3 Dayton-area breweries snag medals in international beer competition

Three Dayton-area breweries collected medals at the 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship, according to results posted on the international competition's web site, and a Cincinnati brewery was recognized as one of the top two in the nation based on the awards given.

The competition based in Oxford, Ohio, drew  6,300 beer entries representing 117 different styles. Trained judges from England, Canada and the U.S. judge the final round of the international competition in Oxford.

>> Dayton Craft Beer: A Guide to Local Breweries 

Hairless Hare, Dayton Beer Company and Fifth Street Brewpub were the local breweries collecting hardware, with Hairless Hare bringing home this region’s only gold medal this year. Last year, Fifth Street Brewpub was the only local brewery to strike gold in the 2017 competition.

>> Local breweries clean up in international beer competition (July 2017)

Unlike some competitions in which dozens of gold, silver and bronze medals are bestowed to multiple entries in each category, only three medals are awarded in each category in the U.S. Open Beer Championship (with an occasional tie), making the gold, silver and bronze medals captured by local breweries more significant.

Here are the local results:

  • Honey Beer: Gold – Honey Kickback Kolsch – Hairless Hare Brewery
  • Wood/Barrel Aged Pale Beer: Silver – Ein Fass 1850 – The Dayton Beer Company
  • Wood/Barrel Aged Strong Beer: Bronze – BA Schmidion Damme – Fifth Street Brewpub
  • American Style Fruit Beer: Bronze – Hidden Paradise – The Dayton Beer Co.
  • Herb and Spice Beer: Bronze – Mint Cookie Stout – Fifth Street Brewpub
  • Wood/Barrel Aged Scotch Ale: Bronze – Kings Reserve – Hairless Hare Brewing

Peticolas Brewing of Dallas, Texas was named Grand National Champion after winning three gold medals and two silver medals. Placing second was  Brink Brewing from Cincinnati, which scored three gold medals and a silver medal.

The 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship competition is the only competition to include beers from professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers.

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