Just Brew It!  *UPDATED with winners

It was sweltering Saturday; music was thumping, people were drinking beer out of tiny plastic cups and the fire marshal came. Frat-house keg party? Hardly. The Just Economics Just Brew it Homebrew Festival took place at the Wedge this weekend, featuring more than 50 brewers with approximately 100 brews. Part of Asheville Beer Week, the event was a smashing success before it even began, with tickets selling out almost 24 hours before the first beer was poured.

Judges arrived at 1 p.m. to get a jump on the crowd in an effort to taste as many beers as possible before the 4 p.m. deadline. Who has two thumbs, tasted each of the beers and thanks her lucky stars for the White Duck Taco Shop location within walking distance of the event venue? Yes, 100 beers — and most of them were astonishingly good.

Results should roll in soon, but until then, enjoy these photos that photographer Max Cooper captured of some of the judges at work. 

*Updated! Here are the winners, according to Just Economics staff member and event organizer Mark Hebbard:

Green Man award: John Crnich/Saison De Buff
Oysterhouse award: Phillip Morris/Philly Breakfast Stout
Thirsty Monk award: Like Minded Brewing/Therese
Thirsty Monk award: Jacob Childrey/Maple Pecan Brown
Craggie award: Like Minded Brewing/Lola
Highland award: Jay Love/Hop Goblin IPA
Wedge award: Tim LaBruyere/Quasi Quasimota American Pale Ale
Riverbend and Echoview award: John Crnich/4 AM Pale Ale
Hops and Vines award: Bart Roberts/Patersbier
Brewgasm award: Alex Zdanovich/Chocolate Coconut Coffee Stout
Tony Kiss award: Matt Kane for LeFeet Po-Teet Saison
Best Name award: Craig Weitzel/ “Holy Sh!t it’s Hot” American Ale   Runner up: Travis Michaels/“Swervy Mower”
The AVL.com award: Travis Michaels/ Echo-Bend Pale Ale
Celebrity Choice award: Chris Ivesdal and Luke Weber/Kissing Jimmy
People’s Choice award: Alex Zdanovich/Chocolate Coconut Coffee Stout

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.