The tiny community of Sooke might very well have a claim to the title of B.C.’s best beer town after breweries from the Vancouver Island hamlet managed to pick up nine medals and awards at the 2018 B.C. Beer Awards in Vancouver, Saturday night.

Sooke Brewing Co. won the Rookie Of The Year award after picking up three silvers (German Pilsner, German Pils; Vienna Lager, Amber German Beer; Belgian Blond, Strong Belgian Ale), a bronze (Barleywine, Strong Ale), and the award for Best Tasting Room. Meanwhile, neighbour Sooke Oceanside Brewery took home two golds (Bear Beach Baltic Porter, Dark & Strong European Beer; Renfrew Red Ale, UK Brown Ale) and a bronze (Wiffen Wizen, German Wheat Beer).

Among the other big winners Saturday night was 33 Acres Brewing Co., which took home Brewery of the Year, as well as a pair of golds for 33 Acres of Nirvana (UK Pale Ale) and 33 Acres of Echo (Specialty IPA) and bronze for 33 Acres of Sunshine (Belgian Ale).

Twin City Brewing Co., from Port Alberni, had a strong showing with a gold (Late Bloomer, Specialty Fruit Beer), two silvers (Dissimulator, Dark & Strong European Beer; Vanishing Act, Specialty Wild Ale), as well as the coveted Best in Show award for Late Bloomer.

Port Moody’s Twin Sails Brewing managed to sweep the Hazy IPA category, with a gold, silver and bronze for Orange Slice, Juice Plus and Single Whammy, respectively.

New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing won the most beer medals with a pair of silvers (Rye Lager, International Lager; Outdoorsy, North American Pale Ale) and a trio of bronzes (Marzen, Amber German Beer; Quayside, Fruit Beer; Multi Malt, Wild Ale).

 

Some of the province’s smallest breweries walked away with a number of big awards, including Three Ranges Brewing in Valemount, which won gold in the North American IPA category for Tail Slap IPA. LoveShack Libations won bronze for its Post Ride Pilsner in the German Pils category, while Mayne Island Brewing Co.‘s Beet Buck won bronze in the Spice Beer category.

Here’s the complete winner’s list from the 2018 B.C. Beer Awards:

 

International Lager

1) Axe & Barrel Brewing Co., Langford Lager

2) Steel & Oak Brewing Co., Rye Lager

3) Bomber Brewing, Bomber Pilsner

 

Pale German Beer

1) Brassneck Brewery, Klutz

2) Coal Harbour Brewing Co., 311 Helles Lager

3) Silver Valley Brewing Co, The Highway: Lager

 

German Pils

1) Four Winds Brewing Co., Hüftgold

2) Sooke Brewing Co., German Pilsner

3) LoveShack Libations, Post Ride Pilsner

 

Amber German Beer

1) Steamworks Brewing Co., Steamworks Winter Lager

2) Sooke Brewing Co. , Vienna Lager

3) Steel & Oak Brewing Co., Marzen

 

Dark & Strong European Beer

1) Sooke Oceanside Brewery, Bear Beach Baltic Porter

2) Twin City Brewing Company, Dissimulator

3) Spinnakers Brewpub, Black Lager

 

German Wheat Beer

1) Sundown Brewing Company, Sundown Hefeweizen

2) Kwantlen Polytechnic University Brewing, 50/50 Hefe

3) Sooke Oceanside Brewery, Wiffen Wizen

 

UK Pale Ale

1) 33 Acres Brewing Co., 33 Acres of Nirvana

2) Britannia Brewing Co., Adrift Blonde Ale

3) Howe Sound Brewing, Baldwin and Cooper

 

UK Brown Ale

1) Sooke Oceanside Brewery, Renfrew Red Ale

2) East Vancouver Brewing Co., Humble Hive Brown Ale

3) Britannia Brewing Co., Ashore Porter

 

UK Stout

1) Luppolo Brewing Company, Oatmeal Stout

2) Barkerville Brewing Co., 52 Foot Stout

3) Howe Sound Brewing, Diamond Head

 

Strong Ale

1) Fisher Peak Brewing Company, Hellroaring Scottish

2) Howe Sound Brewing, Woolly Bugger

3) Sooke Brewing Co., Barleywine

 

Fruit Beer

1) A-FRAME Brewing Company, Emerald Lake Lime Sour

2) Steamworks Brewing Co., Steamworks Frambozen

3) Steel & Oak Brewing Co., Quayside

 

Specialty Fruit Beer

1) Twin City Brewing Company, Late Bloomer

2) Sundown Brewing Company, Raspberry Fields

3) Dead Frog Brewery, Blueberry Blast Kettle Sour

 

Spice Beer

1) R&B Brewing, Spruce Tip IPA

2) Faculty Brewing, 250 London Fog Ale

3) Mayne Island Brewing Company, Beet Buck

 

Smoke & Wood Aged Beer

1) Ravens Brewing, Clayburn Smoked Scotch Ale

2) Twin Sails Brewing, Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Con Leche

3) Twa Dogs Brewery, Parting Kiss Bourbon Barrel Ale

 

European Sour

1) Strange Fellows Brewing, Little Red One

2) Faculty Brewing, 323 Sourweisse

3) Coal Harbour Brewing, Sunrise Gose

 

Specialty Beer

1) Whitetooth Brewing Company, Launch Pad Belgian-Inspired Rye Ale

2) Bridge Brewing Company, Semi-Formal Brut Pale Ale

3) Main Street Brewing, Skittlebrau

 

North American Light Beer

1) Nelson Brewing Co., Hooligan

2) Vancouver Island Brewing, Islander Lager

3) Parallel 49 Brewing, Jerkface 9000

 

North American Blonde Ale

1) Bomber Brewing, East Van Smash For Bash

2) Sundown Brewing Company Ltd   Sundown Blonde

3) Ravens Brewing, Golden Ale

 

North American Pale Ale

1) Backcountry Brewing, Suck It Trebek

2) Steel & Oak Brewing Co., Outdoorsy

3) Yellow Dog Brewing, Chase My Tail Pale Ale

 

North American Amber & Brown Ale

1) Steamworks Brewing Co., Steamworks Heroica Red Ale

2) Category 12 Brewing, Side Project Amber Lager

3) Monkey 9 Brewing Co., James Brown Ale

 

North American Porter & Stout

1) Whitetooth Brewing Company, Truth, Dare, Consequence Nordic Imperial Stout

2) Gladstone Brewing Company, Gladstone Brewing Porter

3) Dead Frog Brewery, 2018 Commander Imperial Stout

 

North American IPA

1) Three Ranges Brewing Company, Tail Slap IPA

2) Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company, Jagged Face

3) Axe & Barrel Brewing Co., West Shore IPA

 

Specialty IPA

1) 33 Acres Brewing Co., 33 Acres Of Echo

2) Dead Frog Brewery, Obsidian Dagger IPA Noire

3) Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks, Magical Musicians & Musical Magicians

 

Hazy IPA

1) Twin Sails Brewing, Orange Slices

2) Twin Sails Brewing, Juice Plus

3) Twin Sails Brewing, Single Whammy

 

Imperial IPA

1) Central City Brewers & Distillers, Red Racer Imperial IPA

2) Coal Harbour Brewing Co., Spaghetti Western-Ish DIPA

3) Boombox Brewing, Just the Hits

 

Belgian Ale

1) Strange Fellows Brewing, Jongleur

2) Yellow Dog Brewing, Take A Walk Witbier

3) 33 Acres Brewing Co., 33 Acres of Sunshine

 

Saison

1) Granville Island Brewing, West Coast Farmhouse Saison

2) Twa Dogs Brewery, Mistress of My Soul Saison

3) Russell Brewing, Russell Belgian Saison

Strong Belgian Ale

1) Dageraad Brewing, Brune

2) Sooke Brewing Co., Belgian Blond

3) Dageraad Brewing, Antwerpen

 

Wild Ale

1) Iron Road Brewing, Boomer Wild Ale

2) Luppolo Brewing Company, New World Sour

3) Steel & Oak Brewing Co., Multi Malt

 

Specialty Wild Ale

1) Strange Fellows Brewing, Mistral

2) Twin City Brewing Company, Vanishing Act

3) Parallel 49 Brewing, Late Bloomer

 

Best in Show (presented by BSG Canada)

Twin City Brewing Co., Late Bloomer

 

Brewery of the Year (presented by Tap & Barrel)

33 Acres Brewing Co.

 

Dan Small Homebrew Award

Jeff Tichbourne, Annie I’m a Hawk

 

Rookie of the Year (presented by Richards Buell Sutton)

Sooke Brewing Co.

 

Innovator of the Year (presented by The Downlow Chicken Shack)

Field House Brewing Co.

 

Legend Award (presented by Liquify)

Lundy Dale

 

People’s Choice Award (presented by CBC Vancouver)

BREWHALL, Mighty Morphin’ Sour Rangers

 

Brewer’s Challenge (presented by B.C. Hop Co.)

Yellow Dog Brewing, Alpha Dog

 

Best Tap Handle Design (presented by Ideon Packaging)

Luppolo Brewing

 

Best Can Design (presented by West Coast Canning)

Boombox Brewing, Holotape

 

Best Packaging Boxes and Carriers (presented by Great Little Box Co.)

Old Yale Brewing, Craft Camper

 

Best Bottle Label (presented by Great Little Box Co.)

Field House Brewing Co., A Good Life

 

Best Website (presented by Major Tom)

Field House Brewing

 

Best Social Media (presented by Major Tom)

Electric Bicycle Brewing

 

Best Tasting Room (presented by Shaw Sabey Insurance)

Sooke Brewing Co.

 

Best Merchandise (presented by Branded Brewers)

Riot Brewing

 

Best Flight Paddle (presented by Smooth Edge Design)

The Parkside Brewery