The number of breweries representing the Palmetto State at the 32nd annual Great American Beer Festival – being held in Denver, CO this week, Oct. 2-4 – has tripled from last year, with nine of South Carolina’s finest making their way to the country’s largest beer festival and competition.
Tag Archives: competition
RJ Rockers, Swamp Rabbit win at US Open Beer Championship
One of South Carolina’s oldest and one of its newest breweries took home medals from the recent 2014 US Open Beer Championship held in Atlanta.
Homebrewers: Want a recipe brewed at RJ Rockers?
Are you a homebrewer who wants to have a winning recipe brewed on a professional full-scale level? RJ Rockers and Growlers Haus are offering you the chance to do just that.
The Spartanburg brewery and beer store are teaming up for the Hub City Hog Fest Home Brew competition on March 28. The winning regional homebrewer will have the chance to brew their winning recipe on the brewery’s 30 BBL system.
You can find all of the details about the competition here.
White IPA wins Iron Brew competition
Holy City‘s second-annual Iron Brew homebrewing competition has come to a close and a winner has been crowned.
Of the 49 entries in the competition, Nifty Brewing’s Imperial Stormtrooper White IPA – brewed with lavender, basil and coriander – was the judge’s choice and won the chance to be brewed at HCB for distribution to the Mellow Mushroom pizzerias in Charleston, West Ashley and Summerville in the near future.
On top of that, $6,000 was raised for The Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, a group that awards scholarships for either the College of Charleston or Charleston Southern University for students with disabilities.
Homebrewers who entered in the competition were allowed to brew whatever style they wanted, but had to use a combination of coriander seed, basil, rosemary and lavender.
Thomas Creek, RJ Rockers win at US Open Beer Championship
While most of us were shooting off fireworks and indulging in a hamburger or hot dog too many last week – or recovering from said pleasures – a group of international judges were finalizing the list of winners for the 2013 U.S. Open Beer Championship, which judges the best beer from both professional breweries and homebrewers alike.
More than 2,500 different beers were submitted to the competition’s 68 categories. Out of all of those entries, two SC breweries each nabbed a bronze metal for one of their brews.
In the “Barely Wine” category, Greenville’s Thomas Creek – which celebrates its 15th anniversary this week – earned a bronze for its Up the Creek. While it’s marketed as an “extreme IPA,” the 12.5% Up the Creek walks a thin line between an imperial IPA and a barleywine. (Ed. note: I consider it an American-style barleywine, for what it’s worth.)
And in the “Fruit/Vegetable Beer” category, Spartanburg’s RJ Rockers also landed a bronze for Son of a Peach. The annual warm weather release made with real peaches is a hit among South Carolinians, and apparently was a favorite of the judges, too.
World of Beer, RJ Rockers team up for homebrew competition
Columbia’s World of Beer and Spartanburg’s RJ Rockers have teamed up again to give a local homebrewer the chance to brew on a professional brewery’s system.
The Capital City bar has been collecting recipes at its Vista location for some time, but with the entry deadline of July 1 quickly approaching, they’re urging local homebrewers to get their recipes in before it’s too late. The winner, which will be selected this fall, will go on to brew their winning beer at the Upstate brewery.
Last year’s winning recipe was a vanilla oatmeal porter which was tapped at WOB and other locations across SC.
Want to enter? Here’s what you need to know:
- Recipes must be submitted by July 1 and will subsequently be approved for brewing by RJ Rockers. Brewers receiving the OK will be notified by phone or email.
- Recipes must be all grain.
- As far as ingredients, brewers must use White Labs California Ale Yeast 001. Rare hops that can’t be sourced locally are also out of the running. (RJ Rockers currently stocks Cascade, Tradition German, Warrior, Willamette and Czech Saaz hops.) Any Briess malts are acceptable, and adjuncts are OK as long as they are available in large quantities.
- Bottles entered for tasting must be between 11 oz. and 16 oz.
- All bottles and caps must be unmarked and have the entry number on a small piece of paper wrapped to the bottle with a rubber band.
Brewers must submit three bottles of their brew to WOB by Sept. 1 for judging. There are dozens of categories and subcategories to choose from.
For more information and to pick up an entry form, visit WOB in The Vista.
Holy City reveals secret Iron Brew ingredient
The second annual Iron Brew homebrewing competition sponsored by Holy City is now officially underway after the secret ingredient was unveiled last night.
More than 60 homebrewing teams from across the state will compete in the annual competition for a chance to have their beer professionally brewed at Holy City and served at Mellow Mushroom’s Charleston location. But each team is required to use a certain ingredient which was kept under wraps until last night.
In a video posted last night, homebrew guru Charlie Papazian unveiled the ingredients: coriander seed, basil, rosemary and lavender. Brewers can concoct any kind of beer using any combination of the ingredients.
Beer submissions begin July 15 and end July 29. The winner will be announced Aug. 3
