Blue Ridge Brew-Off (2026): Past Winners – 2025
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt | Festhalle | 4B: Festbier | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Ken Hilton | MWQ4 | 31B: Alternative Sugar Beer | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 3rd | Tony Kulas | NZ Pilsner | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner | Down East Alers (DEA) |
Table 1: American and International Lagers (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jim Thompson MHP | Cobra Kai | 2A: International Pale Lager | Oregon Brew Crew |
| 2nd | Jim Thompson MHP | Summer's Eve | 1D: American Wheat Beer | Oregon Brew Crew |
| 3rd | Jim Williamson MHP | Burp Lite | 1A: American Light Lager | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
Table 2: Czech Lagers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steve Ristau MHP | Stau-Haus P A L E | 3A: Czech Pale Lager | Ale Riders Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Andy Cox MHP | Face The Raven | 3A: Czech Pale Lager | Underground Brewers of Connecticut |
| 3rd | David Towles MHP | Czech Dark Lager | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
Table 3: Helles, Export, and Pilsner (18 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tony Kulas MHP | NZ Pilsner | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 2nd | Scott Patrick MHP | NZ Pilsner | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
| 3rd | Sean Murphy | Audra's Helles | 4A: Munich Helles | Lowcountry Libations |
Table 4: German Beers (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Festhalle | 4B: Festbier | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Jim Thompson MHP | Baixa Portugese Smoked Amber Lager | 6B: Rauchbier | Oregon Brew Crew |
| 3rd | Jim Williamson MHP | March Of The Scarecrows | 6A: Märzen | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
Table 5: Bock, Doppelbock, and Baltic Porter (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ross Stuart MHP | Maibock | 4C: Helles Bock | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Brian McCrickard MHP | Ever Seen A Goat Dunk? | 6C: Dunkels Bock | Seven City Brewers |
| 3rd | Tony Kulas MHP | Doppelbock | 9A: Doppelbock | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| HM | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Ragnar's Valhalla | 9C: Baltic Porter | Red Earth Brewers |
Table 6: Wheat Beers (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | John Hayes | Dark Weizenbock | 10C: Weizenbock | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 2nd | John Hayes | 1409B House Hefe | 10A: Weissbier | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 3rd | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Van Overveld | 24A: Witbier | Red Earth Brewers |
Table 7: British and Australian (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Curtis Ritter MHP | Ritter's Bitter | 11B: Best Bitter | Ace Brewing Society |
| 2nd | Travis Cherry MHP | Dominion's Bitter Duchy | 11A: Ordinary Bitter | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 3rd | Seth Gee | Katt Miraly | 11C: Strong Bitter | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
Table 8: Dark British Beers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rob Goodwin | Carl's The Man | 27A4: London Brown Ale | Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Omar Al-Nidawi MHP | Blimey! | 13B: British Brown Ale | DC Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Tyler Miller MHP | You Know, Brown Is This Year's Pink | 27A4: London Brown Ale | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
Table 9: Scottish, Irish, and Dark German (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Adrian Sutherland | Stumbling Through The Dark | 8B: Schwarzbier | Upper Palmetto Zymurgy Society |
| 2nd | Steve Ristau MHP | Scalded Shankle II | 14C: Scottish Export | Ale Riders Homebrew Club |
| 3rd | Adam Reynolds MHP | Reddy To Go | 15A: Irish Red Ale | Miami Area Society of Homebrewers (MASH) |
Table 10: Stouts (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jim Williamson MHP | You're Not From Around Here, Are You? | 16D: Foreign Extra Stout | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Emersen Heron MHP | Glenny Balls MVP | 16A: Sweet Stout | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
| 3rd | Tyler Miller MHP | This Munchkin Milk Stout Galinda Found For Me | 16A: Sweet Stout | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
Table 11: Strong Ales (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tyler Miller MHP | Dear Old Ale Shiz | 17B: Old Ale | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Ryan Larsen | Fire Pit Potion | 17A: British Strong Ale | James River Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Jeff's Not Heavy | 17C: Wee Heavy | Red Earth Brewers |
Table 12: American Ales (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Travis Johnson MHP | Salivating Moose | 19C: American Brown Ale | QUAFF |
| 2nd | Anthony Mercer | Gnarly Branch Pale Ale | 18B: American Pale Ale | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 3rd | Dave Frombach MHP | Strata Special | 18B: American Pale Ale | Peninsula Fermentation Society |
Table 13: Porter and Stout (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Brian McCrickard MHP | Dark Obsidian | 20A: American Porter | Seven City Brewers |
| 2nd | Dave Frombach MHP | Old School | 27A7: Pre-Prohibition Porter | Peninsula Fermentation Society |
| 3rd | Brandon Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Carla Christian | Helm Of The Damned | 20A: American Porter | Seven City Brewers |
| HM | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Tsar's Choice | 20C: Imperial Stout | Red Earth Brewers |
Table 14: American and Hazy IPA (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Shaun Huggins MHP | Hop Solo Shot First | 21A: American IPA | San Antonio Cerveceros |
| 2nd | Jeff Zwetsch MHP Co-Brewer: Don Frakes | Oh Yeah | 21C: Hazy IPA | Ace Brewing Society |
| 3rd | David Gulotta MHP | Big Fly WCIPA | 21A: American IPA | Ace Brewing Society |
Table 15: Double and Specialty IPA (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jim Thompson MHP | Ludicrously Capricious | 21B1: Belgian IPA | Oregon Brew Crew |
| 2nd | Shaun Huggins MHP | Hop Solo Shot First | 22A: Double IPA | San Antonio Cerveceros |
| 3rd | Jim Williamson MHP | Zassion | 21B: Specialty IPA | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
Table 16: BdG, Blond, and Saison (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ryan Larsen | Golden Arm | 25A: Belgian Blond Ale | James River Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Ken Hilton | Rye Knot? | 25B: Saison | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 3rd | Jim Williamson MHP | Pince-Nez | 25B: Saison | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
Table 17: Strong Belgian and Monastatic Ales (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Shawn Stafford | BT 24 | 26C: Belgian Tripel | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
| 2nd | Ken Hilton | Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Side | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 3rd | Shawn Stafford | BQ 24 | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
Table 18: Historical Beers (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Curtis Ritter MHP | Right To Smoke | 27A5: Piwo Grodziskie | Ace Brewing Society |
| 2nd | Justin Holman MHP | Kupferkeller | 27A1: Kellerbier | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| 3rd | Emersen Heron MHP | Orange Cats Ride Drunken Ponies | 27A2: Kentucky Common | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
Table 19: Sour and Wild Beers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joe D'Auria MHP | Weiss Weiss Baby! | 23A: Berliner Weisse | Metro South Homebrew League (MASH HOLES) |
| 2nd | Joshua Cass | Sour Power Omega | 28D: Straight Sour Beer | James River Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Shaun Huggins MHP | I've Got A Bad Feeling About This | LSX4: Catharina Sour | San Antonio Cerveceros |
| HM | Mica Zaragoza MHP | Catharina's Secret | LSX4: Catharina Sour | Urban Knaves of Grain |
Table 20: Fruit Beers (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joshua Austin | Sunsets Over Old Mexico | 29C: Specialty Fruit Beer | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
| 2nd | Brian McCrickard MHP | Peach Berlini | 29A: Fruit Beer | Seven City Brewers |
| 3rd | Brian McCrickard MHP | Jamz: Pina Colada | 29C: Specialty Fruit Beer | Seven City Brewers |
Table 21: SHV, Alternative, and Experimental (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ken Hilton | MWQ4 | 31B: Alternative Sugar Beer | Down East Alers (DEA) |
| 2nd | Cole Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Paulette Palacios | Kitty Foni Business While Away In NZ | 31A: Alternative Grain Beer | DC Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Brandon Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Carla Christian | No Hops Given | 34C: Experimental Beer | Seven City Brewers |
| HM | Wesley Kulcak MHP Co-Brewer: Megan Kulcak | Rations Of Mount Vernon | 30D: Specialty Spice Beer | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
Table 22: Wood and Smoked Beers (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Ember's Whisper | 32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Ross Stuart MHP | Palo Santo Porter | 33A: Wood-Aged Beer | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Brandon Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Co-Brewer: Joe Luchansky Patrick Johnson Eric Cain Larry Lentz Brian Donnegan Bob Buerger Matt White Bruce Steward Brian McCrickard Carla Christian | 7 CB's Dark Stronge Ale | 33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | Seven City Brewers |
Table 23: Ciders (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Scott Estlund MHP | Blame It On Bill! VSO5 | C1A: New World Cider | The Brü Club |
| 2nd | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Copied Bill Boyer's Recipe | C1A: New World Cider | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 3rd | Emersen Heron MHP | Orange Cats Are Gods | C2E: Cider with Herbs/Spices | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
Table 24: Meads (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Garrett Freeman MHP | Strawberry Lemonade Mead | M2E: Melomel | Red Earth Brewers |
| 2nd | Scott Estlund MHP | Honey & Spice And Blueberries...Nice! | M2C: Berry Mead | The Brü Club |
| 3rd | Bill Boyer | The Black Knight's Left Left | M2C: Berry Mead | North Georgia Malt Monkeys |
| HM | Garrett Freeman MHP | Pinot Noir Pyment | M2B: Pyment | Red Earth Brewers |
Judging Sessions
Friday Evening
09/25/2026 6:00 PM, EDT.
Saturday Morning
09/26/2026 9:00 AM, EDT.
Saturday Evening
09/26/2026 1:00 PM, EDT.
Account Registration Closed
Account registrations accepted 07/01/2026 9:00 AM, EDT through 09/22/2026 9:00 PM, EDT.
Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 07/01/2026 9:00 AM, EDT through 09/13/2026 7:47 PM, EDT.
Entry Registration Closed
Entry registrations accepted 07/18/2026 9:00 AM, EDT through 08/15/2026 7:00 PM, EDT.
Entry Drop-Off Closed
Entry bottles accepted at drop-off locations 08/19/2026 12:00 PM, EDT — 09/11/2026 9:00 PM, EDT.
Please pay attention to the notes provided for each drop-off location. There could be earlier deadlines for some drop-off locations listed, particular hours when entries are accepted, certain individuals to leave your entries with, etc. All entrants are responsible for reading the information provided by the organizers for each drop-off location.
Entry Shipping Closed
Entry bottles accepted at the shipping location 08/19/2026 12:00 PM, EDT — 09/11/2026 9:00 PM, EDT.