Fort Myers Brewing Company has earned a gold medal at the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship, a national brewing competition that judges more beer styles than any other competition in the world.
The brewery was awarded gold in the Chocolate/Cocoa Beer category for its popular Chocolate Stout, an imperial stout that balances sweet, rich chocolate with notes of roasted barley and espresso.
“We are honored that our Chocolate Stout received a gold medal in such a prestigious nationwide competition,” said Rob Whyte, who co-founded Fort Myers Brewing in 2013 with his wife, Jen. “We enjoy creating unique and flavorful craft brews, and it means a lot to us to see others enjoy our specialty beers as much as we do.”
The U.S. Open Beer Championship is held annually and is open to both professional breweries and award-winning home brewers. This year, breweries from Maui to Miami sent more than 9,000 beers (3,107 entries) representing over 160 different styles.
Awards were given in 147 beer-style categories during the award ceremony at the U.S. Open Event Center in Oxford, Ohio. This is the second time Fort Myers Brewing has medaled at the U.S. Open Beer Championship, previously earning a gold medal for its Chocolate Stout at the 2018 competition.