Seven North County breweries toasted to victory with 11 medals (five gold, five silver, and one bronze) at the 2024 Brewers Cup of California, which recognizes the best craft beers in the state.
“The Capital of Craft strikes again with another impressive showing up in Northern California,” San Diego Brewers Guild Executive Director Erik Fowler said in a statement. “I particularly appreciate the geographic diversity of our winners from North County to Central County to East County. It just goes to show you can live in or visit any part of San Diego and find great beer to enjoy.”
Winners Smoking Cannon Brewery, Julian Beer Co., and Black Plague Brewing.
Organized by Sacramento Area Brewers Guild with support from with support from the Central Coast, Central Valley, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego brewers guilds, the event attracted 1,300 entries from 197 independent craft breweries. Winning beers were determined by a panel of 65 expert judges across 83 categories.
“The Brewers Cup of California recognizes the best beers in the state,” said Brewers Cup of California Lead Judge, David Teckam. “The awarded beers are truly of the highest caliber and showcase the talent and dedication of the breweries that made them.”
Left to Right: Otter Romp by Pure Broject Brewing; Clever Kiwi by Burgeon Beer Company
Gold Medal Beers
- Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside) – Medusa for “Specialty Stout”
8.5% Full bodied, decadent Imperial Milk Stout with a midly sweet maple syrup aroma and a balance or rich chocolate layers accented by hints of toasted coconut. - Burgeon Beer Company (Carlsbad) – Clever Kiwi for “Session Beer”
4% Unique and innovative Kellerpils with delicate balance of premium german malts and hand-selected New Zealand hops to create a light, dry, and wildly aromatic experience. - Pizza Port (Carlsbad) – Apollyon for “Belgian Pale Strong/Tripel”
9.3% Belgian Tripel - Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona) – Joslyn for “Chocolate Beer”
5.8% German Chocolate Cake Milk Stout - The Julian Beer Co. (Julian) – Juniper Flats for “Historical Beer”
8.3% Award winning Finnish Style Sahti. Made with juniper branches and berries harvested locally. Collaboration brew with Smoking Cannon Brewery.
Silver Medal Beers
- Pizza Port (Carlsbad) – Naughty Listers for “Herb and Spiced Beer”
7.3% Christmas oatmeal stout with nutmeg, clove, juniper, cinnamon, vanilla bean, orange, & orange peel - Smoking Cannon Brewery (Ramona) – Merrill for “Experimental, Wild and Mixed-Culture Beer”
7% Gingerbread Porter - Pure Project Brewing (Carlsbad/Vista) – Otter Romp for “Juicy/Hazy Imperial IPA”
8.6% Murky double IPA, medium-full body with blend of fresh coconut, lime popsicle, and lemond curd. Collaboration brew with Humble Sea Brewing Company. - The Julian Beer Co. (Julian) – Weasel for “English-style Brown Ale”
5.6% English-style Brown Ale
Bronze Medal Beers
- Northern Pine Brewing (Oceanside) – Sunny Vibes for “Cream Ale”
5.3% Light and crisp Mexican lager
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About the Author
Caitlyn Canby loves to discover and share people’s stories. She has her bachelor’s degree in Communications, Print Journalism with over 8 years of journalism experience. An Escondido native, she just moved back from Catalina Island to North County with her husband and two children to the town of Fallbrook. Caitlyn enjoys collaborating on projects as Communications Manager at SDNEDC, traveling, and exploring new restaurants, venues, experiences, and cultures.