Welcome to the launch of the 6th Annual Sore Eye Cup, an award for the best, regularly produced indie beer in San Diego! Last year was a resounding success, Oatmeal Stout from Benchmark Brewing won! That, along with the only member of the Sore Eye Cup Hall of Fame, Speedway Stout, are the only two regularly produced, indie beers ineligible for this contest. You guys set records for nominations and votes last year, well done!

We will honor the winning craft beer with an actual cup! At the announcement party, we’ll fill it up with the winning beer and the winning brewery will drink from the cup right then, as is tradition! The winners can then bask in the glory of victory and have bragging rights for an entire year.

Here are the rules: beers nominated must be brewed here in San Diego County by a licensed, independent, craft brewery. They must be beers the brewery makes year round; seasonal, special versions, one offs, nitro versions and casks are not allowed. The beers do not need to be packaged (cans or bottles), just made all year long and available for growler fills (so we can buy some to judge). We’re looking for superior indie beers that are available to everyone in SD.

Nominate your favorite beer(s) by emailing me at Sore Eye Cup, tweet me (@SoreEyeSuds) , tag your nomination #SoreEyeCup in Twitter, comment on the post in Facebook, or comment right here on this post. Nominations are open until June 30th at 8pm. Voting down to the 10 finalist beers begins July 6th and runs to July 22nd at 8pm.

The top ten beers, as voted by you, the best people on earth, will be blind tasted/judged by our panel of exemplary beer people . The judges range from craft beer enthusiasts to certified cicerones. We are truly looking for the best, regularly produced indie beer San Diego has to offer. The best craft beer, as chosen by us, will be awarded the esteemed Sore Eye Cup and receive all the prestige and glory one blog can bestow upon a brewery!

A giant shout out to the returning Sore Eye Cup sponsor, Tap Craft! Remember to contact Tap Craft for all your draft system supply, installation, and maintenance needs!

Setting the industry standard for all beverage draught systems, TapCraft is Draughting Quality Beverages.

Current nominated beers!:

Habitus Rye IPA from Mike Hess Bear Cookie Peanut Butter Stout from Bear Roots Black Sheep Porter from Bitter Brothers Frontside Export Stout

Lupulin Lust

from Rip Current Aloha Brews: Aloha Plenty Porter from Iron Fist/Ken Schmidt Stingray IIPA

Islander

from Coronado Brewing Galaxy Rye IPA from Helix Brewing Table Beer from Benchmark Relay IPA

Barrio Lager

Rock the Pale

from Thorn St. Pickleweed Point

Swami’s

Ponto

from Pizza Port SaurRoggen

DeftHopt

from Deft Freight Damage from Division 23 Boss Pour from Abnormal Juice from Protector Treevana

Lot 19

from Burgeon Aurora Hoppyalis

Mosaic Session

Isomerizer

from Karl Strauss Leif Lager from Longship The Cake is a Lie

Space Oasis

from Intergalactic Sweet Ride from Bagby Tabula Rasa

Mulligan

Clever Hoppy Name

from Second Chance Mongo

Red Barn

Shark Attack

Hightide

from Port/Lost Abbey/THC IPA

.394

Nut Brown

Special Pils

from AleSmith Pure & Simple

Brewers Special Brown

Zumbar

from New English Galaxy Rye IPA from Helix Half Door Pale

#Buzzwords

House of Hops

from Half Door Erotic City

Dorcha Extra Stout

Dank Drank

Refill Material

Passion of the Kiwi

Mamba Mode

from Pariah Brewing Company Sharks with Lazers

Monks Lunch

from Home Brewing Co Super Schwarz

10:45 to Denver

Zwicklebier

from Eppig Brewing Company Phantom Bride from Belching Beaver Hopmata

Circle of Hops

Normcore

Dankness Visible

Holy the Voyd

Banksy

from Burning Beard Needle in the Hey! -IIPA

La FLAMA Blanca-Mexican Lager

D.E.A.D RAMONES- GermAn Pilsner

from Thr3e Punk Orderville

Black House

Blazing World

from Modern Times Electric Youth

Dream Trails

Planet Rock

from Thunderhawk Da Kine IPA

Sun Set Red

Honey Blonde

from Pacific Islander Boneshakeur

Domestique

Sprinteur

from Rouleur Pugilist

Pupil

Apprentice

Coachman

Butcher

from Societe Green Hat

Plenty For All

from Fall Chasing Citra

Vacation Coconut IPA

from Resident Bird Park

Hop-Fu!

from North Park Boo Koo

Cali Creamin’

from Mother Earth Bully Pulpit

Gavel Drop

from Council Jambi

Cash

Respeto

from Mason Prince of Dankness

Hipster Latte

from Wild Barrel First Date (Blonde)

Tropical Hefe

from Groundswell