Aurora Brewing Challenge 2025
Awards
Judges
Kristopher Banner, Ernie Boffa, Mark Caveny, Jason Crichton, John Ferguson, Zack Filipe, Jason Foster, Dan Fox, Bryan Launier, Craig Lee, Evan Longdo, Sonu Sahi, Marie-Annick Scott, Chelsea Tessier, Gary Villeneuve, Taylor Wacey, Christopher Watts
By the Numbers
287 Entries
76 Entrants
17 Judges
1 Staff
70 Placing Entries
Table 1: Standard American Beer + International Lager
14 entries
Judges: John Ferguson, Gary Villeneuve
1st
Marc Molet-King
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Careless Wheatbeer (1D: American Wheat Beer)
2nd
Joel Dipert
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Eleanor Rigby (Picks Up The Rice) (2A: International Pale Lager)
3rd
Eric Gaudreault & Philippe Deschênes
MontreAlers
Caravane (2B: International Amber Lager)
Table 2: Czech Lager
15 entries
Judges: Zack Filipe, Christopher Watts
1st
Eric Pare & Daniel Sadovsky
MontreAlers
Radical Yeti (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)
2nd
Alexandre Metras
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Pour Habit (3D: Czech Dark Lager)
3rd
Eric Parker
VanBrewers
The Bohemian (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)
Table 3: Pale European Lager: Malty and Bitter
15 entries
Judges: Kristopher Banner, Ernie Boffa
1st
Jim Cavill
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Cuckolsch (5B: Kölsch)
2nd
Chris Bohaichuk
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
The Tears Of Mathew Tkachuk (5C: German Helles Exportbier)
3rd
Mark Caveny
Red Deer Brewers
Kolschinator (5B: Kölsch)
Table 4: German and NZ Pilsners
9 entries
Judges: Mark Caveny, Craig Lee
1st
Colin Green
GTA Brews
Diat Pils (5D: German Pils)
2nd
Blaine Kehl
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Eins Neun (5D: German Pils)
3rd
Wuilmer Venegas
GTA Brews
More Close To Dormunt (5D: German Pils)
Table 5: Amber European Lager: Malty and Bitter
13 entries
Judges: Evan Longdo, Christopher Watts
1st
Wuilmer Venegas
GTA Brews
Sweet Maillard (6C: Dunkels Bock)
2nd
Shane Schlesinger
GTA Brews
Mowmow (6A: Märzen)
3rd
Michael Szewczuk
Red Deer Brewers
Inspired By Nolan (7B: Altbier)
Table 6: Dark and Strong European Lager
16 entries
Judges: Ernie Boffa, Sonu Sahi
1st
Adam Bass
Finally!! (8A: Munich Dunkel)
2nd
Shane Schlesinger
GTA Brews
May The Schwarz Bier With You (8B: Schwarzbier)
3rd
Colin Green
GTA Brews
Doppel Bob (9A: Doppelbock)
Table 7: Ciders
11 entries
Judges: Kristopher Banner, Craig Lee
1st
Daniel Molinski
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Pie Hard With A Vengeance (C2E: Cider with Herbs/Spices)
2nd
Alex Benjamin
Redic Trials
White Peach Lime (C2B: Cider with Other Fruit)
3rd
Alex Benjamin
Redic Trials
Mcintosh (C1A: New World Cider)
Table 8: Weissbier and Belgian Wit
9 entries
Judges: Zack Filipe, Gary Villeneuve
1st
Yacine Boujija
MontreAlers
Roggen (27A8: Roggenbier)
2nd
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
The Decline (10C: Weizenbock)
3rd
Carsten Weitemeyer
GTA Brews
DARK: Keep Raising, I'm Pouring (10B: Dunkels Weissbier)
HM
Wuilmer Venegas
GTA Brews
La Margara (10A: Weissbier)
Table 9: Bitter British Beers
11 entries
Judges: Mark Caveny, Bryan Launier
1st
Andrew Byer
GTA Brews
English IPA (12C: English IPA)
2nd
Israel Michaud
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Legacy Code V6b (11B: Best Bitter)
3rd
Wesley d'Haene
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
The Guvnah Made Me Do It (11A: Ordinary Bitter)
Table 10: Brown British Beer
13 entries
Judges: Jason Crichton, John Ferguson
1st
Trevor Stevado
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Billy Porter (13C: English Porter)
2nd
Kyle Kellam
GTA Brews
Alone Down There (13B: British Brown Ale)
3rd
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
LIVE EXTRA (13C: English Porter)
Table 11: Scottish, Irish, Strong & Dark British Beer
15 entries
Judges: Kristopher Banner, Zack Filipe, Craig Lee
1st
Chad Kling
VanBrewers
Things I Could Not See (17C: Wee Heavy)
2nd
Joel Dipert
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Dark Horse (16C: Tropical Stout)
3rd
Colin Green
GTA Brews
JOHNNY DAVIDSON! (14B: Scottish Heavy)
Table 13: Pale American Ale
13 entries
Judges: Mark Caveny, Bryan Launier
1st
Wesley d'Haene
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
I'M AS REAL AS THEY COME, FROM DAY ONE FOREVER BALLIN' (18B: American Pale Ale)
2nd
James Osborne
The Iron Road (18A: Blonde Ale)
3rd
Jordan Kathnelson
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Lil' Sip Of Sunshine (18B: American Pale Ale)
Table 14: American Ale: Amber, Brown and Dark
12 entries
Judges: Evan Longdo, Gary Villeneuve
1st
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
LIVE EXTRA (27A7: Pre-Prohibition Porter)
2nd
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Night Train (20A: American Porter)
3rd
John Ruyter
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Put On The Red Light (19A: American Amber Ale)
Table 15: American IPA
13 entries
Judges: John Ferguson, Jason Foster, Gary Villeneuve
1st
Chris Bohaichuk
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Bob's Getting Pulled Tonight (21A: American IPA)
2nd
James Osborne
Sunset Express (21A: American IPA)
3rd
David Fournier
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Hop Sammich (22A: Double IPA)
Table 16: American Specialty IPA
9 entries
Judges: Dan Fox, Christopher Watts
1st
Andrew Ford
GTA Brews
CMS 2.5 (21B6: White IPA)
2nd
Andrew Purschke
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Panther Poison (21C: Hazy IPA)
3rd
Wesley d'Haene
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
MOVIN' LIKE A MAD MAN PSYCHOPATH, WARRIOR OF HIP HOPS (21C: Hazy IPA)
Table 17: Old World Sours and Brett Beers
9 entries
Judges: Chelsea Tessier, Taylor Wacey
1st
Brian Marmoreo
Swamp Witch (23F: Fruit Lambic)
2nd
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
You Should Read More Often (28A: Brett Beer)
3rd
Chris Bohaichuk
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
The Impenetrable Moustache Of Stewart Skinner (28A: Brett Beer)
Table 18: Belgian Ale
12 entries
Judges: Craig Lee, Marie-Annick Scott
1st
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Holiday In Cambodia (25B: Saison)
2nd
Riccardo Santopietro & Terry Fey
MontreAlers
T&R Belgian Blonde (25A: Belgian Blond Ale)
3rd
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Witbier (24A: Witbier)
Table 19: Monastic Ales and Hybrid Belgian Stouts
11 entries
Judges: Ernie Boffa, Mark Caveny
1st
Josh Davis
GTA Brews
Ungoliant's Laurelin (26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale)
2nd
Blaine Kehl
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Angular Momentum (26B: Belgian Dubbel)
3rd
Ryan Preston
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Midnight Sun (26A: Belgian Single)
Table 20: New World Sours
13 entries
Judges: Jason Foster, Sonu Sahi, Marie-Annick Scott
1st
Keigan Ewing
True Grist
Also Ran (LSX4: Catharina Sour)
2nd
Andrew Purschke
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
"Raspberry" Bouch Bomb (28C: Wild Specialty Beer)
3rd
Brian Marmoreo
Nosfuratu (28C: Wild Specialty Beer)
Table 21: Fruit Beers
11 entries
Judges: Chelsea Tessier, Taylor Wacey
1st
Andre Lavoie
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
Honey Mango Belgian Wit (29C: Specialty Fruit Beer)
2nd
David Fournier
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Belgian Peach (29A: Fruit Beer)
3rd
David Fournier
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
JFA Raspberry Sour (29C: Specialty Fruit Beer)
Table 22: Spiced and Experimental Beers
12 entries
Judges: Ernie Boffa, Christopher Watts
1st
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
2nd
Wesley d'Haene
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
I Think I'm Kinda Over Drum Sets (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
3rd
Steve Shaw
Winnipeg Brew Bombers
The Nutty Professor (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
Table 23: Meads
19 entries
Judges: Craig Lee, Gary Villeneuve
1st
Trevor Murray
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Kentucky Mead Pye (M2B: Pyment)
2nd
Kristopher Banner
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Honeysuckle Hysteria (M2E: Melomel)
3rd
Trevor Murray
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Meadjito (M3A: Fruit and Spice Mead)
Table 24: Smoked and Wood Beers
12 entries
Judges: John Ferguson, Dan Fox
1st
Andrew Purschke
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
Oilers In 5 (33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer)
2nd
Andrew Purschke
Edmonton Homebrewers Guild
As Black As Corey Perrys Soul (Playoff Addition) (33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer)
3rd
Normand Cyr
MontreAlers
MontreAlers Barrel-Aged BdG (33A: Wood-Aged Beer)
Best of Show
Beer
1st
Matt McNair
Cowtown Yeast Wranglers
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer)
2nd
Eric Pare & Daniel Sadovsky
MontreAlers
Radical Yeti (3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager)
3rd
Trevor Stevado
Ottawa's Homebrew Society
Billy Porter (13C: English Porter)
Brewer of the year
76 Participating Brewers [Scoring Methodology]
| Place | Brewer | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Score | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Matt McNair | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14.0306000 | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 2nd | Andrew Purschke | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9.0104000 | Edmonton Homebrewers... |
| 3rd | Andrew Ford | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7.0203000 | GTA Brews |
| 4th | Wesley d'Haene | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7.0104000 | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers |
| 5th | Chris Bohaichuk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0103000 | Edmonton Homebrewers... |
Club of the year
15 Participating Clubs [Scoring Methodology]
| Place | Club | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | HM | Score |
|---|
| 1st | GTA Brews | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 29.0614000 |
| 2nd | Cowtown Yeast Wranglers | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 27.0414000 |
| 3rd | Edmonton Homebrewers Guild | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 21.0210000 |
| 4th | Ottawa's Homebrew Society | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 20.0311000 |
| 5th | Winnipeg Brew Bombers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12.0305000 |
| 6th | MontreAlers | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12.0206000 |
| 7th | VanBrewers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.0102000 |
| 8th | True Grist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0101000 |
| 9th | Redic Trials | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.0002000 |
| 10th | Red Deer Brewers | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2.0002000 |
Scoring Methodology
Each placing entry is given the following points:
- 1st Place: 3
- 2nd Place: 2
- 3rd Place: 1
The following tie-breakers have been applied, in order of priority:
- The highest number of first places.
- The highest total number of first, second, and third places.
- The highest average score.
Thank You
Congratulations to All Medal Winners
