honey Kolsch has won the competition.
The two-day competition was a bit different this time around, with COVID-19 measures ensuring the event was safe for everyone involved. Safety measures included plexiglass dividers between the paired certified judges; temperatures taken during check-in procedures each day; and gloves and masks worn by stewards of the event. Once judges removed their masks, the submitted beers from breweries from across the country were judged on their aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and the overall impression of the role honey played in the beer.
Additionally, for the second year in a row, the competition featured a design/packaging category. Speciation Artisan Ales’ Polymorphism’s bottle won Gold with its floral/hive label design. Rounding out the Best in Show honors were Roy-Pitz Brewing Company’s Honey Sucker Pils (Silver) and Alvarium Beer Company’s Honey Shot (Bronze).
The winners of the 2020 Honey Beer Competition:
Best in Show Winners
Gold Medal: Honey Kolsch – Rogue Ales & Spirits, Newport, Oregon
Silver Medal: Honey Sucker Pils – Roy-Pitz Brewing Company, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Bronze Medal: Honey Shot – Alvarium Beer Company, Newcastle, Maine
Category Winners
- General Lagers: Honey Sucker Pils – Roy-Pitz Brewing Company, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
- General Ales: Honey Kolsch – Rogue Ales & Spirits, Newport, Oregon
- Amber/Brown Ales: Stardog – Mathews Brewing Company, Lake Worth, Florida
- Belgian-Style Ales: Dance Language — Oxbow Brewing Company, Newcastle, Maine
- Fruit/Vegetable/Spiced: Archer — Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, Colorado
- IPAs: Honey Shot — Alvarium Beer Company, New Britain, Connecticut
- Braggots: Tow City — Obscurity, Maple Park, Illinois
- Stouts/Porters: Dark Nectar — Grist House Craft Brewery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Wheat Beer: Honey Weiss — Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
- Sours: Microburst — Grist House Craft Brewery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Barrel Aged: Wood Ya Honey — Jackie O’s Brewery, Athens, Ohio
- Other: Honey Double Maibock — South Shore Brewery, Ashland, Wisconsin
- Ciders: Rose Cider — Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Houston, Texas
- Hard Seltzer: Blackberry Mojito Hydromel — Whistle Hop Brewing Company, Fairview, North Carolina
- Design/Packaging: Polymorphism — Speciation Artisan Ales, Comstock Park, Michigan
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2020 Honey Beer Competition, and congratulations to all of the winners!