Thanks to all who participated in the 2025 Happy Holidays Homebrew Competition.
There were 628 entries judged and 273 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Heath Johns | Vahevala Blend 3 | 23F: Fruit Lambic | |
| 2nd | Brian McCrickard | Dark Obsidian | 20B: American Stout | Seven City Brewers |
| 3rd | David Towles | International Dark Lager | 2C: International Dark Lager | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
Winning Entries
Table 1: American and International Pale Lagers (15 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Michael Rensing MHP | Massie Furgeson | 2A: International Pale Lager | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| 2nd | Stephen Polczynski MHP | Polk Lite | 1A: American Light Lager | Red Earth Brewers |
| 3rd | Mark Niemczewski | Tokyo Chill | 2A: International Pale Lager | Urban Knaves of Grain |
Table 2: Pilsners (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Metts Potter | Good Ole Days | 27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager | Bloatarian Brewing League |
| 2nd | William Vigil MHP | Tide Pool | 5D: German Pils | Ace Brewing Society |
| 3rd | Mark Kunzelmann | The Pilgrim | 27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager | St. Louis Brews |
Table 3: German Pale Lagers (24 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Steve Powell | Festbier 2025 | 4B: Festbier | Big Sioux Brewing Society |
| 2nd | Brian Chandler | Bernice | 4A: Munich Helles | |
| 3rd | Brian McCrickard MHP | Hellesbrau | 4A: Munich Helles | Seven City Brewers |
Table 4: Czech Lagers (24 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Timothy Wicklund MHP | Lagerboyz Amber | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Keepers of Craft |
| 2nd | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Czech Chad Out! | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | Red Earth Brewers |
| 3rd | Jay Brantley MHP | The Self-Improvement Of Salvadore Ross | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | PC Mashers |
Table 5: Light Hybrids (25 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Eric Rodriguez | Liquid Sunshine | 1C: Cream Ale | Brewers Anonymous |
| 2nd | Robby Narquis | Inland Ice | 18A: Blonde Ale | Mid Columbia Zymurgy Association |
| 3rd | David Towles MHP | Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
Table 6: Amber Lagers and Hybrids (32 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Cody Barrier | 1st Night In Vienna | 7A: Vienna Lager | ZZHops Homebrewing Club |
| 2nd | Cody Barrier | Amber Lager | 2B: International Amber Lager | ZZHops Homebrewing Club |
| 3rd | Alex & Patrick Williams MHP | Kentucky Thumper | 27A2: Kentucky Common | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
Table 7: Dark Lagers (21 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | David Towles MHP | International Dark Lager | 2C: International Dark Lager | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 2nd | Luke Osborne MHP | Uncle Mark's Slightly Roasted Beauty | 8B: Schwarzbier | Central Arkansas Fermenters |
| 3rd | Kevin Lewis MHP | Du Dunkelheit | 8A: Munich Dunkel | |
Table 8: Strong European Beers (32 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Kraken's Abyss | 9C: Baltic Porter | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Ragnar's Valhalla | 9C: Baltic Porter | Red Earth Brewers |
| 3rd | Mark Kunzelmann | Samiclaus | 9A: Doppelbock | St. Louis Brews |
Table 9: German Wheat Beers (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Adam Reynolds MHP | Roggy Piper | 27A8: Roggenbier | Miami Area Society of Homebrewers (MASH) |
| 2nd | Gary Smet MHP | Eins Zwei Drei | 10C: Weizenbock | Ace Brewing Society |
| 3rd | Travis Cherry MHP | Analysis Paralysis | 10C: Weizenbock | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
Table 10: British Bitters and Commonwealth Beers (22 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Travis Cherry MHP | The Bitter End Game | 11B: Best Bitter | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 2nd | Kyle Ernsberger MHP | Mean Brews | 11A: Ordinary Bitter | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| 3rd | Steve Powell | More American Than British | 12A: British Golden Ale | Big Sioux Brewing Society |
Table 11: British Brown Ales (24 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | John Luhmann MHP | Carmel Bomb 2.0 | 13B: British Brown Ale | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
| 2nd | Travis Cherry MHP | Sequence One | 13C: English Porter | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 3rd | Andrew Schwartz MHP
Co-Brewer: Ruth Schwartz | Mild Child | 13A: Dark Mild | STLBrewhogs |
Table 12: Scottish and Irish Ales (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Dominick Dufner | Enys Men | 14A: Scottish Light | STLBrewhogs |
| 2nd | Steve Ristau MHP | Flustered Cluck | 14C: Scottish Export | Ale Riders Homebrew Club |
| 3rd | Joe Hughes | Red Eyed Bastard | 15A: Irish Red Ale | STLBrewhogs |
| HM | David Towles MHP | Irish Red | 15A: Irish Red Ale | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
Table 13: Small Stouts (14 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Luke Osborne MHP | Dublin Dipstick | 15B: Irish Stout | Central Arkansas Fermenters |
| 2nd | Holland Andrew | Shout Irish Stout | 15B: Irish Stout | |
| 3rd | Prentice Autry | Oat And Aboat Stout | 16B: Oatmeal Stout | STL Brewminati |
| HM | John Black MHP | The Banshee | 15B: Irish Stout | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
Table 14: Strong Stouts (18 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Brian McCrickard MHP | Dark Obsidian | 20B: American Stout | Seven City Brewers |
| 2nd | Dominick Dufner | Doch Nur Für Geld | 16D: Foreign Extra Stout | STLBrewhogs |
| 3rd | Joshua Whitman MHP | Hyperbola | 20C: Imperial Stout | Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ) |
Table 15: Strong British Ales (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Justin Guldalian | Christmas '23 | 17B: Old Ale | |
| 2nd | David Towles MHP | English Barleywine | 17D: English Barley Wine | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 3rd | Joe Hughes | Mighty Raptor's Revenge | 17A: British Strong Ale | STLBrewhogs |
Table 16: American Pale and Amber Ales (30 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Jennifer Vonderwell MHP | Bank Of Bad Habits | 19B: California Common | Brewtubers |
| 2nd | Scott Estlund MHP | I Hope You Step On A Lego | 19A: American Amber Ale | The Brü Club |
| 3rd | Jesse Flores | Tropicoast | 18B: American Pale Ale | Ace Brewing Society |
Table 17: American Browns and Porters (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Daniel Kukuk MHP | Belle Isle Brown | 19C: American Brown Ale | |
| 2nd | Fernando Garcia-Polite | Season Finale? | 19C: American Brown Ale | Boston Wort Processors |
| 3rd | Mike Neice MHP | Black Dog | 20A: American Porter | Ace Brewing Society |
Table 18: American IPA (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Mark Niemczewski | Simcoe Nunchucks | 21A: American IPA | Urban Knaves of Grain |
| 2nd | Scott Patrick MHP | Mandatory Fun | 21A: American IPA | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
| 3rd | Metts Potter | More Citra | 21A: American IPA | Bloatarian Brewing League |
Table 19: Specialty IPA (25 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Dave Frombach MHP | Big Red | 21B4: Red IPA | Peninsula Fermentation Society |
| 2nd | Rick Chainani MHP | Rye IPA | 21B5: Rye IPA | |
| 3rd | Jim Williamson MHP | Zassion | 21B: Specialty IPA | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
Table 20: Hazy IPA (15 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Mike Lawler | Say Haze Again! | 21C: Hazy IPA | North Urban Brewing Society (NUBS) |
| 2nd | David Conway | Holiday Haze | 21C: Hazy IPA | Jersey City Brew Club |
| 3rd | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Boston Rob | 21C: Hazy IPA | Evanston Homebrew Club |
Table 21: Strong American Ales (16 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Justin Guldalian | Christmas '24 | 22C: American Barleywine | |
| 2nd | Metts Potter | Even More Citra | 22A: Double IPA | Bloatarian Brewing League |
| 3rd | Ross Stuart MHP | Double IPA | 22A: Double IPA | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
Table 22: Sours and Wild Beers (28 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Heath Johns | Vahevala Blend 3 | 23F: Fruit Lambic | |
| 2nd | Heath Johns | Double Helix Of Extinction: Peach | 28C: Wild Specialty Beer | |
| 3rd | Pete Graham MHP | Tropical Sour | 28C: Wild Specialty Beer | Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI) |
Table 23: Belgian Ales (26 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Michael Rensing MHP | Mighty Monarch | 25A: Belgian Blond Ale | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| 2nd | Mark Pennick MHP | Floral Loral | 25B: Saison | Brew Crew [CO] |
| 3rd | Mike & Stephanie Butler MHP | Magnolia Grits | 25A: Belgian Blond Ale | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
Table 24: Strong Belgians (27 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Dave Frombach MHP | Belgian Delight | 26A: Belgian Single | Peninsula Fermentation Society |
| 2nd | David Massey | Make That A Dubbel | 26B: Belgian Dubbel | St. Louis Brews |
| 3rd | Metts Potter | Monky Business | 26A: Belgian Single | Bloatarian Brewing League |
Table 25: Fruit Beers (27 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Metts Potter | A Sequence Of Poor Decisions | 29A: Fruit Beer | Bloatarian Brewing League |
| 2nd | Patrick Carey MHP | Love Is Brewing | 29A: Fruit Beer | Upstate NY Homebrewers Assn |
| 3rd | Justin Holman MHP | Moku Porter | 29A: Fruit Beer | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| HM | Eric Rodriguez | Guava Guaya | LSX4: Catharina Sour | Brewers Anonymous |
Table 26: Spice, Herb, and Vegetable Beers (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Justin Holman MHP | Moku Porter | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS) |
| 2nd | Bryant Jurgensmeyer | Extra Please | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | The Brü Club |
| 3rd | Andrew Hodnefield MHP | Funky Brewing's Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout | 30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | |
Table 27: Seasonal and Specialty Spice Beers (21 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Luke Osborne MHP | Is Pumpkin Spice Back On The Menu?!? | 30B: Autumn Seasonal Beer | Central Arkansas Fermenters |
| 2nd | Jeff Case MHP | Triple Chocolate Peppermint Milk Stout | 30D: Specialty Spice Beer | QUAFF |
| 3rd | Brad Powszok | '91 Harvest | 30B: Autumn Seasonal Beer | |
Table 28: Smoke and Wood-Aged Beers (28 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Ember's Whisper | 32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Travis Cherry MHP | Japan In A Can | 33A: Wood-Aged Beer | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 3rd | Brad Powszok | Stargazer | 6B: Rauchbier | |
Table 29: Specialty Beers (20 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Jesse Flores | East Vs West | 34B: Mixed-Style Beer | Ace Brewing Society |
| 2nd | Jim Williamson MHP | Buzzed Honey Porter | 31B: Alternative Sugar Beer | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Ross Stuart MHP | DH Pils | 34B: Mixed-Style Beer | Arizona Society of Homebrewers |
Table 30: National Honey Board Honey Beer (1 entry)
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|
| 1st | Jim Williamson MHP | Buzzed Honey Porter | 100A: National Honey Board Honey Beer | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
