Oh my, my. Oh hell yes! After 5 rounds, a month of tedious field research and 53,664 votes ... we now have only 2 can-do cans of brew left in the running for Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2021. One of them might look familiar because it's been here before in 2019 and won it all. The other might look familiar because, heck, the brewery has been around for 150 years.
That's right, the final matchup is 2019 champ Gavel Banger from Taft's Brewing Company versus Bohemian Special Brew from Wiedemann Brewing Company.
[ VOTE HERE on the FINAL MATCHUP March 22-24 ]
Gavel Banger was the only No. 2 seed to survive the Elite 8 round and returned with the thunder in the Final Four against local favorite No. 1 overall seed Octoberfest from Samuel Adams. The Banger took the W by a score of 604 to 473. A stunning and decisive upset.
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Speaking of stunning upsets. Big Ash Brewing was a brewery de force in 2020, completing the Cinderella story with Backbeat Coffee Blonde's convincing victory. The brewery's new golden child, Vanilla Cream, tried to carry the torch this year and looked threatening in previous rounds. But the bracket rookie Bohemian Special Brew, this year's new belle of the ball, brought an end to Big Ash's repeat dreams.
And this one was close. Only 38 votes separated the two powerhouse 1 seeds, with a nail-biting final score of 685 to 647. The Gavel Banger crowd might have to do some stretching before the final matchup, both Bohemian and Vanilla Cream showed up with more Final Four votes than the 2 seed.
You know what happens next! YOU get to decide who gets to take home all the bragging rights and this year's (glorious) trophy. Voting for The Finals opens Monday, March 22. Will you go for the bracket rookie lager with deep roots and history? Or will you go for the hoppy returning champ? Choose wisely.
Get to know the final 2
Here's how beer site Untappd describes our two finalists:
Bohemian Special Brew: "A refreshing Bohemian-style lager, brewed with a proprietary blend of malted barley and aromatic hops. Made famous by George Wiedemann’s original Bohemian Special that was brewed in Newport Kentucky for more than 100 years. Served cold and crisp, our new Wiedemann’s Special Lager pays tribute to that local brewing tradition."
Gavel Banger: "American IPA brewed and dry hopped with heaps of Citra and Mosaic hops. Juicy, hoppy justice. 2019: Gold - Ohio Craft Brewers Cup."
The Finals voting guide:
- Voting for the final matchup will be open from 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 22, to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 24.
- You can vote once per matchup, per round this year.
- The winner will be announced Sunday, March 28.
- Find the voting links and bracket breakdowns at Cincinnati.com/ThingsToDo.
The Dates:
Nominations: Feb. 22-28.
Round 1: March 8-9.
Sweet 16: March 11-12.
Elite 8: March 15-16.
Final Four: March 18-19.
FINALS: March 22-24.
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