Brewers battle in ‘pitch’-er competition
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Some up-and-coming brewers in south central Indiana were the “toast of the town” over the weekend as they competed in Radius Indiana’s inaugural Home Brew Competition. The economic development organization says it was able to identify and meet several potential entrepreneurs who have expressed interest in learning about opening microbreweries in the rural communities of the region.
Eight competitors battled it out in a five-category contest to earn the title of brewmaster. Nearly $3,000 in prizes were awarded for first, second and third place in each of the five brew categories.
Judges tasted and scored the 16 brew submissions based on a rubric that included aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and overall impression.
The competition was open to home brewers of any skill level who are residents of the eight Radius Indiana counties: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington.
“The home brew competition is a great addition to the slate of events that Radius Indiana hosts, and Dubois Strong is proud to be a partner,” said Ed Cole, executive director of Dubois Strong. “Economic development is constantly changing and evolving in how it supports communities and these new opportunities as a result are very exciting.”
Below are the winners:
Light
1: Derek Wiggins
2: Dan Herman
3: Phil Wagner
Amber
1: Derek Wiggins
2: Phil Wagner
3: Jim McFaul
Hoppy
1: Logan Quinn
2: Luke Stemle
3: Derek Wiggins
Wheat
1: Derek Wiggins
2: Luke Stemle
3: Ed Cole
Dark
1: Derek Wiggins
2: Phil Wagner
Radius Indiana says it plans to host future home brewing competitions and events to engage the region.
“We are excited about the possible opportunities that may come from the competition and its participants,” said Blaine Parker, director of entrepreneurship and small business support for Radius Indiana. “Revitalizing our communities and their downtowns is a key initiative, and the more we engage with entrepreneurs and showcase the programs available to start a new business, the greater the opportunity for development.”