Staff at a Vancouver Island brewery are likely toasting a cold one after winning Brewery of the Year at the annual BC Beer Awards (BCBA).
The 11th annual awards, which celebrated the best beer brewed in British Columbia, was held last Saturday, Nov. 5 in Vancouver, where 120 participating breweries competed in 31 categories.
In addition to scoring top honours, Courtenay’s Gladstone Brewing Co. on Fourth Street notched four golds for its Dark Lager, Malty UK and Irish Ale, North American Amber and Brown Ale, and Hazy IPA.
The brewery also got silver for its North American Light Ale, coming in second only to Ace Brewing Co. — another Courtenay brewery which claimed gold in that category as well as an honourable mention for its International Lager.
Judging took place in September when 44 judges travelled from across North America to Vancouver’s Croatian Cultural Centre to sip and have their say, according to the BCBA.
Staff at Gladstone posted their success online, saying in a Facebook comment Sunday that their wins were “all possible because of our loyal customers and outstanding brew team.”
Congratulating fellow winners, staff at Ace also took to Facebook Sunday to celebrate their big win, adding, “We are honoured to bring this award home!”
Referring to Ace pilots fighting for CFB Comox in the First and Second World Wars, Ace Brewing on Mansfield Drive started pouring pints back in 2019 — four years after Gladstone opened with a nod to its building’s vintage mechanical shop past.
The complete 2022 BC Beer Award winners list can be found here.
Ethan Morneau
