Gladstone Brewing Wins Brewery of the Year and Parallel 49 Brewing Earns Best in Show
The 2022 BC Beer Awards were announced on November 5 at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first time this previously annual event took place since 2019.
The two big winners of the evening were Gladstone Brewing, which was named Brewery of the Year after winning five medals, including four golds and one silver. Best in Show was given to Parallel 49 Brewing for its 10th Anniversary Brett Saison.
This was a decisive victory for Gladstone Brewing for sure, especially considering the fact that no other brewery won more than two gold medals. Located in Courtenay on Vancouver Island since 2015, Gladstone Brewing is based in a one-time car mechanic’s shop and embraces that heritage with a tasting room that is decorated with old car parts and automobile memorabilia.
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Gladstone’s gold medals went to four of its seasonal beers that are largely only available on tap seasonally at the brewery: Czech Dark Lager, Hazy IPA, Porter and Red Ale. Gladstone’s Cream Ale, part of its core lineup, won a silver medal.
In addition to the Best in Show, Parallel 49 Brewing also won a silver medal for its Oktoberfest Schwarzbier and a bronze for its Oktoberfest Festbier. Both of those beers are part of its Oktoberfest Mixed Pack, which also features a German Pilsner and Hefeweizen.
Located in Vancouver on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail, Parallel 49 Brewing opened in 2012 and quickly established a reputation for its diverse beer lineup and creative beer names and marketing.
The prize for Rookie Brewery of the Year was awarded to Smugglers’ Trail Cask Works, which opened in Langley in 2000. Smuggler’s Trail won three medals in total: a silver for Flaskers British Ale, and a bronze medal apiece for 3 Month Pils and Invictus Dark Mild.
Three breweries won four medals on the evening:
- Brassneck Brewery (Vancouver): gold for Klutz Kolsch and Unconventional Wisdom, silver for No Brainer, and bronze for Umlaut
- Iron Road Brewing (Kamloops): Roundhouse Oud Bruin (gold), Locomotive Lager (bronze), Gandy Dancer Gose and Boomer Wild Ale (both honourable mentions)
- Steamworks Brewery (Burnaby & Vancouver): gold medals for Kirsche and Empress Double IPA, silver for Killer Cucumber Ale, and bronze for Kolsch
Other notable winners included:
- Dageraad Brewing (Burnaby): Field Theory (gold), Brune (silver), and Blonde (bronze)
- Main Street Brewing (Vancouver): two gold medals for Gale Force and Circa 1775
- R&B Brewing (Vancouver): Picnic Table Beer (silver), New Brighton Dry-Hopped Sour (bronze), and It’s Always Sunny In East Van Witbier (bronze)
- Steel & Oak Brewing (New Westminster): Der Klassiker (gold), Zoigl (silver), and Undertow (bronze)
For the full list of winners check out the BC Beer Awards website.
