Seattle brewery wins ‘Brewery and Brewer of the Year.’ Sunnyside brewery among 22 Washington medal winners | Local

Cloudburst Brewing won the small brewery category (defined as a company that brews 1,001 to 2,000 barrels annually) with just seven full-time employees. The Seattle brewery has a small market reach with about 95% of their beers being sold within the city limits, much of it from their tasting rooms north of Pike Place Market and in Ballard.

“It was a shock,” said owner and head brewer Steve Luke, who learned of the award over the weekend. “It’s something you always dream of, but it’s so hard to come by.”

The judges quoted Luke and his lead brewer Zach Kornfeld, but didn’t comment on the scoring system or the beers that led to the big win. However, Cloudburst is known for brewing some of the most creative hop beers in the Northwest.

It’s the greatest honor for Cloudburst since Luke was named a James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Producer in 2020.

The celebration was short-lived as Luke and his staff have to drive to Yakima this week to get hops to make his signature fresh brews, which often sell out quickly. The latest award is sure to sell out Luke’s IPAs even faster, and his tasting rooms are likely to be even more crowded in the coming weeks.

Washington State won 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival, mostly for breweries in Seattle and Bellingham.

Among the Washington winners:

• Stoup Brewing, Silver, American Amber / Red Ale: Stoup NW Red
• Cloudburst Brewing, silver, American pilsner: Happy Little Clouds
• Stoup Brewing, Silver, America-Style Pale Ale: Mosaic Pale Ale
• The Good Society, Gold, Belgian-style table beer or Belgian-style session ale: First to Fall
• Reuben’s Brews, bronze, Belgian Witbier: Lilywhite Wit
• Chainline Brewing Co., Silver, Bohemian-Style Pilsner: Polaris Pilsner
• Browbones in lower case, silver, English style brown ale: brown ale
• Mirage Beer Co., Silver, Field Beer: Versatile solutions for modern living
• Aslan Brewing Co., Gold, German Sour Ale: Disco Lemonade
• Kulshan Brewing Co., Silver, German Sour Ale: Gose
• Chuckanut Brewery, gold, German Style Kolsch: Kolsch
• Ghostfish Brewing Co., gold, gluten-free beer: Watchstander Stout
• San Juan Island Brewing Co., Bronze, International Dark Lager: The Late Boat Czech-Style Dark Lager
• Varietal Beer Co., Silber, Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale: Sup Cuz IPA
• Cloudburst Brewing, gold, Kellerbier or Zwickelbier: Sorry!
• Grains of Wrath Brewing, gold, Münchner Art Helles: Frost Hammer Helles
• Kulshan Brewing, bronze, Munich-Style Light: Light
• Fremont Brewing, Silver, Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine: Brew 4000
• Silver City Brewery, Bronze, Old Ale or Strong Ale or barley wine: Old Scrooge
• Elysian Brewing, gold, pumpkin beer: night owl
• Loowit Brewing Co., Bronze, Robust carrier: Grimlock
• Grains of Wrath Brewing, Bronze, Session India Pale Ale: Ticklish Warrior