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Briess: BYO IMP12-13 (started Nov. 1, 2012)
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Even beyond Nigel Tufnel’s amp, our annual label contest has gone to 12 — 12 years of highbrow art and lowbrow comedy. Grab a beer and check out this year’s label contest winners.  We love beer labels, we really do.

Because we know that a plain old bottle can never express the greatness of the homebrew it contains. Sure, you know what’s inside, but a good label tells the world that your beer deserves respect. And if that’s true, judging by the many hundreds of entries we received this year for our annual label contest, there’s quite a few good homebrews out there (and hey, if they’re actually not tasty at least they look good!).

This year’s competition was another tough one, especially with so many great entries to judge. We examined. We pondered. We agonized. And finally we came to a few agreements: being blonde is grand (if you’re a beer), being lucky is golden, being cranky is actually good (silver medal good) and being nimble is bronze-worthy. Ladies and gentlemen, raise your pint glasses to the winner’s of Brew Your Own’s 2008 Annual Label Contest. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who entered!

  The inspiration for this label didn’t come from the Reese Witherspoon  movie. Instead its, er, roots stem from psychedelic rock. “It came from  a 1967 poster of Bob Dylan designed by the famous graphic design studio  Pushpin Studios,” Eric said. Most of the label was designed on a  computer, and the wavy blonde hair was hand drawn, then scanned in and  colored. “The beer and label were a huge hit with family and friends.” 
Prizes: Gift certificate from Midwest Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies; 20-quart brew kettle from Polar Ware  Company; Refractometer from Homebrew Depot; Gift certificate from North  Coast Brewing Co.; Organic beer kit from BrewOrganic.com; Gift  certificate from Homebrewers Outpost & Mail Order Co.; Gift  certificate from MoreBeer!

Grand Eric Lichtenberg • St. Louis Park, Minnesota
  Why glue a label on a bottle when you can etch it? That’s what Ryan  thought when he borrowed a friend’s laser engraver to create the look  of his Lucky’s 1919 XX Stout. Brewed just in time for a St. Paddy’s  party, this was Ryan’s first all-grain batch, which was based on the  original proportions and gravity of Guinness from 1919. “I even added  back 3% of pasteurized soured Guinness for authenticity. Man does that  stink when you boil it!” 
Prizes: Gift certificate from Midwest Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies; Gift certificate from North Coast Brewing  Co.; Digital pH meter from Homebrew Depot; Fleece jacket from Muntons  p.l.c.; Organic beer kit from BrewOrganic.com; Gift certificate from  Valley Vintner & Brewer; Gift certificate from Homebrewers Outpost  & Mail Order Co.; Gift certificate from MoreBeer!

Gold Ryan Lynd • Snoqualmie, Washington
  A mere photograph can’t show the 360° detail of this entry, whose  concept Ryan said was, “too big” for a vessel as small as a 12-oz  bottle, so he and his brewing buddy stepped it up to a growler. The  design is an “homage to the snake oil merchants of the 19th century,  and what better style to match to the rustic American theme but an  American brown ale?” 
Prizes: Gift certificate from North Coast Brewing Co.; 24” Thermometer from Hobby Beverage Equipment;  Fleece jacket from Muntons p.l.c.; 8 oz. of Sterling hops from Home  Brew Shop (Chico, CA); Organic beer kit from BrewOrganic.com; Gift  certificate from Homebrewers Outpost & Mail Order Co.; Gift  certificate from MoreBeer!

Silver Ryan Lockard • Aston, Pennsylvania
  Inspired by the Phoenix hops Rob used to brew his IPA, this label  takes its cues from Greek mythology of a new phoenix rising from the  flames of a fire. “With this brew, the pleasant spicy hop flavor  lingers on the palate from start to finish. The colors used are  reminiscent of the flames and the bird’s association to the sun god.” 
 Prizes: 24” Thermometer from Hobby Beverage Equipment;  Fleece jacket from Muntons p.l.c.; 8 oz. of Cascade hops from Home Brew  Shop (Chico, CA); Organic beer kit from BrewOrganic.com; Gift  certificate from Homebrewers Outpost & Mail Order Co.; Party Pig  set-up package from Quoin Industrial

Bronze Rob Enzweiler • Amelia, Ohio
Gary Bentrup • Lincoln, Nebraska
Prize: Gift certificate from High Gravity Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

Honorable Mention
Alan Guidera • Rochester, New York 
 Prize: Polo shirt from Otter Creek Brewing

Honorable Mention
David Levesque • Forestville, Connecticut 
 Prizes: Two vouchers to the Vermont Brewers Fest from the Vermont Brewers Association; Pint glass from Magic Hat Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention
Dan Shafer • Upland, California 
 Prize: Gift certificate from The Beverage People

Honorable Mention
Jeff Adelsberger • Severn, Maryland 
 Prize: Polo shirt from Otter Creek Brewing

Honorable Mention
Mike Johnson • Eagle River, Alaska 
 Prize: Hat and T-shirt from Alaskan Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention
Dominique Javet • Cormagens, Switzerland 
 Prizes: T-shirt from Alaskan Brewing Co.; Stein from White Labs, Inc. and Brew Your Own

Honorable Mention
Adam Halon • Crown Point, Indiana 
 Prizes: BrewMometer from Blichmann Engineering, LLC; T-shirt from Homebrew Depot

Honorable Mention
Matt Franck • Fredonia, Wisconsin 
 Prizes: BrewMometer from Blichmann Engineering, LLC; T-shirt from Homebrew Depot

Honorable Mention
Brian Myers • Spring Hill, Tennessee 
 Prizes: Fleece vest from Alaskan Brewing Co.; Gift certificate from Homebrewers Outpost & Mail Order Co.

Honorable Mention
Robert Sherrill • Springfield, Virginia 
 Prize: T-shirt from Magic Hat Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention
Sean McCauley • Seward, Pennsylvania 
 Prize: Gift certificate from Country Wines

Honorable Mention
Forest Jones • Portland, Oregon 
 Prizes: New Zealand hops from BrewCraftUSA; Pint glass from Magic Hat Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention
Frank Norton • Springfield, Missouri 
 Prizes: Gift certificate to Pete’s Place Restaurant from Kreb’s Brewing Co.; T-shirt from Magic Hat Brewing Co.

Honorable Mention
Andy Melchers • Cincinnati, Ohio 
 Prize: Gift certificate from South Hills Brewing Supply

Honorable Mention
Tom Nelson • De Pere, Wisconsin 
 Prize: Extract plus grains homebrew kit from Briess Malt and Ingredients Co.

Honorable Mention
Adam Crockett • West Babylon, New York

Editor's Choice
  Dale Elster • Auburn, New York

Editor's Choice
  Dan Berexa • Franklin, Tennessee

Editor's Choice
  Adam Draeger • Pella, Iowa

Editor's Choice
  Andrew Altschuler • Knoxville, Tennessee

Editor's Choice
  Benjamin Siegl • Bradenton, Florida

Editor's Choice
  Kirk Oberlander • Lindley, New York

Editor's Choice
  Goeffrey Haas • St. Paul, Minnesota

Editor's Choice
  J.P. Hric • Hastings, Minnesota

Editor's Choice
  Joe Mentele • Shoreling, Washington

Editor's Choice
  John Lynch • Longmont, Colorado

Editor's Choice
  Stephen Singleton • Indianapolis, Indiana

Editor's Choice


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