30 Idaho breweries won medals at NABA Beer Awards. Boise got 2 of the state’s 8 golds
Idaho breweries piled up a mountain of medals at June 4 and 5’s NABA International Beer Awards.
We’re talking 30, including eight golds.
Boise should celebrate. But be sure to raise a toast to the rest of the Treasure Valley and state.
This year’s awards were a proud fist-pound on the bar for all of Idaho. Technically, only two of the eight gold-medal recipes were concocted inside Boise city limits. And one wasn’t actually a beer; it was a premixed cocktail.
Held in conjunction with the Mountain Brewers Beer Fest at Sandy Downs Race Track in Idaho Falls, this is a prestigious event sanctioned by the North American Brewers Association, aka NABA. Judges participate in blind tasting sessions and match beers to style guidelines. In other words, they don’t necessarily pick which beer they like the most — they choose the one that most closely matches the style guide.
Eighteen Idaho breweries nabbed awards, up from 14 last year. Even more notable? This year’s 30 medals almost doubled last year’s 18.
With one gold and three bronzes, Salmon River Brewery of McCall was the most decorated Idaho brewery. Hayden’s Bombastic Brewing — what, never heard of it, Southern Idaho? — hit for the cycle: gold, silver and bronze.
Boise gold medalists included capital-city behemoths Sockeye Brewing and Payette Brewing: Sockeye for its longstanding Power House Porter, Payette for a greyhound cocktail it produces under its AnyTimers brand.
If you want to blur Boise’s boundaries and include the entire Treasure Valley? You’ll count three total golds, thanks to another from Caldwell’s 2C Family Brewing.
NABA is an international competition by name, but the majority of entries come from the United States, with a barrage from the West. Lots of — but not all — Idaho breweries normally enter.
The event also has been expanded to include Cider Awards. Highpoint Cider of Victor picked up a gold and a silver.
Below is the list of Gem State winners in the beer awards. For the entire NABA competition’s list of medals, go to northamericanbrewers.org.
2C Family Brewing Co., Nampa: Gold for Kristall Weise, category Belgian-Style Wit (White), Kristall Weizen, Dunkelweizen, Weizen Bock
Barbarian Brewing, Garden City: Silver for The Dirk, category Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy); Silver for Ragnarok, category Lambic, Fruit Lambic and Gueuze Lambic; Bronze for Raise Your Horns, category Lambic, Fruit Lambic and Gueuze Lambic
Boise Brewing: Bronze for Boise Light in category Cream Ale; Bronze for Dark Daisy in category Sweet Stout
Bombastic Brewing, Hayden: Gold for Bombastic Brewing 5th Anniversary in category Barrel-Aged Strong Stout; Silver for Stubbornness in category English-style Barley Wine; Bronze for Murder in Chili Beer
Edge Brewing Co., Boise: Silver for Shots on Goal in category Smoke-Flavored Beer
Idaho Brewing Company, Idaho Falls: Silver for Idaho Oktoberfest in category Marzen-Oktoberfest Lager
Laughing Dog Brewing: Bronze for Bulldog Brown Ale in category English-style Brown Ale
MickDuff’s Brewing Co., Sandpoint: Silver for Spun Out IPA in category American-style India Pale Ale; Bronze for NOHO IPA in category Double Imperial Red Ale, American-style Strong Ale
Mother Earth Brew Co., Nampa: Silver for Fantasy Island Coconut Brown in category Vegetable, Pumpkin or Field Beers
Off the Rails Brewing, Pocatello: Silver for Mixx Elix in category Specialty Berliner Weisse and Specialty Gose
Payette Brewing Co., Boise: Gold for AnyTimers Greyhound in category Packaged Cocktails or Spritzers; Bronze for Urban Surfer Citrus Wheat in category Herbed Spiced; Bronze for AnyTimers Le’Boise in category Packaged Cocktails or Spritzers
Portneuf Valley Brewing, Pocatello: Gold for Trigo Oro in category Session Beer
Salmon River Brewery, McCall: Gold for Alpenglow Lager in category Marzen-Oktoberfest Lager; Bronze for Winterfest Lager in category Helles Bock, Maibock, Traditional Bock; Bronze for Blonde Sabbath in category Belgian-Style Pale Ale; Bronze for Fairy Dust in category Dubbel, Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale
Sawtooth Brewery, Hailey: Gold for Atmos Brewing Fresh Hop Seltzer in category Hop Water
Sockeye Brewing, Boise: Gold for Power House Porter in category Brown Porter
Spring Creek Brewing Company, Boise: Bronze for Lori’s Porter in category Brown Porter
Wallace Brewing Co., Wallace: Silver for Bank Street Brown in category American-style Brown Ale; Bronze for U&I Rooms What in category American-style Wheat Ale, Dark Wheat Ale
Wildlife Brewing, Victor: Gold for Mighty Bison Brown in category American-style Brown Ale