Greetings, beer lovers!  Happy (…) Friday, but perhaps much more importantly, Happy Canada Day (eh). Once (or not) again, ‘tis chingchongchinaman as your semi-friendly guest FNBB blogger, giving esquimaux another well-earned breather from blogging duties tonight.  The starting point for this edition is the 2022 Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference list of prize winners at this year’s conference, listed at this page.  The intro, taken directly from that page, states the obvious intro (though at the bottom of the page — go figure):

The Canadian Brewing Awards is Canada’s National competition for judging the quality of Canadian manufactured beer. The Canadian Brewing Awards invites Canadian majority-owned breweries of all sizes to compete in a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned blind tasting determining the best beers in 58 style categories. A Canadian Brewing Award is a widely recognized symbol of Canadian brewing excellence. ”

First, here are the two big category winners:

Best of Show: Faber | Microbrasserie La Souche | Quebec

Brewery of the Year: Howe Sound Brewing | British Columbia

Moving on to the 58 (!) separate flavo(u)r categories, for a total of 174 main prize winners, along with 20 hono(u)rable mentions, which may be a sort of “4th place” or something like that, depending on how you want to see it, here are those 194 selections:

Gold – Uncle Leo's Czech-Mate | The Whiffen Brewing Company Limited | Nova Scotia

Silver – Pilsner | Burdock Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – Kapitan Czech Pilsner | Lighthouse Brewing | British Columbia

2. European Style Amber to Dark Lager

Gold – Schwarzbier | Valley Brewing (in collaboration with Common Crown Brewing)  | Alberta

Silver – Uncle Leo's Altbier | The Whiffen Brewing Company Limited | Nova Scotia

Bronze – More Than Rain | The Establishment Brewing Company | Alberta

Honourable Mention – Czech Dark Lager | Sooke Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Elevator Doppelbock | Hell's Basement Brewery Inc. | Alberta

Silver – Dissimulator | Twin City Brewing Company | British Columbia

Bronze – Beste Bock  | Cameron's Brewing Company | Ontario

Gold – Helles Yeah! | Tire Shack Brewing Co. | New Brunswick

Silver – Deluxe | Burdock Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – Helles Awaits | Folly Brewpub | Ontario

Gold – Big Ticket | Farm League Brewing | Ontario

Silver – German Kölsch  | Wildeye Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – High Country Kölsch | Mt. Begbie Brewing Company | British Columbia

6. Wheat Beer – Belgian Style (Wit)

Gold – Queen Of Wheat | Spearhead Brewing Company | Ontario

Silver – Elder Moon Belgian Witbier | Settlement Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – SNOangel | SNO Microbrasserie | Quebec

7. Wheat Beer – German Style (Weiss)

Gold – Banana Hammock | Sons Of Kent Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Hefeweizen | Pie Braque Microbrasserie | Quebec

Bronze – Summertime | KPU Brew - Kwantlen Polytechnic University | British Columbia

Gold – Voyage Voyage | Avant Garde Artisans brasseurs | Quebec

Silver – Two Rivers Baltic Porter | Tatamagouche Brewing Co. | Nova Scotia

Bronze – Bear Beach Baltic Porter | Sooke Oceanside Brewery | British Columbia

Gold – Shacklands Dubbel | Shacklands Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – 10° | Dageraad Brewing Inc. | British Columbia

Bronze – Washed Away Belgian Quad | Dog Mountain Brewing Ltd. | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Dubbel | Little Brown Jug | Manitoba

Gold – Faber | Microbrasserie La Souche | Quebec

Silver – Tripel | Pie Braque Microbrasserie | Quebec

Bronze – Wild Things | Little Beasts Brewing Company | Ontario

11. Belgian-Style Abbey Ale/Pale Ale

Gold – Golden Ale | Little Brown Jug | Manitoba

Silver – Grimdonk | Grimross Brewing Co. | New Brunswick

Bronze – BEES! Belgian Blonde Ale with Honey | Dog Mountain Brewing Ltd | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Marigold - Belgian Golden Ale | Clifford Brewing Co. | Ontario

Gold – Dia De Los Muertos Cerveza Fuerte | Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Sunshine Daydream | R&B Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Bronze – Belgian Blond | Sooke Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Dry Hopped Saison | Flora Hall Brewing | Ontario

Silver – Bord du Lac | Amsterdam Brewing Co. | Ontario

Bronze – Prairie Icon Farmhouse Saison | Valley Brewing | Alberta

Gold – Funkmorphosis | The Establishment Brewing Company | Alberta

Silver – Evelyn - Barrel Aged Belgian Blonde | Endeavour Brewing Company Ltd. | Alberta

Bronze – Tous Les Jours | Dageraad Brewing Inc. | British Columbia

Gold – Ketch Berliner Weisse | Tatamagouche Brewing Co. | Nova Scotia

Silver – Gose vie sale - Laurentienne | Microbrasserie La Souche | Quebec

Bronze – Sour Series Blackberry | Rough Waters Brewing Company | Newfoundland and Labrador

Honourable Mention – Leitmotif | Cabin Brewing Company | Alberta

Gold – Reynard Oud Bruin | Strange Fellows Brewing Ltd. | British Columbia

Silver – Flanders Red | Trans Canada Brewing | Manitoba

Bronze – Kirsche | Steamworks Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Dark Stormy Porter | Fisher Peak Brewing Company | British Columbia

Silver – When it Rains It Porters | East Van Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – Pugnacious Porter | Grimross Brewing Co. | New Brunswick

Gold – Open Road | Troubled Monk Brewery | Alberta

Silver – Sandbagger Brown Ale | Freddy's Brewpub | British Columbia

Bronze – Coppersmith Brown Ale | Common Crown Brewing Co. | Alberta

Gold – Brave Liver Scotch Ale | Mt. Begbie Brewing Company | British Columbia

Silver – Red Vinyl | Secret Cove Brewing | Newfoundland and Labrador

Bronze – Irish Red Ale | Sawback Brewing Co. | Alberta

Honourable Mention – A Wee Angry Scotch Ale | Russell Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Pale Ale | Russell Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Tickity Boo | Twin City Brewing Company | British Columbia

Bronze – Sam McGuire's Pale Ale | Shuswap Lake Brewing | British Columbia

Gold – Great Expectations | Cabin Brewing Company | Alberta

Silver – Dark Streets of London ESB | Clifford Brewing Co. | Ontario

Bronze – Arkell Best Bitter | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Blue Heron ESB | Sea Level Brewing Company Inc. | Nova Scotia

22. Sweet Stout or Cream Stout

Gold – Sweetbacks  | Rainhard Brewing | Ontario

Silver – ChocoBello | Les Brasseurs de Montebello | Quebec

Bronze – Espresso Stout | Birra Fanelli | Quebec

Honourable Mention – Ice Cutter Vanilla Latte Stout | Snake Lake Brewing Company Inc. | Alberta

Gold – Red Hook Oatmeal Stout | Fixed Gear Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Ullr’s Oatmeal Stout | Bulkley Valley Brewery | British Columbia

Bronze – Gentlemen's Stout | Medicine Hat Brewing Company | Alberta

Honourable Mention – Ghost Train | Hell's Basement Brewery Inc. | Alberta

Gold – It's a Stout | Kensington Brewing Company | Ontario

Silver – Hierlihy Irish Stout | Tatamagouche Brewing Co. | Nova Scotia

Bronze – Keepers Stout | Lighthouse Brewing | British Columbia

Gold – Kindling Imperial Stout | Cannery Brewing | British Columbia

Silver – Walkerville Brewery Imperial Stout | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – Imperial Russian Stout | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

Gold – Tunnel Vision IPA | Abandoned Rail Brewing Co.  | British Columbia

Silver – Walkerville Geronimo IPA | Walkerville Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – English IPA | Sons Of Kent Brewing Co. | Ontario

Gold – Sol Vida Cerveza Clara | Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – SHAKE LAGER | Equals Brewing Company Inc. | Ontario

Bronze – Toller Gold | Spindrift Brewing | Nova Scotia

Gold – Lions Gate Lager | Steamworks Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Skyline Lager | Bomber Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – Helles Lager | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

29. North American-Style Amber/Dark Lager

Gold – Red Vienna Lager | Old Flame Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Brunette Munich Dunkel Lager | Old Flame Brewing Co. | Ontario

Bronze – Los Muertos Cerveza Negra | Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Craft Light Lager | Russell Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Anne Bonny | Corsaire Microbrasserie | Quebec

Bronze – Bad Light | Bad Tattoo Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Chiquita Town | Square Brewing Co. | Alberta

Gold – Okanagan Lake Cream Ale | A-FRAME Brewing Company | British Columbia

Silver – Gladstone Cream Ale | Gladstone Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Bronze – Cream Ale | Anderson Craft Ales | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Retro Style Cream Ale | Analog Brewing Company Inc. | Alberta

32. North American-Style Amber/Red Ale

Gold – Heroica Red Ale | Steamworks Brewing Co | British Columbia

Silver – Idleback Amber Ale | Slackwater Brewing Inc. | British Columbia

Bronze – Ruby Tears | Parallel 49 Brewing | British Columbia

33. North American-Style Blonde or Golden Ale

Gold – La Libertine | La Voie Maltée | Quebec

Silver – Brewmaster Blonde Ale | Common Crown Brewing Co. | Alberta

Bronze – Centennial Stock | Copper Bottom Brewing | Prince Edward Island

Gold – Mutually Exclusive | Annex Ale Project Limited | Alberta

Silver – Commodore Stout | Snake Lake Brewing Company Inc. | Alberta

Bronze – Death to Robots | Kensington Brewing Company | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Cascadian Dark Ale | Blindman Brewing | Alberta

Gold – Campout West Coast Pale Ale | Fernie Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Principal | Schoolhouse Brewery | Nova Scotia

Bronze – Chinook Rye Pale Ale | Ace Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Bantam | Long Bay Brewery | New Brunswick

Gold – Village Wit | Village Brewery | Alberta

Silver – Blanche Orange et Coriandre | Oxymore Microbrasserie | Quebec

Bronze – Long Hop Tropical Pale Ale | Long Hop Brewing Co | Alberta

Gold – Jurassic IPA | Cameron's Brewing Company | Ontario

Silver – Naked Fox IPA | Main Street Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – Big Lift | Brightwood Brewery | Nova Scotia

38. New England Style India Pale Ale

Gold – Vau-Do | Microbrasserie Trois Lacs Inc. | Quebec

Silver – No. 45 | Cassel Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – High Knoll Hazy IPA | Tinhouse Brewing Inc. | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Electric Mayhem DDHIPA | Ridge Rock Brewing Company | Ontario

Gold – Ready Paler Two - Session IPA | Analog Brewing Company Inc | Alberta

Silver – The Starter | Four Father's Brewing | Ontario

Bronze – Jam Session | Microbrasserie Trois Lacs Inc. | Quebec

40. American-Style Imperial India Pale Ale

Gold – Parkman Ave | Copper Bottom Brewing | Prince Edward Island

Silver – One Love | OverHop Brewing Corp. | Quebec

Bronze – Fracture | Amsterdam Brewing Co. | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Jellyfish Magician | Beere Brewing Company | British Columbia

Gold – Obscure Monk | Shacklands Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Daystar | Shacklands Brewing Co. | Ontario

Bronze – Shacklands Brave Noise | Shacklands Brewing Co. | Ontario

Gold – Strange Resemblance | Strange Fellows Brewing Ltd. | British Columbia

Silver – Wild West Coast IPA | Sawback Brewing Co. | Alberta

Bronze – Blood Cut IPA | Low Life Barrel House | Manitoba

Gold – Milkshake IPA Sure aux Abricots | Bièrerie Shelton | Quebec

Silver – The Darkest Timeline: Sour Porter w/ Cherry | Banded Goose Brewing | Ontario

Bronze – Arcane Dry Hopped Sour | Propeller Brewing Co. | Nova Scotia

44. Honey/Maple/Alternative Sugar Lager or Ale

Gold – Miss Maple | Microbrasserie Trois Lacs Inc. | Quebec

Silver – DIPA Série du Chantier #3 | Microbrasserie Le Temps d'une Pinte | Quebec

Bronze – Humble Hive Brown Ale | East Van Brewing | British Columbia

45. Fruit Beer or Field Beer

Gold – Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison | Blindman Brewing | Alberta

Silver – Le Fruit Défendu | Brasserie Vrooden Inc. | Quebec

Bronze – Hibiscus Lime Gose | Pile O' Bones Brewing | Saskatchewan

Honourable Mention – Scrumpers Triple Berry Sour | Smugglers Trail Caskworks | British Columbia

Gold – Glutenberg Rousse | Glutenberg | Quebec

Silver – Glutenberg Session IPA | Glutenberg | Quebec

Bronze – Glutenberg Blanche | Glutenberg | Quebec

Gold – Lazy River | Howe Sound Brewing | British Columbia

Silver – Public House Mild Porter | Snake Lake Brewing Company Inc. | Alberta

Bronze – Gladstone Belgian Single | Gladstone Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Gold – Nowhere: BlauFrankisch | Merit Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Waterloo Chocolate Hazelnut Porter | Waterloo Brewing | Ontario

Bronze – By & By Pinot Noir Tripel | Merit Brewing Co. | Ontario

Gold – Ultra Destroyer | Howe Sound Brewing | British Columbia

Silver – Ippon - Ginger and Sansho Pepper | Bière Ippon | Quebec

Bronze – Songe épicé | Avant Garde Artisans brasseurs | Quebec

Honourable Mention – Her Majesty's Service Earl Grey Kölsch | Township 24 Brewing | Alberta

Gold – Sparkchaser | Twin City Brewing Company | British Columbia

Silver – Huldufólk | Little Beasts Brewing Company | Ontario

Bronze – Smoked Porter | Iron Road Brewing | British Columbia

Gold – Barleywine | Sooke Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – Afterhours Barley Wine | PEI Brewing Company | Prince Edward Island

Bronze – Scotch Ale | Sons Of Kent Brewing Co. | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Batch #100 Estate Barleywine | Barnside Brewing Co. | British Columbia

52. Wood and Barrel-Aged Pale to Dark Beer

Gold – Aki No Seishin Impériale | Bière Ippon | Quebec

Silver – Oak Boy | Parallel 49 Brewing | British Columbia

Bronze – Tequila Barrel-Aged Chiquita | Town Square Brewing Co. | Alberta

53. Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer

Gold – Monolith | Howe Sound Brewing | British Columbia

Silver – Double Tempest | Amsterdam Brewing Co. | Ontario

Bronze – Storm Watching | Howe Sound Brewing | British Columbia

Honourable Mention – Back Pocket | The Establishment Brewing Company | Alberta

54. Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer

Gold – Time's Arrow | Dageraad Brewing Inc. | British Columbia

Silver – Cherryoperis | Four Winds Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Bronze – Lake of Bays Barrel-Aged Series: Brett Oud Bruin | Lake of Bays Brewing Company | Ontario

Gold – Toasted Coconut Imperial Stout | Steamworks Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Silver – UVB-76 Maksim | Wellington Brewery | Ontario

Bronze – Breakfast & Furious | Stray Dog Brewing Company | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Boris Arabica | Strange Fellows Brewing Ltd. | British Columbia

Gold – NANO IPA | Oshlag | Quebec

Silver – Stone Sofa Kölsch | One For The Road Brewing Co. | Alberta

Bronze – NANO BLONDE | Oshlag | Quebec

Gold – Angry Chipmunk | Boshkung Brewing Co. | Ontario

Silver – Hip As Funk | Moon Under Water | British Columbia

Bronze – 5th Birthday Double IPA | Canmore Brewing Company Ltd. | Alberta

Gold – Grodziskie | Thornbury Craft Co. | Ontario

Silver – Backyard IPA | Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. | British Columbia

Bronze – The Bearded Prospector | Full Beard Brewing Co. Inc. | Ontario

Honourable Mention – Grätzer | Bièrerie Shelton | Quebec

For the Sours aficionados here — you know who you are :) — the obvious foci will be Category Numbers 15, 16, 43, and 54, with some additions present in Category 45.

Since 3CM is, as always, a data-nerd loser type, here’s the breakdown of the winners by province:

In parallel with the strong US West Coast presence (WA, OR) in the American craft beer market (even though craft beers are almost everywhere in the USA, it seems), it’s perhaps no surprise to see the dominant presence of BC in the rankings, given its West Coast status among the Canadian provinces.  The top 4 provinces in Canadian population, per 2021 census data, are, in order:

The same 4 provinces have the largest shares of prize winners in this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards, albeit in a different order:

So all this adds 194 beers to the infinitely expanding list of craft beers that 3CM the loser will never taste :) .  However, tonight’s featured selection is, for once, actually kind of close in spirit to this list.  It’s a Glutenberg Stout, from Montreal (by way of an SC-based importer), and the QC-based brewery that swept Category # 46, the “Gluten-Free Beer” category (which may or may not say something about how crowded, or not, not to mention how large, or not, the Canadian gluten-free beer market is).  I’m not at all a stouts aficionado, but it has that solid “stout feel”, even with being a gluten-free brew based on millet and corn, as indicated on the label.  I don’t have any issues with gluten in my diet, as the selection resulted from randomly seeing it in an establishment and figuring that this would be a suitable choice for this particular Friday. 

Plus, if nothing else, the PR-blurb for this particular flavo(u)r has a slightly off-beat tone.  The original French reads:

“De robustes notes de café espresso, de chocolat noir et de fruits mûrs conférées par le maltfoncé lui procurent une longueur en bouche agréable qui ne laissera pas les amateursde Stout indifférents.”

“Robust notes of espresso coffee, dark chocolate and ripe fruit conferred by the dark malt give it a pleasant length in the mouth that will not leave Stout lovers indifferent.”

BTW, the ‘official’ English text is exactly what you get when you feed the original French text into Google Translator.  Make of that what you will :) .  Speaking of translations, it took me this long to realize that the French word “brasserie” actually means “brewery”, something that I somehow never bothered to figure out all this time, in spite of seeing the term “brasserie” with various American restaurants over the years.  As well, regarding stouts, another stout of a very different vibe will feature in my next FNBB this month, if all goes to plan.  Stay tuned.

With that, special greetings to our Canadian friends, and time to turn the e-floor over to you folks.  What are you sipping tonight?  Anyone brewing their own?  Special virtual points to you if you are imbibing a Canadian brew tonight, and extra points if any posters here tonight are Canadian ;) .