Day three of the Maine Madness Beer Tournament brought some of the most eclectic match-ups we’ve seen thus far. We had pumpkin beers going up against summers and summers going against winters. However, I find that when you combine unlike pairs, sparks fly.
And sparks certainly flew yesterday in the voting.
The closest race came between Gritty’s Vacationland Summer and Peak Winter. The race was neck and friggin’ neck. When we closed the votes, Gritty’s had won by a single vote, giving Gritty’s two victories in yesterday’s Seasonal round.
Geary’s Summer and Peak Simcoe Spring Ale battled it out in their own head to head match-up. At one point, Geary’s had a solid lead in this category, but Peak fans gave a good showing and brought the Simcoe Spring Ale to a sizable win. Must have been that citrusy freshness from those Simcoe hops that nudged Peak ahead.
The big upset of the day was Shipyard Pumpkinhead getting trounced by Peak Summer. When we created the seeding for this tournament, we felt that we had to give Pumpkinhead the number 2 seed based solely on the juggernaut it is in the national market. Shipyard sells a shit ton (remember, this is an actual measurement term in Maine) of Pumpkinhead. Mainers, however, said no to this beer yesterday. Or, maybe the better way to look at it is that we said yes to Peak Summer.
It is with great excitement now that we get ready for today’s category: Maine IPA’s. Here at Maine Madness Beer Tournament, we are IPA loving hop heads. You’ll notice that Maine Beer Company’s Dinner is not in this tournament. Though it’s the best Maine beer any of us here have tasted, we didn’t feel enough of the population had a chance to sample to the delicious brew. Next year!
Don’t forget to try a new IPA on today’s ballot, or maybe try an old friend you haven’t had in a fortnight.
Cheers!
DAVE PATTERSON 