Gary Magnone
March 23, 2023
The third Brewers Cup of California awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, March 23rd and we’re stoked that thirty-four awesome Southern California brewers are taking home medals this year!
The 2023 Brewers Cup of California (formerly known as the California Craft Brewers Cup) was presented by The Sacramento Area Brewers Guild, in partnership with the California Craft Brewers Association as a showcase of the best craft beers across the state.
With California now boasting over 1,100 breweries across the state, there’s more beer being brewed locally now than ever before and more local options for beer enthusiasts at the city-wide, country-wide, regional, and state-wide levels.
After taking 2022 off, the third-year competition saw 1,309 beers from 191 breweries entered into 83 categories, plus awards for Brewers Guild of the Year, Brewery of the Year and Best in Show. No walk in the park!
Here’s the list of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County brewery winners:
Best in Show
Kindling (Bamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier) by Arts District Brewing Company in LA
Gold
Smoked Beers: Kindling (Bamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier) by Arts District Brewing Company in LA
German Pale Lagers: Stain Me Up (Münchner (Munich)-Style Helles) by Brewery X in Anaheim
Double/Imperial Red Ales: Robot by Stereo Brewing Company in Placentia
American Stout/Black Ales: Strategic Arrangement by Riip Beer Company in Huntington Beach
American Lagers: Sonrisa by Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne
Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lager: Artifexican by Artifex Brewing Company in San Clemente
American-Style India Pale Lager: Kq Express by Topa Topa Brewing Co in Ventura
Brown Porter: Record Beer by 1886 Brewing Company in Orange
German Ales: Sunbather by Delahunt Brewery in San Clemente
Bohemian-Style Pilsener: Little Bo Pils by Smog City Brewing Co in Torrance
European-Style Dark / Münchner Dunkel: Pococktoberfest by Pocock Brewing Company in Santa Clarita
Experimental India Pale Ale: Summer IPA by Old Stump Brewing Co. in Pomona
Rye Ale or Lager with or without Yeast: Ryetetous by Boomtown Brewery in Los Angeles
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer: Arcane Rituals by Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer: Pinot Grisette by Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles
Wood/Barrel-Aged Beers: Beer of the Dark by Chapman Crafted Beer in Orange
American-Style Amber/Red Ale: Sabre Toothed Squirrel by Smog City Brewing Co. in Torrance
American-Style Barley Wine Ale: Bass Clef Barley Wine by Hidef Brewing Company in Los Angeles
American-Style Dark Lager: Santa Monica Brew by Santa Monica Brew Works in Santa Monica
American-Style Strong Pale Ale: Trigger Finger by Artifex Brewing Company in San Clemente
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: Mr. Popular by Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angeles
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale: Booming Dunes by Smog City Brewing Co. in Torrance
Silver
German Pale Lagers: Ausgewogen (Dortmunder / European-Style Export) by Ten Mile Brewing in Signal Hill
Double/Imperial Red Ales: The Gunny by Bravery Brewing in Lancaster
Brown Porter: Hard Days Night by Boomtown Brewery in LA
German Ales: Köbi (Kölsch) by Bravery Brewing in Lancaster
European-Style Dark / Münchner Dunkel: Swarthy Czechsman by Ten Mile Brewing in Signal Hill
Rye Ale or Lager with or without Yeast: Jacaranda by Claremont Craft Ales in Claremont
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer: Type O Positive by Smog City Brewing Co. in Torrance
American-Style Barley Wine Ale: Good Boy by Project Barley in Lomita
American-Style Dark Lager: Bad Spider by Tarantula Hill Brewing Co in Thousand Oaks
American-Style Sour Ale: Summer Sun by Stereo Brewing Company in Placentia
German Amber Beers: Vienna Lager by Institution Ale Co. in Camarillo
American Wheat: Agave Wheat by Pacific Plate Brewing in Monrovia
Belgian-Style White (or Wit) / Belgian-Style Wheat: From L.A. Wit Love by Smog City Brewing Co. in Torrance
Specialty Stout: Tongue Butter by Hop Secret Brewing Company in Monrovia
English-Style Brown Ale: Still the One by Chapman Crafted Beer in Orange
Berliner-Style Weisse (Wheat): The Berliner by Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles
Belgian-Style Fruit Beer: Fleurs by Ambitious Ales in Long Beach
Chocolate / Cocoa-Flavored Beer: The Lost Diner by Bravery Brewing in Lancaster
Experimental/Specialty Beers: Flan De Leche by Pacific Plate Brewing in Monrovia
Fruit Beer: Summer Crush by Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angelesr
Fruit Wheat Ale or Lager with or without Yeast: Shhhwheat by Brewery X in Anaheim
International-Style Pale Ale: Cali Day by Tarantula Hill Brewing Co in Thousand Oaks
Session Ale: T Minus 10° by Bearded Tang Brewing in Stanton
Specialty Honey Lager or Ale: Submission by Boomtown Brewery in Los Angeles
Australian-Style Pale Ale: Wannabe Wallaby by Riip Beer Company in Huntington Beach
American-Style India Pale Ale: Dan K by Riip Beer Company in Huntington Beach
International Pale Lagers: Dos Topas by Topa Topa Brewing Co in Ventura
Bronze
Double/Imperial Red Ales: The Rube by Docent Brewing in San Juan Capistrano
American Stout/Black Ales: Hooked on Onyx by Ten Mile Brewing in Signal Hill
American Lagers: Broken Skull by El Segundo Brewing Co in El Segundo
American-Style India Pale Lager: The Padrino by Tarantula Hill Brewing Co in Thousand Oaks
German Ales: Light Hike by Topa Topa Brewing Co in Ventura
Wood/Barrel-Aged Beers: Fundamental Observation by Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim
American-Style Amber/Red Ale: Orale by Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angeles
American-Style Strong Pale Ale: Chain Out by Riip Beer Company in Huntington Beach
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: Subtle Smurk by Lincoln Beer Company in Burbank
Belgian Sours: Kreiks and Geeks by Smog City Brewing Co. in Torrance
UK Strong Ales: Methuselah by Eureka Brewing Company in Gardena
American Historical/Indigenous Beers: Churchill Browns by Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach
Brett/Mixed or Other Culture/Wild Ales: Apple Pomace Puncheon by Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles
Irish Stouts: It’s My Island by Pocock Brewing Company in Santa Clarita
Specialty Stout: The Grade by Tarantula Hill Brewing in Thousand Oaks
Contemporary-Style Gose: Cool Dood by Party Beer Co. in Los Angeles
English-Style Brown Ale: Dirty Leeds by Project Barley Square in Torrance
Coffee-Flavored Beer: Baktuns by Ambitious Ales in Long Beach
Specialty Honey Lager or Ale: Honey Blonde by Old Stump Brewing Co in Pomona
Golden or Blonde Ale: Lb Blonde by Long Beach Beer Lab in Long Beach
American-Style Brown Ale: Restraint by Institution Ale Co. in Camarillo
International Pale Lagers: Euro Pils by Institution Ale Co. in Camarillo
Congratulations to ALL the winners and participating breweries. While winning a medal at the Brewers Cup of California is a great accomplishment, it is by no means a prerequisite for brewing great beer. It just goes to show how robust the Southern California craft brewing community is now, and how far the region has come as a compelling craft beer destination.
So while you’re out there drinking some of these 2023 Brewers Cup of California award-winning beers around Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County, you should also be purchasing beers from the dozens of other awesome local breweries out there as well.
Photo Credit: Zach, Hops About Beer
