ROSEVILLE, Calif — Roseville's The Monk's Cellar won Brewery of the Year in the 2023 California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew competition.
"A lot of times you get the phone call that said 'hey you won something,' but we didn't really know — it wasn't that phone call. It was like 'hey you won it all.' Super exciting, it was an awesome day," said General Manager Lewis McGeorge.
The Monk's Cellar took home three gold medals and one silver medal. The silver medal was in the Dark European Lager for their May the Schwarz Bier With You.
They took first place in the Belgian-Style Witbier category for their Biere Blanche, the Classic Saison category for their Mates in Belgium brew, and the Specialty saison category for their Cellmates brew.
A total of 137 brewers participated in this year's competition, but ultimately The Monk's Cellar's founder Andy Klein stood out among the rest.
"Downtown Roseville has kind of turned the corner. We've been part of the whole revitalization of the downtown. We've spent eight years getting ready for this moment and we've got things dialed in and we're ready to go," Klein said.
Two friends in the brewpub drove about 30 miles to try the beer after hearing the news.
"Well, my buddy told me that a couple of their beers won gold medals and a silver medal in the recent California State Fair Competition — had to come down and try it out," beer fans Joe and Greg said. "It was really good, this is the last of it, so cheers."
The Monk's Cellar is located at 240 Vernon Street.
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