Third Eye Brewing wins 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship
Brewery brought home four gold medals, eight total.
Local brewery Third Eye Brewing was named the grand national champion brewery in the U.S. in the 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship, the third-largest beer competition in the country.
Third Eye Brewing has taprooms in Hamilton and Sharonville that offer “a wide variety of options” according to the brand. These options brought the brewery eight individual awards that resulted in them being named the top brewery.
The championship, which takes place in a modified barn in Oxford, Ohio, was sent more than 9,000 beers consisting of more than 170 styles to be judged. The overall grand national championship works on a points system that takes into account the up to 10 beers that one brewery can send in.
The brewery says they take pride in “always keeping our beer menu fresh with new rotating styles and our goal is to make sure everyone can always find a few favorites on tap, even for those who claim to be nonbeer drinkers.”
There are currently 23 beers on tap at Third Eye’s Hamilton taproom including the gold-winning strong Scottish
Ale Higher Consciousness and bronze-placing English dark mild Groovy Baby.
The competition’s judges said the brewery has had an array of beers that has made them a staple in their tasting before this award.
“Third Eye Brewing is known for brewing some style-defining beers that are consistent winners throughout many competitions,” states a release about the event.
Third Eye won Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2023. Head Brewer and Co-Owner Kelly Montgomery has won Brewer of the Year three times at the Great American Beer Festival.
Medals
Third Eye Brewing brought home eight medals in total with four being gold.
Gold
Third Eye earned gold for its strong Scottish ale, chocolate/cocoa beer, peanut/peanut butter ale and nut beer. The varieties, Higher Consciousness, Double Astral, Dark Aura and Inner Sight respectively, combine with silver and bronze placings to earn Third Eye the bragging rights of being the top brewery in America.
Silver
Third Eye’s herb and spice beer Chai Eye Captain and wood/barrel-aged strong scotch ale Barrel Aged Higher Consciousness earned silver in the U.S. Open Beer Championship.
Bronze
The brewery’s barrel-aged English barley wine Kelly’s Private Stash and English dark mild Groovy Baby placed third to take home bronze.