Goat Island’s new Duck River Dunkel was a hit at 99 Bottles of Beer on the Lawn in Daphne, tying with a Fairhope brew for “People’s Choice” and helping Cullman’s hometown brewery win first place in the overall competition. (Photo courtesy Goat Island Brewing)
CULLMAN – Accolades are becoming a common thing for the folks at Goat Island Brewing. After winning the March Madness Competition at Slice Pizza & Brewhouse in Birmingham with its Blood Orange Berliner Weisse, the Cullman brewery took on 31 other breweries last Saturday, in the 99 Bottles of Beer on the Lawn craft beer festival hosted by Southern Napa Fine Wine House in Daphne. The competition featured beers from top Alabama breweries like Yellow Hammer, Back Forty Beer Company and Straight to Ale and also drew national entries like Sierra Nevada and Goose Island, and even those from as far away as Belgium with Hoegaarden Brewery joining the contest.
Goat Island walked away from the festival with the Best Brewery Overall and Best Alabama Brewery prizes, and its newest brew, “Duck River Dunkel,” tied with Fairhope Brewing for the People’s Choice Award for the Best Beer.
In a conversation with The Tribune Wednesday afternoon, Goat Island President and CEO Mike Mullaney described Duck River Dunkel as “a dark German lager: very malty, not a lot of hops, so pretty smooth and easy drinking.”
In a press release, Goat Island Vice President John Dean commended Head Brewer Paul White, saying, “Paul is a fine brewer who is meticulous with his brewing technique. I am very proud of him, and our whole team.” In the same release, Mullaney shared, “This is the first competition where Goat Island has tested its beers against national and international brands. To beat out Sierra Nevada, one of the most prestigious and respected breweries in the world, is truly an accomplishment.”
Mullaney said, “We were extremely excited about that win, because we just won the March Madness thing, and so it seems like we’re on a roll, getting a lot of notoriety, and people are recognizing that our beer is really good. So we’re excited!”
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