The National Honey Board celebrates the exceptional talent and creativity of this year's Honey Beer Competition Best of Show medalists. These brewing innovators have mastered the art of working with honey and paved the way for future honey beer development. The top honorees share the technical side of brewing, the inspiration behind their honey beers and what it means to be recognized as the best in the industry.
Best of Show Gold: Kostka-Busser, Historical Beer - Culture Brewing, Solana Beach, California
Brewer: Aleks Kostka
Kostka-Busser was first brewed to support the Pink Boots Society. The beer that breweries were asked to brew was a historical style, so Kostka thought of featuring the long-lost Kottbusser.
“In 2018 we did a series of beers named after managers at Culture, and we re-named our Kottbusser to Kostka-busser since the style and my last name have a few shared letters. My grandpa used to keep bees and it's something my dad picked up as well, which is where my passion for honey comes from. I love all types of honey, but there is something so appealing and memorable about the fresh scent of orange when cracking open a jar of orange blossom honey. It's many peoples' go-to honey, and I thought it would be an excellent addition to the beer. Orange blossom honey is the MVP of this beer. In reality, the judges should be awarding the bees!”
Honey was added during the whirlpool to produce strong honey aromatics and flavor without making the beer too sweet. It also increases the ABV, so adding the honey during whirlpool allowed the sugars to be available for fermentation. There are also subtle floral notes as well as spice and wood to complement the citrus. Even with the large volume of honey added, there is very little sweetness. Most of the sugar from the honey fermented out, leaving a clean, easy-drinking beer, despite its high ABV of 8%.
“If you haven't brewed with honey before, prepare to get sticky. Also, keep a close eye on temperature if you're adding honey on the hot side. A few degrees can make a huge difference when it comes to the final product's aroma and flavor.”
“I am beyond thrilled that we won Best of Show. This was our first year entering this beer into competition, and we were pleasantly stunned to see how well-received Kostka-Busser has been. So many excellent beers were at the competition, and it's amazing that there are tons of brewers out there who see the value of brewing with honey. Thank you so much for educating the masses about bees and honey and for hosting this awesome event.”
Best of Show Silver: BeeDazzler, General Lager - Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Brewer: Jeffrey “Vern” Johnson
PDX brewers Jake Harper, Clay Trout and Jim Lazenby put together a Japanese rice lager with Chilean ulmo honey, and it has been a favorite of Deschutes. They wanted to explore different honeys with the base recipe, and when they tasted a number of different honeys, Colombian acacia floated to the top. BeeDazzler also has notes of gingerbread, citrus and raspberry.
“It had a characterful aroma and flavor that we thought might blend well with a light crisp lager. I think many in the brewing world believe honey is just a simple sugar that gets fermented out by yeast, but it is such a dynamic ingredient, and each varietal brings its own thing to the table. I was able to brew four of the same base lager recipe, and we used four different varietals of honey; it was so cool to see the honey shine in the base style. None of them tasted the same!”
Honey was added at the end of fermentation when still warm. Johnson wanted to preserve all the volatile compounds that were available, but still integrate it with yeast and fermentation to balance the sweetness it can bring.
“Use it at the end of fermentation and allow the tank to sit at fermentation temps under pressure. Monitor the gravity and pH changes until stable. This is where you capture all the wonderful aromatics of the variety and allow the yeast to metabolize the available sugar.”
Best of Show Bronze: Schnake West Coast IPA - Primal Brewery, Belmont, North Carolina
Brewer: Aaron Tompkins
The inspiration behind Schnake was to create a West Coast-style IPA that would resonate with a broader audience, beyond just the enthusiasts of intensely bitter, piney and resinous hops. Primal Brewery aimed to craft a beer that retained the essence of the style while offering a more approachable flavor profile.
“We incorporate the honey at the end of the boil, a strategic choice that stems from experience. Adding simple sugars on the hot side of the brewing process often results in the loss of essential flavor compounds, which don't always carry through to the final product. By introducing wildflower honey at this stage, we not only preserve its distinctive character but also enhance the beer’s body. This addition complements the hops beautifully, balancing what might otherwise be a sharper, more one-dimensional finish.”
Wildflower honey was chosen for its delicate floral notes, which complement the lemon character imparted by the American hops in this beer. The honey adds a layer of complexity and depth that enhances the overall flavor profile without overshadowing the brightness from the hops. The result is a beer where each element seamlessly enhances the other.
Honey was indeed a game-changer in this beer. It contributes a subtle yet crucial body that lingers on the palate. While honey is often expected to create a crisp, dry finish, in this instance, it added a richer mouthfeel that enhanced the beer’s overall complexity. This unexpected depth is what caught the judges' attention.
“One key lesson I’ve learned is that honey is far from a one-size-fits-all ingredient. The varietal and quality can drastically affect the final product. Understanding these nuances has been crucial to successfully integrating honey into the brewing process. Winning bronze for Schnake is a testament to the hard work and dedication our team puts into every brew. This not only validates the choices we made throughout the brewing process, but also inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve. We are grateful for the support from our community and look forward to creating even more exceptional beers in the future.”
View the list of Best of Show Honey Beer Competition medalists per category: https://honeybeercompetition.com/.