The 2023 Cincinnati’s Favorite Beer Championship has broken all records, upended all scenarios, and is now approaching the most dramatic finale ever.
ascending arc No. 4 stubs 🏆 Hells SR (Greenworks Brewing Company) He defeated the double defending champion, the No. 1 seed favorite in the win-win contest Bohemian Special (Wiedemann’s Fine Beer) in an amazing final match for the ages.
The final score was 875-790, the closest ever to a final (see more on that in the breakdown below).
Helles Real had a bumpy road to the title, putting up some tough competition. The path was smooth with victories over the No. 5 seed Kenny Day Drinkin’ Lager (16 lots), the first seed Boston Leisure (Sam Adams), seed no. 2 Vlad (fretboard) and seed number 2 you betcha! (sonder) before dropping the returning hero.
spread the love:The best beers at every local brewery in 2023, in your opinion
If you’ve never tasted the winning brew, here’s what the Grainworks website says: “Brewed in collaboration with Norden (the FC Cincinnati fan group), this Munich-style German lager has a rich malt character balanced by light noble hops, with a tangy finish.” It’s also listed at 4.666% ABV. get it?
The beer’s name was inspired by Hell’s Real Roadside Billboard off Interstate 71. The one you saw every time you drove from Cincinnati to Columbus. Not coincidentally, Hell is Real is also the title of the match when FC Cincinnati plays MLS rival Columbus Crew.
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Plug the taproom address (found below) into your phone and go enjoy yourself. And while you’re there, it would be silly not to mention the in-house menu mac mumber Offers Mac and Cheese trips. Yes, you heard that right.
Other beers to check out at Grainworks? Well, you might remember the snow-and-ice-themed Brrr Cold IPA that debuted in 2022. You’ll go home with a six-pack of Rusty Bumper American Brown Ale if that’s more your style. There’s even a beer called Chocolate Peanut Butter Time, which is exactly what it sounds like. Why stop there? what about Luke I am Your Lager Black Lager “Imperial”?
A big congratulations to all the people and fans at Grainworks, your Champion of the Year 2023. And a big thank you to all the other local breweries that joined in the fun this year. We can’t do this without fluids and dedication.
cheers.
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Find a can of Grainworks Brewing Co. to yourself
Factoids of the 2023 Beer Cup Championship
- 44,052 votes were cast over all six voting rounds (including the nomination round) this year.
- the 2023 flag mascot You see all over Cincinnati’s favorite beer offerings Frosty Berman.
- This is the first time that the winning beer has not been a No. 1 seed since the inaugural tournament in 2019. That year, Taft Javel Banger The IPA won as the No. 2 seed.
- The 875 votes for Hells SR It is the highest single vote total for any beer on any tour in 2023. The second highest total was bohemian 790 in the same round.
- An 85-point difference in the final match makes it the closest round final ever. The next closest final round was decided by 152 votes in 2019.
- Third Eye PA (Third Eye) also made history this year, becoming the first No. 8 seed to go out in the first round, defeating the No. 1 seed. The Third Eye broke more records, continuing into the Elite Eight round, but was defeated by the No. 2 seed you betcha! (Sonder), lost by 34 votes to a shot in the Final Four.
- Last year’s runner-up was also the No. 4 seed, but Mozzi (Brink) was defeated by the top-seeded Bohemian Special Pro for their second consecutive title. Moozie was the No. 4 seed again in 2023 but was eliminated by Third Eye in the Sweet 16.
- This is the first year that a beer named Octoberfest/Oktoberfest has not made it to the Elite Eight. Every year prior, Samuel Adams had carried that torch. This year, Cellar Dweller fell to Streetside in the Round of 32 and West Side fell to Sonder in the Sweet 16.
- Grainworks’ win, located in West Chester, takes cup favorite Cincinnati Beer further north than it has in any previous year. The next closest was Taft’s in 2019, if you count the Brewpourium in Spring Grove Village, just a short drive north from Wiedemann’s in St. Bernard.
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