The Washington Beer Awards are back after last year’s pandemic-induced pause. The event—held over the weekend at the Elliott Bay Brewing pub in Lake City—replicates the style of big-time national competitions, but exclusively for Washington breweries.

Sure, brewers may seem chill, but when it comes to parsing their style guides, they leave copyeditors and grammarians in the dust—or, more likely, a cloud of hop fumes. The resulting list of 99 winners reflects an industry that scutinizes robust porters versus brown ones, Irish ale versus Scottish, and American-style IPA versus the juicy or hazy stuff. Pumpkin, smoke, and coffee and chocolate beer each has its own category. (Can someone add a category for best beer name? I volunteer to judge.)

This could all overwhelm. Or you could take a deep breath, find the styles you enjoy, and consider this a to-do list of cool local breweries to explore. Along the way, raise a glass to Bothell’s Watts Brewing Company, our own Cloudburst and Fair Isle (clearly not just a popup juggernaut), and Chuckanut in Bellingham for their brewery of the year wins.

Light German-Style Lagers

Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing, Helles Lager
Silver: Lumberbeard Brewing, Helles
Bronze: Perry Street Brewing, Helles

German-Style Pilsners

Gold: Seapine, Pilsner
Silver: Cloudburst Brewing, Called To The Light
Bronze: E9 Brewing Co, T-Dome

German-Style Oktoberfests

Gold: Brick West Brewing Co., Festbier
Silver: Valholl Brewing, Valholl Oktoberfest
Bronze: Silver City Brewery, Oktoberfest

German-Style Marzens

Gold: Chuckanut Brewery, Old Fest
Silver: Deep Draft Brewing, Old Crow
Bronze: Brick West Brewing Co., Lucky Penny

German-Style Schwarzbiers

Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co., Schwarzbier
Silver: Four Generals Brewing, Schwarzbier
Bronze: Anacortes Brewery, Klosterbier

Other European Amber and Dark Beers

Gold: Four Generals Brewing, Alt Bier
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery, Dunkel
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company, Cerny Kov

Bohemian-Style Pilsners

Gold: San Juan Island Brewing Co., San Juan Pilsner
Silver: Twin Sisters Brewing Company, Pilsner From Now On
Bronze: Chainline Brewing Company, Polaris Pilsner

Vienna-Style Lagers

Gold: The Good Society Brewery and Public House, Love Is Love
Silver: Sound To Summit Brewing, Lederhomish
Bronze: Everybody's Brewing, Vienna Lager

American-Style Light Lagers and Pilsners

Gold: Resonate Brewery, Mexican Radio
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery, Chuck Light
Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co., K2  Premium Lager

Contemporary American-Style Light Lagers and Pilsners

Gold: Cloudburst Brewing, Happy Little Clouds
Silver: Georgetown Brewing Company, Roger's
Bronze: Gruff Brewing Co, Mexican Lager

Other American-Style Lagers

Gold: Brick West Brewing Co., Out Cold
Silver: Lowercase Brewing, Mexican Lager
Bronze: Meatheads Smokehouse and Beer Works, Festbier

Australasian, Latin American, or Tropical-Style Light Lagers

Gold: Grains of Wrath Brewing, Cantina Especial
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing, Lucha Libre
Bronze: Four Generals Brewing, Otra Chela

International-Style Pilsners

Gold: Chuckanut Brewery, Asian Style Lager
Silver: Ravenna Brewing, Rice Lager
Bronze: Bellevue Brewing Co., Vacuna Mexican Lager

Strong Lagers

Gold: Dystopian State Brewing Co., High Command
Silver: Chuckanut Brewery, Maibock
Bronze: Bickersons Brewhouse, Baltic Porter

German-Style Kölsches

Gold: Resonate Brewery, Gold Digger
Silver: Whistle Punk Brewing, Kolsch
Bronze: Twin Sisters Brewing Company, Kolsch

German-Style Wheat Beers

Gold: Grains of Wrath Brewing, Sickle and Scythe
Silver: Anacortes Brewery, Whistle Lake Hefeweizen
Bronze: Silver City Brewery, Hefeweizen

Rye and American Wheat Beers

Gold: Chuckanut Brewery, Rye
Silver: Elysian Brewing, Hawkitect
Bronze: Perihelion Brewery, Daedalus

American-Style Cream Ales

Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Co., Wet Coast Cream Ale
Silver: Sound to Summit Brewing, The Kraken's Cream Ale
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing, Mexican Lager

Golden or Blonde Ales

Gold: Terramar Brewstillery, Old Number 6
Silver: Logan Brewing Company, Easy Mode
Bronze: Counterbalance Brewing Company, Abigale Blonde Ale

English and International Pale Ales

Gold: Dick's Brewing Co., Dick's Best Bitter
Silver: Reuben's Brews, Production Brewery, Triumvirate
Bronze: Cairn Brewing, Connie's English Bitter

English Dark Ales

Gold: Double Bluff Brewing Company, Brown Ale
Silver: Lowercase Brewing, Brown Ale
Bronze: Top Rung Brewing Company, Duke Of Lacey

Irish Ales

Gold: Watts Brewing Company, Xylocopa
Silver: River City Brewing, River City Red
Bronze: Dick's Brewing Co., Dick's Cream Stout

Scottish Ales

Gold: Cairn Brewing, Don't Call Me Irish
Silver: Haywire Brewing Co., Dude, Where's Me Kilt
Bronze: Postdoc Brewing, Kilty MacSporran

British and American Strong Ales

Gold: Farmstrong Brewing Company, Brahma Barleywine
Silver: Cairn Brewing, Wee Heavy
Bronze: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co, Tyrants Face

Brown Porters

Gold: Blewett Brewing, Show Pony Porter
Silver: Mac and Jack's Brewery Inc., Blackcat Porter
Bronze: San Juan Island Brewing Co., Black Boar Porter

Robust Porters

Gold: Georgetown Brewing Company, 9 Pound Porter
Silver: Resonate Brewery, Spirit In The Dark
Bronze: Reuben's Brews, Production Brewery, Robust Porter

British Stouts

Gold: Brewing Savage Co, Queen Anne's Stout
Silver: Rainy Daze Brewing, Tay More Cowbell
Bronze: Triceratops Brewing Co, Revival Coffee Milk Stout

American-Style Stouts

Gold: Dystopian State Brewing Co., Black Circle
Silver: Top Rung Brewing Company, My Dog Scout Stout
Bronze: Varietal Beer Company, Darkwave

Imperial Porters and Stouts

Gold: Cloudburst Brewing, This Is Boring
Silver: River City Brewing, Midnight Marmot
Bronze: No-Li Brewhouse, Wrecking Ball

American-Style Pale Ales

Gold: Grains of Wrath Brewing, Papermaker Pale
Silver: Trap Door Brewing, Porch Beer
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing, Call It a Day Pale

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales

Gold: Fortside Brewing Company, Orange Whip
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company, Alpenhaze
Bronze: Haas Innovations Brewing, K.A.H. Pale

American-Style Strong Pale Ales

Gold: Icicle Brewing Company, Peak Seeker
Silver: Stoup Brewing, Citra IPA
Bronze: Wet Coast Brewing Co., Baronesse Pale Ale

Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ales

Gold: Icicle Brewing Company, Enchantments
Silver: Chainline Brewing Company, Tune Up
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company, The Mayor IPA

American Amber Ales

Gold: E9 Brewing Co, Rowdy and Dick
Silver: Bickersons Brewhouse, Steaming Pile Of 2020
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing Co., Ash Cloud Amber

American-Style Brown and Black Ales

Gold: Monka Brewing Co, Mano Oculta
Silver: Wet Coast Brewing Co., Scofflaw CDA
Bronze: Cairn Brewing, Big Buck Bunny Brown

American-Style India Pale Ales

Gold: Two Beers Brewing, Wonderland Trail IPA
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Heliotrope
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company, Lucille IPA

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales

Gold: Mirage, Strangers In Town
Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company, 80 Lbs. Of Hop
Bronze: Georgetown Brewing Company, Warchild

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales

Gold: Triplehorn Brewing Co., Wreckless Abandon
Silver: Elysian Brewing, Snailbones
Bronze: Airways Brewing, Sky Hag

Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ales

Gold: Ravenna Brewing, Aligned By Nature
Silver: Urban Family Brewing, The Stuff
Bronze: Burke-Gilman Brewing Company, Hopotheosis

Belgian-Style Witbiers

Gold: The Good Society Brewery and Public House, Quick Wit
Silver: Reuben's Brews, The Taproom, Lilywhite Wit
Bronze: Valholl Brewing, Valholl Summer Wit

Belgian and  Belgian Inspired Ales

Gold: The Good Society Brewery and Public House, First to Fall
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co., Sunnyland, Belgian Blonde
Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing Co., Be Happy Hefeweizen

Belgian Strong and Abbey Ales

Gold: Figurehead Brewing Company, Midwatch
Silver: Hellbent Brewing Company, Mossback Monk Belgian-Style Tripel
Bronze: Flying Lion Brewing, Belgian Strong

Belgian and French Farmhouse Ales

Gold: Fair Isle Brewing, Odelette
Silver: Fair Isle Brewing, Madame R. Galle
Bronze: Fortside Brewing Company, Kanaka Ale

Specialty Saisons

Gold: Fair Isle Brewing, Montgomery
Silver: Counterbalance Brewing Company, Miming Poetry Saison
Bronze: Mirage, Introduces the Metric System in Time

Brett Beers

Gold: Dwinell Country Ales, Summer Blush
Silver: E9 Brewing Co, Balaton Farmhouse
Bronze: Mirage, The Quarterly

Berliner-Style Weisses

Gold: Wander Brewing, Champagne Toast
Silver: Dru Bru, Berliner Weisse
Bronze: Terramar Brewstillery, Shuksan Sour

Goses

Gold: Gruff Brewing Co, Birman
Silver: Brick West Brewing Co., Get Right
Bronze: Reuben's Brews, The Taproom, Gose

American-Style Sour Ales

Gold: Urban Family Brewing, Solar Storm
Silver: The Good Society Brewery and Public House, Be Curious
Bronze: Resonate Brewery, A Nu Start

Belgian Sour and Wild Ales

Gold: Mirage, Ray
Silver: Fortside Brewing Company, Oude AF
Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing, Boysenberry Coolship Sour

American-Style Fruit Beers

Gold: Triceratops Brewing Co, Bohemian Rhasberry
Silver: Optimism Brewing Company, Solarpunk
Bronze: Big Block Brewing, Cherry Bomb

Fruit Wheat Beers

Gold: Ten Pin Brewing, Lil' Groovy
Silver: Crucible Brewing, Blood Orange Smith and Weizen
Bronze: Wenatchee Valley Brewing, Raspberry Wheat

Belgian-Style Fruit Beers

Gold: The North Fork, Elan Rouge
Silver: Fair Isle Brewing, Ana
Bronze: E9 Brewing Co, Blue Gold

Vegetable, Herb, and Spice Beers

Gold: Mirage, Versatile Solutions For Modern Living
Silver: Peddler Brewing Co, Horchata Cream Ale
Bronze: Dystopian State Brewing Co., Everyone's Crisis

Pumpkin Beers

Gold: Cloudburst Brewing, Your Worst Nightmare
Silver: Elysian Brewing, Night Owl
Bronze: Sound To Summit Brewing, Ryes of the Pumpkin King

Coffee and Chocolate Beers

Gold: Snow Eater Brewery, Moose Trot
Silver: Logan Brewing Company, Mind on Midnight
Bronze: Whistle Punk Brewing, Espresso Milk Stout

Smoke Beers

Gold: Chuckanut Brewery, Rauch Helles
Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing, Tea-Smoked Helles Lager
Bronze: Meatheads Smokehouse and Beer Works, Moose And Squirrel Rauch

Specialty and Historical Beers

Gold: Victor 23 Craft Brewery, Spruce Goose
Silver: Snow Eater Brewery, Ipsut
Bronze: Ghostfish Brewing Company, Watchstander Stout

Experimental and Session Beers

Gold: Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co, Tie-It-On Blonde
Silver: Watts Brewing Company, Drone Strike
Bronze: Mac and Jack's Brewery Inc., Logboom Pale Ale

Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers

Gold: Fair Isle Brewing, Vince
Silver: Ten Pin Brewing, BeWILDering C
Bronze: Jellyfish Brewing Company, Good Morning Sunshine

Wood and Barrel-Aged Barleywines

Gold: Heathen Brewing, Reindeer Tears
Silver: Pint Size Brewing, Off The Trail
Bronze: Humble Abode Brewing, III Anniversary Barrel-Aged Barleywine

Wood and Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts

Gold: Bainbridge Brewing, Yama, Mizunara Barrel Imp. Stout
Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company, Overstory
Bronze: Matchless Brewing, Fifth Anniversary Blend

Other Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beers

Gold: Bickersons Brewhouse, Gin Barrel-Aged D.M.M.K.Y.A
Silver: Victor 23 Craft Brewery, Sleighjacker
Bronze: Silver City Brewery, Magnificent Pursuit

Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers

Gold: RiverCityBrewing. PeachMeYourWays
Silver: Wander Brewing, Plum Bob
Bronze: Jellyfish Brewing Company, Birra Chiara

Fresh Hop Pale Ales

Gold: Old Stove Brewing, Streaker Juicy Citra Fresh Hop Pale
Silver: Blewett Brewing, Fool's Gold Hazy Pale Ale
Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing, Green On Fort Road

Fresh Hop Strong Pale Ales

Gold: Icicle Brewing Company, Strata Wet Hop Hazy IPA
Silver: Cloudburst Brewing, Green Is My Favorite Color
Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company ,Skyfinder

Fresh Hop American-Style India Pale Ales

Gold: Loowit Brewing Company, Lando Hoprissian
Silver: Perry Street Brewing, Master Exploder IPA
Bronze: Dru Bru, Fresh Hop

Fresh Hop Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales

Gold: Best Of Hands Barrelhouse, Fresh Hop Series: Amarillo Fresh Hop IPA
Silver: Silver City Brewery, Amarillo Wet Hop Tropic Haze
Bronze: Cloudburst Brewing, An Uplifting Work of Staggering Wetness

Other Fresh Hop Beers

Gold: Wandering Hop, Fresh Numinous
Silver: Matchless Brewing, Fresh Bois
Bronze: Perry Street Brewing, Hassel Hopfenbombe

Pro-Am

Gold: Postdoc Brewing, We Should Probably Have a Name for This Beer

Collaboration Beers

Gold: Scuttlebutt Brewing and Sound to Summit Brewing, Bridging the Trestle
Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company, Downtown Sour Brown
Bronze: Trap Door Brewing, Flamingo Croquet

Breweries of the Year

Very Small Brewery of the Year: Watts Brewing Company (Bothell)
Small Brewery of the Year: Fair Isle Brewing (Ballard)
Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year: Cloudburst Brewing (Pike Place Market, Ballard)
Large Brewery of the Year: Chuckanut Brewery (Bellingham)