When SKAtoberfest hits store shelves soon, the Marzen-style lager from Meddlesome Brewing Co. will have some added cachet.
It’s a newly-minted gold medal-winning beer.
SKAtoberfest, 6.2% ABV, was one of four Meddlesome beers to place in the recent U.S. Beer Open Championship, taking gold in the German-style Marzen/Oktoberfest category.
Meddlesome is canning SKAtoberfest today, and this year’s fresh batch of the malty brew will be available soon in the brewery’s taproom and in stores. Meanwhile, Meddlesome’s annual Ska-Tober Fest event, which features a huge lineup of Ska music-centric bands, is set for Saturday, Oct. 12.
Meddlesome president and head brewer Ben Pugh attributed the SKAtoberfest win to a really solid recipe for a tradition Marzen lager, as well as Meddlesome’s techniques in making lagers that are cleaner and more drinkable than standard methods.
In addition to SKAtoberfest, Meddlesome beers that were U.S. Beer Open winners included:
- Dirty Dova, a silver medal winner in the Imperial India Pale Ale category
- Heavy Meddle, a silver medal winner in the Strong Scottish Ale category
- She Devil, a bronze medal winner in the Belgian Strong Blonde Ale category
“We were blown away when we saw that we had placed with four of the six beers we entered. Winning competitions like this is truly awesome,” Pugh told Memphis Beer Blog.
“Not only are we competing with other local breweries from around the country, but we are competing with some major breweries, as well.”
Some of this year’s other top winners included Indiana’s Sun King Brewery, Ohio’s Urban Artifact and Third Eye Brewing Co., and Missouri’s Boulevard Brewing Co.
Breweries across the country sent more than 9,000 beers, representing over 170 different styles, to the 2024 competition. Meddlesome was the only Memphis-area brewery on this year’s list of winners, which was announced in July.
2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the U.S. Beer Open Championship, which is based in Oxford, Ohio.