Local homebrewers take top prizes at annual Dixie Cup festival
Capital City homebrewers made quite the impression in Houston last weekend. Brewers from local clubsBrasseurs a la Maison and Redstick Brewmasters placed in the 31st annual Dixie Cup homebrew competition.
Around 1,000 beers from across the country were entered and judged in 45 categories at the three-day event, which also featured educational classes and speakers.
Brenton Day of Brassuers a la Maison placed first in the fruit beer category for his peach wheat beer, Prunus Persica. He says to place at Dixie Cup is a “prestigious honor.”
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“It’s one of the oldest homebrew competitions in the country,” he says. “Nearly 1,000 entries speaks to the importance of this event, and you have so many people from that part of the country who submit beers.”
Nine other Baton Rougeans placed at the event, including Toby Guidry of Brasseurs who placed first in the strong scotch ale category for his Fat Scot. David Komendanchik and Ashlyn Harmon of Brasseurs placed first in the smoked beer category for their Barrel Aged Ten FIDY Clone. The duo also snagged an honorable mention for their TropicAle in the fruit beer category. Keith Primeaux, owner of the local homebrew supply store LA Homebrew, teamed up with Ray Calhoun and Fred Geary of Redstick Brewmasters to take first in specialty beer for their Chico Goes To The Sour Side brew. Jerry Odom of Brasseurs placed second in the American Pale Ale category, and Kerry Yoes’ Otter Sack Dry Stout placed third in the dry stout rankings.
Day, who runs the local website The Ale Runner, has been homebrewing for more than two years. His entry featured five pounds of peaches, and his category had nearly 20 entries for the judges to taste.
“I thought I had a good beer, but, honestly, I sent it in with no expectations because [the fruit beer category] is so wide open,” he says.
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