Coastal Empire Beer Co. of Savannah won silver and gold medals in blind tastings earlier this month at the 2015 United States Open Beer Championship in Oxford, Ohio. More than 4,000 beers and ciders from over 20 countries competed to win in a number of different beer, cider and specialty categories.

Local brewery, Coastal Empire Beer Co. won a gold medal for their ‘March to the Sea’ brand in the American Barley Wine category.  March to the Sea is a collaboration product with Kennesaw, GA based Burnt Hickory Brewery.  Popular and multiple-award winning Barrel Aged Savannah Brown was awarded a silver medal in the Barrel Aged Dark Beer Category.  Since Coastal Empire Beer Co. first released Barrel Aged Savannah Brown in 2013 it has won numerous awards including bronze in 2013 and gold in 2014 at the U.S. Open.  The brewery’s classic Savannah Brown Ale, also captured silver in the 2012 U.S. Open American Brown ale category. 

Kevin Haborak, Co-Founder of Coastal Empire Beer Co. said “It’s always very exciting to receive recognition for the quality of our beer especially when there is so much competition from around the world.  This is the fourth year since we founded our brewery in August 2011 that we have been successful in bringing home awards to Savannah”.  He added, “We were also very pleased to see the success of our first collaboration with another Georgia brewery.  The guys at Burnt Hickory are great people, and to have our beer - March to the Sea - bring home a god medal was very exciting for both of us.”

Coastal Empire Beer Co. is located at 79 Ross Road in Savannah and features a tasting room that is open Thursday through Saturday.  Patrons can tour the facility; sample the beers, and take home up to 72 oz. of souvenir beer from the tasting room.

For more information on Coastal Empire Beer Co. please visit www.coastalempirebeer.com and for more information about the U.S. Open Beer Championship visit www.usopenbeer.com