It’s that time of year… the second annual Lawson’s Finest Homebrew Competition! For the past month, five teams have been crafting their original recipes in the hope of being named the 2022 Homebrew Champion. Not only do they receive bragging rights, the winning team gets to brew their beer on the 7bbl system at the Warren brewery to be served in the taproom this winter!
This Years Line Up
East Brown and Down
5.5% ABV
A modern take on a classic brown pub ale. Subtle notes of caramel and brown sugar.
Sip of Sunrise
5% ABV
A coffee oatmeal porter brewed with a generous dose of oats and Carrier Roasting coffee beans.
Stout it Out Loud
5.1% ABV
English and American hops and malt with traditional English yeast. Brewed with Fat Toad salted bourbon caramel and Madagascar Vanilla bean.
Sweater Weather Holiday Ale
5% ABV
An amber ale with ginger, chai, and vanilla spices. Slightly roasty and low bitterness.
The Seated Queen Pale Ale
5.7% ABV
American Pale Ale brewed with local experimental hops. Slightly hazy with a golden straw color.
And the 2022 Homebrew champion is…..
Sip of Sunrise!
Here’s what team Good Guys’ spokesperson and member, Mark Leopold, had to say about this years winning brew.
Who was on team Good Guys?
Oh, it was the dream team. We got Emma Delphin, Craig Chiacchieri and Shari Schoennagel from the Taproom, led by esteemed brewer, Ray Connery.
Tell us about the beer you brewed.
Sip of Sunrise is a coffee oatmeal porter. It features a generous dose of oats giving the beer a silky-smooth mouthfeel. It has heaps of Carrier Roasting Coffee Company’s “Deep Thoughts” dark roast coffee that really shines through. It has a very smooth and dry finish.
What inspired you to make a coffee oatmeal porter?
Aside from Fayston Maple Imperial Stout brewed with coffee and cinnamon that we once did in bottles, the Taproom has never brewed a coffee beer. But that [FMIS with coffee] is such a big beer, so we wanted to do something that was lower in alcohol and make it nice and roasty to let the coffee shine through. We also wanted it to be lighter so that it was drinkable by the pint.
Which team did you feel was your biggest competitor?
I feel like our stiffest competition was from “Stout it Out Loud.” Brian Wendt is a fierce competitor, we knew that he was going to bring it, he always does, and we have nothing but respect for everyone on that team.
Sip of Sunrise is scheduled to be on tap starting the end of January.
We had a great voter turn out this year up 43% from last year! Thank you to all who voted. For those who did not get a chance to try this years brews and would like to, they will be on tap until the kegs kick!
