The 2022 BC Beer Awards returned on November 5th to the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Among 31 judged categories, Hazy IPA led in participation with 99 entries. Gladstone Brewing earned Brewery of the Year with a dominant five-award showing, including four golds. Parallel 49 Brewing claimed Best in Show, while Backcountry Brewing was recognized with the Best Social Media award for the third time — previously winning in 2017 and 2019.
Special Honours
Best in Show
presented by Country Malt Group
Parallel 49 Brewing – 10th Anniversary Brett Saison
Brewery of the Year
presented by Tap & Barrel
Gladstone Brewing
Legend Award
presented by BC Beer Awards
Nigel Springthorpe
Innovator of the Year
presented by Keg Share
Locality Brewing
People’s Choice
presented by CBC
The Beer Farmers – Farmers Daughter White
Rookie of the Year
presented by Glenmore Packaging
Smuggler’s Trail Caskworks
Beer Category Winners
International Lager – 52 entries
- Locomotive Lager – Iron Road Brewing
- Westy – Category 12 Brewing
- Czech Pilsner – Wildeye Brewing
Honourable Mention: Spitfire Lager – Ace Brewing
Pale Malty German Lager – 26 entries
- Oktoberfest Festbier – Parallel 49 Brewing
- Infinite Radness – Studio Brewing
- Bob’s Auto Lager – 101 Brewhouse + Distillery
Pale Bitter German Lager – 32 entries
- 3 Month Pils – Smuggler’s Trail Caskworks
- Shaketown Leichtbier – Shaketown Brewing
- Farm Country Pilsner – Farm Country Brewing
Amber Lager – 25 entries
- Sausage Party – Farm Country Brewing
- Zoigl – Steel & Oak Brewing
- Marzen – Abandoned Rail Brewing
Honourable Mention: Harkrider – Freddy’s Brewpub
Dark Lager – 18 entries
- 33 Acres of Darkness – 33 Acres Brewing
- Oktoberfest Schwarzbier – Parallel 49 Brewing
- Gladstone Czech Dark Lager – Gladstone Brewing
Honourable Mention: Dark Lager – Patina Brewing
Strong Ale & Lager – 13 entries
- Hellroaring Scotch Ale – Fisher Peak Brewing
- Bear Beach Baltic Porter – Sooke Oceanside Brewery
- Gale Force – Main Street Brewing
Kölsch – 14 entries
- Kolsch – Steamworks Brewing
- Seventh Day Kolsch – Ucluelet Brewing
- Klutz Kolsch – Brassneck Brewery
Honourable Mention: Kolsch – Patina Brewing
Weissbier- 26 entries
- Umlaut – Brassneck Brewery
- Beachcomber Hefeweizen – Vancouver Island Brewing
- Der Klassiker – Steel & Oak Brewing
Hoppy UK Ale – 26 entries
- Elephant Run IPA – Fisher Peak Brewing
- Flaskers British Ale – Smuggler’s Trail Caskworks
- Pale Ale – Russell Brewing
Malty UK & Irish Ale – 24 entries
- Invictus Dark Mild – Smuggler’s Trail Caskworks
- Overcast – KPU Brew Lab
- Gladstone Porter – Gladstone Brewing
UK & Irish Stout – 12 entries
- Firkin Irish Stout – Shuswap Lake Brewing
- Wheelbender Stout – Beach Fire Brewing
- 52 Foot Stout – Barkerville Brewing
Fruit Beer – 46 entries
- Lemon Mandarin Radler – Strathcona Beer
- A Many Splendored Things – Saison W/ Tangerines – Small Gods Brewing
- “Thornless” Blackberry Porter – Cannery Brewing
Specialty Fruit Beer – 56 entries
- The Floor is Guava – Backcountry Brewing
- Agua de Jamaica Hibiscus Rose Sour – La Cerveceria Astilleros
- Kirsche – Steamworks Brewing
Spice Beer – 29 entries
- Thread the Needle Witbier – Whitetooth Brewing
- Killer Cucumber Ale – Steamworks Brewing
- One Piece Wonder – Tin Whistle Brewery
Smoke & Wood-Aged Beer – 19 entries
- Mayne Island Barrel Aged Brown Ale – Mayne Island Brewing
- Sparkchaser – Twin City Brewing
- 7109 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – BREWHALL
European Sour – 16 entries
- New Brighton Dry Hopped Sour – R&B Brewing
- Pinot – Île Sauvage Brewing
- Roundhouse Oud Bruin – Iron Road Brewing
Honourable Mention: Gandy Dancer Gose – Iron Road Brewing
Specialty Beer – 24 entries
- Undersea Gose – Whistle Buoy Brewing
- Capacitor – Beacon Brewing
- Loral – Île Sauvage Brewing
North American Light Lager – 49 entries
- Shaketown Pre-Prohibition Pilsner – Shaketown Brewing
- No Brainer – Brassneck Brewery
- North Point Lite Lager – North Point Brewing
Honourable Mention: Lager – Strathcona Brewing
North American Light Ale – 33 entries
- Whitetooth Session Ale – Whitetooth Brewing
- Gladstone Cream Ale – Gladstone Brewing
- Droptank – Ace Brewing
Honourable Mention: Lit Wit – Dog Mountain Brewing
North American Pale Ale – 71 entries
- Salish Sea Pale Ale – Mount Arrowsmith Brewing
- Valley Trail Pale Ale – Coast Mountain Brewing
- Hazy Citra Pale Ale – 4 Mile Brewing
North American Amber & Brown Ale – 23 entries
- Mizaru – Monkey 9 Brewing
- Blue Buck Ale – Phillips Brewing & Malting
- Gladstone Red Ale – Gladstone Brewing
North American Porter & Stout – 19 entries
- Ten Tonne Skeleton – Silver Valley Brewing
- Felix – Studio Brewing
- Commander Imperial Stout – Dead Frog Brewery
North American IPA – 62 entries
- Best Coast IPA – Trading Post Brewing
- Ruff Westcoast IPA – Yellow Dog Brewing
- West Coast IPA – Moody Ales & Co.
Specialty IPA – 37 entries
- Little Twin – Fern & Cedar Brewing
- Spruce Tip IPA – Rossland Brewing
- Unconventional Wisdom – Brassneck Brewery
Hazy IPA – 99 entries
- 445 Galaxy IPA – Faculty Brewing
- Widowmaker – Backcountry Brewing
- Gladstone NEIPA – Gladstone Brewing
Imperial IPA – 11 entries
- Undertow – Steel & Oak Brewing
- Numbskull Rakau Edition – Lighthouse Brewing
- Empress Double IPA – Steamworks Brewing
Belgian Ale – 16 entries
- It’s Always Sunny in East Van Witbier – R&B Brewing
- Blanche Devereaux – Bayview Brewing
- Farmer’s Daughter White – The Beer Farmers
Saison – 19 entries
- Mimosa Summer Ale – Russell Brewing
- Picnic Table Beer – R&B Brewing
- Field Theory – Dagerad Brewing
Strong Belgian Ale – 9 entries
- Blonde – Dageraad Brewing
- Brune – Dageraad Brewing
- 33 Acres of Euphoria – 33 Acres Brewing
Wild Ale – 21 entries
- Greehorn Wild Ale – Strange Fellows Brewing
- Barreled Series – Batch #001 – Tofino Brewing
- 10th Anniversary Brett Saison – Parallel 49 Brewing
Honourable Mention: Boomer Wild Ale – Iron Road Brewing
Specialty Wild Ale – 63 entries
- Rose & Hibiscus Sour – The Beer Farmers
- Dinosour Blackberry – Phillips Brewing & Malting
- Circa 1775 – Main Street Brewing
Honourable Mention: Nannie’s Toasted Coconut Raspberry Tarts Sour – Bayview Brewing
Creative Industry Awards
Best Merchandise/Apparel
presented by The Barley Merchant
Rusted Rake Brewing
Best Tasting Room Design
presented by Axis Insurance
Camp Beer
Best Tap Handle Design
presented by Smooth Edge Design
Slackwater Brewing
Best Bottle Design
presented by Great Little Box Company
Field House Fresh Batch Barrel Series – Mango Plum Sour
Best Can Design
presented by Vessel Packaging
Main Street Brewing – King Pin Pale Ale
Best Packaging Design
presented by Great Little Box Company
Slackwater Brewing – Lo-Tide Lager
Best Website Design
presented by Major Tom
Best Social Media
presented by Major Tom