Goose Island, Three Floyds and Rock Bottom medal at World Beer Cup

While all of you were hitting the patios and doubling your alcohol intake in preparation for summer or maybe getting a jump on yard work, Goose Island, Three Floyds and Rock Bottom Chicago were representing the Chi in San Diego at the World Beer Cup 2008 this weekend.

The annual event, put on by the Brewers Association, awards gold, silver and bronze medals in 85 style categories, and also recognizes individual breweries and brewmasters for basically being bad-asses. Goose's Matilda took silver in the Belgian and French–style Ale and its 312 won a silver in the English-style Summer Ale category. Three Floyds' Behemoth took gold in the Imperial or Double Red Ale category while their Dread Naught was awarded bronze in the Imperial or Double India Pale Ales slot. Rock Bottom won gold in American-style Stouts for its Terminal Stout. The full list of winners is here (PDF).

Some of my personal favorites also scored awards, including Rogue's Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale (bronze in Specialty Ales), Brewery Ommegang's Witte (silver in Belgian-style Whites), Oud Beersel's Oude Geuze Ale (silver in Belgian-style Sours) and Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout (gold in British-style Imperial Stouts). But I have to question who's judging and just what kind of palate would have given medals to Steel Reserve, Busch Ice, Old Milwaukee Light and Natty Light. True, winning the category of American-style Lagers is like being crowned King Turd amongst a pile of shit, but I hereby challenge all local brewers to come up with a lager that can take down Pabst, Miller and Anheuser-Busch next year. Winner gets...a subscription to TOC? A date with our sex and dating columnist?* You name it.

* Not going to happen. But you can always dream.