O’Connor Brewing Company was awarded the Golden Tap by Veer Magazine in Norfolk
By Jeff Maisey
Southern Bank presented VEER Magazine’s 2015 Golden Tap Awards in early December with Norfolk’s O’Connor Brewing Company scoring the most overall points to earn the Golden Tap for Brewery of the Year. The awards program is for the breweries located in the Hampton Roads region.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were given in brewery/beer categories recognized by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild as well as for best tasting room, collaboration, brew pub and events.
Additionally, awards were presented in a variety of restaurant/bar categories. Bottle shops, festivals and home brew supplies were also featured.
Fifty percent of the overall tally came from a popular vote conducted online. A panel of judges weighed-in for the other half of the scoring with each judge casting one weighted vote per category.
Participating breweries included Pleasure House, Reaver Beach, Young Veterans, Brass Cannon, Wasserhund, Home Republic, Big Ugly, Smartmouth, Back Bay, Alewerks, St. George, Commonwealth, Wharf Hill and O’Connor.
Following are VEER’s 2015 Golden Tap Award results.
BREWERIES/BEERS
Light Lager
GOLD: Back Bay, Steel Pier
SILVER: O’Connor, Cinco de Maibock
BRONZE: No Entry
Pilsner
GOLD: Smartmouth, Safety Dance Pilsner
SILVER: St George, Pilsner
BRONZE: Commonwealth, Aureole
Amber and Dark Lager
GOLD: O’Connor, O’Ctoberfest
SILVER: Wasserhund, Dunkel
BRONZE: O’Connor, Commonwealth Common
Light American Ale
GOLD: O’Connor, Green Can Golden Ale
SILVER: Alewerks, Shorty Time
BRONZE: Young Veterans, New Recruit Honey Blonde Ale
Kolsch and Altbier
GOLD: O’Connor, Walk-Off Kolsch
SILVER: Home Republic, King Kolsch
BRONZE: Reaver Beach, Riptide Altbier
British Bitter
GOLD: Pleasure House, First Landing ESB
SILVER: Alewerks, Maizie’s ESB
BRONZE: Alewerks, Best Bitter
Scottish and Irish Amber Ale
GOLD: St George, Winter Scotch
SILVER: No Entry
BRONZE: No Entry
American Amber and Brown Ale
GOLD: St George, Nut Brown Ale
SILVER: Smartmouth, Murphy’s Law Amber
BRONZE: O’Connor, Red Nun Red Ale
English Mild and Brown Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Olde Stitch
SILVER: Pleasure House, No Waves
BRONZE: Brass Cannon, Barrage Brown Ale
American Pale Ale
GOLD: O’Connor, Norfolk Canyon Pale Ale
SILVER: Reaver Beach, Ghost Ship
BRONZE: Smartmouth, Indecision Pale Ale
IPA
GOLD: O’Connor, El Guapo Agave IPA
SILVER: O’Connor, Spyhop White IPA
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Rockers IPA
Imperial IPA
GOLD: Smartmouth, Notch 9 Double IPA
SILVER: Reaver Beach, Hoptopus
BRONZE: Alewerks, Bitter Valentine
Porter
GOLD: St George, Porter
SILVER: Big Ugly, Ghost Rider
BRONZE: O’Connor, Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter
Stout
GOLD: Alewerks, CoffeeHouse Stout
SILVER: Smartmouth, Cowcatcher Milk Stout
BRONZE: O’Connor, Bold Man Oyster Stout
Russian Imperial Stout
GOLD: Alewerks, Café Royale
SILVER: O’Connor, Ibrik Imperial Turkish Coffee Stout
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Ape Hanger RIS
Strong Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Grand Illumination
SILVER: Back Bay, Queen Anne’s Revenge
BRONZE: Pleasure House, Winter Champs
German Wheat Beer
GOLD: Wasserhund, Hefeweizen
SILVER: Smartmouth, Sommer Fling Hefeweizen
BRONZE: Young Veterans, Pineapple Grenade Hefeweizen
Belgian Session Ales
GOLD: Smartmouth, Alter Ego Saison
SILVER: Alewerks, White Ale
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Split Window Saison
Belgian Strong Ales
GOLD: O’Connor, Bells Beach Galaxy Saison
SILVER: O’Connor, S-Turns Honey Saison
BRONZE: Reaver Beach, Polaris
Sour Ale
GOLD: Alewerks, Lover’s Greed
SILVER: Smartmouth, Lactobacillusaurus Berliner Weisse
BRONZE: Big Ugly, Bim’s Magic Berlinerbus
Smoked and Wood Aged Beer
GOLD: O’Connor, Backyard Bonfire Smoked IPA
SILVER: Smartmouth, Hive Mind Honey Saison
BRONZE: Alewerks Bourbon Barrel Porter
Herb, Spice, and Vegetable Beer
GOLD: Alewerks, Pumpkin Ale
SILVER: Big Ugly, Ghost Pepper Gose
BRONZE: O’Connor, Punkelweisse
Fruit Beer
GOLD: Smartmouth, Alter(ed) Ego Raspberry Saison
SILVER: Big Ugly, Mango IPA
BRONZE: Big Ugly Brewing, Blackberry Gose
Specialty
GOLD: Smartmouth, Missing Digit Hemp IPA
SILVER: St George Brewing Company, Honey Meade Lager
BRONZE: Commonwealth Brewing Co, Taonga
Collaboration
GOLD: O’Connor & Smartmouth, Treaty of Ghent Belgian Dubbel
SILVER: O’Connor & Three Notch’d, 40 Mile to the Border
BRONZE: Alewerks & Virginia Beer Co., Public Frenemy #1 Red Rye IPA
Brew Pub
GOLD: Gordon Biersch
SILVER: Home Republic
BRONZE: Wasserhund
Brewery Tasting Room
GOLD: O’Connor
SILVER: Big Ugly
BRONZE: Smartmouth
