Seventeenth Annual Virginia Beer Blitz (2024)

Thanks to all who participated in the Seventeenth Annual Virginia Beer Blitz (2024).

There were 354 entries judged and 143 registered participants, judges, and stewards.

Best of Show Winners

Best of Show – Beer

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jordan LaFontaine	Echoes Of The Void	3D: Czech Dark Lager	Holly Springs Brusaders
2nd	Ryan Larsen	Golden Arm	25A: Belgian Blond Ale	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Jordan LaFontaine	Red Rambler	15A: Irish Red Ale	Holly Springs Brusaders

Best of Show – Mead/Cider

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Joseph Luchansky III	Cider Semi Sweet	C1B: English Cider	Seven City Brewers

The Baron of the Blitz Award (102 Participating Brewers)

Place	Brewer	1st	2nd	3rd	Score	Club
1st	Jordan LaFontaine	3	1	1	19.03	Holly Springs Brusaders

Scores and tie-breakers have been applied in accordance with the scoring methodology. Numbers reflected are rounded to the hundredth place. Hover over or tap the question mark icon () for the actual calculated value.

The Blitzkrieg Award (31 Participating Clubs)

Place	Club	1st	2nd	3rd	Score
1st	James River Homebrewers	4	7	4	45.04

Winning Entries

Table 1: Standard American Beer (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Steven Jones	252 P&R Lager (Pils/rice)	27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager	Down East Alers (DEA)
2nd	Joel Miller	Big Hammer 'Merica	1A: American Light Lager	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Allen Smith MHP	Watered Down Swill	1A: American Light Lager	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club

Table 2: Czech Lager (15 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jordan LaFontaine	Echoes Of The Void	3D: Czech Dark Lager	Holly Springs Brusaders
2nd	Norm Schaeffler	Charles (2024)	3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager	Colonial Ale Smiths & Keggers (CASK)
3rd	Phillip Vaughn	Primitive Modernist Dark Lager	3D: Czech Dark Lager	James River Homebrewers

Table 3: Pale Lager (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Carter Bundy Co-Brewer: Claire Bundy	Towards The Leicht!	5A: German Leichtbier	James River Homebrewers
2nd	Ken Hilton	What The Helles Went Wrong In Montana	4A: Munich Helles	Down East Alers (DEA)
3rd	Allen Smith MHP	Higher Standards	4A: Munich Helles	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club

Table 4: Kölsch (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Allen Smith MHP	Yeast Marketing	5B: Kölsch	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
2nd	Patrick Smith MHP	Happy Little Accident	5B: Kölsch	Seven City Brewers
3rd	Ryan Vigne MHP	EZ Sippin	5B: Kölsch	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers

Table 5: Pilsner (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeff Case MHP	Is Mosaic A New Zealand Hop?	LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner	QUAFF
2nd	Carter Bundy Co-Brewer: Claire Bundy	Mabier	5D: German Pils	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Alex Hannagan MHP	Hoppy Hobbits	5D: German Pils

Table 6: Amber & Dark Lager (17 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Clay Vick	Bob	7B: Altbier	Down East Alers (DEA)
2nd	Dexter Garner	Featherweight Hero	8B: Schwarzbier	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
3rd	Anthony Mercer	Gnarly Branch Marzen	6A: Märzen	Down East Alers (DEA)

Table 7: Strong Lager (10 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Christopher Riley	GERTA	9A: Doppelbock	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
2nd	Tony Kulas MHP	Doppelbock	9A: Doppelbock	Down East Alers (DEA)
3rd	Jim Williamson MHP	Look Who's Bock	6C: Dunkels Bock

Table 8: Wheat Beer (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Adrian Sutherland	Ho Hefe Ho	10A: Weissbier	Upper Palmetto Zymurgy Society
2nd	Jack Wallace	Fruehschoppen	10A: Weissbier
3rd	Jim Williamson MHP	Lippiheffe	10A: Weissbier

Table 9: American Ale (18 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeff Case MHP	Blonde Fu	18A: Blonde Ale	QUAFF
2nd	Jordan LaFontaine	Pale Ale	18B: American Pale Ale	Holly Springs Brusaders
3rd	Marcella LaFontaine	Thrapt Overture	18A: Blonde Ale	Holly Springs Brusaders

Table 10: American Porter & Stout (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Anthony Mercer	Mystic Porter	20A: American Porter	Down East Alers (DEA)
2nd	William Spiesberger	Stout	20B: American Stout	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Brandon Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Carla Christian	Porter	20A: American Porter	Seven City Brewers

Table 11: American & Double IPA (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Marcella LaFontaine	Blargh!	21A: American IPA	Holly Springs Brusaders
2nd	Josh Akin MHP	Soda Popinski	21A: American IPA	QUAFF
3rd	Brian Ballantine Co-Brewer: Jayson Gowdy	California Love	21A: American IPA	Nash St Homebrew Club
4th	Matthew Smiley MHP	DIPA 2	22A: Double IPA	QUAFF

Table 12: Specialty & Hazy IPA (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Carter Bundy Co-Brewer: Claire Bundy	Glow Of Sunshine	21C: Hazy IPA	James River Homebrewers
2nd	David Mitchell	Rye Love It	21B: Specialty IPA	Down East Alers (DEA)
3rd	Jonathan Marut MHP	Don't Change Anything NEIPA	21C: Hazy IPA	Cap and Hare Homebrew Club

Table 13: Pale Commonwealth Beer (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Andrew Jennings	Good On Ya Mate	12B: Australian Sparkling Ale	Battleground Brewers Guild
2nd	John Mitchell	English IPA	12C: English IPA	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Travis Kubal	Best Bitter	11B: Best Bitter

Table 14: Amber & Brown UK Beer (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Terry Withers	Porter	13C: English Porter	151 Brew Club
2nd	Allen Smith MHP	One Yeast To Rule Them All	13A: Dark Mild	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
3rd	Brian McCrickard MHP	80 Shills	14C: Scottish Export	Seven City Brewers
4th	Douglas Floyd	Brogan's Brown	13B: British Brown Ale	151 Brew Club

Table 15: Irish Red Ale (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jordan LaFontaine	Red Rambler	15A: Irish Red Ale	Holly Springs Brusaders
2nd	Adrian Sutherland	Paddy's Revenge	15A: Irish Red Ale	Upper Palmetto Zymurgy Society
3rd	Frank T Mitchell	No Taters	15A: Irish Red Ale	Beat-12 Brewing Co

Table 16: Strong Ale (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dominick Dufner MHP	My Dear Killer	22C: American Barleywine	STLBrewhogs
2nd	Ryan Larsen	Fire Pit Potion	17A: British Strong Ale	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Graham Cecil Co-Brewer: Ben Olsoe	Breakfast Of Champions	22D: Wheatwine	James River Homebrewers
HM	Jack Wallace	Sneaky Pete	22C: American Barleywine

Table 17: Belgian Ale (15 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Ryan Larsen	Golden Arm	25A: Belgian Blond Ale	James River Homebrewers
2nd	Carl Teachey	Biere D'Auria	25B: Saison	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
3rd	Natasha Crawford	Sustenance	25B: Saison	Mentoring Advanced Standards of Homebrewing (MASH)

Table 18: Monastic Ale (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Allen Smith MHP	Solix	26A: Belgian Single	Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Homebrew Club
2nd	Kristen Boucher Co-Brewer: Jeremy Boucher	The Abyss	26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Savannah Brewers League
3rd	Tracy Pratt MHP	Shimae All Day	26B: Belgian Dubbel	Battleground Brewers Guild

Table 19: Sour & Wild Ale (15 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Joel Miller	Flatlining Flanders	23B: Flanders Red Ale	James River Homebrewers
2nd	Jonathan Rollins MHP	The Oillipheist	28B: Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer	Horsemen of the Hopocalypse
3rd	Joshua Cass	Fuzzy Little Man Peach	28A: Brett Beer	James River Homebrewers

Table 20: UK & Irish Stout (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Patrick Cureton Co-Brewer: Melony Cureton	Red's Tropical Stout	16C: Tropical Stout
2nd	Phillip Vaughn	Paddy's Shillelagh	15B: Irish Stout	James River Homebrewers
3rd	Matthew Bellaver	Oatmeal Stout	16B: Oatmeal Stout	VPH And CASK

Table 21: Fruit & Spiced Beer (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Brandon Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Carla Christian	Mexican Chocolate Stout	30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Seven City Brewers
2nd	Clay Vick	Marge	30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Down East Alers (DEA)
3rd	Ryan Vigne MHP	Just The Tips V3	30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers

Table 22: Smoke & Wood Aged Beer (22 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Steven Jones	Nothing Specific To Do	33A: Wood-Aged Beer	Down East Alers (DEA)
2nd	Matthew Bellaver	Piwo Grodziskie	27A5: Piwo Grodziskie	VPH And CASK
3rd	Brian McCrickard MHP Co-Brewer: Joe Luchansky Patrick Johnson Eric Cain Larry Lentz Brian Donnegan Bob Buerger Brandon Christian Matt White Bruce Steward	7CB'S Belgian Dark Strong Ale	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Seven City Brewers

Table 23: Specialty & Experimental Beer (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeffrey Kettler Co-Brewer: Jacque Kettler	Smoked Ale	27A: Historical Beer
2nd	Kristen Boucher Co-Brewer: Jeremy Boucher	Pool Day	34C: Experimental Beer	Savannah Brewers League
3rd	Ryan Larsen	Cold As Rice	34B: Mixed-Style Beer	James River Homebrewers
HM	Ryan Vigne MHP	Keep It Humble - WFH	31B: Alternative Sugar Beer	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers

Table 24: Cider (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Joseph Luchansky III	Cider Semi Sweet	C1B: English Cider	Seven City Brewers
2nd	Bill Boyer MHP	The Eldritchberry Terrors 2023	C2B: Cider with Other Fruit	North Georgia Malt Monkeys
3rd	Brian McCrickard MHP	Tree Top	C1A: New World Cider	Seven City Brewers

Table 25: Mead (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	John Fulton MHP	Sour Mead	M4C: Experimental Mead
2nd	Ken Rygh	Strawberry Rhubarb Mead	M3A: Fruit and Spice Mead	Colonial Ale Smiths & Keggers (CASK)
3rd	Josh Akin MHP	Punky Bruiser	M1A: Dry Mead	QUAFF

Account Registration Closed

Account registrations accepted 01/06/2024 1:00 PM, EST through 04/19/2024 6:45 PM, EDT.

Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 01/06/2024 1:00 PM, EST through 04/18/2024 8:00 PM, EDT.