2022 U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Championship
Almost 80 Hard Seltzer brewers from Maui to Fort Myers, Florida entered almost 250 hard seltzers in the 2022 U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Championship. Fort Myers Brewing out of Florida took home 5 medals including 3 golds to win the “Grand National Champion” plaque for being named the best hard seltzer brewer for the second year in a row. 28 different brewers won gold medals in 32 categories.
The U.S. Open Championships work with the Niagara College Teaching Winery and Teaching Brewery. Our judges come from England, Canada, and the United States. These hard seltzer entries were judged at the new U.S. Open Event Center in Oxford, Ohio.
U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Medal Winners
Fruit(1-2 fruits)
Gold – Prickly Pear Peach Organic Hard Seltzer – Big Country Brewing – Texas
Silver – Orange Pineapple – Wormtown Brewery – Massachusetts
Bronze – Dragonfruit – Maui Brewing Co – Hawaii
Cherry
Gold – Wise Water Cherry – Wise Man Brewing – North Carolina
Silver – Cherry Lime Rickey – Randolph Beer – New York
Bronze – Drewski’s – Knee Deep Brewing – California
Berry
Gold – Suzie’s Organic VeryBerry – Suzie’s Brewery Company – Oregon
Silver – Cloudless Wild Berry – 3 Sheeps Brewing Company – Wisconsin
Silver – Shaker Seltzer Happy Berry- Groupe Geloso – Quebec
Bronze – Evans Mulberry Seltzer – Evans Brewing Co – California
Herb
Gold – Astra Birch – March First Brands – Ohio
Silver – Holy Water Pomegranate, Hibiscus & Ginger – Thirsty Monk – North Carolina
Bronze – Half Past Spicy Lime – Half Past Premium Hard Seltzer – California
Orange
Gold – Charged Orange – Sibling Revelry Brewing – Ohio
Silver – Astra Crush – March First Brands – Ohio
Silver – Bring Your Own Seltzer: Orange Creamsicle – Kensington Brewing – Ontario
Bronze – Suzie’s Organic CitrusFlip – Suzie’s Brewery – Oregon
Lemon-Lime
Gold – Lemon Lime Spyk’d – Fort Myers Brewing – Florida
Silver – Alaskan Lemon-Lime Seltzer – Alaskan Brewing – Alaska
Bronze – Lemon-Lime Vodka Soda – Big Storm Distilling Co. – Florida
Lemon/Lemonade
Gold – Lemonade – Maui Brewing Co – Hawaii
Silver – Agra Pink Lemonade – More Brewing – Illinois
Bronze – Spyk’d Lemonade – Fort Myers Brewing – Florida
Raspberry
Gold – Raspberry Lime – Urban South Brewery – Louisanna
Silver – Raspberry, Ginger, Jasmine & Vodka – Provincial Spirits – Canada
Bronze – Raspberry Chamomile Hydromel – Whistle Hop Brewing – North Carolina
Blue Raspberry
Gold – Blue Raspberry Spyk’d – Fort Myers Brewing – Florida
Silver – Rocket Pop – Urban South Brewery – Louisiana
Bronze – Tastes Like Blue – Explorium Brewpub – Wisconsin
Mango
Gold – Cloudless Mango and Lychee – 3 Sheeps Brewing Company – Wisconsin
Silver – Aligned Mango – Revision Brewing Company – Nevada
Bronze – Mango – Toppling Goliath Brewing – Iowa
Bronze – Heck Yeah! Mango Hard Seltzer – Lady Justice Brewing – Colorado
POG(passion fruit-orange-guava)
Gold – Tropical Express – Draught Works Brewery – Montana
Silver – POG – Maui Brewing Co – Hawaii
Bronze – Imperial Passion Fruit Punch Seltzer – Stone Buenavida Hard Seltzer – California
Bronze – POG Seltzer – Nebraska Brewing – Nebraska
Mixed Fruit
Gold – Zombie – 903 Brewers – Texas
Silver – Topline Mango Colada – Lost Shoe Brewing – Massachusetts
Bronze – Charged Fruit Punch – Sibling Revelry Brewing – Ohio
Grapefruit
Gold – Half Past Grapefruit Rosemary – Half Past Premium Hard Seltzer – California
Silver – Westwater Hard Seltzer – Grapefruit – Uinta Brewing – Utah
Bronze – Fruitfizz Grapefruit – Reuben’s Brews – Washington
Peach
Gold – Peach Vodka Soda – Big Storm Distilling – Florida
Silver – FigLeaf- Peach Bellini – March First Brands – Ohio
Bronze – Peach Tea – No-Li Brewhouse – Washington
Bronze – Nice Day of the Peach – Old Stump Brewing – California
Pineapple
Gold – Pineapple Seltzer – Marker 48 Brewing – Florida
Gold – Toppling Goliath Brewing – Pseudo Seltzer Pineapple – Iowa
Bronze – Pineapple Spyk’d – Fort Myers Brewing – Florida
Pina Colada
Gold – Holy Water Pina Colada – Thirsty Monk – North Carolina
Silver – Pina Colada – Final Gravity – Michigan
Bronze – Pina Colada – Explorium Brewpub – Wisconsin
BlackBerry
Gold – Blackberry – Wormtown Brewery – Massachusetts
Silver – Blackberry Vodka Soda – Big Storm Distilling – Florida
Bronze – Blackberry Seltzer – Nebraska Brewing – Nebraska
Strawberry
Gold – Strawberry Basil Hard Seltzer – Haymarket Brewing – Michigan
Silver – Pseudo Seltzer Strawberry – Toppling Goliath Brewing – Iowa
Bronze – That’s So Fetch: Strawberry Lemonade – Inside the Five Brewing – Ohio
Cucumber
Gold – Agua Fresca – Explorium Brewpub – Wisconsin
Silver – Brewer’s Tears: Refresh – Kite Hill Brewing – South Carolina
Silver – Alpha Water Cucumber Lime – New Realm Brewing – Georgia
Bronze – Drift – Cucumber Lime – Whalers Brewing Company – Rhode Island
Watermelon
Gold – Pseudo Seltzer Watermelon – Toppling Goliath Brewing – Iowa
Silver – Watermelon Crawl – Tanasi Brewing & Supplies – Tennessee
Bronze – Stone Buenavida Hard Seltzer – Watermelon Lime – Stone Brewing – California
Fruit & Berry
Gold – Blackberry Mojito Hydromel – Whistle Hop Brewing – North Carolina
Gold – Pepito Light- Rosada – Groupe Geloso – Quebec
Silver – Fruit in the Blender – Strawberry Lime – Mosinee Brewing – Wisconsin
Bronze – BOTE Hangout Knickerbocker Seltzer – Destin Brewery – Florida
Margarita
Gold – Cantina Getaway – New Motion Beverages – California
Silver – Holy Water Margarita – Thirsty Monk – North Carolina
Bronze – Margarita – Rudolph Beer Company – New York
Limeade
Gold – Cherry Limeade Spyk’d – Fort Myers Brewing – Florida
Silver – Blackberry Limeade – Explorium Brewpub – Wisconsin
Bronze – Full Transparency Raspberry Limeade – DC Brau – Washington DC
Flavored Lemonade
Gold – Peach Lemonade – Firemaker Brewing – Georgia
Silver – Huckleberry Lemonade – No-Li Brewhouse – Washington
Silver – Strawberry Lemonade – Missing Falls Brewery – Ohio
Bronze – Mullet Cucumber Lemonade – Florida Ave Brewing – Florida
Agave
Gold – Spiked Agave Seltzer – Lime – Sierra Nevada Brewing – California
Silver – Ranch Water Lime – Huss Brewing – Arizona
Bronze – Ranch Water Tangerine – Huss Brewing – Arizona
Tropical
Gold – Cloudless Tropical – 3 Sheeps Brewing – Wisconsin
Silver – Aligned Tropical – Revision Brewing – Nevada
Bronze – Bhong Water “Verde Tropicale” – Bhramari Brewing – North Carolina
Mixed Drink
Gold – Moscow Mule – No-Li Brewhouse – Washington
Silver – Amateur Hour: Hurricane – Durty Bull Brewing – North Carolina
Bronze – Strawberry Colada – Urban South Brewery – Louisiana
Cake & Pie
Gold – Strawberry Cheesecake – Pink Barrel Cellars – Michigan
Silver – Blackberry Cheesecake – 903 Brewers – Texas
Bronze – Full Transparency Key Lime Pie Crush – DC Brau – Washington DC
Anything Goes
Gold – Amateur Hour: Painkiller – Durty Bull Brewing – North Carolina
Gold – H2Ope! Raspberry/Concord Grape – Ope Brewing – Wisconsin
Silver – Alaskan Spicy Lemon Lime Seltzer – Alaskan Brewing – Alaska
Bronze – Fruit in the Blender – Prickly Pear – Mosinee Brewing – Wisconsin
Extreme Seltzers
Gold – Prickly Pear Margarita – Provincial Spirits – British Columbia
Silver – Topline Hard Coffee – Lost Shoe Brewing – Massachusetts
Bronze – Hilda’s Hard Cotton Candy – Holzlager Brewing – Illinois
Founder’s Award
Gold – Barrel Aged Rum Wash Hard Seltzer – Kilowatt Brewing – California
At 17% ABV and barrel aged, this seltzer could not be put in any category, but it was absolutely delicious. My personal favorite in the competition
Judges’ Award
Gold – Holy Water Smoked Grapefruit Paloma – Thirsty Monk – North Carolina
When the judges tasted this seltzer, they were truly amazed. The grapefruit flavor was very subtle and the serrano peppers complemented this seltzer to make like no other seltzer. The judges asked if we could give this a special award since it did not fit any category. So we did.