(San Diego, CA) – Karl Strauss Brewing Company recently hosted a homebrew competition, inviting local homebrewers to submit their best beers for the chance to brew the winning recipe alongside one of our brewers on a commercial scale. The winning beer will also be entered into the Great American Beer Festival Pro Am Competition this October, where it will compete against hundreds of other brewer/homebrewer collaborations.
The company received 43 entries, showcasing a ton of creativity and a diverse range of styles including a sour saison, cookie ale, chili pepper stout, chocolate rye hemp ale, and several double IPA’s. The beers were judged by a team of brewers, quality control techs, and Certified Cicerones.
In the end, an incredibly well-balanced and smooth Nut Brown Ale took first prize. “Sometimes it’s the simpler beers that are the hardest to brew well and this Nut Brown really caught our attention,” says Matt Johnson, Karl Strauss Head Brewer. “The beer has a ton of chocolate and biscuit flavors and was really enjoyable to drink. It’s an excellent example of the style and we think it will do well in the Pro Am.”
The winning beer, South Park Nut Brown Ale, was brewed by Jim Roberts. The second and third place entries were also highly praised by the judging team. Jim’s South Park Nut Brown Ale will be brewed in late July at Karl Strauss La Jolla on a 7-barrel brew system. Congrats to Jim for a great beer and fingers crossed at the Great American Beer Festival this fall!
1st Place – Nut Brown Ale; Brewer – Jim Roberts
2nd Place – OTP IPA; Brewer – Dan Smith
3rd Place – Hop Charmer II IPA; Brewed by – Andrew Bell
