FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN – The high praise from craft beer fans for Frankenmuth Brewery's Batch 69 American IPA is bound to get even louder since the brewery's flagship IPA was awarded the 2015 Gold Medal for Best IPA at the World Expo of Beer May 15 & 16.

World Expo of Beer is considered the largest beer sampling event in Michigan. Every year hundreds of breweries from around the world submit their best beers in hopes of winning the Gold medal in their respective beer categories.  The IPA category is the largest and most competitive segment in the craft beer industry, so one can conclude that Frankenmuth Brewery and Batch 69 beat out some very reputable breweries and IPAs from across the globe. 

The World Expo of Beer competition includes judging in 29 distinct beer style categories. In total there were 461 beer entries from 63 different breweries. Of the 29 style categories in the World Expo of Beer competition, the 61 entries vying for the Best IPA award made it the most competitive by far, with the American Ale category coming in second with 37 entries.

Since joining the Frankenmuth Brewery last November, Brewmaster Steve Buszka has made a few changes to the Batch 69 recipe which immediately reaped dividends among consumers. Most notably, the Batch 69 American IPA is now dry-hopped to trap in aromatics during fermentation and to create a more balanced drinking experience.

"There was lots of great competition from a lot of very reputable Michigan and national breweries, so taking the gold medal is a great honor," Buszka added.

Buszka and his brew team were extremely proud that Batch 69 American IPA was named the gold medal winner, especially considering how recently the recipe was changed.

"I decided to tweak the recipe by using a couple different hop varieties and also dry-hopping it, which wasn't done before," said Buszka. "The IBUs are exactly the same and it still holds up to the 69 IBUs. But now, the hops are put in the boil at a different point in time, so it has more of a balanced flavor on your palate, as opposed to single-note bitterness."

Batch 69 IPA is one of Frankenmuth Brewery's flagship beers and available around the state in both package and draft. With the title of Best IPA bestowed upon it, the brewery expects even brisker sales for what already is a best seller brew for them. "Whenever a beer receives a best of category award, especially from a nationally recognized event, a sales spike is certainly expected" said Chuck Osberger, Director of Sales. "Our plan is to build on the sales increase we experience with Batch 69 and leverage its momentum across all our distributed beers."  

Along with high accolades come high expectations, but it appears Frankenmuth Brewery has lived up to the challenge thus far. "Although Batch 69 is our first gold medal winner, since 2010, we've had seven different beers win gold, silver or bronze in their respective categories", said Maher Sarafa, Frankenmuth Brewery's Director of Marketing. "Our team is very proud of that accomplishment, especially in light of the fact that the brewery was only re-opened in 2009.  We're delighted Frankenmuth is once again being recognized for its award-winning beer as it is for its world-famous chicken dinners and Christmas store"

About the Frankenmuth Brewery

Founded in 1862, the Frankenmuth Brewery is Michigan's Original Craft Brewery. Today, the Frankenmuth Brewery is an historic destination, featuring a full-service restaurant, banquet facility and gift shop. It serves an American-style lunch and dinner menu and showcases two outdoor patios overlooking the scenic Cass River. The Frankenmuth Brewery produces and serves a variety of award-winning American and traditional German craft beers available in bars, restaurants and stores throughout Michigan as well as Northern Ohio, The Frankenmuth Brewery is located in the bustling tourist town of Frankenmuth, MI at 425 South Main, Frankenmuth, MI 48734. For more information call 989-262-8300. www.frankenmuthbrewery.com

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Media Contact. For an interview with Brew Master, Steve Buszka, Director of Wholesale Sales, Chuck Osberger or Director of Marketing, Maher Sarafa, please contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090