By Jeff Maisey
Alewerks Brewing Company was crowned the best brewery in the 757 this year when Veer Magazine presented its 2022 Golden Tap Awards at Elation Brewing in Norfolk.
Alewerks, which was founded in 2006 by Chuck Haines, has a vast portfolio of well-establish, quality products which it serves from its longtime industrial zone brewery tasting room as well as its retail satellite location, dubbed The LAB, at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets.
For the annual Golden Tap Awards, Veer Magazine invited all regional breweries to participate by self-nominating 10 beers or ciders in any of the following categories. Readers were asked to vote via an online poll and those results were paired with the opinions of a 5-person judging panel.
Where entries winning a gold medal garnered 3 points, silver medals earned 2 points and bronze received one point. The brewery with the most points was presented the Golden Tap.
The top five finishers are as follows:
(1) Alewerks Brewing Company – 20 Points
(2) Benchtop Brewing Company – 18 Points
(3 & 4) TIE: New Realm Brewing Company & Virginia Beer Company – 15 Points
(5) Big Ugly Brewing — 11 Points
In addition to the individual medal categories, special recognition awards were presented to Bill Spence Sr. of St. George Brewing Company (Lifetime Achievement Award), Smartmouth Brewing Company’s Porter Hardy (Leadership Award), and Shawn Fischer/Beach Ambassadors (Beer Ambassador Award).
The Golden Tap Awards were presented by the City of Norfolk’s Department of Economic Development and Southern KIA, with additional sponsorships provided by Southern Bank and Kaufman & Canoles.
Here are the complete results.
ALTERNATIVE GRAIN(S) or SUGAR(S)
GOLD: St. George Brewing Company, Honey Meade Lager
SILVER: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Lucky Cat Japanese Rice Lager
BRONZE: Makers Craft Brewery, Bragalicious
AMBER ALES
GOLD: Nansemond Brewing Station, Mystic Maiden Scottish Heather Ale
SILVER: Smartmouth Brewing, Murphy’s Law Amber Ale
BRONZE: Alewerks Brewing Company, Fun, Old-Fashioned Family Christmas Ale
AMBER LAGERS
GOLD: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Frogman Lager
SILVER: New Realm Brewing Co, Bavarian Prince
BRONZE: Big Ugly Brewing, Oktoberfest-Schlitzengiggle
AMERICAN LAGERS
GOLD: New Realm Brewing Co, Blackberry Smoke Lager
SILVER: The Garage Brewery, Light Bulb
BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Company, Crispy Whip
BELGIAN WIT
GOLD: COVA Brewing Company, Willoughby White
SILVER: Nansemond Brewing Station, White Canoe
BRONZE: Vibrant Shore Brewing Company, Witty Wilde
BRITISH BITTERS
GOLD: The Virginia Beer Company, Purley’s ESB
SILVER: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Red Ale
BRONZE: Pleasure House Brewing, Somebody’s Retirement Ale
BROWN ALE
GOLD: Nansemond Brewing Station, BeeNut Butter Brown Ale
SILVER: Tradition Brewing Company, Honey Brown Ale
BRONZE: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Noser Brown Ale
CREAMS and BLONDES
GOLD: COVA Brewing Company, East Beach Blonde
SILVER: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Coffee Blonde Ale
BRONZE: Rip Rap Brewing Co., Breakwater Cream Ale
DARK EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: Elation Brewing, Schwaz
SILVER: Rip Rap Brewing Co., New Moon Schwarzbier
BRONZE: New Realm Brewing Co, Munich Dunkel
DOUBLE IPA
GOLD: Reaver Beach Brewing Co, Hoptopus
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Company, Why The Gong Face
BRONZE: Precarious Beer Project, Everything Is Lava But The Swings Are Base
EUROPEAN SOUR
GOLD: The Virginia Beer Company, One Night In The Thicket
SILVER: The Garage Brewery, Boss Lady Vol.5
BRONZE: MoMac Brewing Company, Kiss My Mast Blueberry Key Lime Double Fruited Sour
EXPERIMENTAL
GOLD: Precarious Beer Project, Polar Bears Toenails
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Company, Trial of Dmitri
BRONZE: Oozlefinch Beers and Blending, A Very Thirsty Caterpillar
FRUIT
GOLD: COVA Brewing Company, Aloha State of Mind
SILVER: Coastal Fermentory, Unicorn Rave
BRONZE: The Garage Brewery, Smooth Operator
GERMAN & AMERICAN WHEAT
GOLD: Young Veterans, Pineapple Grenade Wheat Ale
SILVER: The Virginia Beer Company, Saving Daylight
BRONZE: Wasserhund Brewing Company, German Shepheweizen
HAZY IPA
GOLD: The Virginia Beer Company, Gorgeous
SILVER: Precarious Beer Project, Kung Fu Kittens
BRONZE: New Realm Brewing Co, Hazy Like A Fox
INTERNATIONAL LAGER
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Peake Lager
SILVER: Reaver Beach Brewing Co, Lime Included
BRONZE: Billsburg Brewery, James City Export Dortmund Lager
IPA
GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Company, Proven Theory
SILVER: The Virginia Beer Company, Free Verse
BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Snap Guns IPA
IRISH RED
GOLD: Elation Brewing, Riverpoint Red
SILVER: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Red Maiden
BRONZE: Pleasure House Brewing, O’Brien Clan Irish Red
KÖLSCH
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, 31 Heroes
SILVER: The Virginia Beer Company, Provisional Kolsch
BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., House Beer
MIXED FERMENTATION
GOLD: Oozlefinch Beers & Blending, Sour Ale w/Goose Berries
SILVER: Oozlefinch Beers & Blending, Golden Beers
MONASTIC ALE
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Jubilee XVI
SILVER: MoMac Brewing Company, Barrel Point Belgian Dubbel
BRONZE: Vibrant Shore Brewing Company, Unlimited Strength Ukrainian/Belgian Tripel
PALE ALES
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Chesapeake Pale Ale
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Company, Hazing Face
BRONZE: O’Connor Brewing Company, Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale
PALE EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Weekend Lager
SILVER: Elation Brewing, Festbier
BRONZE: Billsburg Brewery, Oktoberfest Festbier
PILSNER
GOLD: New Realm Brewing Co, Euphonia Pilsner
SILVER: Elation Brewing, Larchmont Lager
BRONZE: Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Too Easy New Zealand Pilsner
PORTERS
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Ghost Rider Porter
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Company, Walter’s Brunch
BRONZE: Cape Charles Brewing, Puddle Pirate Porter
SAISON
GOLD: Smartmouth Brewing, Alter Ego Saison
SILVER: Pleasure House Brewing, Tricks Pumpkin Spice Saison
BRONZE: Tradition Brewing Company, De La Ferme
SMOKE
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Pancake House Stout
SILVER: Capstan Bar Brewing Company, Smoked Porter
SPECIALTY IPA
GOLD: Reaver Beach Brewing Co, Yeeted into the Void (Black IPA)
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Company, Blanc Water
BRONZE: Rip Rap Brewing Co., Teak Beach Tropical IPA
STOUTS
GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Company, Wicked Walter
SILVER: The Virginia Beer Company, Elbow Patches
BRONZE: Young Veterans, Goat Locker Breakfast Stout
STRONG ALE
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Cinnamon Bun Barleywine
SILVER: Float Fermentations, 8 Belgian-Style Golden Ale
BRONZE: Tradition Brewing Company, Thank You For Being A Friend
STRONG EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: MoMac Brewing Company, High Water Helles Bock
SILVER: Wasserhund Brewing Company, Zero Tolerance Eisbock
BRONZE: COVA Brewing Company, Febtoberfest
VEGETABLE/SPICE
GOLD: The Garage Brewery, No Carrot All
SILVER: New Realm Brewing Co, Oaxaca Choca
BRONZE: Alewerks Brewing Company, Pumpkin Ale
WOOD
GOLD: Alewerks Brewing Company, Café Royale
SILVER: Nansemond Brewing Station, BeeNut Butter Brown Ale
BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Company, Old Wooden Ship
Can or Packaging Design
GOLD: New Realm Brewing Co, Blackberry Smoke Lager
SILVER: Precarious Beer Project, Kung Fu Kittens
BRONZE: Wasserhund Brewing Company, Big Dog Energy Hazy IPA Can
Brewery/Cidery Event
GOLD: Precarious Beer Project, Field Dayz
SILVER: Elation Brewing, Oktoberfest
BRONZE: St. George Brewing Company, Dark Knight of Winter Dark Beer Festival
TAPROOM
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing
SILVER: Elation Brewing
BRONZE: The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery
Cider Traditional
GOLD: Back Bay Brewing, Apple Blossom Cider
Cider Modern
GOLD: Sly Clyde Ciderworks, Inkjet
SILVER: Sly Clyde Ciderworks, Submersive
BRONZE: Back Bay Brewing, Pungo Strawberry Shortcake Cider
