Another beer competition, another positive showing for New Mexico. Four local breweries claimed nine medals total at the Best of Craft Beer Awards in Bend, Oregon, this week.

Flix Brewhouse was the big winner with four medals. Luna Rosa claimed gold in the Belgian-Style Witbier category, while Mr. Brownstone also snagged gold in the English-Style Mild Ale or Brown Ale category. (Good luck not having the old Guns ‘n Roses song getting stuck in your head.) Flix also earned silver in Baltic-Style Porter with Darth Malt and a bronze with Rubus Rosa in Belgian-Style Fruit Beer.

Abbey Brewing earned two medals for two of its year-round offerings. Monks’ Ale took bronze in the Belgian-Style Table Beer or Other Belgian-Style Ale category. Monks’ Tripel, a long-time Crew favorite, picked up silver in the Belgian-Style Tripel or Pale Strong Ale category.

Sierra Blanca likewise brought home two medals. Green Chile Cerveza, one of the brewery’s staple offerings for more than a decade, earned gold in the Chili Pepper Beer category. Cherry Wheat, a gold medal winner at GABF, took bronze in the Fruit Wheat Beer category.

Rounding out the list was Tractor, which picked up a bronze for Mustachio Milk Stout in the Sweet Stout or Cream Stout category.

This is just the first of many brewery competitions set for 2018. The National IPA Challenge will kick off soon enough, and things will not slow down for several months.

Congrats to the winning brewers and we look forward to more awards in the days and weeks to come.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister