NYS Craft Beer Competition: Wayward Lane, Grimm earn brewery of the year honors

Schoharie and Brooklyn breweries earn state's highest honor for the second and fourth time respectively.

At what point can you call it a dynasty? (And we’re not talking about an evil one like the Yankees in the late 90s or the Patriots for most of the 2000s.)

We’re talking about a fun, cheeky dynasty. And by this point, Schoharie’s Wayward Lane Brewing and Brooklyn’s Grimm Artisanal Ales are approaching dynasty status, if they’re not already there.

The two breweries tied for brewery of the year at the 2025 New York State Craft Beer Competition. It marks the second time in three years Wayward has taken home the top honors, while Grimm, even more dynastically, has claimed the top honor four times in the past five years. Making it even more impressive, Grimm won the Governor’s Cup, awarded to the best beer in the state, for its Grimm Weisse Hefeweizen (wheat beer). Shockingly, it’s the first time Grimm has taken home that prize.

In total, 207 NYS breweries entered 1,320 beers across 32 categories. Seventy-five judges came together March 1-2 at the RIT Inn and Conference Center in Henrietta to sift through and rate the entries. And for the ninth consecutive year, I was honored to be among those judges. That means I am the only person who has judged every edition of this competition, which has become the largest state-level competition in the country.

The awards were unveiled during a live ceremony Friday night in Albany. (I’m told Gov. Hochul made a cameo — and if she doesn’t, then ignore this sentence since I’m typing up these results in advance.)

Both craft heavyweights had wildly impressive showings. They tied with 15 points (three for a goal, two for a silver, one for a bronze.) So it’s easier to just list all the honors and accolades:

Wayward Lane

• 4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze (15 points);

• Gold: Hazy DIPA, Enzyme Detonator;

• Gold: Barrel-aged (non-sour), Quercus Reserve;

• Gold: Specialty beers (stouts and porters), Hunk: Sichuan;

• Gold: Light lager (modern and contemporary, Momo;

• Silver: Hazy IPA, Here On Out;

• Bronze: Amber lager, Veslo.

Grimm

• 3 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze (15 points)

• Gold: Imperial stout and porter, Double Negative;

• Gold: Kettle and simple sours, Psychokinesis;

• Gold: Wheat beer, Weisse;

• Silver: Wild and sour ale, Trellis;

• Silver: Belgian farmhouse, Castling;

• Bronze: Belgian farmhouse, Pearly Dewdrops;

• Bronze: Hazy DIPA, Psychedelic Gardener.

Numbers were down slightly from the previous year. In 2024, 232 breweries entered 1,421 beers and were awarded a total of 96 medals. The competition is open to any of the 500-plus licensed breweries in the state. In 2023, 189 breweries entered 1,334 beers. In 2022, 185 breweries entered 1,264 beers.

The competition was presented by Rochester-based Ultimate Brew Service. And again, it was run by the incredible folks from the Raise A Glass Foundation and the New York State Brewers Association.

Here’s my summary of the judging experience (just copy and pasted from last year, because the process remained the same):

Here’s how the judging worked: Judging took place over two days (March 1 and 2 at the RIT Inn and Conference Center in Henrietta). On Saturday, the judging panels received flights of beer (not to exceed nine beers) and then had 30 minutes to sample, confer, and compare. The best beers in each flight (typically two-three beers per flight) were advanced to the next day’s medal round.

And then on Sunday, a judging panel individually graded beers in any one of the 32 categories on a 75-point scale using a provided score sheet. Those rounds took an hour. The scores from the panel were then averaged. To be eligible for gold, a beer must average over 60 points. Silver scored 55-59, while bronze was 50-54. My table judged two medal categories: Wild and sour ales and stouts (non-imperial).

Everything was judged completely blind. Beers were assigned random numbers. We only found out what we were sampling when the awards were announced. I was lucky enough to captain an esteemed judging table with master cicerone/grand Master BJCP judge Max Finnance (he’s the only person in America with both of those credentials, wild), Kills Boro head brewer Kevin Traiman (who taught me a ton and kept us laughing the hold weekend), and local UNYHA member/BJCP judge Alex Avery (he added so much insight to our discussions).

In total, I judged more than 100 beers (I’d have to consult my notes for an exact number, but I’ve got a six-month-old sleeping on me right now and ain’t gonna disturb her).

The Raise A Glass Foundation, as always, is such a joy to work with and be around. Again, they expertly and joyously ran the competition. Proceeds again benefited InterVol, a Rochester-based nonprofit that donates unused medical supplies to people around the world, and a few other worthy organizations. (Winning beers are often auctioned off at various events and the money goes directly to some wonderful groups.)

Raise A Glass is completely staffed by volunteers. And each of those volunteers was exceedingly pleasant and lovely. It really is an honor to interact with all these wonderful folks.

(And yes, I just re-used my blurb from last year again, because it perfectly sums up the experience.)

Hazy IPAs (104 entries) and Light lager (traditional) (91 beers) were the two most-entered categories. Amber/red ale (61), amber lager (56), American IPA (55), and dark lager (55) were the other most-entered styles.

The Genesee Brew House was the top-performing Rochester-area brewery. It won a gold medal in the amber/red ale category with its Brew House Scotch Ale and a bronze in the specialty beer (light and amber) category for its Chocolate Scotch Ale.

Before I ramble on any more, you can read the full results below. It was a good year and let’s hope 2026 is just as strong.

RESULTS

Amber lager (56 entries): Gold, Soul Brewing (Pleasantville) Pleasantbrau Marzen; Silver, Frog Alley Brewing (Schenectady) 1903 New York Lager; Bronze, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Veslo Czech-style amber lager.

Amber/red ale (61 entries): Gold, Genesee Brew House (Rochester) Scotch Ale; Silver, Mill House Brewing (Poughkeepsie) Opa’s Choice altbier; Bronze, West Kill Brewing (West Kill) Ol’ Fox ESB.

American DIPA (21 entries): Gold, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery (Buffalo) Sabre’s Edge; Silver, Greenport Harbor Brewing (Greenport) Hopnami; Bronze, Captain Lawrence Brewing (Elmsford) Pacific Dawn.

American IPA (55 entries): Gold, Okay Beer Co. (Honeoye Falls) Frisco Kid; Silver, Threes Brewing (Brooklyn) All or Nothing; Bronze, Brewery at the CIA Cleaver.

American lager (42 entries): Gold, Captain Lawrence Brewing (Elmsford) (merged with Bronx Brewery) Well-Earned Pilsner; Silver, Prison City Brewing (Auburn) Crispy Boys; Bronze, Finback Brewery (Queens) Home Slice.

Barrel-aged (non-sour) (43 entries): Gold, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Quercus Reserve English-style barleywine; Silver, Destination Unknown Beer (Bay Shore) Quad Rainbow; Bronze, Keuka Brewing (Hammondsport) Barrel-Aged Murder Rum BA red ale.

Barrel-aged (sour) (16 entries): Gold, Kingston Standard Brewing (Kingston) Barrel 16 unblended lambic; Silver, Druthers Brewing (Albany) White Label – Blackberry wine BA fruited gose; Bronze, Aurora Brewing (King Ferry) DFHS: Motueka saison.

Belgian farmhouse (19 entries): Gold, ONCO Fermentations (Tully) Saison Blend One; Silver, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Castling; Bronze, Grimm Artisanal Ales Pearly Dewdrops.

Belgian other (Trappist, strong, etc.) (44 entries): Gold, Strangebird Beer (Rochester) Savoir-Vivre 10° tripel; Silver, Duncan’s Abbey (Tarrytown) Tarrytown Dubbel; Bronze, Soul Brewing (Pleasantville) Soulstice Belgian dark strong ale.

Brown ale (23 entries): Gold, Underground Beer Lab (East Syracuse) Mild Return; Silver, Destination Unknown Beer (Bay Shore) Honey Do List; Bronze, Great Life Brewing (Esopus) K-Town Brown.

Cream ale (39 entries): Gold, Bright Eye Beer (Long Beach) Dos Ojos Mexican Lager; Silver, Saint James Brewery (St. James) Saint James Cream Ale; Bronze, Birdhouse Brewing (Honeoye) Honey Cream Ale.

Dark lager (55 entries): Gold, Lower Lake Brewery (Hamilton) The Phantom; Silver, The Drowned Lands Brewery (Warwick) Soir; Bronze, Finback Brewery (Queens) Crispy Nights.

Experimental (17 entries): Gold, Big Ditch Brewing (Buffalo) Carrot Cake ale; Silver, Resurgence Brewing (Buffalo) Another Caucasian Gary white stout; Bronze, Eli Fish Brewing (Batavia) Chateau Tropicale Chardonnay barrel-aged wild ale with pineapple, mango, and chilies.

Experimental IPA (24 entries): Gold, The Drowned Lands Brewery (Warwick) Twilight black IPA; Silver, Destination Unknown Beer (Bay Shore) double black IPA; Bronze, Prison City Brewing (Auburn) session NEIPA.

Field beer (sour) (54 entries): Gold, Heritage Hill Brewhouse (Pompey) Oh My, Apple Pie; Silver, Hudson Valley Brewery (Beacon) Peach Silhouette sour IPA; Bronze, Druthers Brewing (Albany) Bro-Mosa.

Field beer (non-sour) (37 entries): Gold, Union Street Brewing (Hudson) Poet Marigold farmhouse ale aged on chamomile and marigold flowers; Silver, Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing (Weedsport) Blood Orange Kolsch; Bronze, Valcour Brewing (Plattsburgh) Blueberry Lager.

Golden/blonde ale (38 entries): Gold, Bright Eye Beer (Long Beach) From the Top Kolsch; Silver, Skaneateles Brewery (Skaneateles) Skanny Dipper Blond Ale; Bronze, KCBC (Kings County Brewers Cooperative) (Brooklyn) Octo Brau.

Hazy DIPA (50 entries): Gold, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Enzyme Detonator; Silver, Finback Brewery (Queens) Cats are People Too; Bronze, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Psychedelic Gardener.

Hazy IPA (104 entries): Gold, Other Half Brewing (Brooklyn) Blue Cheese; Silver, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Here on out; Bronze (tie), Grow Brewing (New Hartford) Wish I May and The Drowned Lands (Warwick) Green Yield.

Hazy pale ale (49 entries): Gold, Underground Beer Lab (East Syracuse) Particle; Bronze, Underground Beer Lab Vast Expanse; Bronze, Great South Bay Brewery (Bay Shore) Cosmic Juice.

Imperial stout and porter (21 entries): Gold, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Double Negative; Silver, Seneca Street Brewpub (Manlius) Collusion; Bronze, Old Klaverack Brewery (Hudson) Baltic Porter.

Kettle and simple sours (17 entries): Gold, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Psychokinesis; Silver, Big Slide Brewery (Lake Placid) Leipzig Gose; Bronze, Liquid State Brewing (Ithaca) Surf Guitar Gose.

Light lager (modern and contemporary) (54 entries): Gold, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Momo; Silver, Strong Rope Brewery (Brooklyn) Petrini; Bronze, Druthers Brewing (Albany) Knee Deep.

Light lager (traditional) (90 entries): Gold, Paradox Brewery (North Hudson) Paradox Helles; Silver, Montauk Brewing (Montauk) Montauk Pilsner; Bronze, Kills Boro Brewing (Staten Island) Killsner.

Pale ale (31 entries): Gold, Gentle Giant Brewing (Pearl River) Paleozoic; Silver, 18th Ward Brewing (Brooklyn) Ordinary Brooklyn Bitter; Bronze, TALEA Beer (Brooklyn) Fresh Coast.

Porter (non-imperial) (28 entries): Gold, Ausable Brewing (Keeseville) Mudd Brooke Porter; Silver, Mountain King Brewing (Windham) Burnt Knob Porter; Bronze, Threes Brewing (Brooklyn) Visual Sounds.

Specialty beers (light and amber) (33 entries): Gold, West Kill Brewing (West Kill) Burn Ban red lager; Silver, Keuka Brewing (Hammondsport) Pumpkin Cream Ale; Bronze, Genesee Brew House (Rochester) Chocolate Scotch Ale.

Specialty beers (stout and porter) (48 entries): Gold, Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) Hunk: Sichuan peppercorn imperial stout; Silver, New York Beer Project (Lockport) Irish Coffee Stout; Bronze, Grow Brewing (New Hartford) A Dark Bloom imperial stout.

Stout (non-imperial) (40 entries): Gold, Hamburg Brewing (Hamburg) OMS; Silver, Brewery at the CIA (Hyde Park) First in First Stout; Bronze, Riseform Brewing (Marcellus) Delightfully Ominous.

Strong ale (non-Belgian) (33 entries): Gold, Willow Rock Brewing (Syracuse) Bear, Ninja, Cowboy 2024: Lunar Outlaw; Silver, The Drowned Lands Brewery (Warwick) Kinsfolk; Bronze, Local 315 Brewing (Warners) Winter Warmer.

Wheat beer (36 entries): Gold, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Grimm Weisse; Silver, Resurgence Brewing (Buffalo) Resurgence White Ale; Bronze, The Drowned Lands Brewery (Warwick) Gatherhouse.

Wild and sour ale (26 entries): Gold, Wild East Brewing (Brooklyn) Contour Interval; Silver, Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Trellis.

NYS beer: Kingston Standard Brewing (Kingston) Barrel 16 wild ale.

Collab of the year: Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie)/Marlowe Artisanal Ales (Mamaroneck) Veslo Czech-style amber lager.

Governor’s Cup (best beer in NYS): Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn) Grimm Weisse.

Breweries of the year (tie): Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie) and Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn).

A final note: It’s pretty wild to think I’ve been working on this independent publication for over two years now. In that time, I’ve published nearly 250 newsletters, highlighted some of my favorite people in the industry, curated two beers festivals (that featured 150 participants and 4,600 attendees), and continued to break all the biggest news in the region (closures, consolidations, openings, etc.).

The Cleveland Prost remains the preeminent source for regional beer news. If you own a brewery, bar, or beer-adjacent business, this is the best place to reach the nerds you wanna be in front of. So I remain open to sponsorships, advertisements, and sponsored content. Feel free to reach out to me at clevelandprost@gmail.com for more. And more than anything, thanks for all the support. None of this would be possible without the devoted (and thirsty) audience.