Monday night, the Washington beer world converged under the fluorescent glow of the SeaTac DoubleTree ballroom — a gathering equal parts industry reunion, sensory showdown, and liquid love letter to craft. Brewers in flannel and boots traded hugs and medals, hoisting pints in a celebration of patience, precision, and the noble art of not taking brewing too seriously. It was the 2025 Washington Beer Awards, the annual reckoning of barley and brilliance, where 155 breweries submitted more than 1,000 beers to be judged, sniffed, sipped, and exalted.
This year’s results read like a map of the state’s evolving flavor — old masters and new mischief-makers alike walking the same golden stage. Garden Path Fermentation of Burlington continued its eccentric, yeast-wild reign, claiming Very Small Brewery of the Year. Renton’s meticulous Four Generals Brewing earned Small Brewery of the Year. Grains of Wrath Brewing, the thrash-metal alchemists of Camas, thundered away with Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year (again). And Stoup Brewing–Ballard, Seattle’s scientist-poets of precision, swept Large Brewery of the Year with a pile of pilsner glory.
The Pro-Am trophy went to Logan Brewing and Browns Point Homebrew Club members Paul Bekkers and Tristan McCoy for Portal to Helles, while the Collaboration Gold went to Wander Brewing and Otherlands Beer for Terre Du Soleil, a mixed-culture masterpiece that sounded like sunshine poured through oak.
Down in the South Sound, our home turf flexed some serious medal muscle. Wet Coast Brewing of Gig Harbor snagged multiple medals — including gold for Costa Húmeda Vienna Lager and silver for Harbor Light Contemporary Pilsner — a clean sweep that proves the South Sound still drinks with distinction. Tacoma’s brewing scene raised its collective pint in salute.
So today, Peaks & Pints offers a toast in flight form — a celebratory quintet of medal-winners that embody the state’s diverse brilliance. From classic pilsners to peat-dark scotch ales, this is Washington beer at its best: creative, grounded, and gloriously alive.
Peaks & Pints 2025 Washington Beer Awards Flight
Reuben’s Brews Pilsner
5.4% ABV | Seattle, WA | Gold Medal, American-Style Pilsner
If elegance could fizz, it would look like Reuben’s Brews Pilsner — the gold medal winner that makes minimalism feel like a miracle. Crisp as clean linen, balanced as a prayer, it hums with noble hops and restrained floral snap. This isn’t flash; it’s discipline dressed as delight. Every sip glows with the quiet confidence of a brewery that knows when to stop — and when to let brilliance breathe.
Georgetown Johnny Utah
5.6% ABV | Seattle, WA | Gold Medal, American-Style Pale Ale
Still the beer that defines the laid-back side of Northwest hop culture, Georgetown Brewing‘s Johnny Utah took home gold again because it can’t help being magnetic. Citra hops snap with grapefruit, peach, and just enough bitterness to keep you honest. It’s the cool kid who never tried to be — fresh, balanced, endlessly drinkable, and somehow still the life of the party nine years running.
Georgetown Dalton
6.5% ABV | Seattle, WA | Silver Medal, American-Style Strong Pale Ale
If Johnny Utah is the friendly wave, Dalton is the firm handshake. Bolder, brassier, a silver-winning powerhouse built on the same hop foundation but amped with richer malt tone and amplified citrus. It’s polished yet playful, the kind of beer that walks into a room, orders wings, and somehow leaves with a trophy.
Barrel Mountain Starway
6% ABV | Battle Ground, WA | Gold Medal, British & Irish Stout
The gold-winning Starway is a midnight sermon in a pint — roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee wrapped in soft cream and silence. Barrel Mountain Brewing built it like a fireside confession: simple, sincere, and hauntingly smooth. It’s not about innovation; it’s about illumination — proof that darkness, handled gently, can feel like grace.
Top Rung My Dog Scout Stout
6.8% ABV | Lacey, WA | Silver Medal, American-Style Stout
Top Rung Brewing’s My Dog Scout Stout struts in like a kilted hero — caramel malt gleaming, toffee and toast rising like campfire smoke over the moors of your imagination. It’s malt-forward without apology, soft-edged yet sturdy, a beer that wears its sweetness like a weathered leather jacket. Beneath it all, a whisper of roast and history: the taste of craftsmanship unhurried by trend.
Peaks & Pints 2025 Washington Beer Awards Flight
Five medal-winning beers. One gold-plated state of mind. Drink the proof that Washington beer doesn’t just compete — it commands.
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