VanBrewers Awards 2025: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier
Awards
Judges
Matt Anderson, Derrick Braun, Scott Butchart, Chester Carey, Eric Douglas, James Dunlap, Damon Elgie, Henry Friedman, Yannick Gingras, Joe Lukan, Natalia Nye, Rob Oostlander, Eric Parker, Alvaro Reyes, Daniel Seeton, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Andrea Terpenkas, Graham With, Katy Wright
Judges - Best of Show
Scott Butchart, Chester Carey, Rob Oostlander, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Graham With
Stewards
Graham Ballantyne, Lennart Becker, James Gregson, Candy Kling, Chad Kling
Staff
Graham Ballantyne, James Gregson, Candy Kling, Chad Kling, Eric Parker, Leslie-Anne Stavroff
By the Numbers
204 Entries
59 Entrants
19 Judges
5 Stewards
6 Staff
66 Placing Entries
Table 1: Standard American Beer
8 entries
Judges: Damon Elgie, Eric Parker
1st
Chad Kling
VanBrewers
Cluster Hops Alas (27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager)
2nd
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Jandals (LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner)
3rd
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
No Frills (1B: American Lager)
Table 2: International Lager
10 entries
Judges: Chester Carey, James Dunlap, Andrea Terpenkas
1st
Chad Kling
VanBrewers
Czech It Out (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)
2nd
Eric Parker
VanBrewers
The Bohemian (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)
3rd
Jim Cavill
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Crisp Innit, Bruv (2A: International Pale Lager)
Table 3: German Amber Bier
11 entries
Judges: Henry Friedman, Eric Parker
1st
Shane Schlesinger
GTA Brews
Mowmow (6A: Märzen)
2nd
Chad Kling
VanBrewers
Blaze On (7A: Vienna Lager)
3rd
Carsten Weitemeyer
GTA Brews
Kommissar Anton: Klein, Aber Oho! (7A: Vienna Lager)
Table 4: Dark Lager
12 entries
Judges: Chester Carey, Natalia Nye
1st
Bill Riley
VanBrewers
Pausbacken (8B: Schwarzbier)
2nd
Keigan Ewing
True Grist
Use The Schwarz (8B: Schwarzbier)
3rd
Sean O'Donnell
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Sunless Saturday (8A: Munich Dunkel)
HM
Alexandre Metras
Ottawa Homebrew Society
Pour Habit (3D: Czech Dark Lager)
Table 5: American IPA
12 entries
Judges: Scott Butchart, Eric Douglas, Joe Lukan, Daniel Seeton
1st
Brent Burgoyne
Island Brewers Union
Brown Dog Double IPA (22A: Double IPA)
2nd
James Osborne
Sunset Express (21A: American IPA)
3rd
David Fournier
Ottawa Homebrew Society
Hop Sammich (22A: Double IPA)
Table 6: Specialty IPA
10 entries
Judges: Yannick Gingras, Alvaro Reyes
1st
Shane Schlesinger
GTA Brews
Big Krush (21C: Hazy IPA)
2nd
Ben Barney
Dark And Hoppy Hour (21B: Specialty IPA)
3rd
Kyle Kellam
GTA Brews
A Song For The Sunset (12C: English IPA)
Table 7: Strong Ale & Lager
9 entries
Judges: Damon Elgie, Eric Parker
1st
Sean O'Donnell
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
A Spaniel Named Humphrey (17D: English Barley Wine)
2nd
Keigan Ewing
True Grist
Go Big And Go Home (9A: Doppelbock)
3rd
Colin Green
GTA Brews
Tiny Baltic Fists (9C: Baltic Porter)
Table 8: Pale Malty German Lager
7 entries
Judges: Rob Oostlander, Leslie-Anne Stavroff
1st
Nolan Skogen
Red Deer Brewers
Whatcha Talkin' Bout Helles (4A: Munich Helles)
2nd
James Osborne
Helles Of A Ride (4A: Munich Helles)
3rd
Adam Bass
To Helles With It (4A: Munich Helles)
Table 9: Pale Bitter German Bier
10 entries
Judges: Derrick Braun, Eric Douglas
1st
Graham Ballantyne
VanBrewers
Fōm At Hōm (5C: German Helles Exportbier)
2nd
Wuilmer Venegas
GTA Brews
Near To Dortmund (5D: German Pils)
3rd
Rick Alaszkiewicz
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Die Mench-Maschine (5D: German Pils)
HM
Jim Cavill
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Cuckolsch (5B: Kölsch)
Table 10: German Wheat
8 entries
Judges: Derrick Braun, Yannick Gingras
1st
Josh Davis
GTA Brews
Dw From Arthur Was A Tyrant (10B: Dunkels Weissbier)
2nd
Brent Burgoyne
Island Brewers Union
Brown Dog Hefe (10A: Weissbier)
3rd
Wuilmer Venegas
GTA Brews
La Margara (10A: Weissbier)
Table 11: UK & Irish Ale
12 entries
Judges: Yannick Gingras, Alvaro Reyes
1st
Eric Parker
VanBrewers
Burwood Mantle (12A: British Golden Ale)
2nd
Israel Michaud
Ottawa’s Homebrew Society
Legacy Code V6b (11B: Best Bitter)
3rd
Wesley d'Haene
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
The Guvnah Made Me Do It (11A: Ordinary Bitter)
HM
Eric Parker
VanBrewers
Midsomer Market (11A: Ordinary Bitter)
Table 12: Brown British Beer
10 entries
Judges: Chester Carey, Natalia Nye
1st
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Mild Thing (13A: Dark Mild)
2nd
Casey Szott
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Posh Domino (13C: English Porter)
3rd
Trevor Stevado
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Billy Porter (13C: English Porter)
Table 13: Stout
6 entries
Judges: Rob Oostlander, Leslie-Anne Stavroff
1st
David Fournier
Ottawa Homebrew Society
Stalking Bear (16A: Sweet Stout)
2nd
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
Plain Live (16D: Foreign Extra Stout)
3rd
Graham Ballantyne
VanBrewers
Dark Side of the Glass (15B: Irish Stout)
Table 14: American Amber, Brown & Dark
11 entries
Judges: Scott Butchart, Daniel Seeton
1st
Nolan Skogen
Red Deer Brewers
Amber (19A: American Amber Ale)
2nd
Kyle Kellam
GTA Brews
Escape Artists Never Die (19A: American Amber Ale)
3rd
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
Plain Live (27A7: Pre-Prohibition Porter)
Table 15: Wild Ale
11 entries
Judges: Derrick Braun, Yannick Gingras
1st
Bria Marmoreo
VanBrewers
Nosfuratu (28C: Wild Specialty Beer)
2nd
Eric Parker & Craig Flaman
VanBrewers
Brett Pale (28A: Brett Beer)
3rd
Bria Marmoreo
VanBrewers
Swamp Witch (23F: Fruit Lambic)
Table 16: Fruit Beer
9 entries
Judges: Henry Friedman, Eric Parker
1st
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Soniarita (29B: Fruit and Spice Beer)
2nd
Keigan Ewing
True Grist
Also Ran (29A: Fruit Beer)
3rd
David Fournier
Ottawa Homebrew Society
Jfa Raspberry Sour (29C: Specialty Fruit Beer)
Table 17: Spice Beer
12 entries
Judges: Matt Anderson, Scott Butchart, Eric Douglas, Daniel Seeton
1st
Daniel Molinski
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Pumpernickleback (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
2nd
Patrick Paugh
Island Brewers Union
Beetboxer (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
3rd
Ben Barney
The Nutty Porter (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
Table 18: Pale American Ale
11 entries
Judges: Matt Anderson, Leslie-Anne Stavroff
1st
James Osborne
The Iron Road (18A: Blonde Ale)
2nd
Casey Szott
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Lap Dog (18B: American Pale Ale)
3rd
James Ediger
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
One Way Or Another (18B: American Pale Ale)
Table 19: Specialty Beer
9 entries
Judges: Chester Carey, James Dunlap
1st
Francisco Avila Menegaz
GTA Brews
Wood In The Dark (33A: Wood-Aged Beer)
2nd
Albert teBraak
MontreAlers
Granuleuse (33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer)
3rd
Miro Sep
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Gdansk Gold Grodziskie (27A5: Piwo Grodziskie)
Table 20: Belgian Ale
10 entries
Judges: Derrick Braun, Eric Douglas
1st
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Wordplay (24A: Witbier)
2nd
Josh Davis
GTA Brews
Hail Mary (26C: Belgian Tripel)
3rd
Scott Sterling
True Grist
Dubbel Up (26B: Belgian Dubbel)
Table 21: Saison
6 entries
Judges: Matt Anderson, Eric Douglas
1st
David Larocque
GTA Brews
Saison (25B: Saison)
2nd
Shane Schlesinger
GTA Brews
Rubber Chicken Boom! (25B: Saison)
3rd
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Holiday In Cambodia (25B: Saison)
Best of Show
Beer
Judges: Scott Butchart, Chester Carey, Rob Oostlander, Leslie-Anne Stavroff, Graham With
1st
Nolan Skogen
Red Deer Brewers
Whatcha Talkin' Bout Helles (4A: Munich Helles)
2nd
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Mild Thing (13A: Dark Mild)
3rd
David Larocque
GTA Brews
Saison (25B: Saison)
HM
Daniel Molinski
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Pumpernickleback (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
Best Brewer
59 Participating Brewers [Scoring Methodology]
| Place | Brewer | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Score | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Chad Kling | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8.0200000 | VanBrewers |
| Shane Schlesinger | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8.0200000 | GTA Brews |
| Steve Shaw | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8.0200000 | Winnipeg Brew Bombers |
Club of the Year
14 Participating Clubs [Scoring Methodology]
| Place | Club | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | HM | Score |
|---|
| 1st | GTA Brews | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 31.0500000 |
| 2nd | VanBrewers | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 26.0600000 |
| 3rd | Winnipeg Brew Bombers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12.0300000 |
Scoring Methodology
Each placing entry is given the following points:
- 1st Place: 3
- 2nd Place: 2
- 3rd Place: 1
The following tie-breakers have been applied, in order of priority:
- The highest number of first places.
Thank You
Congratulations to All Medal Winners
