Microbreweries shine at Ontario Brewing Awards

Toronto, Ont. – Local microbreweries led the pack at the 8th annual Ontario Brewing Awards, which took place in early May at Toronto’s Dominion on Queen.

Mill Street Brewery and Amsterdam Brewery, both based in Toronto, were the two top winners with nine medals each, while a close third was Cambridge, Ont.’s Grand River Brewing with eight awards.

In total there were 135 entries from 24 breweries in this year’s competition. Gold and Silver medal winners were chosen by a panel of judges certified under the Beer Judge Certification Program, while the People’s Choice awards were selected by a group of non-certified beer lovers. Here’s the full list of winners:

North American Light Lager
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Bud Light (Gold)
Sleeman Breweries, Old Milwaukee Light (Silver)
F&M Brewery, Stone Hammer Light (People’s Choice)

North American Lager
Brick Brewery, Red Baron (Gold)
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Brava (Silver)
Creemore Springs Brewery, Creemore Premium Lager (People’s Choice)

European Style Lager
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Crystal (Gold)
Cameron’s Brewing Co., Cameron’s Lager (Silver)
Creemore Springs Brewery, Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner (People’s Choice)

Amber Lager
King Brewery, King Vienna Lager (Gold)
Nickel Brook Brewery, Nickel Brook Organic Lager (Silver)
Nickel Brook Brewery, Nickel Brook Organic Lager (People’s Choice)

Dark Lager
King Brewery, King Dark Lager (Gold)
Brick Brewing, Waterloo Dark (Silver)
King Brewery, King Dark Lager (People’s Choice)

Bock
Mill Street Brewery, Franconian Bock (Gold)
Amsterdam Brewery, Spring Bock (Silver)
Amsterdam Brewery, Spring Bock (People’s Choice)

Honey/Maple Beer
Sleeman Breweries, Sleeman Honey Brown (Gold)
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Lakeport Honey (Silver)
Brick Brewing, Laker Honey (People’s Choice)

German Style Wheat Beer
Denison’s Brewery, Denison’s Hefeweizen (Gold)
Muskoka Brewery, Summer Weiss (Silver)
Hop City Brewery, Lawn Chair “Classic” Weisse (People’s Choice)

Belgian Style Wheat Beer
Amsterdam Brewery, Amsterdam Orange Weisse (Gold)
Mill Street Brewery, Belgian Wit (Silver)
Mill Street Brewery, Belgian Wit (People’s Choice)

Cream Ale
Labatt Breweries, Labatt 50 (Gold)
Sleeman Breweries, Sleeman Cream Ale (Silver)
Labatt Breweries, Labatt 50 (People’s Choice)

British Pale Ale
Grand River Brewing, Plowman’s Ale (Gold)
Mill Street Brewery, Extra Special Bitter (Silver)
Grand River Brewing, Plowman’s Ale (People’s Choice)

North American Pale Ale
Hop City Brewing, Happy Hour Premium Ale (Gold)
Flying Monkeys Brewery, Hoptical Illusion (Silver)
Mill Street Brewery, Tankhouse Ale (People’s Choice)

British India Pale Ale
Grand River Brewing, Curmudgeon IPA (Gold)
Mill Street Brewery, India Pale Ale (Silver)
Grand River Brewing, Curmudgeon IPA (People’s Choice)

North American India Pale Ale
Flying Monkeys Brewery, Smashbomb Atomic IPA (Gold)
Amsterdam Brewery, Boneshaker (Silver)
Flying Monkeys Brewery, Smashbomb Atomic IPA (People’s Choice)

Amber Ale
Cameron’s Brewing Co., Cameron’s Auburn Ale (Gold)
Amsterdam Brewery, Big Wheel (Silver)
Railway City Brewing, Iron Spike Copper Ale (People’s Choice)

Dark Ale
Railway City Brewing, Iron Spike Amber Ale (Gold)
Muskoka Brewery, Muskoka Dark Ale (Silver)
Black Oak Brewery, Nut Brown (People’s Choice)

Porter
Amsterdam Brewery, Two Fisted Porter (Gold)
Mill Street Brewery, Coffee Porter (Silver)
Amsterdam Brewery, Two Fisted Porter (People’s Choice)

Stout
F & M Brewery, Stone Hammer Oatmeal Coffee Stout (Gold)
Muskoka Brewery, Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout (Silver)
Muskoka Brewery, Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout (People’s Choice)

Imperial Stout
Grand River Brewing, Russian Gun Imperial Stout (Gold)
Amsterdam Brewery, Tempest (Silver)
Grand River Brewing, Russian Gun Imperial Stout (People’s Choice)

Fruit Beer
Great Lakes Brewery, Orange Peel Ale (Gold)
Amsterdam Brewery, Framboise (Silver)
Grand River Brewing, Blackberry Wheat (People’s Choice)

Flavoured Beer
Mill Street Brewery, Lemon Tea Beer (Gold)
Brick Brewing, Red Baron Lime (Silver)
Mill Street Brewery, Lemon Tea Beer (People’s Choice)

Strong Beers
Grand River Brewing, Jubilation Winter Ale (Gold)
Great Lakes Brewery, Winter Ale (Silver)

Above: Amsterdam Brewery’s Amsterdam Orange Weisse won Gold in the Belgian Style Wheat Beer category.