Home brewers from throughout Alaska and the Yukon submitted 63 beers and four meads for Friday’s home brew competition at the 20th Anniversary of the Great Alaska Craft Beer and Home Brew Festival.
Submissions included ones from Juneau, Anchorage, Soldotna, Ketchikan, Auke Bay, and Whitehorse, said organizer Rob Miller of Haines, a nationally certified beer judge.
Beers were judged in nine categories. Twenty-two judges, working in three-person panels, ranked brews on technical merit, stylistic accuracy, and intangible characteristics that add character to the brew.
The nine winning brews were placed in three divisions, judged by a Best of Division panel. Judges then selected the Best of Show entry from the three Best of Division winners.
Ryan Fowler of Anchorage won Best of Show for his Hoptimus Prime. Steve Pierce of Juneau’s Bohemian Pilsner was a close second, warranting an Honorable Mention in the Best of Show competition.
Best of Division winners were Division 1, German and Belgian Beers, Steve Pierce for Bohemian Pilsner; Division 2, British and American Beers, Ryan Fowler of Anchorage for Hoptimus Prime, an American IPA; and Division 3, Fruit and Specialty Beers and Mead, Steve Jayich of Juneau for Chocolate Malter, a chocolate, robust porter.