By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
Four cheers for four beers! HomeGrown Brewing Co. bagged as many medals for its brews at the 10th annual New York International Beer Competition. Over 800 submissions from around the world were judged remotely.
Located at 28 N. Washington St. in downtown Oxford, HomeGrown was also named “Michigan Belgian Style Brewery of the Year.”
“When we started we wanted to make really excellent examples of particular beer styles, which is what a lot of the beer comps are judging on,” said head brewer Joe Powers, “so wins like this are a mark of achievement for us – we are doing what we set out to do.”
HomeGrown’s PollyAnn Witbier won gold for Belgian-Style Witbier, $10 or Less. Named for the former railroad turned non-motorized trail that runs through Oxford, a block north of the brewery, HomeGrown’s website describes the PollyAnn as “Cloudy and pale, the delicious base of wheat and malted barley is rounded off with a hint of citrus. This is usually a summer thirst-quencher, yet the complex flavors and slight spiciness will have your taste buds singing any time of the year.”
The brewery’s Oxford Ale won silver for Golden or Blonde Ale, while the Whamber Ale and Steamboat Stout took bronze medals for American-Style Amber/Red Ale and American-Style Stout categories.
“To win once is such an honor,” said brewmaster John Powers, “but to win several times helps us realize that we have consistently great brews. It’s something we are very proud of. This year has been a particularly hard one, for everyone, so we have been humbled by the way our community has rallied to support each other and small businesses like ours during the pandemic.”
This is the third year in a row HomeGrown has taken home medals from the competition. In both 2020 and 2019, they won the title of Michigan IPA Brewery of the Year, and gold medals for their Zephyros Hazy India Pale Ale (IPA).