Captain Fatty's "Kalliope"
With the help of 33 volunteers and stewards, 118 certified beer judges (yes, that's a real title) sampled 1,580 beer entries that came from 230 California breweries in a record-breaking 64 categories. The higher number of categories is due to the fact brewers are getting more crafty with their brews. New categories include: Coffee Beer, Chocolate Beer, Honey Beer, and more. The number of entries once again makes the California State Fair's competition the third largest in the country.
The California Commercial Beer Competition recognizes the best brewers in California. Only beers brewed and available for sale in California were judged in the competition. Beers are evaluated in numerous classes and judged based on taste, color, and quality.
The judging took place over a 3-day period from June 7 - 9. On the last day, a panel of judges named the Best of Show and Brewery of the Year. The Best of Show was awarded to Captain Fatty's Brewery in Goleta for their Berliner-Style Weisse called "Kalliope." The honor of Brewery of Year went to Mraz Brewing Company in El Dorado Hills, which won 8 gold medals. A complete list of Commercial Beer Competition winners can be found here.
Captain Fatty's Brewery and Mraz Brewing Co. will be honored along with the Best of Show winners from the Commercial Wine, Cheese, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil competitions at 10:30a.m. Thursday, June 21 at a press event on the West Steps of the Capitol. Later that evening, the winners of those competitions will sample and pour their winning product at Cal Expo during the Best of California Tasting starting at 5:30 p.m. For ticket information visit CAStateFair.org/gala
There will be a chance to taste the top brews during the California State Fair. The Best of California Brewfest happens on Saturday, July 21. Discount tickets are on sale for this 21 and older event here. Brewfest starts at 2:00 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 3:00 p.m. for general admission. The 2018 California State Fair runs July 13 - 29th. For a full list of competition results, visit the California State Fair website at www.castatefair.org/participate/competitions/