Craft Beer Pour — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Antov Bannov
“Where can I get the best beer?” is one of life’s most important questions to some, and every year the Sunshine State faces off in the Best Florida Beer Competition.
Six breweries from the Pensacola area won gold, silver, and bronze medals the previous year. Seven breweries from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties responded to the challenge this year, garnering a total of 13 honors.
The winners are as follows:
Gold medals go to two Pensacola breweries
McGuire’s Irish Pub-Pensacola, 600 E. Gregory St.
- Category: International stout
- Type: Classic Irish-style dry stout
- Total Entries: 18
- Winning beer: McGuire’s Irish Stout
Big Top Brewing Company, 21 Romana St.
- Category: Juicy or hazy strong pale ale
- Total Entries: 16
- Winning beer: Hazy Skywire
Silver medals go to three Pensacola area breweries
Coastal County Brewing Co., 3041 E. Olive Road
- Category: Irish-style red ale
- Total Entries: 10
- Winning beer: Fred’s Irish Red
Coastal County Brewing Co., 3041 E. Olive Road
- Category: American-style cream ale
- Total Entries: 9
- Winning beer: Coastal Cream Ale
Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St.
- Category: Fruit beer
- Total Entries: 15
- Winning beer: Yachtside
Emerald Republic Brewing Company, 1414 W. Government St.
- Category: Fruited American-style sour ale
- Total Entries: 12
- Winning beer: Gozen
Bronze medals go to six Pensacola area breweries
Big Top Brewery, 21 Romana St.
- Category: Herb and spice beer
- Total Entries: 11
- Winning beer: Winter Red
Big Top Brewery, 21 Romana St.
- Category: Belgian-style light ale
- Type: Belgian-style blonde ale
- Total Entries: 14
- Winning beer: Summer in Bruges
Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St.
- Category: Bohemian style pilsener
- Total Entries: 9
- Winning beer: Czech Pils
McGuire’s Irish Pub — Pensacola, 600 E. Gregory St.
- Category: German-style ock
- Total Entries: 10
- Winning beer: McGuire’s Dopplebock
St. Michael’s Brewing Company, 2199 Highway 87, Navarre
- Category: Scottish-style ale
- Type: Scottish-style export ale
- Total Entries: 7
- Winning beer: Florida Highlander Scottish
Alga Beer Co., 2435 N. 12th Ave.
- Category: Specialty beer
- Type: Honey beer
- Total Entries: 31
- Winning beer: Neighborhood Beer
Emerald Republic Brewing Company, 1414 W. Government St.
- Category: Chocolate or coffee beer
- Type: Coffee beer
- Total Entries: 15
- Winning beer: Year Zero
How the beer contest works
According to Jason Toft, vice president of Commercial Brewing of Best Florida Beer, the competition began as a modest homebrewer’s competition at the Florida State Fair two decades ago, grew “too big for its britches,” and has since evolved into one of the top events in the state.
The competition is special in that it is peer-reviewed by at least two judges—most of whom are brewers themselves—in each category.
“We take great delight in having a peer-reviewed competition,” added Toft.
A keg of the winning beer is brought by the top qualifiers to the Annual Brewer’s Ball in Tampa, where it is served to guests. The brewers don’t learn where they placed in the competition until the evening of the ball.
There, brewers will work together and get input from some of the best in the state.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
