Competition triples in size in its second year; winning beer will be brewed for Pacific Northwest distribution
SEATTLE, Wash. (March 8, 2018) – Reuben’s Brews has named the 2018 winner of its second annual “Hop Idol” Homebrew Contest: Alex Kuyper. Beating out 116 total entries, Kuyper’s “Dwayne IPA” took home the title. This hazy Northeast style IPA will now be brewed at Reuben’s Brews in Seattle and distributed in Pacific Northwest region.
“This year’s contest was fiercely competitive as our judging panel received amazing home brews from not only Washington and Oregon, but also from as far away as Alabama and Wisconsin,” said Adam Robbings, co-founder and brewmaster. “Alex’s winning creation has a fruit-forward nose with notes of sage, floral, jasmine, a juicy body and balanced bitterness. It will be fun to make this at the brewery alongside Alex and share it with the craft beer community.”
Hop Idol is a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) certified homebrew competition. All entries were blind tasted and scored against the BJCP style guidelines, focusing on hoppy styles. The judging panel included BJCP-certified beer judges, Reuben’s team members, some of Reuben’s wholesale customers and representatives from Reuben’s distributors.
In addition to brewing “Dwayne IPA” with the Reuben’s team at their brewery in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Alex’s beer will be distributed throughout the Northwest and will be entered in the Washington Beer Awards Pro-Am competition as well as the Great American Beer Festival. The distributed brew will available on tap in the Reuben’s taproom and in bottles starting in May.
Second place honors went to Tim Mattran for his “Opposite Saisons”, and third place was taken by the overall winner, Alex Kuyper for his “Carl Double IPA.”
“It takes time, effort and commitment to brew beer and send it out for a contest like this, and we’d like to thank everyone who shared their brews with us,” said Robbings. “This annual contest goes back to how I got started in brewing and it is close to my heart. Homebrewers out there are doing great work and we hope this contest draws some attention to that.”
About Reuben’s Brews
After the birth of their first child Reuben, Adam and Grace embarked on a mission to brew bloody good beer. Originally from the UK, Adam turned a passionate hobby into a family-run brewery crafting nationally and internationally recognized beers in a wide variety of styles. Since opening in 2012, Reuben’s has won awards for its beers around the world including at the Great American Beer Festival, the World Beer Cup, the US Open and was named Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year at the 2015 Washington Beer Awards. Find Reuben’s Brews in the Pacific Northwest and at its taproom located at 5010 14th Ave NW in Ballard, open 7 days a week. For more information, visit www.reubensbrews.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@reubensbrews).
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