Skill. Dedication. Attention to detail. Athletic prowess!
Relax, we’re not talking about the Olympics, but three out of four still apply to the skilled brew masters here in Arizona who are dedicated to the craft with each and every pint, can, bottle and keg.
The Arizona Craft Beer Awards (a collaboration between PHOENIX magazine and the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild) turns three years old this October. Let’s take a look at the all-time medal count and points awarded in the first two years of the competition.
All-Time Medal Count Leaders
Wren House Brewing is the current leader at the ACBA with seven medals all-time and is no stranger to other major awards, including five GABF medals and nine international awards (listed on the Wren House website). Wren House’s wins include a gold for can art in 2022 and a bronze runner-up for Brewery of the Year in 2023.
Oro Brewing Company lives up to the Spanish translation of its name: gold! It’s the all-time leader in gold medals with six and it hasn’t settled for anything else. Oro owner Dave Valencia insists he’d have one more gold medal if not for an unfortunate drop that destroyed one of his entries in 2022 when they won Brewery of the Year anyway. Oro is our all-time leader in points awarded (see below).
Pedal Haus Brewery also enjoys that unblemished record with five golds, including the highest honor in 2023 when it took home Brewery of the Year. PHX Beer Co. is another all-or-nothing winner, with three golds and no silver or bronze.
Saddle Mountain Brewing Company must be working on its tan in the West Valley, collecting more bronze than any other competitor.
Other fun facts:
- 45 breweries have won at least one medal.
- 16 are one-time winners. 29 breweries have won multiple awards.
- 112 medals have been handed out, including awards for can art, Brewery of the Year and Best in Show.
- Best in Show is awarded to the most drinkable beer of all the gold medal winners in that year. In 2022, we gave a gold, silver and bronze medal for Best in Show. In 2023, only a gold medal was handed out.
- O.H.S.O. Gilbert has the most silver medals all-time (4), but no golds or bronze.
- O.H.S.O. Paradise Valley overtook its sister location in all-time medals last year and now holds five.
- The O.H.S.O. locations brew different beers to submit into the competition, so they are considered separate.
All-Time Points Leaders
The ACBA uses the GABF scoring method to help tie-breaking scenarios to determine Brewery of the Year. Six points are awarded for gold, five for silver and four for bronze. It applies only to the beer style categories and does not include awards for can art or Best in Show.
Looking at it from this perspective, you can see Oro Brewing as a clear standard-setter in the first two years of the competition with 30 points (6 points x 5 gold medals).
Pedal Haus, Wren House, Greenwood, Grand Avenue Brewing and O.H.S.O. Paradise Valley are bunched in a pack all above the 20 point mark. Saddle Mountain just missed the graphic with 20 points.
Entries for the 2024 Arizona Craft Beer Awards are due by August 16. Judging will take place on September 7. The awards ceremony is scheduled for October 7 and PHOENIX magazine’s third annual ACBA Festival is set for Saturday, October 19 at Centerpoint Plaza on Mill Avenue in Tempe. Follow @acbafest on Instagram for updates and announcements.
