Last night the 2020 Oregon Beer Awards announced this years winners at a sold-out ceremony at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Dubbed the Oscars of Oregon beer, this annual competition awards the best in beer and affiliated events and businesses like best festival, brewpub, bottleshop, beer label and the prestigious hall of fame. This year 81 different judges made up of professional brewers, cicerones, journalists and other beer experts tasted through 1,260 beers in a double-blind competition that awarded 90 beer style medals in 30 categories with brewery of the year large, medium and small on top of that. An additional 11 non-beer categories were voted on by an OBA Academy Membership made up of over 200 of their peers.

The ceremony opened with a live music performance by Bitches of the Sun, followed by an opening sketch video directed and edited by the great Jordan Wilson and co-produced by myself, Ezra Johnson-Greenough and this years ceremony hosts Joe Sanders and Ben Love.

After the video, judged competition director and Breakside brewmaster Ben Edmunds took the stage to greet the packed crowd and talk a little about this years awards.

Breakside Brewery wins Large Brewery of the Year at the Oregon Beer Awards

Edmunds had a great night, as Breakside Brewery walked away with 12 medals, plus Large Brewery of the Year and probably their best showing at any awards ever. Breakside won medals for the following: Silver for Fresh Hop Sterling Pils, Bronze for What Fresh Beast, Bronze for The Body Electric, Silver for Star Sprinkles, Bronze for Beachcomber, Gold for Sun Ripened, Gold for White Tea Lager, Silver for Breakside IPA, Gold for Biotransformers, Gold for Cuddle Puddle, Silver for Vienna Lager, and a Silver for Jaromir Lager.

10 Barrel Brewing followed up with 7 medals, the second most of any brewery this year. Silver for Old Stoner, Silver for Gindulgence, Silver for C4K, Silver for Vino de Grano, Silver for Twheat, Gold for RedeuX, and a Gold for Re-Vive.

Sunriver Brewing took home 5 medals, the 3rd most of the competition. Worthy Brewing, Deschutes Brewery and Immersion Brewing followed that up with 2 medals each! Bend, Oregon had an amazing showing lead by the former with other single medal wins by fellow brewers Bend Brewing, The Ale Apothecary, Boneyard Brewing, Silver Moon, Crux Fermentation Project and Boss Rambler Beer Club's win for best new brewery. Immersion Brewing also captured the award for small brewery of the year, we hope this means we will see more great things from them. That means central Oregon is taking home 25 awards, 23 of them beer comp medals out of the total 90 that were awarded.

Sunriver picked up Silver for Haole at the Moon, Bronze for Cocoa Cow, Gold for Cinder Beast, Bronze for Alluvial IPA and a Silver for Rippin.

Eugene, Oregon had the next best showing with Hop Valley Brewing and Falling Sky Brewing leading the way with 3 medals each. Alesong Brewing & Blending, Oakshire Brewing and McKenzie Brewing also from Eugene each nabbed a medal. If you count Corvallis in that central Willamette Valley region than Block 15 Brewing added another 2 GOLD medals to the region's pile for a total of 11 medals, or 12 if you count The Bier Stein's victory as best taproom or beer bar.

McMinnville came away with 2 medals; a silver medal for Allegory Brewing's Grassa Bionda and a bronze for Grain Station Brew Works Tenango Coffee Stout.

pFriem Family Brewer's Josh Pfriem and Gavin Lord

The Gorge area was lead by pFriem's 4 medals and contributed to with another single medal each for Ferment Brewing, and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales.

pFriem won 4 total medals: 3 golds and 1 silver medal: Gold for Flanders Blonde, Gold for Citrus Zest IPA, Silver for Triple IPA and Gold for Pilsner.

Von Ebert nabbed 3 golds and a 1 bronze medal: Bronze for Never Tell double IPA, Gold for Vienna Lager and a Gold for fresh hop Volatile Substance IPA.

Culmination Brewing had a phenomenal showing at the Oregon Beer Awards

Culmination Brewing had their best showing since being voted Best New Brewery in 2016, this year they won 3 medals and medium sized brewery of the year: Gold for Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Bronze or Obscured by Clouds, and a Gold for Drone Logic. It was amazing cap on head brewer Conrad Andrus's stint with Culmination, as he recently took a job with Modern Times.

Stormbreaker had a terrific showing with 4 medals: Bronze for Hazy...So Hot Right Now, Bronze for Safety Meeting, Gold for ALTerior Motive, and a Silver for Opacus Stout.

Baerlic Brewing further proved they are one of the best and most underrated breweries with 4 medals: Silver for Night Howler with Coconut Ginger and Vanilla, Bronze for Gin Barrel Punk Rock Time, Silver for Dark Thoughts IPA, and a Bronze for Dad Beer.

Tony Roberts of Oregon Brewers Guild, David Sanguinetti of Allegory Brewing, Josh Pfriem of pFriem Family Brewers and Tom Cook of Von Ebert Brewing

Zoiglhaus Brewery also had a great year with 3 medals: Gold for Lichtenhainer, Gold for Oktoberfresh and a Silver for Zoigl-Weiss.

Upright Brewing came home with 2 awards, one gold for Saison Vert and another for best brewery in the Metro Region which is pretty damn impressive.

Little Beast Brewing also took home 2 bronze medals.

Great Notion Brewing nabbed 2 medals, a silver and a bronze.

Josh Pfriem accepts a Gold medal for Citrus Zest IPA

Pilsner

• GOLD pFriem Family Brewers Pilsner

• SILVER Breakside Brewery Jaromir Lager

• BRONZE Worthy Brewing Sol Power Pilsner

Golden, Blonde, and Other Light Ales

• GOLD Immersion Brewing Packin' The Arena

• SILVER Allegory Brewing Grassa Bionda

• BRONZE Baerlic Brewing Company Dad Beer

Stout

• GOLD 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Re-Vive

• SILVER StormBreaker Brewing Opacus Stout

• BRONZE Side A Brewing Sammyvile Stout

Light German and European Lagers

• GOLD Von Ebert Brewing Vienna Lager

• SILVER Breakside Brewery Vienna Lager

• BRONZE The Labrewatory Fraunhofer Lager

Dark German and European Lagers

• GOLD Hop Valley Brewing Baltic Porter

• SILVER Falling Sky Brewing DoorStop Bock

• BRONZE Wayfinder Beer Time Spiral

Classic UK Styles

• GOLD 10 Barrel Brewing Co. RedeuX

• SILVER Hop Valley Brewing Mild at Heart

• BRONZE Ecliptic Brewing Capella Porter

Classic North American Styles

• GOLD Mt. Tabor Brewing Co. Checkered Flannel Brown Ale

• SILVER 10 Barrel Brewing Co.Twheat

• BRONZE Level Beer Revvin' Up to Neutral

Belgian Beers, German Wheat Beers, and Traditional Brett Beers

• GOLD Upright Brewing Saison Vert

• SILVER Zoiglhaus Brewing Company Zoigl-Weiss

• BRONZE Ferment Brewing Company Ferment Bière de Garde

StormBreaker Brewing had a great year at the Oregon Beer Awards

Red Beers

• GOLD StormBreaker Brewing ALTerior Motive

• SILVER Falling Sky Brewing Daywalker Irish Red Ale

• BRONZE Mt. Hood Brewing Co. Cloudcap Amber Ale

American Pale Ales and Other Sessionable Hoppy Beers

• GOLD Breakside Brewery Cuddle Puddle

• SILVER Sunriver Brewing Company Rippin

• BRONZE StormBreaker Brewing Safety Meeting

Hazy or Juicy Pale Ales

• GOLD Breakside Brewery Biotransformers

• SILVER Worthy Brewing Saturn Gold

• BRONZE StormBreaker Brewing Hazy...So Hot Right Now

Fort George Brewery captured Gold in American IPA and Best Beer Festival for Dark Arts

American IPA

• GOLD Fort George Brewery Fanzine IPA

• SILVER Breakside Brewery Breakside IPA

• BRONZE Sunriver Brewing Company Alluvial IPA

Hazy or Juicy IPA

• GOLD Culmination Brewing Company Drone Logic

• SILVER Oakshire Brewing This is What Space Smells Like

• BRONZE Little Beast Brewing Fogmatic

Imperial India Pale Ale

• GOLD Block 15 Brewing Co. Sticky Hands

• SILVER pFriem Family Brewers Triple IPA

• BRONZE Von Ebert Brewing Never Tell

Ruse Brewing earned Gold in the very competitive Hazy Imperial IPA Category

Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale

• GOLD Ruse Brewing Interpreter

• SILVER Widmer Brothers Brewing Green Skies IPA

• BRONZE Culmination Brewing Company Obscured by Clouds

Dark Hoppy Beers

• GOLD Sunriver Brewing Company Cinder Beast

• SILVER Baerlic Brewing Company Dark Thoughts Black IPA

• BRONZE Immersion Brewing Ring The Alarm

Brian Bolduc, Alan Taylor and Gayle Goschie

Rare Historical and Other Traditional Beers

• GOLD Zoiglhaus Brewing Company Lichtenhainer

• SILVER Bend Brewing Company Mad Dogs of Glory

• BRONZE Little Beast Brewing Fólkvangr

Barrel Aged Beers

• GOLD Deschutes Brewery Home at Port

• SILVER 10 Barrel Brewing Co.Vino de Grano

• BRONZE Baerlic Brewing Company Gin Barrel Punk Rock Time

Barrel Aged Stouts

• GOLD Ordnance Brewing Blackfisky

• SILVER Baerlic Brewing Company Wood Worker Night Howler Coconut Ginger Vanilla

• BRONZE Oregon City Brewing Co Barrel of the Beast

Flavored Beers

• GOLD Breakside Brewery White Tea Lager

• SILVER McKenzie Brewing Filbert Brown

• BRONZE Sunriver Brewing Company Cocoa Cow

Fruit Beers

• GOLD Breakside Brewery Sun Ripened

• SILVER Hop Valley Brewing Trippy Henderson

• BRONZE Boneyard Beer Incredible Pulp

Coffee and Smoke Beers

• GOLD Von Ebert Brewing Rauch Helles

• SILVER 10 Barrel Brewing Co. C4K

• BRONZE Grain Station Brew Works Tenango Coffee Stout

Experimental Beers

• GOLD Alesong Brewing and Blending Terroir Cabernet Sauvignon

• SILVER 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Gindulgence

• BRONZE Breakside Brewery Beachcomber

Culminaton Brewing had their best OBA ever with 3 medals

Pastry or Dessert Beers

• GOLD Culmination Brewing Company Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a stout after midnight)

• SILVER Sunriver Brewing Company Haole at the Moon

• BRONZE Great Notion Brewing Double Stack

Emerging IPA or Experimental Hoppy Beer

• GOLD pFriem Family Brewers Citrus Zest IPA

• SILVER Breakside Brewery Star Sprinkles

• BRONZE Deschutes Brewery Cloudy & Rowdy

American Sour Beers

• GOLD The Ale Apothecary The Beer Formerly Known as La Tache

• SILVER Great Notion Brewing Fruit Monster

• BRONZE Silver Moon Brewing Bangarang

Mixed Culture Beers

• GOLD pFriem Family Brewers Flanders Blonde

• SILVER Crux Fermentation Project In the Pocket

• BRONZE Breakside Brewery The Body Electric

Fruited Mixed Culture Beers

• GOLD Block 15 Brewing Co. Framboise White

• SILVER 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Old Stoner

• BRONZE Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Deep River Blues

Von Ebert Brewing cleaned up with 4 medals at the Oregon Beer Awards

Fresh Hop Pale Ales and India Pale Ales

• GOLD Von Ebert Brewing Fresh Hop Volatile Substance

• SILVER Rock Bottom Brewery Space Potato

• BRONZE Breakside Brewery What Fresh Beast

Other Fresh Hop Beers

• GOLD Zoiglhaus Brewing Company Oktoberfresh

• SILVER Breakside Brewery Fresh Hop Sterling Pilsner

• BRONZE Falling Sky Brewing Company

• Nuggest of Wisdom Fresh Hop English Pale Ale

Large Brewery of the Year

Breakside Brewery

Medium Brewery of the Year

Culmination Brewing

Small Brewery of the Year

Immersion Brewing

Belmont Station

BEST BOTTLESHOP

Belmont Station - Portland, OR

BEST BEER BAR or TAPROOM

The Bier Stein - Eugene, OR

BEST BREWPUB EXPERIENCE

Wayfinder Beer - Portland, OR

BEST BEER FESTIVAL

Festival of the Dark Arts

Matt Moletta of Boss Rambler Beer Club, the New Oregon Brewery of the Year

BEST NEW BREWERY

Boss Rambler Beer Club - Bend, OR

BEST BEER LABEL

Ex Novo Brewing Nevermore

https://youtu.be/UJt4x3rQ8-M

HALL OF FAME

Kurt and Rob Widmer

EXCELLENCE IN BREWING OPERATIONS (REGIONAL)

• Coast: Fort George Brewery

• Metro: Upright Brewing

• Central: Sunriver Brewing

• Northeast: pFriem Family Brewers

• Southern: Caldera Brewing

• Alumni: Block 15 Brewing

Oregon Beer Awards organizers Steph Barnhart and Rachel Coddington

OBA sponsors Digital Pour and hosts Joe Sanders and Ben Love

2020 Oregon Beer Awards mc's Joe Sanders and Ben Love