2009 Ontario Brewing Awards

I just realized that I haven't posted the results from this years Ontario Brewing Awards. I attended the small ceremony at the Bier Markt two weeks ago and had a good time catching up with many of the brewery representatives from all over the province.

This year, as opposed to previous years, the organizing committee made the OBA's a BJCP sanctioned event, so all the individuals who scored the submitted beers were certified judges, a move to capture some much needed credibility. I judged in the 2008 awards and was somewhat shocked the night of the judging by the way in which it was conducted. However, it's good to see that the organizers (Toronto Festival of Beer - Eventrix) initiated this change.

As I mentioned, the awards ceremony was held at the Esplanade Bier Markt due to their ongoing sponsorship of the TFOB, but I find it weird that this location is used to highlight the OBA's when there is only a handful of Ontario produced beer available on draught at the restaurant. Not very local friendly.

Anyway, here are the winners. There were many breweries that choose not to enter the awards this year, but with it now being sanctioned, hopefully they'll be back next year. And just like other brewing awards, the breweries choose which category to enter their beers into, not the organizers.

NORTH AMERICAN LIGHT LAGER
GOLD: Cool Brewing Stonewall Light
SILVER: Flying Monkeys Antigravity Light
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cool Brewing Stonewall Light

PILSNER
GOLD: Steam Whistle Pilsner
SILVER: King Pilsner
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: King Pilsner

DARK LAGER
GOLD: King Dark Lager
SILVER: Steelback Tiverton Dark
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: King Dark Lager

AMBER ALE
GOLD: Old Credit Amber Ale
SILVER: Great Lakes Devils Pale Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion

BITTER
GOLD: Grand River Galt Knife Old Style
SILVER: Mill Street ESB
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Grand River Galt Knife Old Style

SPECIALTY
GOLD: Mill Street Belgian Tripel
SILVER: Great Lakes Winter Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Grand River Curmudgeon IPA

FRUIT BEER
GOLD: Black Oak Summer Saison
SILVER: Nickel Brook Green Apple Pilsner
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Black Oak Summer Saison

WHEAT BEER
GOLD: Mill Street Belgian Wit

NORTH AMERICAN LAGER
GOLD: Wellington Trailhead Lager
SILVER: Cool Beer
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cool Beer

CREAM ALE
GOLD: Mill Street Stock Ale
SILVER: Nickel Brook Draught
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Cameron's Cream Ale

AMBER LAGER
GOLD: Creemore Springs Premium Lager
SILVER: Great Lakes Red Leaf
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Creemore Springs Premium Lager

PALE ALE
GOLD: Mill Street IPA
SILVER: Black Oak Pale Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale

HONEY BEER
GOLD: Steelback Red Maple
SILVER: Old Credit Holiday Honey Beer
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Old Credit Holiday Honey Beer

DARK ALE
GOLD: Muskoka Dark Ale
SILVER: Black Oak Nut Brown Ale
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Wellington County Dark Ale

PORTER/STOUT
GOLD: Scotch-Irish John By Imperial Stout
SILVER: Black Oak Nutcracker Porter
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Black Oak Double Chocolate Cherry Stout

BOCK
GOLD: Creemore Springs urBock
SILVER: Mill Street Helles Bock
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Creemore Springs urBock