STEVENS POINT, Wis. (July 3, 2012) – The Stevens Point Brewery recently claimed gold and silver medals in the 2012 North American Beer Awards, a prestigious beer competition presented by the North American Brewers Association (NABA.) Judges at the annual NABA sanctioned beer awards include brew masters from major national breweries as well as beer journalists and certified judges who evaluate samples over four days in blind tastings.

Gold, silver and bronze were awarded in the competition’s impressive field of more than 1300 entries from across the country. The annual beer competition, held in June in Idaho Falls, ID, selected Point Amber Classic as the best American-Style Amber Lager in the nation. This is one of many awards earned by Point Amber Classic, which won a gold medal in the American Style Amber lager category at the 1996 World Beer Cup and a silver medal in the same category at the 2002 World Beer Cup.

The Stevens Point Brewery was awarded a silver medal in the Schwarzbier category for its year-round Point 2012 Black Ale, a dark and robust brew inspired by the ancient Mayan “Long Count” round calendar which ends abruptly in 2012. Point 2012 Black Ale recently won a silver medal in the 2012 World Beer Cup and a silver medal in the 2011 US Open Beer Competition.

“Everyone at our brewery is delighted with these awards honoring these two great-tasting craft beers,” said Stevens Point Brewery Operating Partner Joe Martino. “Sales continue to grow for Point Amber Classic, Point 2012 Black Ale and the rest of Point’s craft beer portfolio. These medals confirm what we strive for: brewing the highest quality craft beers.”

The Stevens Point Brewery
Stevens Point Brewery, founded in 1857, uses only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew their handcrafted beers, including flagship Point Special Lager, which won the gold medal in the American Premium Lager category at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival.
Point’s year-round specialty beers include Point 2012 Black Ale, a robust dark ale; Point Belgian White, a Belgian-style wheat ale flavored with orange peel and coriander; Point Burly Brown American Brown Ale, an American-style brown ale; Point Cascade Pale Ale, a hoppy American-style pale ale brewed with Cascade hops from the Yakima Valley; Point Amber Classic, an American-style amber lager; and Point Drop Dead Blonde Ale, a golden ale.
Seasonal specialty brands include Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat, an award-winning unfiltered wheat ale; Point Oktoberfest, a Bavarian-style Märzen beer for the fall; Point St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a dark, abbey-style ale available from November through February; and Point Three Kings Ale, a Kölsch-style beer, for the spring.
Point’s specialty beers also include the Whole Hog Limited Edition Brewmaster’s Series, “big beers” that represent the epitome of the brewmaster’s art, including year-round Whole Hog Six-Hop India Pale Ale, and seasonal offerings, Whole Hog Barley Wine-Style Ale, Whole Hog Raspberry Saison, Whole Hog Russian Imperial Stout and Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale.
Gourmet soft drinks from the Stevens Point Brewery include Point Premium Root Beer, Point Premium Diet Root Beer, Point Premium Orange Cream, Point Premium Vanilla Cream and Point Premium Black Cherry Cream Soda.
For more information about the Stevens Point Brewery, visit www.pointbeer.com or call 1-800-369-4911. Tours of the brewery are available, with schedules listed on the web site www.pointbeer.com.