Winners Circle: Business of the Year Awards and Total Domination at the US Open Beer Championship
When it comes to beer and spirits competitions, the reign of craft malt is undeniable. In 2022, numerous brewers, all using Riverbend malts, clinched top honors in industry competitions across the nation. The following year, 2023, Tennessee-based Riverbend user Chattanooga Whiskey was crowned Craft Producers of the Year by American Whiskey Magazine, a testament to their quality and craftsmanship. This success story was echoed by many others who brought home a slew of distinctions.
Now, we’re here to express our heartfelt thanks and admiration to the Riverbend malt supporters who emerged victorious in the 2024 industry competitions. Y’all’s dedication and passion have not only brought you success but have also enriched the craft brewing and distilling community.
The 2024 Great American Beer Festival
Georgia brewers Cherry Street Brewing and Rock Solid Brewing both took home bronze medals at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) for That Coconut Porter and Beauty is in the Rye of the Beholder, respectively.
2024 John Barleycorn Awards
A big shout out to Chemist Spirits, who snagged the coveted double gold in the Barleycorn Awards for American Single Malt. This whiskey, made with Riverbend Dark Munich and Southern Select, is a testament to Chemist’s dedication to both tradition and innovation. It truly captures the essence of the South, further authenticated by the recent ratification of American Single Malt as an official whiskey category by the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau in December of 2024. Cheers to Chemist for their early adoption and dedication to this whiskey category.
US Open Beer Championship
Cherry Street Brewing was named #5 on the top 10 breweries list for the 2024 US Open Beer Championship, taking home a total of six awards across gold, silver, and bronze. Fullsteam Brewery took home not one but two pieces of hardware with a gold medal for Hard Frost, a hard-spiced, brandy barrel-aged, native persimmon strong ale, and bronze for Reset: Blonde. Other winners include Akademia Brewing Co. and Mountain Layers Brewing Co., which took home silver with Just Give Me ALL The Bacon and Smoke Over Lublin, respectively. Also, the bronze winners were Gravel Road Brewing Co. and Harding House Brewing.
2024 Spirits Business of the Year Awards
Riverbend supporter Astraea Spirits was honored as a nominee in the gin category at London’s prestigious Spirits Business of the Year Awards! Astraea’s gins are proudly made with Riverbend malt, and to be included in this remarkable category is a true reflection of the distillery’s passion, craftsmanship, and innovation.
2024 NCCBC Awards
2024 marked the 13th anniversary of the North Carolina Brewers Cup competition. This year, 934 entries were submitted by 126 independent North Carolina craft breweries, including some genuinely innovative Riverbend malt users who, between them, brought home a total of 11 medals and 1 honorable mention.
In gold hardware, shout it out to Lenny Boy Brewing, who snagged the distinction for Tropicalus and Raspberry Kaleidoscope. Other gold winners include 1718 Brewing Ocracoke with their 1718 – XPA, Salt Face Mule Brewing Company for Mosey On Over, and Cellarest Beer Project for Cinder.
Silver winners include Happy Valley Filling Station for Long Summer and Diatribe Brewing Co. for English Dark Mild. Bronze hardware came home with Fullsteam Brewing for Paycheck, Happy Valley Filling Station for Everything Delightful #2, Bright Penny Brewing for On Wednesday’s We Wheatwine, and Cellarest Beer Project for Paramon. Cellarest also won an Honorable Mention for Haywood Haylife.
Congrats to all of the NCCBC Award winners!
2024 NC Business of the Year: Weldon Mills
Long-standing Riverbend customer Weldon Mills Distillery was named one of the four top small businesses of the year in the 2024 Small Business of the Year Awards, sponsored by Business North Carolina Magazine. We would like to congratulate and thank Weldon Mills for their commitment to and investment in local malt.
It was an honor to share the stage with their team last month as one of the other three Small Business of the Year Award winners! We are proud and humbled to receive this recognition for the great work of our team at Riverbend Malt House!
