Isra-Brew 2020 names home-brew winners in times of coronavirus

In a normal year, Israel has a few competitions to recognize and award talented and dedicated home-brewers.  Actually, quite a few.  

But this isn't a normal year, is it?  Almost all of the competitions were cancelled because the coronavirus keeps people apart.  No tasting beer together, no award ceremonies, no shaking hands.  

However, one competition, Isra-Brew, found a way to do everything according to the health guidelines, did the tasting and judging, and awarded 32 prizes to some of the country's best home-brewers. 

The Isra-Brew Jerusalem 
judging panel meets in solemn assembly.

Isra-Brew is organized by the Home-Brewers of Israel community.  It is sanctioned by the world-wide Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), and all of the judges are BJCP members to ensure a comprehensive evaluation and proper feedback to all of the entrants.

"This year, all of the competing bottles were delivered just before the country went on lockdown," explains Omer Basha, a competition organizer and Israel's only BJCP Master Judge.  "When things loosened up a bit, we sent the bottles to judging panels in different locations around the country.  Within a week, all of the judging was completed, we collected all of the scoresheets, scanned them and declared the winners on a Facebook live broadcast.  

The Isra-Brew Tel Aviv
judging panel assesses home-brews.

"Everything was carried out within the framework of the coronavirus regulations." 

[You can read about last year's contest, when judging and ceremonies were out in the open, here.]  

So without further ado, here are the winners of the 2020 Isra-Brew home-brewers competition:

Best of Show

First: Danny Perets (Karmazina) -- American IPA

Second: Gilad Ne-Eman (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Imperial Stout

Third: Nitai Leffler -- Spiced Beer 

Champion Brewer (with all prizes taken into account)

Ohad Gertel

Belgian Ales

First:  Eviatar Azulay -- Ebi Cocoa Jumbo, Belgian Dubbel

Second:  Oren Bunimovich -- Over Quarter Ton, Saison

Third: Uri Shwed -- Beeradical Rapinoe, Belgian Blond Ale

Porters and Stouts

First:  Gilad Ne-Eman (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Night Gate Keeper,                       Imperial Stout

Second:  Jacob Avakov -- Jack Dusty English Porter

Third:  Boaz Lanner -- Party Gyle Stout, American Stout

     

IPAs

First:  Danny Perets (Karmazina) -- Hugeness American Flag Cork, American IPA

Second: Naveh Vagenfeld -- American IPA

Third: Jacob Avakov -- Jack Dusty IPA, American IPA

Wheat Beers

First:  Tom Arad -- Lightwheat, Weizenbock

Second:  Raviv Soha -- Wheatwit, Witbier

Third:  Assaf Murkes (Modi'in Brewers)-- Wizen, Weissbier

Lager Styles

First:  Ohad Gertel -- #55, Eisbock

Second: Nitai Leffler -- Marisa Bandera, Vienna Lager

Third: Oren Bunimovich -- Darko, Dunkel Bock

Specialty Beers

First:  Ohad Gertel -- #47, Wood-aged Beer

Second: Assaf Murkes (Modi'in Brewers)-- Salted Oaked Stout, Wood-aged Beer

Third: Alex Fuks (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- These are Hard Times, 

            Fruit Beer

American Pale Ale

First:  Jacob Avakov -- Jack Dusty APA

Second:  Vitali Oneg -- K-la-Hop 

Third:  Danny Perets (Karmazina) -- Hugeness Green Cork

Spiced Beer

First:  Nitai Leffler -- Dalorian

Second: Alex Fuks (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Coffee & Cream

Third:  Lior Eshbal -- Alamida

Other Pale Ales

First:  Dvir Flom (Home-Brewers Guild of Beersheva) -- Mild, Dark Mild

Mead

First:  Ohad Gertel -- #78, Meomel

Second: Ohad Gertel -- #82, Dry Mead

Third: Gilad Ne-Eman -- Mead Me, Dry Mead

Congratulations to all the winners!  You know, in normal times we would take some photos of the winners receiving their awards at the ceremony.  That will have to wait until next year -- we hope!