Ohio Beer Awards Celebrate the Best of Buckeye State Brewing
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Ohio’s craft beer scene continues to prove it can stand with the best in the country, and the newly launched Ohio Beer Awards just gave brewers across the state a stage to showcase their talent.
For those of us who follow the Ohio beer scene closely, the results highlight just how deep the talent pool runs across the state.
Cleveland Breweries Lead the Pack
Two Cleveland breweries stood out from the rest in the competition.
Masthead Brewing Company and Noble Beast Brewing Co. each earned four medals, tying them for Brewery of the Year honors.
Not far behind was Akronym Brewing, which also earned four medals, but narrowly missed the Brewery of the Year title by just a single point. Considering Akronym recently reopened, that’s a strong statement about the brewery’s return to form.
Several other breweries had standout performances as well, each earning three medals:
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Collision Bend Brewing Company
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JAFB Wooster Brewery
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Three Tigers Brewing
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Wandering Monsters Brewing
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Yellow Springs Brewery
What’s even more impressive is that six of the eight breweries earning three or more medals have previously won awards at the Great American Beer Festival or World Beer Cup, showing that Ohio breweries continue to compete at the highest level.
Nearly 500 Entries Judged by Industry Experts
The competition drew 481 entries from 102 breweries, cideries, and meaderies across the state.
Judging took place in mid-January at MadTree Brewing, where more than 70 judges evaluated entries in blind tastings. Beverages were assessed strictly on quality and adherence to style, ensuring that the best examples in each category rose to the top.
Originally, the awards ceremony was scheduled for the final day of the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference. However, heavy snowfall and dangerous travel conditions forced organizers to postpone the celebration before finally gathering brewers to recognize their achievements.
Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, summed up the purpose behind the competition:
“Ohio breweries have always performed well on the big stages against competition from around the world. We created the Ohio Beer Awards to celebrate the best our industry has to offer and to give feedback to brewers so they can continue making the finest beer possible.”
Standout Category Winners
With so many categories represented, the awards highlight the incredible diversity of beer styles being brewed in Ohio today. Here are just a few notable winners from the competition:
European Pilsner
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Gold: Daytonian Rhapsody – Eudora Brewing Company
Golden, Blonde & Light Ales
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Gold: Sampsel House Kölsch – Uniontown Brewing Co.
American IPA
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Gold: Ca$h After Ten – Ghost Tree Brewing Company
West Coast IPA
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Gold: Danko – Three Tigers Brewing
Hazy / New England IPA
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Gold: Fast Friends – Derive Brewing Company
Barrel-Aged Beer
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Gold: Celestial Reserve (Dow’s 65th Birthday Blend) – Third Eye Brewing Company
Coffee Beer
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Gold: Wired Euphoria – Third Eye Brewing Company
Fruit Beer
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Gold: Cha-Cha-Cha… Cherry Bomb! – Four Paws Brewing
The awards also included categories for cider and mead, showcasing the broader craft beverage community throughout the state.
Why These Awards Matter for Ohio Beer
From lagers and traditional styles to hazy IPAs, barrel-aged beers, and experimental creations, Ohio brewers continue to push boundaries while maintaining the quality that has already earned them national and international recognition.
For beer fans, the results of the Ohio Beer Awards also serve as something of a roadmap for great beers to seek out the next time you’re exploring taprooms or browsing the shelves.
And if these results are any indication, there are plenty of standout beers waiting to be discovered right here in the Buckeye State.
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