WABA Special Awards
In addition to placements for the final style categories, the Washington Brewers Awards will provide some special awards in a few other areas. Special recognition will be provided to:
- Breweries of the Year: Awarded to breweries who win recognition in multiple style categories. Each medal earned by a brewery will contribute points towards their Brewery of the Year total as a function of place (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). Brewery of the Year awards will be awarded to different brewery classes as a function of their annual production volumes.
- Large Brewery of the Year Sponsored by Briess Malt and Ingredients
- Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year Sponsored by YCH Hops, Yakima Chief-Hopunion
- Small Brewery of the Year Sponsored by Washington Hops Commission
- Very Small Brewery of the Year Sponsored by Crosby Hops
- Best Washington Agricultural Product Inspired Beer: Awarded to the beer that best features Washington-produced ingredients. The beer must artistically express the unique Washington-produced ingredient character. This award excludes Washington-produced hops and malts (even though we do greatly appreciate our state’s excellent hop and malt producers). (Special Award Rules)
- Best Washington Malt Beer: Awarded to the beer that best showcases Washington produced malt. The beer's malt bill must use 100% malt grown and malted in Washington state. The best beer will be selected on technical and stylistic merits relative to the other all-Washington malt beers submitted. (Special Award Rules)
- Sponsored by Skagit Valley Malting
- Washington Pro-Am Special Awards: Awarded to best beers that were scaled up from Washington homebrewer recipes and produced for commercial production by a Washington brewery. (Special Award Rules)
- Washington Collaboration Special Awards: Awarded to best beers that were created by a collaborative process with another brewery. (Special Award Rules)
- Fresh Hop Competition: A second competition to be held in the fall to recognize Fresh Hop beers (further details on the Fresh Hop Competition will come later in the year). (Special Award Rules)