High Sierra awarded gold for honey ale

A gold medal at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival’s competition went to High Sierra Brewing Co., according to Jim Phalan, the local Carson City brewing firm’s president.

“We are on a high that we have never felt before,” said Phalan, noting the award came from the Brewers Association at the largest national beer competition involving U.S. brewers.

“Our brewers, Jeff and Paul Young, have done an outstanding job of crafting this beer,” Phalan said. The top thee winners in the contest’s 84 beer-style categories were announced earlier in October. The awards ceremony was held in Denver.

High Sierra was recognized in the Specialty Honey beer-style category for Buzzed Bee Honey Ale. Locally grown wildflower honey is used in the beer. This year’s competition winners were chosen by an international panel of 201 judges from 4,809 entries involving 745 breweries.

High Sierra is a 15-barrel brewpub and restaurant at 302 N. Carson St.

Chris Swersey, competition director, said the entrants represented stellar brewers and winning a medal “is truly a symbol of brewing excellence.”