While empty glasses are continually being filled, the trophy case at Riot Brewing Co. in Chemainus keeps filling up.
Riot Brewing claimed another of numerous honours over the years Wednesday, Oct. 25 with its Working Class Hero dark mild securing a bronze award in the mild ale category at the 2023 Canada Beer Cup in Niagara Falls, Ont.
Working Class Hero dark mild also claimed bronze in the 2022 Canada Beer Cup at Toronto.
“It’s an honour to be recognized two years in a row and it just proves how much of a staple the dark mild is to our core lineup,” noted brewer Jesse Grass. “Whether you wear coveralls or khakis, we brewed this for the working class hero in all of us.”
“Super stoked to be recognized by international beer judges from all around the world,” said Aly Tomlin, Riot Brewing’s co-owner along with Ralf Rosenke.
With some 1,200 total beers entered and 67 styles in 11 categories, the competition was intense.
The award proceedings were live-streamed and watched by a vocal group of supporters at Riot Brewing headquarters.
“It was a good turnout, the bar was pretty packed,” said Tomlin. “It was good to see our name go up there. Everyone stood up and cheered.”
Working Class Hero dark mild is a low-alcohol brew that features delicate hints of roasted malt, accompanied by subtle notes of chocolate, coffee and caramel in its flavour and aroma.
The Canada Beer Cup national competition celebrates independently owned and operated breweries across Canada.
A pending anniversary makes the award extra special for Tomlin and Rosenke. Riot Brewing will mark seven years of operation since it opened Nov. 10, 2016 in Chemainus Village Square.
It actually took several years before that to literally lay the foundation for the brewery after Tomlin and Rosenke conceived the idea in 2009.
This is also the second major award for Riot this year following a bronze for its Lipslide Lager during the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards in Halifax in June.
Related story: Riot Brewing’s Lipslide Lager slips into third place at Canadian Brewing Awards
Other awards for its brews include: gold for Working Class Hero and bronze for Breakfast of Champions coffee lager in collaboration with Drumroasters Coffee of Cobble Hill during the World Beer Cup in Nashville, Tennessee in 2018; silver for Vortex robust porter at the 2018 Canadian Brewing Awards in Halifax; and silver for Good Vibrations classical pilsner at the Canadian Brewing Awards in Ottawa in 2017.
Riot Brewing is heavily entrenched in community events and hosting regular entertainment plus being connected to initiatives like the Island Taste Trail and the BC Ale Trail.