Podcast: PHOENIX mag Team Reacts to Medal Winners at the 2023 Arizona Craft Beer Awards

PHOENIX magazine editor-in-chief Craig Outhier and Events/Marketing manager Johann Warnholtz join podcast host Matthew Johnson on this episode to debate, react and give thoughts on the winners from the recent Arizona Craft Beer Awards.

Make sure to get your tickets to Saturday’s ACBAFestival at azcraftbeer.com and come celebrate the best in Arizona beer with us!

The 2nd annual Arizona Craft Beer Awards named Pedal Haus Brewery the 2023 Brewery of the Year during a private ceremony in Tempe on October 6, 2023. The ACBA handed out gold/silver/bronze medals in 19 beer categories and a Best in Show medal awarded to Dragoon Pils from Dragoon Brewing Company.

53 breweries submitted 194 beers to this year’s competition. 65 judges gathered on Saturday, September 16 to sample, submit notes and feedback, and decide this year’s winners. All submissions were placed into one of 19 categories, randomly numbered and blindly tasted by judging panels that included professional brewers, home brewers, cicerones and industry insiders. Beers were judged according to GABF guidelines.

On behalf of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild,  PHOENIX magazine would like to give special thanks to several people behind the scenes who helped make this year’s awards and judging process bigger and better. John Rudolph of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers managed the judging; Melissa Osborne from Four Peaks Brewing managed the back of house operations (organizing submissions and categories). Thanks to our sponsor Shamrock Foods for giving us space to judge and to Chef David Miles for offering us his test kitchen.

Brewery of the Year

Pedal Haus Brewery

Pedal Haus had 18 total points. 3 gold medals for Pilsner, Beach Cruiser and Desert Classic.

GABF scoring method: 6 points for gold, 5 for silver, 4 for bronze.

Runners up:

• Roses by the Stairs Brewing — 14 points:  2 silver, 1 bronze
• Wren House Brewing — 14 points: 1 gold,  2 bronze

2023 Guild Director’s Award

Ayla Kapahi, Borderlands Brewing

Kapahi was honored by the Arizona Craft Brewer’s Guild in part for her work on the Las Hermanas project, a collaboration of female brewers from the U.S. and Mexico. This year’s beer collab was a Vienna Lager that was brewed in July — on both sides of the border– and hit the taproom at Borderlands last month. The proceeds of sales from the beer benefits a scholarship program for female brewers. During her acceptance speech on Friday night, Kapahi encouraged her fellow female brewers in the room to join her on her next trip saying “we need to step up and we need to keep pursuing these kinds of projects because Arizona craft beer is fantastic!”

Best in Show

Dragoon Pils, Dragoon Brewing Company

The Best in Show beer was determined by a panel of six judges for best overall drinkability of the 19 category gold medal winners.

Hazy IPA

• GOLD:  Spellbinder, Wren House Brewing
• SILVER:  Fog Lights, MotoSonora Brewing
• BRONZE:  Warrior Hazy IPA, Greenwood Brewing

American IPA

• GOLD:  Victory or Death, MotoSonora Brewing
• SILVER:  Breakers, Roses by the Stairs Brewing
• BRONZE:  Turnout IPA, Walter Station Brewery

American Pilsner/Lager

• GOLD:  Dragoon Pils, Dragoon Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  RoRo Light Lager, Greenwood Brewing
• BRONZE:  Chido – Mexican Lager, Throne Brewing

West Coast IPA

• GOLD:  West Clear, Arizona Wilderness Brewing
• SILVER:  It’s a Dry Hop, Huss Brewing
• BRONZE:  Wrenovation, Wren House Brewing

Specialty

• GOLD:  Mobility Scooter, Catalyst Crafted Ales
• SILVER:  Kill All Lagers, 12 West Brewing
• BRONZE:  Alewife’s Pumpkin Pie, Desert Monks Brewing Co.

German Pilsner/Lager

• GOLD:  Pilsner, Pedal Haus Brewery
• SILVER:  Helles Lager, The Brewery at Tirrito Farm
• BRONZE:  Prasna Brana, Wren House Brewing

Hazy Pales/International Pales

• GOLD:  Smooth Transitions, 12 West Brewing
• SILVER:  18th Hour, Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.
• BRONZE:  hAZy, Four Peaks Brewing

Imperial Juicy/Hazy & Imperial IPA

• GOLD:  King Gus, Oro Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  Gears of Glory, Catalina Brewing Co.
• BRONZE:  Double Double, Roses by the Stairs Brewing

American Fruit/Fruit Wheat

• GOLD:  Trigo Suave, Oro Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  Prickly Pear Wheat, Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery
• BRONZE:  Strawberry Bitch, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.

Belgians

• GOLD:  Grand Quad, Grand Avenue Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  JOJO, Roses by the Stairs Brewing
• BRONZE:  Paint Me Like a Frenchie, Uncle Bear’s Brewery

American Amber/Brown

• GOLD:  Oktoberfest, Huss Brewing
• SILVER:  Cerveza Cobre, The Brewery at Tirrito Farm
• BRONZE:  Knotty Nut Brown, THAT Brewery

Experimental IPA

• GOLD:  Boom Dynamite, O.H.S.O. Brewery – Paradise Valley
• SILVER:  Pink Monsoon Hazy, Catalina Brewing Co.
• BRONZE:  Bittercrisp Symphony, Helluva Brewing

Sour

• GOLD:  Sunset Sour, PHX Beer Co.
• SILVER:  Debo’s Sour DBL IPA, Uncle Bear’s Brewery
• BRONZE:  Watermelon Sour, Verde Brewing Co.

Wood Aged

• GOLD:  Barrel O’ Cherries, Simple Machine Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  Black Duck Lager, Historic Brewing Co.
• BRONZE:  Envy, Catalyst Crafted Ales

Stout/Porter

• GOLD:  Chasm Chomper, LOOK Brewing Co.
• SILVER:  Baltic Porter, State 48 Brewery – Lager House
• BRONZE:  no medalist

German Vienna/Marzen/Dark Lager

• GOLD:  Beach Cruiser, Pedal Haus Brewery
• SILVER:  Dirty Dirndl, State 48 Brewery – DTPHX
• BRONZE:  Don Elote, O.H.S.O. Brewery – Paradise Valley

Blonde/Golden

• GOLD:  Barrio Blonde, Barrio Brewing
• SILVER:  Sunshine Blonde, LazyG Brewhouse
• BRONZE:  Sun Scorched Kolsch, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.

Scottish

• GOLD:  Rojo, Barrio Brewing
• SILVER:  Tartan 99, BlackRock Brewers
• BRONZE:  ClanDestine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.

American Pale Ale

• GOLD:  Desert Classic, Pedal Haus Brewery
• SILVER:  Fateful, Fate Brewing Co.
• BRONZE:  Herstory, Greenwood Brewing