2 Seattle-area breweries win gold medals at global beer competition

Cloudburst Brewing of Seattle and Resonate Brewery of Bellevue won gold medals last week at the prestigious World Beer Cup competition, one of the industry’s highest honors. Washington state fared well at the awards, bringing home a trophy case of medals.

In a blind tasting, the judging panel in Indianapolis awarded Cloudburst first place in the Strong Red Ale category for its Peaked in High School ale, which is brewed with hops from Yakima and Oregon. Cloudburst, under brewer Steve Luke, also took second place in the American-style Amber Lager category for its Ebb and Flow beer.

Bellevue’s Resonate took first place in the German-style Altbier category for its medium-body malty ale, Lithium.

You can sample those two gold-medal beers at the breweries’ tasting rooms; visit cloudburstbrew.com and resonatebrewery.com for hours and addresses.

Started in 1996, the World Beer Cup draws craft breweries from around the globe. There were 8,375 beer entries from 49 countries this year, with 265 judges — beer critics, historians and other industry experts — splitting up to blind-taste samples from 100 styles of beer.

Five other Washington state breweries took home gold medals in different categories:

• Wander Brewing in Bellingham, for its Champagne Toast beer;
• Bremerton’s Silver City for its Ridgetop Red;
• Barrel Mountain Brewing in Battle Ground, Clark County, for its Starway stout;
• Grains of Wrath Brewing in Camas, Clark County, for its Punchface Champion the Imperial India Pale Ale; 
• No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane for its Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout.

Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews took home two silver medals, while other breweries notched a single second-place finish apiece: Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle; Bellevue Brewing Co.; Formula Brewing in Issaquah; Four Generals Brewing in Renton; Valhöll Brewing in Poulsbo; and Silver City Brewery in Bremerton.

Elsewhere around Seattle, Georgetown Brewing, Stoup Brewing, Seapine Brewing and Project 9 Brewing all took home bronze medals.