With 100% of entries
collected for judging, this year’s QCBF Best of Show competition was
the most closely contested yet. A HUGE thank you goes to the QCBF event
staff team for their relentless pursuit of Court Shoes Only offerings spanning
the Charlotte area from New Sarum Brewing in Salisbury down to Slow Play
in Rock Hill; Southern Range in Monroe and across to Cavendish in Gastonia.
Forty entries (including collaboration beers) were collected and here’s the
sequence of how it all played out.
In round 1, we set up five pairs of judges to taste 7-8
beers with the task of advancing their top two selections. The 10 breweries to
advance were:
- Amor Artis Brewing
- Catawba Brewing Company – Charlotte
- Edge City Brewery
- Heist Brewery / Salud Cerveceria – collaboration beer
- Lore Brewing Company
- Protagonist
- Resident Culture Brewing Company
- Southern Range Brewing Co.
- Sugar Creek Brewing
- Wooden Robot Brewery / Petty Thieves Brewing Co. – collaboration beer
In the final round of judging by the Cheers Charlotte panel the blind tasting analysis was thorough, careful and confident. The final placements included three exceptional IPA variations, and the winners are:



While there can only be one champion, we can agree that every Court Shoes Only beer has been a clear winner. Congratulations to all! Enjoy the outstanding variations while they last and soon to be announced: an invitation that raises a racket in support of ACEing Autism. Cheers!