Awards for Judges’ Choice Best in Show and Best in Class in 12 categories as well as People’s Choice Best Beer, Best Cider, Best Food and Best Label Design and Runner Up were presented onsite at the 23rd Annual Okanagan Fest of April 13 & 14, 2018 in Penticton.
The difficult job of determining top honours for the awards fell upon a panel of 9 industry experts including Joe Wiebe (Beer Writer, Craft Beer Revolution), Jan Zeschky (Beer Writer), Jason van Rassel (Original Levity & Avenue Edmonton), Wade Dhooge (Cask & Barrel), Jim Martin (Metro Liquor), Rebecca Whyman, (Beernesday.com), Monica Frost (BC Ale Trail & BC Craft Brewers Guild), Lundy Dale (Pink Pints & BC Craft Beer Month), and Tim Lahay (Craft Beer Tourist).
The Judging panel put their palettes to the test to determine which beers and ciders would take top honours from 122 different craft beers and ciders while the patrons put forward their preference for People’s Choice winners by electronic ballot with the craft loving crew from Canadian Craft Tours.
Hand crafted awards created by local artisan Tim Tweed were distributed to the winners as follows:
| Judges’ Choice Award Winners | |
| Best in Show | Tart Wild Ale with Plum – Luppolo Brewing Company, Vancouver BC |
| Best in Class | |
| Best Amber/Dark Ale | Cinders Red Rye – CrossRoads Brewing, Prince George BC |
| Best Cider | Dad Bod – BC Tree Fruits Cider, Kelowna BC |
| Best Fruit Beer | Park Life Passion Fruit Ale – Bomber Brewing, Vancouver BC |
| Best IPA | Humans IPA – The Parkside Brewery, Port Moody BC |
| Best Pale Ale | Fashionably Late – Moon Under Water Brewery, Victoria BC |
| Best Pilsner/Lager/Kölsch | Los Muertos Cerveza Negra – Bad Tattoo Brewing, Penticton BC |
| Best Saison | Pamela – BNA Brewing Co, Kelowna BC |
| Best Sour | Tart Wild Ale with Plum – Luppolo Brewing Company, Vancouver BC |
| Best Specialty Beer | Nightwatch Coffee Lager – Lighthouse Brewing Company, Victoria BC |
| Best Specialty IPA | Hit the Deck Hazy IPA – Fernie Brewing Company, Fernie BC |
| Best Stout/Porter | Péché Mortel Imperial Espresso Stout – Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, Montreal, QC |
| Best Wheat Ale | Sublime Pineapple Hefeweizen – Moody Ales, Port Moody BC |
| People’s Choice Award Winners | |
| Best Beer | Blueberry Blast Kettle Sour – Dead Frog Brewery, Aldergrove BC |
| Best Cider | Broken Ladder Pears & Peaches Sparkling Cider – BC Tree Fruits Cider, Kelowna, BC |
| Best Food | Brodo Kitchen, Penticton BC |
| Best Label Design | Moscow Mule – Dead Frog Brewery, Aldergrove BC |
| Best Label Design Runner Up | Los Muertos Cerveza Negra – Bad Tattoo Brewing, Penticton BC |
Thank you to our Industry sponsors Air Liquide, WestKey Graphics, Super Deluxe Creative, and Direct Tap for supporting the these great breweries and cideries year round and for supporting the 2018 Awards.
A special mention also to Universal Packaging for providing the growlers for collection, to the Penticton Sandman four housing our judges, to Canadian Linen for their support on the brewers on and offsite and to Clancy’s Liquor Store for making these great brews available on site at the event.
Congratulation to all and Cheers to great beers and ciders!