Winners Announced for Eighth Annual New York State Craft Beer Competition

96 awards presented in largest state-level beer competition in the U.S.

Rochester, N.Y. – The New York State Brewers Association (NYSBA) is excited to announce the winners of its eighth annual New York State Craft Beer Competition, presented by Ultimate Brew Service. The awards ceremony was hosted by Malteurop and took place Mar. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Albany Capital Center, as the closing event of the New York State Brewers Conference. Breweries and craft beer enthusiasts throughout the state tuned into the ceremony via livestream on the New York State Craft Beer YouTube Channel.

During the highly anticipated awards ceremony, 96 awards were presented across 30 style categories, including two new categories this year: Cream Ales and Dark Lagers. In addition to gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in each category, judges selected the “NYS Governor’s Craft Beer Cup” as the best-in-show beer, which was awarded to Kingston Standard Brewing Co. for Love is Overtaking Me in the Barrel Aged (Sour) category.

The “NYS Brewery of the Year” award was given to the brewery with the highest number of points in the competition based on the number of medals won. Grimm Artisanal Ales claimed the title for its third time, also winning Brewery of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

“It’s incredible to not only see many of the same breweries win medals each year, but it’s a true testament to the quality of the beer in New York State to see so many new breweries win for the first time,” said Paul Leone, Executive Director of NYBSA. “It reaffirms the fact that quality continues to be of the highest priority to the brewers in our state.”

Governor Hochul presenting the 2024 Governor’s Craft Beer Cup to Kingston Standard Brewing Co. for Love is Overtaking Me

Winners of the 2024 New York State Craft Beer Competition are:

Light Lagers (Traditional)

• Gold: Eleven – Strong Rope Brewery
• Silver: Bezucha Brothers – West Kill Brewing
• Bronze: Brook & Reed – Drowned Lands

Light Lagers (Modern and Contemporary)

• Gold: Contiguity – Threes Brewing
• Silver: UN1 Basmati Rice Lager – Transmitter Brewing
• Bronze: There & Back Helles – Bright Eye Beer Company

Amber Lagers

• Gold: Pleasantbräu Oktoberfest – Soul Brewing Company
• Silver: Fly In Any Weather – Rising Storm Brewing Company
• Bronze: Polotmavy Pekar – Wayward Lane Brewing

​Dark Lagers (NEW!)​

• Gold: Dark Encounter Druthers – Brewing Company
• Silver: Nightfall – Wagner Valley Brewing Company
• Bronze: Heavy Handed – Kills Boro Brewing Company

Wheat Beers (American, Wit, Hefe)

• Gold: Grimm Weisse – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver: Gather House – Drowned Lands
• Bronze: Lit Wit – Shep’s Brewing Company

Golden & Blonde Ales​

• Gold: Prototype – Kings County Brewers Collective
• Silver: Freudian Sips – Active Ingredient Brewing Company
• Bronze: KOLSCH NO.2 – EBBS Brewing Company

​Cream Ales (NEW!)​

• Gold: Cream Ale – Prison City Brewing
• Silver: Premium Cream Ale – 18th Ward Brewing
• Bronze: Wolves Den Cream Ale – 1812 Brewing Company

Amber & Red Ales

• Gold: NYS Celtic Red Ale – K2 Bros. Brewing
• Silver: Altbier – Swiftwater Brewing
• Bronze: Prince Sager-Heimer – Sager Beer Works

Pale Ale

• Gold: Moderance – Wild East Brewing Company
• Silver: Lighter Than Air – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Bronze: RIP Pale Ale – Wood Kettle Brewing

​Hazy Pale Ale​

• Gold: Future Memory – 18th Ward Brewing
• Silver: Kaaterskill – West Kill Brewing
• Bronze: Particle – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB

American IPA

• Gold: Golden Hour – Long Island Farm Brewery
• Silver: Frisco Kid – Okay Beer Company
• Bronze: Venomous Villains – Kings County Brewers Collective

Hazy IPA

• Gold: Variable – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB
• Silver (tie): Spectral Mass – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB
• Silver (tie): Citmo IPA – Resurgence Brewing Company
• Bronze: The One V-56 – New York Beer Project

Experimental IPA

• Gold: Island Addition – New York Beer Project
• Silver: Forever Ever – Other Half
• Bronze: River Swell – Drowned Lands

American DIPA​

• Gold: 5 Cent Deposit Double IPA – Bright Eye Beer Company
• Silver: Pacific Dawn – Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
• Bronze: Lean To – West Kill Brewing

Hazy DIPA

• Gold: FaultLine – Barrier Brewing Company
• Silver: Jasper – Fidens Brewing Company
• Bronze: Over and Out – Wayward Lane Brewing

Barrel Aged (Sour)

• Gold: Love Is Overtaking Me – Kingston Standard
• Silver: Something Something Something – Prison City Brewing
• Bronze: Brewers Reserve BA Sour Blend – New York Beer Project

Barrel Aged (Non-Sour)

• Gold: Portuguese Squeeze – Strangebird
• Silver (tie): Bourbon-Barrel Aged Dormancy – Grow Brewing Company
• Silver (tie): Oak Aged Aeon – Aurora Brewing Company
• Bronze: Double Barrel Aqueduct 2023 – Big Ditch Brewing Company

Belgian Farmhouse

• Gold: Saison Blend One – ONCO Fermentations, Inc
• Silver: Wandering Bine – Threes Brewing
• Bronze: Starling – Arrowood Farm Brewery

Belgian Other

• Gold: Trappist at the Track Belgian Tripel – Artisanal Brew Works
• Silver: Man’s Best Friend – New York Beer Project
• Bronze: Duncan’s Quadrupel – Duncan’s Abbey

Experimental

• Gold: Shadowtricks – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Silver: States Of Being – Threes Brewing
• Bronze: El Tepache Loco – Talking Cursive Brewing Company

Fruit & Vegetable Beers (Non-Sour)

• Gold: Crispy Boys Blood Orange – Prison City Brewing
• Silver: Blackberry Kolsch – Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co.
• Bronze: Kettle Lakes Coconut Cream Ale – ONCO Fermentations

Fruit & Vegetable Beers (Sour)

• Gold: Mimosa Sour – Valcour Brewing Company
• Silver: Collaborations: Carmenere – Greenport Harbor Brewing
• Bronze: Key Lime Pie Sour – No BS Brew Company

Specialty Beer: Stouts & Porters

• Gold: Coconut Cluster – Heritage Hill Brewhouse
• Irish Coffee Stout – New York Beer Project
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter – Horseheads Brewing

Specialty Beer: Light & Amber Ales, Lagers

• Gold: Holiday Ale – No BS Brew Company
• Silver: Lavel Up – Druthers Brewing Company
• Bronze: Pumpkin Cream Ale – Keuka Brewing Company

​Brown Ale

• Gold (tie): Lithology Brown Ale – Lithology Brewing Company
• Gold (tie): Brown Ale – Watershed Brewing Company
• Silver: Brooklyn Brown – Brooklyn Brewery
• Bronze: Alternator – Wood Kettle Brewing

Porters (Non-Imperial)​​

• Gold: Hold Fire – Weiss Ferments LLC
• Silver: Portmanteau – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Bronze: McNally Porter – 18th Ward Brewing

Stout (Non-Imperial)

• Gold: Carlow – Drowned Lands
• Silver: Velvet Panda – Mill House Brewing Company
• Bronze: STOUT NO.1 – EBBS Brewing Company

Imperial Stouts & Porters

• Gold: EB Baltic Porter – Take Two Brewery
• Silver: Belgian Stout – Brewery Ardennes
• Bronze: Double Negative – Grimm Artisanal Ales

Strong Ales

• Gold: XXXXX – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver: Biteanator – Spider Bite Beer Co.
• Bronze: Nicnevin – Crafty Ales and Lagers

Kettle and Simple Sours​

• Gold: There Gose the Watermelon Farm – Good Nature Brewing Company
• Silver: Incandenza – Hudson Valley Brewery
• Bronze: Leipzig Gose – Big Slide Brewery & Public House

Wild & Sour Ales

• Gold: Ambient Fizz Koyo Berries – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver: Breaking Bird – Strangebird
• Bronze: Family Tree 13 – Rare Form Brewing Company

The competition was produced by two non-profit organizations, NYSBA and Raise a Glass Foundation. Judging for the categories took place March 2-3 in Rochester, NY. This year’s competition saw 1,421 beers, the highest number of submissions to date, entered by 232 breweries. Entries were blind judged by a panel of respected and influential individuals in the New York beer industry based on pre-established criteria and using a custom scoring sheet developed by NYSBA. The top three finishers in each of the beer style categories received gold, silver and bronze medals.

“The Raise A Glass Foundation is the unsung hero of the New York State Craft Beer Competition presented by Ultimate Brew Service, as we’ve cemented ourselves as the largest state run competition in the country once again this year,” said Emily Forrester, NYSBA Membership & Events Manager. “Their volunteer-driven efforts aid us in creating a platform where New York State’s Craft Beer culture can shine, showcasing the craftmanship and ingenuity that our brewers bring to the table. In addition, Genesee Brewery’s contribution of sensory training to our esteemed panel of judges is a prime example of collaboration and community within our industry.”

"I’m very excited that in our 8th year of holding the NYS Craft Beer Competition we once again drew a record number of beers!” exclaimed Hutch Kugeman, NYSBA Board President. “We know that New York breweries produce some of the best beer in the country, and the feedback from our judges proved it. The judging was extremely competitive this year and every brewery that wins a medal should be incredibly proud.”

The 2024 New York State Craft Beer Competition is sponsored by Ultimate Brew Service, a New York-based supplier of brewing equipment and services.

"We are thrilled to be this year’s craft beer competition sponsor,” said Justin O’Donoghue, Vice President of Ultimate Brew Service. “It’s an event that has a special place in our hearts. Nothing makes us happier than seeing the people we work with get recognition for their dedication to the craft. Winning a medal can make a difference for a brewery and we hope our sponsorship helps NYS continue to hold the largest statewide craft beer competition.”

The 2024 Competition Award Ceremony was hosted by Melteurop, one of the world’s largest malt producers.

“Congratulations to all the NYS Craft Beer Competition winners! We were so happy to sponsor this amazing event that continues to get better and better each year,” said Jeff Loranger, Northeast Craft Sales Manager of Malteurop Malting Company.

For additional information about the competition, please visit nyscbc.com. For approved images of the winners, please click here.

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About New York State Brewers Association

Founded in 2003, the New York State Brewers Association (NYSBA) promotes, protects and educates about the culture and business of New York State breweries. Their goal is to defend the vital interests of the New York State brewing industry while encouraging the consumption of fresh, local beer across the Empire State. With over 500 breweries, it’s easy to Think NY, Drink NY. More information is available at thinkNYdrinkNY.com and newyorkcraftbeer.com.

About Raise a Glass Foundation

The NYSBA partnered with the Raise a Glass Foundation for their expertise producing competitions held to the highest level of integrity. It is only with their support that the New York State Craft Beer Competition has grown to become the largest state-level competition in the US. The Raise A Glass Foundation™ is a registered NY 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to help save and improve the lives of adults and children around the world. They accomplish their mission by collecting and donating to deserving charities a valuable asset – thousands of award-winning bottles of wine, beer and spirits – which they use in their fundraising galas, dinners, auctions and other events. More information is available at raiseaglassfoundation.com.