No-Li wins large in state awards

No-Li is the big winner in this year’s Washington Beer Awards , taking home Large Brewery of the Year honors along with individual medals for five beers.

River City, Waddell’s and Big Barn were the other Spokane-area award winners. Results were announced today at the Washington Brewers Festival in Redmond.

“I’m overwhelmed with excitement that Spokane represented so well, and we’re bringing back over the mountains the Brewery of the Year for the city,” said No-Li owner John Bryant.

“I’m just super, super proud of everybody. The respect brewers out of Spokane get as a collective team is pretty awesome.”

There were 950 entries from 139 brewers statewide in the fourth annual competition. Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews and Tacoma’s E9 had the most individual beer medals, with six each.

No-Li took gold for Poser in the American-style pale category, silvers for Spin Cycle Red (bitters), Born & Raised IPA (English ales) and Crony (American brown and black ales), and bronze for Oyster Stout (specialty and historical beers).

River City won gold for its Huckleberry Ale (American-style fruit beer), silver for Congratulator Doppelbock (strong lager) and bronze for Wine Barrel-Aged Huckleberry Ale (wood and barrel-aged beers).

Waddell’s received a silver for its Scottish (Scottish shilling ales) and bronze for Alligator Stout (American-style stouts), while Big Barn earned bronze for Mountain Smoke Porter (smoke beers).

Among the other Eastern Washington winners:

– Ice Harbor (Kennewick): Tangerine Exbeerience Hefeweizen (fruit wheat beers).

– Icicle (Leavenworth): silver, Dirtyface Amber (European amber and dark lagers); bronze, The Decline (British strong ales).

– Northern (Kettle Falls): gold, Okanogan Highlander (Scottish shilling ales).

– Old Schoolhouse (Winthrop): gold, Barleywine (barleywines); silver, Epiphany Pale Ale (American-style strong pale ales).

– Paradise Creek (Pullman): bronze, Invective Stout (Irish stouts).

– Republic: silver, Ramblin Rye Ale (wheat/rye beers).

– Riverport (Clarkston): gold, Bambalam black IPA (American brown & black ales); silver, Barrel Two Batch One sour blonde (wood & barrel-aged beers).

– Snipes Mountain (Sunnyside): bronze, Bandolero Rye Baltic Porter (strong lagers) and Hop Jelq IPA, with Stephanie Rodriguez (pro-am).

– Ten Pin (Moses Lake): gold, Shrunken Head Pin (session) and Groove Pineapple Wheat (fruit wheat beers); bronze, Head Pin IPA (American-style strong pale ales and American-style India pale ales).

Ten Pin was named Small Brewery of the Year, while E9 earned mid-sized honors. It’s the first time the contest has given brewery of the year awards in addition to individual category medals.