Arizona beers are the toast of the nationwide competition

PHOENIX — A couple of local breweries are the toast of the country following a national competition.

The U.S. Open Beer Championships recently took place in Oxford, Ohio, and 12 West Brewing Company in Mesa brought home a gold medal for its “Smooth Transitions” beer in the International Pale Ale category.

“We’re just super stoked and very flattered,” Justin “Gully” Gullickson, the head brewer and part owner of 12 West Brewing Company told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday. “It gives us motivation.  Brewing is a tough job sometimes.  It keeps morale up and helps us when we’re sweating our butts off in a 105-degree brewery sometimes.

“It’s never won anything before.  We’ve only brewed it twice so it’s kind of a surprise.”

“Smooth Transitions,” according to 12 West Brewing’s web site, is a Pale Ale with Nelson, Belma, and Cryo Mosaic hops with 5.1% alcohol by volume.

“We’re trying to make more glean beers, not really bitter beers,” Gullickson said  “We wanted to make something people wanted to have a few of.”

OHSO Brewery in Gilbert took home a silver medal for its Tea Beer “Sudoku.”

“We are happy to help represent Arizona beer culture on a national stage,” Madison Thompson said for OHSO in a release to KTAR News 92.3 on Friday.

“Sudoku” is a 4.8% alcohol by volume and 8 International Bitterness Units, according to Untapped.

Huss Brewing in Phoenix took home a bronze for American Berry/Fruit Beer – Blueberry for its “Papago Blueberry Wheat.”

“We are thrilled! It is an immense honor for our beer to be recognized with this award as we launched this brew just this year,” Jeff Huss, the co-owner of Huss Brewing Co. said in a comment to KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday. “We are delighted to see its popularity steadily rise and look forward to its continued growth.”

According to the Huss Brewing website, Papago Blueberry Wheat is 4.7% alcohol by volume and 16 IBU.

Grand Canyon Brewery in Williams took home a trio of medals — a silver and two bronzes — for “Prickly Pear Wheat” (American Berry/Fruit Beer – General/Other, silver medal), “Kachina Throwback” (American Wheat, bronze) and “Sacred Saguaro” (Vienna-Style Lager, bronze).

More than 9,000 beers from 3,107 over 170 different styles were entered in the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Toppling Goliath Brewing in Decorah, Iowa was awarded the Grand National Championship after winning four gold medals. For a full list of the winners, visit the U.S. Open Beer Championship’s website.