The U.S. Open Beer Championship judges more beer styles than any other competition in the world. Breweries from Maui to Miami sent more than 9,000 beers (3,107 entries) representing over 160 different styles to the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Ian is no stranger to winning medals, having won a total of nineteen U.S. Open Beer Championship medals in his decade of brewing. But winning before only added to our anxiety as we awaited the results. This year brings even more entries to an already crowded competition. Winning one medal is difficult, winning multiple medals is an even tougher feat. That’s why we are extremely proud to announce we were awarded three medals this year and scored the highest points of any brewery in the state of North Carolina!!!
U.S. Open Beer Championship Medals
- Girl You Know Wit’s True Belgian Witbier – Gold Belgian Witbier Category
- Sunday Brunch Belgian Dubbel – Gold Belgian Dubbel category
- Don’t Throw Rocks Dry Hopped Pilsner – Bronze International Style Lager/Pilsner-New Zealand Lager
Our friends from Braided River Brewing in Alabama took the gold in the International Style Lager category ahead of us, and we couldn’t be happier. The brewing industry has a wonderful aspect that sets it apart from other industries, and that is cooperation and collaboration. David Nelson, owner of Braided River, spent several years with Ian learning to master the art of brewing at Lonerider Brewing Company. When David decided to open his own brewery, he consulted with Ian and Harmony on recipe development and sales and distribution needs. Then when Ian and Harmony decided to take the leap, David spent hours working with Harmony on the business plan and financials for the bank presentations. Congratulations to David and his team at Braided River Brewing on their win! If you are in Mobile, AL, go check these guys out!
There are plenty of great beers from Blackbird and other breweries around the world that will never win a medal. We will continue to strive for gold and greatness in brewing every day. We know we won’t win them all, but the gold medal quality will always be there!
