VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier

Awards

VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier

Judges

Matt Anderson, Scott Butchart, Eric Douglas, Damon Elgie, Ari Giligson, Yannick Gingras, UI Sun Hwang, Chad McCarthy, Rob Oostlander, Eric Parker, Patricio Tapia Perez, Noelle Phillips, Alvaro Reyes, Bill Riley, Daniel Seeton, Phil Spurgeon, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Andrea Terpenkas, Graham With, Katy Wright

Judges - Best of Show

Yannick Gingras, Chad McCarthy, Patricio Tapia Perez, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Graham With

Stewards

Graham Ballantyne, Steve Hillman, Matthew Parkinson, Will Riley, Ruby S

By the Numbers

184 Entries 50 Entrants

20 Judges 5 Stewards

60 Placing Entries

Table 1: Cider & Mead

6 entries

Judges: Damon Elgie, Chad McCarthy (Head Judge)

1st

Matthew Parkinson

VanBrewers

FunMeadName M2E (M2E: Melomel)

2nd

Matthew Parkinson

VanBrewers

FunMeadName M3A (M3A: Fruit and Spice Mead)

3rd

Matt Anderson

VanBrewers

Fuck Off Strong Blueberry Mead (M2C: Berry Mead)

Table 2: Amber Lager

13 entries

Judges: Damon Elgie, UI Sun Hwang, Chad McCarthy (Head Judge), Noelle Phillips (Head Judge)

1st

Carsten Weitemeyer

GTA Brews

Danish Dynamite (2B: International Amber Lager)

2nd

Chad Kling

VanBrewers

Blaze On (7A: Vienna Lager)

3rd

Josh Wright

VanBrewers

Czech Yo Self (3C: Czech Amber Lager)

Table 3: Dark Euro Beer

9 entries

Judges: Matt Anderson, Eric Douglas, Rob Oostlander (Head Judge), Leslie-Anne Stavroff

1st

John Post

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Ebony Decoct (3D: Czech Dark Lager)

2nd

Keigan Ewing

True Grist

Eat My Schwarz (8B: Schwarzbier)

3rd

Sean O'Donnell

Ottawa's Homebrew Society

This Lands Better Cold (2C: International Dark Lager)

Table 4: Pale Bitter German Beer

10 entries

Judges: Ari Giligson (Head Judge), Eric Parker

1st

Adam Bass

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Pop, fizz, glug (5D: German Pils)

2nd

Wuilmer Venegas

GTA Brews

Light Light (5A: German Leichtbier)

3rd

Chad Kling

VanBrewers

Shine a Light (5D: German Pils)

Table 5: Fruit Beer

10 entries

Judges: Alvaro Reyes, Andrea Terpenkas

1st

Steve Shaw

Winnipeg Brew Bombers

The Guavfather (29A: Fruit Beer)

2nd

Brian Marmoreo

Ruthless (29C: Specialty Fruit Beer)

3rd

Leif Bogwald

Island Brewers Union (IBU)

Berserker Brew House Quince Sour (29A: Fruit Beer)

Table 6: Spiced Beer

9 entries

Judges: Bill Riley, Daniel Seeton (Head Judge)

1st

Kyle Kellam

GTA Brews

Gone in Bloom and Bough (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)

2nd

Carsten Weitemeyer

GTA Brews

Chrysanthemum Kolsch (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)

3rd

John Post

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

O'Henry (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)

Table 7: Hazy IPA

10 entries

Judges: UI Sun Hwang, Rob Oostlander, Noelle Phillips (Head Judge), Leslie-Anne Stavroff

1st

Wesley d'Haene

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Hop Eviscerator (21C: Hazy IPA)

2nd

Brent Burgoyne

Island Brewers Union

Brown Dog Hazy IPA (21C: Hazy IPA)

3rd

Shane Schlesinger

GTA Brews

BIG Krush! (21C: Hazy IPA)

Table 8: Other IPA

9 entries

Judges: Rob Oostlander, Phil Spurgeon (Head Judge)

1st

Casey Szott

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Hybrid Model (21B: Specialty IPA)

2nd

Casey Szott

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Big Hop Hugs (21A: American IPA)

3rd

James Osborne

Sunset Express (21A: American IPA)

Table 9: Dark UK & Irish Beer

9 entries

Judges: Yannick Gingras, Chad McCarthy (Head Judge)

1st

Keigan Ewing

True Grist

Bailey's From a Shoe (15B: Irish Stout)

2nd

Eric Williams & Brock Spencer

Ottawa's Homebrew Society

Extra Stout (15C: Irish Extra Stout)

3rd

Eric Parker

VanBrewers

Irish Stout (15B: Irish Stout)

Table 10: Pale UK Beer

11 entries

Judges: Bill Riley, Daniel Seeton (Head Judge)

1st

Leif Bogwald

Island Brewers Union (IBU)

Berserker Brew House ESB (11C: Strong Bitter)

2nd

Steve Shaw

Winnipeg Brew Bombers

Hecubus (14C: Scottish Export)

3rd

Chad Kling

VanBrewers

Plastic Melodrama (12A: British Golden Ale)

Table 11: Strong Ale

8 entries

1st

Matt McNair

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Kinds of Light (17D: English Barley Wine)

2nd

Wesley d'Haene

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Tongue Chokehold (22A: Double IPA)

3rd

Wesley d'Haene

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

The Darkness of Everlasting (20C: Imperial Stout)

Table 12: Amber & Dark American Ale

8 entries

Judges: Matt Anderson, Scott Butchart (Head Judge)

1st

Wesley d'Haene

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Two Poles on the Imaginary Axis (20A: American Porter)

2nd

Steve Shaw

Winnipeg Brew Bombers

The Pegg (19B: California Common)

3rd

Casey Szott

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Domino Porter (20A: American Porter)

Table 13: Wheat & Sour Beer

10 entries

Judges: Yannick Gingras (Head Judge), Patricio Tapia Perez, Bill Riley (Head Judge), Andrea Terpenkas

1st

Scott Sterling

True Grist

Lovar 2 (34A: Commercial Specialty Beer)

2nd

Wuilmer Venegas

GTA Brews

La margara (10A: Weissbier)

3rd

Brian Marmoreo

Abaddon (28C: Wild Specialty Beer)

Table 14: American & NZ Lager

10 entries

Judges: Yannick Gingras (Head Judge), Patricio Tapia Perez, Bill Riley (Head Judge), Andrea Terpenkas

1st

Brent Burgoyne

Island Brewers Union

Brown Dog NZ Pils (LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner)

2nd

Brent Burgoyne

Island Brewers Union

Brown Dog Lager (27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager)

3rd

Chad Kling

VanBrewers

Cluster Hops Alas (27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager)

Table 15: American Ale

6 entries

Judges: Eric Douglas, Graham With (Head Judge)

1st

James Osborne

Boxcar Breeze (18A: Blonde Ale)

2nd

Graham Ballantyne

VanBrewers

Sierra Notvada-ish (18B: American Pale Ale)

3rd

Eric Gaudreault & Philippe Deschênes

MontreAlers

Crème Rincée V2 (1C: Cream Ale)

Table 16: Strong & Monastic Belgian Ale

9 entries

Judges: Scott Butchart (Head Judge), Eric Parker

1st

Ryan Preston

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Until the fire dies (25C: Belgian Golden Strong Ale)

2nd

Scott Sterling

True Grist

Sneep (26C: Belgian Tripel)

3rd

Wuilmer Venegas

GTA Brews

Warning! (26C: Belgian Tripel)

Table 17: Belgian Ale

10 entries

Judges: Yannick Gingras, Chad McCarthy (Head Judge)

1st

Ryan Preston

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Speltcaster (25B: Saison)

2nd

Shane Schlesinger

GTA Brews

Rubber Chicken BOOM! (25B: Saison)

3rd

John Ruyter

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Otherness (25B: Saison)

Table 18: Smoked, Wood Aged & Specialty Beer

9 entries

Judges: Patricio Tapia Perez, Alvaro Reyes (Head Judge), Leslie-Anne Stavroff (Head Judge), Andrea Terpenkas

1st

Steve Shaw & Andre Lavoie

Winnipeg Brew Bombers

Amazon Alchemy (33A: Wood-Aged Beer)

2nd

Casey Szott

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Ice Ice Baby (34B: Mixed-Style Beer)

3rd

Patrick Paugh

Island Brewers Union

Ridge Runner (34B: Mixed-Style Beer)

Table 19: International Pale Lager

10 entries

Judges: Patricio Tapia Perez, Leslie-Anne Stavroff (Head Judge)

1st

John Post

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Golden Decoct (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)

2nd

John Post

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Tripple Sazz (3A: Czech Pale Lager)

3rd

Bill Riley

VanBrewers

Kicchin Dorinkaa (2A: International Pale Lager)

Table 20: Malty & Strong German Beer

8 entries

Judges: Rob Oostlander (Head Judge), Phil Spurgeon

1st

Chad Kling

VanBrewers

Maibock, Maibock he’s got a knife (4C: Helles Bock)

2nd

Adrien Giddings

GTA Brews

Doom II: Helles on Earth (4A: Munich Helles)

3rd

Ryan Preston

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Involuntary Doppelganger (9A: Doppelbock)

Best of Show

Beer

Judges: Yannick Gingras, Chad McCarthy, Patricio Tapia Perez, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Graham With

1st

Scott Sterling

True Grist

Lovar 2 (34A: Commercial Specialty Beer)

2nd

Adam Bass

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Pop, fizz, glug (5D: German Pils)

3rd

John Post

Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Ebony Decoct (3D: Czech Dark Lager)

Best Brewer

50 Participating Brewers [Scoring Methodology]

Place	Brewer	1st	2nd	3rd	Score	Club
1st	Steve Shaw	2	2	0	10.0200000	Winnipeg Brew Bombers
2nd	Wesley d'Haene	2	1	1	9.0200000	Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
	John Post	2	1	1	9.0200000	Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Club of the Year

14 Participating Clubs [Scoring Methodology]

Place	Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Score
1st	Cowtown Yeast Wranglers	9	4	5	40.0900000
2nd	VanBrewers	2	3	7	19.0200000
3rd	GTA Brews	2	5	2	18.0200000

VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier

Awards

VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier

Sponsors

Judges

Judges - Best of Show

Stewards

By the Numbers

Table 1: Cider & Mead

Table 2: Amber Lager

Table 3: Dark Euro Beer

Table 4: Pale Bitter German Beer

Table 5: Fruit Beer

Table 6: Spiced Beer

Table 7: Hazy IPA

Table 8: Other IPA

Table 9: Dark UK & Irish Beer

Table 10: Pale UK Beer

Table 11: Strong Ale

Table 12: Amber & Dark American Ale

Table 13: Wheat & Sour Beer

Table 14: American & NZ Lager

Table 15: American Ale

Table 16: Strong & Monastic Belgian Ale

Table 17: Belgian Ale

Table 18: Smoked, Wood Aged & Specialty Beer

Table 19: International Pale Lager

Table 20: Malty & Strong German Beer

Best of Show

Beer

Best Brewer

Club of the Year

Scoring Methodology

Thank You

Congratulations to All Medal Winners