Winners - 2025 America's Finest City Homebrew Competition

Table 1: Standard American Beer (15 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Ross Stuart	American Lager	American Lager	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
2nd	Jamie Crawford	It's Funny When They're Later Made To Celebrate The Shit They Said Was Garbage	American Lager
3rd	Mario Tosta	Elevation American Light Lager	American Light Lager	Ace Brewing Society

Table 2: International Lager (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Thomas Taylor Shastid	Rollin' Wheels And Shiftin Gear	International Amber Lager	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
2nd	Eli Palma	Cello Azul	International Pale Lager	QUAFF
3rd	Thomas Taylor Shastid	International Harvester	International Pale Lager	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)

Table 3: Czech Lager (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Steven Severn	Dark Amber	Czech Amber Lager	Orange County Mash Ups
2nd	Ross Stuart	Czech Dark Lager	Czech Dark Lager	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd	Jason Dunn	The Most Gluggable	Czech Dark Lager	Inland Empire Brewers

Table 4: Pale Malty European Lager (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	James Kelley	One Helles Of A Ride	Munich Helles
2nd	Edward Revord	Hellofa Helles	Munich Helles	Bluffs Brewers Guild
3rd	Alex Rezmerski	Cliftyfest	Festbier	Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society, LTD
HM	Michael Chalukian	Helles Of A Day	Munich Helles

Table 5: Pale Bitter European Beer (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jim Thompson	Dock & Pearl	Kölsch	Oregon Brew Crew
2nd	Matthew Young	Fine As Frog Hair	German Pils	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	David Gulotta	Das Siegtreffer (The Winning Goal)	German Pils	Ace Brewing Society

Table 6: Amber Malty European Lager (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Kim Hynek	M.J.'s Smoken' Good Time	Rauchbier	Red Earth Brewers
2nd	Trevor McGuire	Three Fire Emojis	Rauchbier	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd	Doug Walker	Unckle Dunkles	Dunkels Bock	Inland Empire Brewers
HM	Alex Rezmerski	Mehr München!	Dunkels Bock	Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society, LTD

Table 7: Amber Bitter European Beer (10 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Thomas Taylor Shastid	Althea Told Me	Altbier	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
2nd	Stephen Schmitt	Salzburg Lager	Vienna Lager	Evanston Homebrew Club
3rd	Ben Sookying	Altered Happiness	Altbier	Crown of the Valley Brewing Society

Table 8: Dark European Lager (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Richard Bagnell	Dunkle Down	Munich Dunkel	QUAFF
2nd	Ben Sookying	Kru Thai	Schwarzbier	Crown of the Valley Brewing Society
3rd	James Kelley	Schwartz Happens	Schwarzbier
HM	Juan Pablo Salcedo	Oskel	Munich Dunkel	Tijuana Homebrew Club

Table 9: Strong European Beer (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Andy Cox	Ice Ice Baby	Eisbock	Underground Brewers of Connecticut
2nd	Tyler Miller	Nightmare Dressed Like A Daydream	Doppelbock	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd	Scott Rauvola	Baltik Porter	Baltic Porter	QUAFF

Table 10: German Wheat Beer (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Michael Rensing	Fawn Knutsen	Dunkels Weissbier	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
2nd	Stephen Schmitt	Leverkusen	Weizenbock	Evanston Homebrew Club
3rd	Doug Walker	Darth Maltious	Weizenbock	Inland Empire Brewers

Table 11: British Bitter (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Tyler Miller	Mastermind	Ordinary Bitter	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
2nd	Thomas Taylor Shastid	Yeah Baby!	Best Bitter	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
3rd	Jason Justeson	ESB	Strong Bitter	Brewing Borrachos

Table 12: Pale Commonwealth Beer (6 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Thomas Taylor Shastid	Moneypenny	English IPA	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
2nd	Michael Rensing	Island In The Sun	English IPA	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
3rd	Jason Dunn	Brass Necked	British Golden Ale	Inland Empire Brewers

Table 13: Brown British Beer (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Scott Estlund	It's A Bit Nutty!	British Brown Ale	The Brü Club
2nd	Tyler Miller	Karma Is A Cat	Dark Mild	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
3rd	Roxy Garcia	May I Have Some Moar?	English Porter	SoCal Cerveceros (SCC)

Table 14: Scottish Ale (7 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Doug Walker	Giving Her All She's Got	Scottish Export	Inland Empire Brewers
2nd	Bill Boyer	It's A Kilt, Not A Skirt!	Scottish Export	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Jim Williamson	Scottichronicon	Scottish Export	M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers

Table 15: Irish Beer (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Paul Domich	Shmiddy	Irish Red Ale	Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE)
2nd	Kevin Masaryk	The Hunt For Irish Red	Irish Red Ale	QUAFF
3rd	Dirk Montgomery	Old Walking Stick	Irish Extra Stout	Red Earth Brewers

Table 16: Dark British Beer (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Josh Word	Tropic Like Its Hot	Tropical Stout	Bay Area Mashtronauts
2nd	Jeffry Battles	Southpaw Milk Stout	Sweet Stout	QUAFF
3rd	Jeff Case	Right Foot Milk Stout	Sweet Stout	QUAFF

Table 17: Strong British Ale (5 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Benjamin Frymark	Hello Newman	Wee Heavy	QUAFF
2nd	Patrick Leon	Peacoat Buttons	British Strong Ale	QUAFF
3rd	Jeff Case	Moving Concrete Goalposts	Wee Heavy	QUAFF

Table 18: Pale American Ale (26 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Nathan Hausch	Speedos And Sweaters	New Zealand Pilsner	QUAFF
2nd	Tom Fontes	Rose Park Pale '25	American Pale Ale	Long Beach Homebrewers
3rd	Chad Russell	951 Blonde Ale	Blonde Ale	Mash Masters

Table 19: Amber and Brown American Beer (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Kim Hynek	Come On California!	California Common	Red Earth Brewers
2nd	Travis Johnson	Moose On The Loose	American Brown Ale	QUAFF
3rd	Brent Krohn	Georgy Porgey- RDS	American Amber Ale	QUAFF
HM	Emersen Heron	Glenny Balls MVP	American Brown Ale	Red Earth Brewers

Table 20: American Porter & Stout (19 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Chris Erdos	B. Doodle Stout	American Stout
2nd	Doug Walker	48B- Eternal Foundation	Imperial Stout	Inland Empire Brewers
3rd	Jason Justeson	Borracho Porter	American Porter	Brewing Borrachos
HM	Jamie Crawford	Taking On Water	American Stout

Table 21: IPA (29 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Mike & Stephanie Butler	Habitual Bitcher	American IPA	Kansas City Bier Meisters
2nd	Eli Palma	FAYUCA	Black IPA	QUAFF
3rd	Steven Severn	Janet's Brown	Brown IPA	Orange County Mash Ups
HM	Curtis Ritter	Un·right·eous	American IPA	Ace Brewing Society

Table 22: Strong American Ale (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Michael Rensing	Samsquanch	American Barleywine	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
2nd	Curtis Ritter	Jennifer	American Barleywine	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Guille Velasco	BWII	American Barleywine	Tijuana Homebrew Club

Table 23: European Sour Ale (5 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Benjamin Frymark	Ich Bin Ein Berliner	Berliner Weisse	QUAFF
2nd	Benjamin Frymark	It's Not A Lie If You Believe It	Lambic	QUAFF
3rd	Scott Rauvola	Kaiser Söze's Gose	Gose	QUAFF

Table 24: Belgian Ale (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Doug Walker	Frank N' Brü	Bière de Garde	Inland Empire Brewers
2nd	Jeff Case	One Day In Bruges	Belgian Pale Ale	QUAFF
3rd	Dan Stoneman	Goldie's Wit	Witbier	QUAFF

Table 25: Strong Belgian Ale (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Sean Gardinier	Saisean	Saison	QUAFF
2nd	Jim Williamson	Belgicism	Belgian Blond Ale	M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers
3rd	Michael Rensing	The Stranger	Belgian Golden Strong Ale	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)

Table 26: Monastic Ale (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Josh Word	Belgian Single	Belgian Single	Bay Area Mashtronauts
2nd	Guille Velasco	ABT 24	Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Tijuana Homebrew Club
3rd	Justin Holman	Quad	Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)

Table 27: Historical Beer (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Cole Christian	Pre-Purrritanical F***ery Lager	Pre-Prohibition Lager	DC Homebrewers
2nd	David Towles	Kentucky Common	Kentucky Common	High Plains Drafters [TX]
3rd	Scott Rauvola	Sons Of Liberty	Pre-Prohibition Porter	QUAFF
HM	Deborah And Marc Prichard	Drunken Pony	Kentucky Common	Kansas City Bier Meisters

Table 28: American Wild Ale (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Daniel Emmerling	Raspberry Chocolate Sour	Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer
2nd	Scott Rauvola	Tank 7	Brett Beer	QUAFF
3rd	Stephen Schmitt	The Rare Barrel	Straight Sour Beer	Evanston Homebrew Club

Table 29: Fruit Beer (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Bill Boyer	Red Plum Straight And Sour	Fruit Beer	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
2nd	Travis Johnson	Hit Me With Your Best Tart	Specialty Fruit Beer	QUAFF
3rd	Ryan Vigne	Vigne Terroir	Grape Ale	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers

Table 30: Spiced Beer (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Masahiro Kitano	Go Ma Me	Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	SoCal Cerveceros (SCC)
2nd	Benjamin Frymark	No Soup For You	Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	QUAFF
3rd	Ryan Vigne	Just The Tips - White Mosaic	Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers
HM	Paul Pitre	Chocolate Vanilla Hunter's Stout	Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Redstick Brewmasters

Table 31: Alternative Fermentables Beer (4 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Benjamin Frymark	The Marble Rye	Alternative Grain Beer	QUAFF
2nd	Mike & Stephanie Butler	That's A Dead Horse....Don't Ride It Anymore	Alternative Grain Beer	Kansas City Bier Meisters
3rd	Benjamin Frymark	Kramerica	Alternative Sugar Beer	QUAFF

Table 32: Smoked Beer (4 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Richard Bagnell	A Fireplace In Vienna	Specialty Smoked Beer	QUAFF
2nd	Benjamin Frymark	Smokey The Beer	Classic Style Smoked Beer	QUAFF
3rd	Michael Rensing	Mark It 8, Dude	Classic Style Smoked Beer	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)

Table 33: Wood Beer (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Scott Rauvola	BA Sons Of Liberty	Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	QUAFF
2nd	Michael Chalukian	Night In The Woods	Wood-Aged Beer
3rd	Mike Neice	Bean Turd Curdle	Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Ace Brewing Society

Table 34: Specialty Beer (6 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Scott Rauvola	Irascible Elf	Experimental Beer	QUAFF
2nd	Steven Severn	Six Wheat Under: Rum	Experimental Beer	Orange County Mash Ups
3rd	Jeff Case	Passionfruit Mousse Imperial Golden Desert Stout	Experimental Beer	QUAFF

Table 35: Standard Cider & Perry (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Bill Boyer	Being There - US05 - Indian Summer	New World Cider	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
2nd	Josh Word	Cider	New World Cider	Bay Area Mashtronauts
3rd	Scott Estlund	Blame It On Bill!	New World Cider	The Brü Club

Table 36: Specialty Cider & Perry (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Alan Turken	Good-N-Sweet	Ice Cider	QUAFF
2nd	Bill Boyer	Slowpoke Rodriguez	Cider with Herbs/Spices	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Ross Stuart	Strawberry Cider	Cider with Other Fruit	Arizona Society of Homebrewers

Table 37: Traditional Mead (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Bill Boyer	Szlachta	Sweet Mead	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
2nd	Scott Estlund	Tropical Hot Dog Night V2	Sweet Mead	The Brü Club
3rd	Ryan Fowler	Ap-Pear-Ently Traditional	Semi-Sweet Mead
HM	Jeffry Battles	Semi-Sweet Mead	Semi-Sweet Mead	QUAFF

Table 38: Fruit Mead (32 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Ryan Fowler	Peach Melomel V2	Stone Fruit Mead
2nd	Bill Boyer	If She Weighed The Same As A Duck... She's Made Of Wood	Melomel	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Ryan Fowler	Mango Vanilli V2	Stone Fruit Mead
HM	Karl Kahleck	Pomegranate Mulberry Mead	Melomel	QUAFF

Table 39: Spiced Mead (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeffry Battles	Lemon & Ginger Mead	Fruit and Spice Mead	QUAFF
2nd	Bill Boyer	Chocolate Trojiniak	Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Bill Boyer	Dark Chocolate Merlot Valkyries Horn	Fruit and Spice Mead	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
HM	Bill Boyer	Ram's Bladder Cup	Fruit and Spice Mead	North Georgia Malt Monkeys

Table 40: Specialty Mead (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Melissa Greenfield	German Chocolate Cake Bochet	Experimental Mead	QUAFF
2nd	Bill Boyer	Wilford Brimley	Historical Mead	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Garrett Freeman	Blueberry Muffin Mead	Experimental Mead	Red Earth Brewers