A locally-made beer has swiftly gained national recognition.
East Brother Beer Co.’s Bohemian-style Pilsner, Bo Pils, recently won the silver medal at the 33rd Great American Beer Festival, the country’s largest beer competition. Bo-Pils stood out in a field of 10,000 beers entered from 2,300 of the nation’s top brewers.
Bo Pils also recently took the Gold Medal in the same category at the California Craft Brewer’s Cup’s inaugural competition, a partnership with the Brewers Guilds of California and the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA). The statewide competition featured 1,266 entries from 194 independent craft breweries.
“We’re really excited for our regulars and the bars that support us,” Lightner said. “These folks vote for Bo Pils over and over again with their hard-earned dollars. They knew it was an outstanding beer all along. This is great confirmation for them – and for us!”
The beer’s success is particularly notable given East Brother Beer Co. has only been existence for three years. Rob Lightner and Chris Coomber launched the brewery in 2016 at 1001 Canal Blvd. in Richmond. While their beers are earning national acclaim, East Brother Beer’s heavy involvement in community events and fundraisers has made the business a hit in the “City of Pride and Purpose.” East Brother publishes a monthly column devoted to telling the story of its collaborators and neighbors who help make Richmond a diverse, exciting city of opportunity.
“East Brother is proud to be part of Richmond’s future, while working hard to bring back beers from times past,” brewery officials said in a statement.
In a warehouse near Richmond’s historic shipyards, the brewery’s team not only crafts the Bohemian Pilsner but also the Red IPA, Red Lager, Oatmeal Stout and Gold IPA. It has grown its portfolio of classics to include small production, seasonal lager and freighter series.
For more information, visit www.eastbrotherbeer.com or follow East Brother Beer Co. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
