Bruz Beers Wins Prestigious EuroStar Gold Medal

Ryan Evans (left) and Dave Olson after accepting the award in Nuremberg. Bruz Beers

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On November 29, Bruz Beers won a gold medal in the Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beer category at the 2023 European Beer Star Awards in Nuremberg, Germany, for its Oak Marionette on Peaches beer.

“I think a little brewery in Denver winning best sour beer in Europe is pretty cool,” says co-founder Ryan Evans, who traveled to Nuremberg with head brewer Dave Olson to accept the award.

Bruz, which specializes in Belgian beer, was founded in 2016 at 1675 West 67th Avenue; the brewery added a second taproom at 1495 York Street in 2019.

click to enlarge

Bruz specializes in Belgian beer.

Jonathan Shikes

The Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup have gained notoriety as the premier beer competitions in North America, and many feel that the European Beer Star is the overseas equivalent.

In 2022, American breweries accounted for only 25 of the 219 medals given out at the competition, and no Colorado brewers were awarded medals. This year, River North Brewery also won two medals, a silver in the Flavored or Pastry Sour category and a gold in the Herb and Spice Beer category.

The winning beer is not only made in Colorado, but it’s made with many Colorado ingredients. Olson created it using pilsner malt from Loveland’s Root Shoot Malting, peaches from Talbot Farms in Palisade, and hops from Highwire Hops, a farm that operated in Paonia before closing last year. The beer was aged in an American oak foeder, or wooden fermenter.

"I have been fascinated by and passionate about making mixed-culture beer since my first sip of lambic," Olson says. "But an award like this...I would have never imagined possible."

The winning beer is currently sold out, but there is another foeder-aged sour beer available on tap right now, Phantom Phuzz, which is also made with Palisade peaches.

If you'd like to celebrate with the team, stop by the taprooms. The original Bruz Beers Midtown is open from 1 to 9 p.m. daily, and Bruz Off Fax is open from 2 to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, visit bruzbeers.com.