People haven’t always been so kind to the CT beer scene. We’ve been degraded, we’ve been left off of lists, and we still suffer some stigma that people have been carrying around with them from over a decade ago that is now outdated. But, over the past few years, there has been a huge renaissance in the CT Beer scene with more breweries here than ever . . . and even more that are putting out some fine, top-notch brews that can compete with the big boys. We know it, and you probably know it too, so it’s time that we silence all the haters out there who think the only good beer that you can find in CT isn’t brewed in CT.

Game. Set. Match: Connecticut breweries kicked some major ass at the Great International Beer and Cider Competition in Providence on October 23. Of the 54 different beer categories, 22 CT beers finished in the top 3 spots and of those, 11 took home first place. And, the kicker: Firefly Hollow took home #1 in the English ESB (Extra Special/Strong Bitter) category with Train’s Best, even beating out a brewery from England. BOOM!

Check out all the winning CT breweries and beers down below and check out the full list at Distillery Age.

WHEAT – 1A – AMERICAN

1 – Honeyspot Road – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Leisure Time Wheat Lager – Jackʼs Abby Brewing – Framingham, MA

3 – Miami Weiss – Franklinʼs Brewery – Hyattsville, MD

WHEAT – 1B – GERMAN

1 – No Limits – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Hefeweizen – Kretschmann Brewing – Webster, MA

3 -Zeppelin Hefeweizen – Revival Brewing – Cranston, RI

BRITISH/IRISH ALE – 3B – ENGLISH ESB

1 – Trainʼs Best – Firefly Hollow Brewing – Bristol, CT

2 – Old Speckled Hen – Greene King / Morland Brewery, Suffolk, UK

3 – ESB – Redhook Ale Brewery – Portsmouth, NH

BRITISH/IRISH ALE – 3C – IRISH RED

1 – Samuel Adams Irish Red – Boston Beer Co. – Boston, MA

2 – Red Lantern – Firefly Hollow Brewing – Bristol, CT

3 – Murphyʼs Red Ale – Murphyʼs Brewery, Ireland

AMERICAN AMBER ALE – 5A

1 – Moonrise – Firefly Hollow Brewing – Bristol, CT

2 – BRR – Widmer Bros. Brewing – Portland, OR

3 – Santaʼs Private Reserve – Rogue Ales & Spirits – Newport, OR

BLACK IPA – 6A

1 – Route of all Evil – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Black Racer – Bear Republic Brewing – Cloverdale, CA

3 – Cantankerous Crow – Gardner Ale House – Gardner, MA

BROWN/COPPER ALE – 7B-C-D-E – MIXED: ENGLISH MILD/NORTHERN BROWN/GERMAN ALT

1 – Squeaky Bike Nut Brown Ale – Moab Brewery – Moab, UT

2 – Anacostia Ale – Franklinʼs Brewery – Hyattsville, MD

3 – Harvest Brown Ale – Brü Rm. @ BAR – New Haven, CT

LAGER – 10B – CONTINENTAL PILSNER

1 – Pepperell Pilsener – Banded Horn Brewing – Biddeford, ME

2 – Olʼ Factory Pils – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

3 – Pilsner – Paradox Brewery – Schroon Lake, NY

STRONG – 13C – BELGIAN DARK STRONG

1 – 21st Anniversary Ale – Marthaʼs Exchange – Nashua NH

2 – Rococo Belgian Dark Strong – Relic Brewing – Plainville, CT

3 – Scaldis Amber – Brouwerij Dubuisson, Pipaix Belgium

STRONG – 13F – DOUBLEBOCK

1 – Samuel Adams Doublebock – Boston Beer Co. – Boston, MA

2 – Henryʼs Farm – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

3 – Liberator Doublebock – Thomas Hooker Brewing – Bloomfield, CT

STRONG – 13L – RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

1 – Igorʼs Dream – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Darkness – Trinity Brewhouse – Providence, RI

3 – Russian Imperial Stout – Stone Brewing – Escondido, CA

STRONG – 13L – SCOTCH ALE

1 – Boʼs Scotch Ale – Millyʼs Tavern – Manchester, NH

2 – Highland Hugh – Franklinʼs Brewery – Hyattsville, MD

3 – Perryʼs Revenge – Cottrell Brewing – Pawcatuck, CT

SOUR/WILD BEERS – 14A – AMERICAN

1 – Urban Funk – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Samuel Adams Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru – Boston Beer Co. – Boston, MA

3 – Psychedelic Smokehouse – Franklinʼs Brewery – Hyattsville, MD

SOUR/WILD BEERS – 14B – BERLINER WEISSE

1 – Chambord du Nord – Framingham Beer Works – Framingham, MA

2 – Berliner Weisse – Wormtown Brewing – Worcester, MA

3 – Krazy Pucker – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

SOUR/WILD BEERS – 14C – FLANDERS RED BROWN

1 – Philsamic – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red – Boston Beer Co. – Boston, MA

3 – The Dissident – Deschutes Brewery – Bend, OR

SOUR/WILD BEERS – 14D – FRUIT LAMBIC

1 – Kriek – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – LambickX – Brouwerij De Troch, Wambeek, Belgium

3 ‒ None awarded

SOUR/WILD BEERS – 14E – LAMBIC

1 – Gueuze – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Viking Froach Scottish Sour – D9 Brewing – Cornelius, NC

3 – Ezekiel 25:17 Black Sour – D9 Brewing – Cornelius, NC

BELGIAN/FRENCH – 15B – BELGIAN PALE ALE

1 – Belgian Style Pale Ale – Bronx Brewery – Bronx, NY

2 – Affligem Blonde – Brouwerij De Smedt/Brouwerij Affligem, Opwijk, Belgium

3 – Tenacious Belgian IPA – Thomas Hooker Brewing – Bloomfield, CT

BELGIAN/FRENCH – 15C – BIERE DE GARDE

1 – Red Devils – Trinity Brewhouse – Providence, RI

2 – Holiday Ale – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

3 – Bière de Garde – Roosterfish Brewing – Watkins Glen, NY

BELGIAN/FRENCH – 15E – BELGIAN BLONDE

1 – Spencer Trappist Ale – Spencer Trappist Brewery – Spencer, MA

2 – Fuzzy Logic – Portico Brewing – Cambridge, MA

3 – Via Cordis – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

BELGIAN/FRENCH – 15G – SAISON

1 – Workerʼs Stomp – Two Roads Brewing – Stratford, CT

2 – Brewmaster 1635 Saison – Newburyport Brewing – Newburyport, MA

3 – Saison – Bad Martha Farmerʼs Brewery, Edgartown, MA