Among the big winners in the 2013 Good Food Awards were a handful of North Bay food and beverage producers making noteworthy beer, cheese, coffee and spirits. Tapped for their commitments to flavor as well as a respect for their environment and connections to communities and cultural traditions, a panel of noteworthy judges tapped the following 114 winners from among 1,366 entries from 49 states.
Congrats to all of this year’s winners. I’ve included two quotes from our Healdsburg winners, who were pleased as punch about their selection.
BEER
Ballast Point Brewing Company, Winter San Salvador Black Lager, California
Bear Republic Brewing Company, Tartare, California (Healdsburg)
“Tartare was awarded a medal in the Adventurous, Barreled, Big, Bawdy, & Belgian beer category. Tartare, a dry and tart Berliner-style wheat beer spontaneously fermented in a 2500 gallon oak vessel, is Bear Republic’s interpretation of the classic sour beer style dubbed as “The Champagne of the North.”
Deschutes Brewery, Obsidian Stout, Oregon
Elm City Brewing Company, Monadnock Mountain Ale, New Hampshire
Full Sail Brewing Co., Ltd6, Oregon
Fullsteam Brewery, First Frost, North Carolina
Hopworks Urban Brewery, HUB Organic Lager, Oregon
Independence Brewing Co., Convict Hill Stout, Texas
Jester King Craft Brewery, Boxer’s Revenge, Texas
Lakefront Brewery, My Turn: Luther & Wisconsinite Summer Weiss, Wisconsin
Mill Valley Beerworks, Four Brothers, California (Mill Valley)
Pagosa Brewing Company, Chili Verde, Colorado
Rolling Meadows Brewery, Abe’s Ale, Illinois
CHARCUTERIE
CHOP Butchery & Charcuterie, Chicken Liver Bourbon Mousse, Oregon
Columbus Foods, Finocchiona, California(SF)
Cypress, Picante Salami, South Carolina
EcoFriendly Foods, Iberico Americana Long Leg Ham 20 Month, Virginia
Fra’ Mani Handcrafted Foods, Salame Toscano, California (Berkeley)
La Quercia, Borsellino Salami, Iowa
Olympic Provisions, Lomo Di Parma, Oregon
S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, Surry Farms Surryano Ham, Virginia
The Linkery, Country Ham, San Diego, California
The Meat Hook, House Ham, New York
The Meat Market, Chicken Liver Mousse, Massachusetts
Transatlantic Foods, Aux Delices des Bois Chorizo, New York
Underground Meats, Coppa & Goat Salami, Wisconsin
CHEESE
Avalanche Cheese Company, Goat Cheddar, Colorado
Belle Chevre, Pimento Chevre, Alabama
Bellwether Farms, Whole Milk Ricotta, California (Petaluma)
Briar Rose Creamery, Briar Rose Chevre, Oregon
Carr Valley Cheese Company, Cave Aged Marisa, Wisconsin
Cobb Hill Cheese, Ascutney Mountain, Vermont
Nature’s Harmony Farm, Fortsonia Gruyere, Georgia
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Bay Blue, California (Pt. Reyes Station)
Spring Brook Farm, Tarentaise, Vermont
Uplands Cheese Company, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Wisconsin
Weirauch Farm & Creamery, Saint Rose, California (Petaluma)
CHOCOLATE
Amano Artisan Chocolate, Chuao 70% Dark Chocolate, Utah
Askinosie Chocolate, Dark Milk Chocolate Bar + Fleur de Sel, Missouri
Dandelion Chocolate, Madagascar – 70%, California (SF)
Fresco Chocolate, PNG 220, Washington
Fruition Chocolate Inc., Dark Milk with Fleur de Sel, New York
Madre Chocolate, Triple Cacao, Hawaii
Patric Chocolate, 67% Madagascar Bar & 75% Madagascar Bar & In-NIB-itable Bar, Missouri
Potomac Chocolate, Upala 70% Nib and Salt, Virginia
Raaka Chocolate, Bourbon Cask Aged Bolivia, New York
Ritual Chocolate, Costa Rica & Madagascar, Colorado
Rogue Chocolatier, Hispaniola & Rio Caribe & Sambirano, Massachusetts
COFFEE
1000 Faces Coffee, Ethiopia – Shakiso Mora Mora, Georgia
Case Coffee Roasters, Kenya – Nyeri Gaturiri Co-Op-Peaberry, Oregon
Cuvee Coffee, El Salvador – El Molino Witness Project, Texas
Evans Brothers Coffee, Ethiopia – Yirgacheffe Birhanu, Idaho
Flying Goat Coffee, Ethiopia – Wottuna Boltuma, California Healdsburg)
“Our aim, from the first day we started roasting coffee in Healdsburg, has been to find the best coffees in the world, grown by people who care not only for the crop they grow, but also for the people, animals and land around them. This commitment needs to be more than just a certification on paper; it needs to be a way of life. That’s why we spend so much time meeting with coffee farmers, walking with them on their farms, and exploring new and better ways to improve coffee quality and environmental health on and around their farms. To us, coffee quality and sustainability are mutually reinforcing. The Good Food Award, along with the special Golden Seal designation, is proof positive that this is a winning approach to creating the world’s best coffee. We owe a big thank you to the farmers and managers at the Wottuna Boltuma cooperative in Ethiopia. This winning coffee was the result of a special member-organized project that dedicated extra time to sorting ripe cherries and staffing the drying beds in exchange for a healthy per-pound premium if the targeted quality was achieved (Boy was it!). FGC green buyer, Phil Anacker, just returned from a 3 week trip to Southern and Western Ethiopia and visited with all the farms we work with, including the Wottuna Boltuma co-op. He came away quietly confident that the upcoming 2013 crop may be even better than last year’s.” -Phil Anacker of Flying Goat
Gimme! Coffee, Colombia – Finca San Luis La Gloria, New York
Heart Roasters, Ethiopia – Yukro & Kenya – Ndumberi, Oregon
Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Kenya – Gichathaini & Kenya – Kangocho, Illinois & California
Joe, Ethiopia – Camp, New York
Joe Bean Coffee Roasters, Nicaragua – Don Roger Pachi, New York
Kickapoo Coffee, Ethiopia – Organic Yirgacheffe Haru Cooperative, Wisconsin
Panther Coffee, Colombia – Finca El Ventilador, Florida
Portland Roasting Coffee, Ethiopia – Organic Sidamo, Oregon
PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., Ethiopia – Nanno Challa Heirloom, Kansas
Verve Coffee Roasters, Ethiopia – Birhanu & Panama – Elida Estate Gesha, California (Oakland)
CONFECTIONS
Arrowhead Chocolates, Huckleberry Truffle, Oregon
Bees & Beans, Mint Bar, Oregon
Big Picture Farm LLC, Goat Milk Chai Caramels, Vermont
Escazú Artisan Chocolates, Dark Chocolate Basil Ganache, North Carolina
Feve Artisan Chocolatier, Pistachio Rosemary Caramel, California (Hunter’s Point)
Her Coconess Confections, Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels, California (Menlo Park)
Lillie Belle Farms, The Most Awesome Chocolate Bar EVER!, Oregon
Looking Glass Creamery, Carmelita, North Carolina
Serendipity Confections, Fleur de Sel Butter Caramels, Colorado
Sweetdragon Baking Company, Black Sesame Brittle, California (San Jose)
Zoë’s Chocolate Co., Sesame Tahini Crunch, Pennsylvania
PICKLES
Aunt Nita’s Homestyle Foods, Sweet Jalapeño Relish, Texas
Blessed Earth Farm, Summer Squash Curry Relish, North Carolina
Central Bottle Wine + Provisions, Pickled Garlic Scapes, Massachusetts
Coldwater Canyon Provisions, Tarragon Cherries, California
Cultured Pickle Shop, Japanese Cucumber and Arame Kimchee & Kasu-Zuke Jalapeños, California (Berkeley)
Firefly Kitchens, Ruby Red Kraut, Washington
Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Sweet Chips, Washington, D.C.
Jarred SF Brine, Oven Roasted Pickled Golden Beets and Shaved Shallots, California (SF)
Midori Farm, Organic Horseradish Leek Sauerkraut & Organic Kimchi & Organic Savory Kraut, Washington
Pogue Mahone Pickles, Jalapeño Mint, Texas
Sour Puss Pickles, Plum Shrub, New York
Southport Grocery & Cafe, Dilly Beans, Illinois
Unbound Pickling, French Quarter Pickled Beans, Aromatic Cajun Spice, Oregon
PRESERVES
Alpenfire Orchards LLC, Orleans Vinegar, Washington
American Spoon, Wild Thimbleberry Jam, Michigan
Ann’s Raspberry Farm & Specialty Crops, Artisan Red Raspberry Jam, Ohio
Atwater’s, Pear and Star Anise & Plum and Vanilla Bean, Maryland
Bathtub Gin LLC, Peaches ‘n Cream, Tennessee
Chez Pim, Flavor King Pluot, California (SF)
Ellelle Kitchen, Backyard Grapefruit Marmalade with Campari, California
Farmer’s Daughter, Rosey Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves, North Carolina
Half-Pint Preserves, Apple Plum Jelly, New York
HeathGlen Organic Farm and Kitchen, Raspberry Chambord Jam, Minnesota
Hoskins Berry Farm, Blackberry Vinegar, Oregon
INNA Jam, Pretty Spicy Fresno Chili Jam, California (Emeryville)
Johnson Berry Farm LLC, Raspberry Habanero Jam & Tayberry Jam, Washington
Josephine’s Feast!, Hand Foraged Wild Beach Plum Preserve, New York
Rinkon Farm’s Flume Creek Preserves, Raspberry Preserves, Texas
Winding Drive, Wild Elderberry Jelly, Connecticut
SPIRITS
Cascade Peak Spirits, ORGANIC NATION Gin & ORGANIC NATION Vodka, Oregon
Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, Roundstone Rye, Virginia
Charbay Winery & Distillery, Charbay R5 Whiskey Aged, California (Napa)
Dancing Pines Distillery, Bourbon Whiskey & Rum, Colorado
High West Distillery, High West Vodka 7000′ Peach, Utah
Leopold Bros., Leopold’s Navy Strength Gin, Colorado
Mountain Laurel Spirits, Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries, Boyd and Blair Potato Vodka, Pennsylvania
St. George Spirits, Agua Libre California Agricole Rum & Aqua Perfecta Poire Eau de Vie, California (Alameda)
Syntax Spirits, Powder White Rum, Colorado