1 May 2014 - Best Beer HQ
New York’s best craft beers vie for dominance at TAP 2014
Keuka Brewing Company was named New York State’s best craft beer brewery at the 2014 TAP New York craft beer and fine food festival at Hunter Mountain ski resort in the Catskills.
The Keuka Lake brewery beat out more than 80 other craft breweries to win the FX Matt Memorial Cup for best craft brewery. Its range of craft beers includes Briglin Road Red, Bluff Point Porter and Hoppy Laker IPA.
However, it was Brewery Ommegang that took out the title for best craft beer in New York State. The Cooperstown microbrewery won the Governor’s Cup for its Witte beer – a Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with orange peel and coriander.
The silver medal for best individual craft beer in New York State was won by Horseheads Brewing for its Chocolate Porter. Port Jeff Brewing Co. won the bronze medal for its H3 Belgian Tipel.
TAP New York also gives out a prize for the best beer in the Hudson Valley – the Matthew Vassar Brewers’ Cup – which was won this year by Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. in Elmsford.
The best individual craft beers in the Hudson Valley were Cream Ale by Brown’s Brewing Company, which took out the gold medal, Outrage IPA by Crossroads Brewing Co. (silver) and Last Stop Brewing Company’s American Rhine Wheat Ale (bronze).
The John Calen Memorial Award for best theme beer – this year, English Style beers – was won by CH Evans Brewing Co. for its aptly named Kick Ass Brown Ale.
Now in its 18th year, the annual TAP festival is New York’s largest craft beer festival. Around 100 breweries were invited to attend the 2014 festival, representing more than 300 different craft beers.
TAP New York 2014 winners at a glance…
- Governor’s Cup for best craft beer in New York State: The Witte – Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown
- FX Matt Memorial Cup for best craft beer brewery in New York State: Keuka Brewing Co, Hammondsport
- Silver medal for best craft beer in New York State: Chocolate Porter – Horseheads Brewing, Horseheads
- Bronze medal for best craft beer in New York State: H3 Belgian Tripel – Port Jeff Brewing Co., Port Jefferson
- The Matthew Vassar Brewers’ Cup for best craft beer brewery in the Hudson Valley: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford
- Gold medal for best craft beer in the Hudson Valley: Cream Ale – Brown’s Brewing Co., Troy
- Silver medal for best craft beer in the Hudson Valley: Outrage IPA – Crossroads Brewing Co., Athens
- Bronze medal for best craft beer in the Hudson Valley: Rhine Wheat Ale – Last Stop Brewing Co., Lagrange
- John Calen Memorial Award for this year’s theme, best English Style beer: Kick Ass Brown Ale – CH Evans Brewing, Albany