VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier
Thanks to all who participated in the VanBrewers Awards 2026: A Canadian National BOTY Qualifier.
There were 216 entries judged and 94 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Josh Davis | Deep Navel | 26B: Belgian Dubbel | GTA Brews |
| 2nd | Ron McReavy | No-Pressure Pils | 5D: German Pils | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Paul Heslop | Justeis | 9B: Eisbock | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Winning Entries
Standard American Beer (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Chad Kling | Cluster Hops Alas | 27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager | VanBrewers |
| 2nd | Paul Heslop | 2 Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps | 1B: American Lager | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Shaun Hill | Hiller Genuine Draft | 1B: American Lager | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
International/Czech Pale Lager (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Brent Burgoyne | Brown Dog Czech Lager | 3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager | Island Brewers Union |
| 2nd | Jordan Kathnelson | Wicked Felina | 2A: International Pale Lager | Ottawa Homebrew Society |
| 3rd | Graham Ballantyne | Not Småll | 2A: International Pale Lager | VanBrewers |
Amber European Beer (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Chad Kling | Blaze On | 7A: Vienna Lager | VanBrewers |
| 2nd | Wuilmer Venegas | Summer Is Coming | 6A: Märzen | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Carsten Weitemeyer | Bairisch No. 9 | 6C: Dunkels Bock | GTA Brews |
| HM | Miro Sep | Fabian 14.1 | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Ottawa's Homebrew Society |
Dark Lager (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Adam Bass | Drunk Uncle Dunkel | 8A: Munich Dunkel | |
| 2nd | H Caveny | Dark Side Of The Tracks | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | Red Deer Brewers |
| 3rd | Lennart Becker | Das Kleine Schwarze | 8B: Schwarzbier | VanBrewers |
Other IPA (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Casey Szott | Str8jkt Jr | 21B: Specialty IPA | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Michael Szewczuk | Heavy Hitter | 21A: American IPA | Red Deer Brewers |
| 3rd | Wesley d'Haene | Jam Those Hops In My Pie Hole | 22A: Double IPA | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Hazy IPA (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Casey Szott | Str8jkt | 21C: Hazy IPA | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Adam Bass | Hazy As She Goes | 21C: Hazy IPA | |
| 3rd | Matthew Szojka | Nz Stair Stumbler V2 | 21C: Hazy IPA | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Strong Ale and Lager (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Paul Heslop | Justeis | 9B: Eisbock | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Chad Kling | Belsnickel Bock | 9A: Doppelbock | VanBrewers |
| 3rd | Matt Ballyk | Remington Steele | 17A1: Burton Ale | GTA Brews |
Pale German Lager (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Ron McReavy | No-Pressure Pils | 5D: German Pils | GTA Brews |
| 2nd | Paul Heslop | The Fest Of Us | 4B: Festbier | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Robert Brown
Co-Brewer: Jessica Lopez | Phoenix | 5D: German Pils | Red Deer Brewers |
Kolsch (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | James Kennedy | Making Things Yourself Is Important | 5B: Kölsch | GTA Brews |
| 2nd | David Ward
Co-Brewer: Scott Lechelt | If You Ain't First You're Last | 5B: Kölsch | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Joss Happy | Rhymes With Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | GTA Brews |
UK and Irish Ale (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Chad Kling | Beam Me Up Scotty | 14C: Scottish Export | VanBrewers |
| 2nd | Kyle Kellam | This World An Island, Isolated | 11B: Best Bitter | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Chad McCarthy | Not So Ordinary Bitter | 11A: Ordinary Bitter | VanBrewers |
Brown British Beer (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Kevin O'Reilly | London Porter | 13C: English Porter | North Bay Homebrewers Club |
| 2nd | Wuilmer Venegas | Lana Brown | 13B: British Brown Ale | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Steve Shaw | Mild Thing | 13A: Dark Mild | Winnipeg Brew Bombers |
Dark British and Irish Beer (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Doug Charlish | Oatmeal Stout | 16B: Oatmeal Stout | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Nick Hodowsky | Spreadsheets And Rye | 16D: Foreign Extra Stout | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Shane Schlesinger | Darksaber | 16B: Oatmeal Stout | GTA Brews |
Pale American Ale (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Wesley d'Haene | Check It, Who Wants To Disrespect? | 18B: American Pale Ale | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Shane Schlesinger | Big Day! | 18A: Blonde Ale | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Casey Szott | Lap Dog | 18B: American Pale Ale | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Sour and Farmhouse Beer (13 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Sean O'Donnell | Unfortunate Search Results | 25B: Saison | Ottawa's Homebrew Society |
| 2nd | John Ruyter | Saison | 25B: Saison | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Frank Schneidawind | Summerlong | 23C: Oud Bruin | MontreAlers |
German Wheat (9 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Frank Schneidawind
Co-Brewer: Glen Appleby | Philippa | 32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer | MontreAlers |
| 2nd | Wuilmer Venegas | La Margara | 10A: Weissbier | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Josh Wright | Hugh Hefeweizen | 10A: Weissbier | VanBrewers |
Belgian Strong (13 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Josh Davis | Deep Navel | 26B: Belgian Dubbel | GTA Brews |
| 2nd | Josh Davis | Ungoliant's Laurelin | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | John Ruyter | Dubbel | 26B: Belgian Dubbel | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
American Amber, Brown and Dark (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Sean O'Donnell | Sundown | 20A: American Porter | Ottawa's Homebrew Society |
| 2nd | Paul Heslop | Black Snake Jake | 20C: Imperial Stout | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Wesley d'Haene | Two Poles On The Imaginary Axis | 20A: American Porter | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Fruit Beer (13 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Marc Raymond | Berry Cherry Berliner | 29A: Fruit Beer | VanBrewers |
| 2nd | Steve Shaw | Pogdor | 29A: Fruit Beer | Winnipeg Brew Bombers |
| 3rd | Joel Dipert | Daisy Chain | 29A: Fruit Beer | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
Spiced Beer (6 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Mike Pal | Pepper Wheat | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | Battle River Brewers |
| 2nd | Kyle Kellam | You Don't Have To Know If You Don't Wanna Know | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | GTA Brews |
| 3rd | Steve Shaw | Whiteout | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | Winnipeg Brew Bombers |
Specialty Beer (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Paul Heslop | Lemony Snicket | 34C: Experimental Beer | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | David Ward
Co-Brewer: Scott Lechelt | The Boss | 34C: Experimental Beer | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 3rd | Joel Dipert | Golden Slumbers | 34B: Mixed-Style Beer | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |