28th Annual Drunk Monk Challenge

Thanks to all who participated in the 28th Annual Drunk Monk Challenge.

There were 585 entries judged and 314 registered participants, judges, and stewards.

Best of Show Winners

Best of Show – Beer

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dan Acheson	Duchesse Du Winfield Avec Cerise Et Chocolat	29B: Fruit and Spice Beer	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Mike & Stephanie Butler	The Polite Ass Kisser	4C: Helles Bock	Kansas City Bier Meisters
3rd	Michael Petrick Co-Brewer: Katrina Edwards	10 Cent Beer Night	1A: American Light Lager	Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (TRASH)

Best of Show – Mead/Cider

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jay Kash	Peach Ice Cider	C3C: Experimental Cider	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Scott Estlund	Feeling Kinda Blue	M2C: Berry Mead	The Brü Club
3rd	Aaron Pigors Co-Brewer: Art Kim Dan Janiczek	Cellar Dweller	C1D: French Cider	Illiana Beer Rackers Union (IBRU)

Winning Entries

Table 1: Pale American and International Lager (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Michael Petrick Co-Brewer: Katrina Edwards	10 Cent Beer Night	1A: American Light Lager	Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (TRASH)
2nd	Matthew Young MHP	Ichiban Lager	2A: International Pale Lager	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Curtis Ritter MHP	Rice & Shine	2A: International Pale Lager	Ace Brewing Society

Table 2: American Wheat, Blonde, Cream Ale (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Curtis Ritter MHP	Lawn Chair Happy Hour	1C: Cream Ale	Ace Brewing Society
2nd	Jeff Zwetsch MHP	Le Crema	1C: Cream Ale	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Dave Frombach MHP	Golden Cream Ale	1C: Cream Ale	Peninsula Fermentation Society

Table 3: Pale Malty Lager (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Marc Riordan	Fizzy Lizzy	4A: Munich Helles
2nd	Kyle Murphy	Hell Yes It's A Helles	4A: Munich Helles	Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ)
3rd	Lee Birkett	Trainspotting	4A: Munich Helles

Table 4: Pale Bitter European Beer (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Bill Goetz	Munich Exportbier	5C: German Helles Exportbier	Brewers of South Suburbia (BOSS)
2nd	Matthew Young MHP	Iceberg	5B: Kölsch	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Preston Booth	Return Of The Champ	5B: Kölsch	The Brü Club

Table 5: Pilsner (22 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Ryan Rose	Reality Czech	3A: Czech Pale Lager	Kansas City Bier Meisters
2nd	Danny Sack MHP	Prepro	27A6: Pre-Prohibition Lager	Evanston Homebrew Club
3rd	Brian Stephens MHP	Generic Czech Pun	3B: Czech Premium Pale Lager	Keepers of Craft

Table 6: Amber Lagers (19 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Rick Chainani MHP	Czech Amber	3C: Czech Amber Lager	Bay Area Mashtronauts
2nd	Preston Booth	Day In Vienna	7A: Vienna Lager	The Brü Club
3rd	Timothy Pratt MHP	Vienna Lager	7A: Vienna Lager	Brew Haven

Table 7: Dark Lager (32 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Bryan Antoniuk MHP	Luke Czech Out The Dark Side	3D: Czech Dark Lager	Madison Homebrewers & Tasters
2nd	Steven Pavletich	Schwarz Happens	8B: Schwarzbier	Iowa Brewers Union
3rd	Mark Winters	Tmavé Pivo 2.1	3D: Czech Dark Lager	Middlesex Malters
HM	Kevin Bencz Co-Brewer: Karie Bencz	Schwarz Dog	8B: Schwarzbier

Table 8: Bock (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Mike & Stephanie Butler MHP	The Polite Ass Kisser	4C: Helles Bock	Kansas City Bier Meisters
2nd	Andy Cox MHP	Roady Roady Roady	6C: Dunkels Bock	Underground Brewers of Connecticut
3rd	Shawn Montgomery MHP	Core Beliefs	9A: Doppelbock	Iowa Brewers Union

Table 9: German Wheat & Rye (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Donald Schneider MHP	Furious George	10B: Dunkels Weissbier	Liquid Poets
2nd	Michael Rensing MHP	Just Here For The Zip Line	10C: Weizenbock	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)
3rd	Nathan James MHP	All Bets Are Off	10C: Weizenbock	Brewers And Drinkers Around Silver Spring (BADASS)

Table 10: Pale British and Commonwealth (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Stephen Polczynski MHP	ESB	11C: Strong Bitter	Red Earth Brewers
2nd	Nick & Heather Hartley MHP	Cody Naramore, The Real Life Mr. Peepers	12B: Australian Sparkling Ale	Red Earth Brewers
3rd	Andy Cox MHP	Bramling Bitter	11A: Ordinary Bitter	Underground Brewers of Connecticut

Table 11: Brown British Ales (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Michael Petrick Co-Brewer: Katrina Edwards	Proper Cockney	13A: Dark Mild	Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (TRASH)
2nd	Dane Clark MHP	Sir Sad Hound Eyes	13B: British Brown Ale
3rd	John Palanchar	English Dark Mild	13A: Dark Mild

Table 12: Irish and Scottish Ales (15 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Stephen Polczynski MHP	Bloody Eejit	15A: Irish Red Ale	Red Earth Brewers
2nd	Randy Daniels KC McKinney	A Lifetime Of Yesterdays	14C: Scottish Export	Iowa Brewers Union
3rd	Ben Gaylord MHP	Highland Hare	14B: Scottish Heavy	Ultra Rare Brewers

Table 13: Small Stouts (17 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jon Phillips	My Goodness	15B: Irish Stout	C.H.A.O.S. Brew Club
2nd	Marc Riordan	Cowtastic	16A: Sweet Stout
3rd	Loring Knutson Co-Brewer: Nancy Knutson	Oaty McOats	16B: Oatmeal Stout

Table 14: Strong Stouts (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Matthew Mead MHP	West Coast Stout	20B: American Stout	PrimeTime Brewers
2nd	Joe Formanek	Three Tsarina's Imperial Stout	20C: Imperial Stout	Urban Knaves of Grain
3rd	Robert Parks	RoboStout	20B: American Stout	Oak Park Homebrewers

Table 15: Porter (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Gregory Sanial MHP	Port Is A Side Of A Ship	20A: American Porter	PrimeTime Brewers
2nd	Bill Murphy	Call For George	13C: English Porter	Urban Knaves of Grain
3rd	Michael Rensing MHP	Olde Shaftesbury's Olde Porter	13C: English Porter	Cider, Homebrew, And Mead Production Specialists (CHAMPS)

Table 16: Strong Ales (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Mark Drilling	Big Feat	22C: American Barleywine	SOBs (Society of Brewers)
2nd	Doug Bulthuis Co-Brewer: John Golden	Rubber Cow	17C: Wee Heavy	Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB)
3rd	Chris Baar	Weee This Heavy!	17C: Wee Heavy	Keepers of Craft

Table 17: American Pale Ale-ish (17 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Gregory Sanial MHP	Darts Rhymes With Farts	12A: British Golden Ale	PrimeTime Brewers
2nd	Mike Neice MHP	US Precision Pale Ale	18B: American Pale Ale	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Patrick Williams	Two Track Mind Pale Ale	18B: American Pale Ale	Urban Knaves of Grain

Table 18: Amber and Brown American Ale (13 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dave Frombach MHP	Red Alert	19A: American Amber Ale	Peninsula Fermentation Society
2nd	David Gulotta MHP Co-Brewer: Jay Powell	Old Catcher's Mitt	19C: American Brown Ale	Ace Brewing Society
3rd	Dave Dress	Huddy The Muddy	19C: American Brown Ale	Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB)

Table 19: American IPA (17 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeff Zwetsch MHP	Bar Hoppa	21A: American IPA	Ace Brewing Society
2nd	Taylor Norland	Third Signal IPA	21A: American IPA	Iowa Brewers Union
3rd	Metts Potter	More Citra	21A: American IPA	Bloatarian Brewing League

Table 20: Specialty and Double IPA (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	David Wheeler	Hoppy Rye	21B5: Rye IPA
2nd	Ryan Kuhn Co-Brewer: Jack Churchill	Bruges To Brussels	21B: Specialty IPA
3rd	Chuck Koch	Country Sunset	21B4: Red IPA	Urban Knaves of Grain

Table 21: Hazy IPA (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Ross Stuart MHP	Hazy IPA	21C: Hazy IPA	Arizona Society of Homebrewers
2nd	Colby Reineke MHP	Angelic Particles	21C: Hazy IPA	Minnesota Home Brewers Association
3rd	Dwain Pannell MHP	Hazed And Confused	21C: Hazy IPA	256 Brewers

Table 22: Smoked Beer (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Adam Reynolds MHP	Polish Pride	27A5: Piwo Grodziskie
2nd	Gerad Miller MHP	The Goddamn Germans Got Nothin' To Do With It	6B: Rauchbier	Dayton Regional Amateur Fermentation Technologists
3rd	Shaun Huggins MHP	Aunt Beru's Smoked Ale	27A5: Piwo Grodziskie	San Antonio Cerveceros

Table 23: Sour Ales (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jared Sutliff	Alter Braunbar	23C: Oud Bruin	Beer Barons of Milwaukee
2nd	Ben Fenton	Cab Pomace Saison	28C: Wild Specialty Beer	North Urban Brewing Society (NUBS)
3rd	Kyle Murphy	Up A Kriek Without A Paddle	23F: Fruit Lambic	Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ)
HM	Travis Johnson MHP	Straight To The Point	28D: Straight Sour Beer	QUAFF

Table 24: Belgian and French Ale (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Daniel Sullivan	Fourchette	24C: Bière de Garde	North Shore Brewing Club
2nd	Kevin Lewis MHP	Monky Business	26A: Belgian Single
3rd	Pete Graham MHP	Witty	24A: Witbier	Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)

Table 25: Strong Belgian Ale (20 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Travis Johnson MHP	Golden Goose	25C: Belgian Golden Strong Ale	QUAFF
2nd	Mike & Stephanie Butler MHP	Invitation To The Lunatic Ball	25A: Belgian Blond Ale	Kansas City Bier Meisters
3rd	Bill Gavin Roy Ventullo	Saison The One	25B: Saison	CRAZE
HM	Taylor Norland	Not A 50	25C: Belgian Golden Strong Ale	Iowa Brewers Union

Table 26: Monastic Ale (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	David Banks	Dark Strong	26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Club Wort
2nd	Jose Terrazas	Belgian Dubbel	26B: Belgian Dubbel	Aurora Brew Crew
3rd	James Eike Co-Brewer: Ryan Schaefer	Belgian Tripel	26C: Belgian Tripel	Society of Oshkosh Brewers

Table 27: Fruit Beer (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dan Acheson MHP	Duchesse Du Winfield Avec Cerise Et Chocolat	29B: Fruit and Spice Beer	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Michael Wulff Co-Brewer: Maeve Wulff	Muñeca: Lime Mexican Lager	29A: Fruit Beer	INSTABHility
3rd	Kevin Wojdak MHP	N-O Beer For You! The Red Edition	LSX3: Italian Grape Ale	Urban Knaves of Grain
HM	Mike Young	Doubtless Raspberry Sour	29A: Fruit Beer	Oak Park Homebrewers

Table 28: Spiced Beer (19 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Lawrence Behmer	Hatch Chili Mexican Lager	30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	C.H.A.O.S. Brew Club
2nd	William George Co-Brewer: Joseph Froehlich	Candybar	30D: Specialty Spice Beer	Joliet Brewers Guild
3rd	Tom Hayosh Co-Brewer: Craig Ranshaw Club Wort	Big Brew Christmas Ale	30C: Winter Seasonal Beer	Club Wort

Table 29: Specialty Beer (17 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	George Turner	It Is The Man Who Drinks The First Bottle Of Sake; Then The Second Bottle Drinks The First, And Finally It Is The Sake That Drinks The Man	34C: Experimental Beer	Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB)
2nd	Doug Bulthuis	Zkus Mě	34C: Experimental Beer	Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB)
3rd	Wesley Kulcak MHP Co-Brewer: Megan Kulcak	Alt-Star's G-IPA	34A: Commercial Specialty Beer	Bay Area Mashtronauts
HM	John Futrell MHP	Colonial Coonhound Ale	27A: Historical Beer

Table 30: Wood Beer (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dave Breyer MHP	Barb's OMG Tasty Brew	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	395brewers
2nd	Tom Hayosh	Pseudo-BA Tommy 12	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Club Wort
3rd	James Zweep Co-Brewer: Mike Wulff	Schnoodle	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	INSTABHility

Table 31: Standard Cider and Perry (21 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Aaron Pigors MHP Co-Brewer: Art Kim Dan Janiczek	Cellar Dweller	C1D: French Cider	Illiana Beer Rackers Union (IBRU)
2nd	George Turner	Man Is The Only Animal That Blushes, Or Needs To	C1B: Heirloom Cider	Kuhnhenn Guild of Brewers (KGB)
3rd	Brent Anderson MHP	First Cider	C1A: Common Cider	Urban Knaves of Grain
HM	Zachary Belzer MHP	Pride Of Galvez	C1A: Common Cider	Urban Knaves of Grain

Table 32: Specialty Cider and Perry (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jay Kash	Peach Ice Cider	C3C: Experimental Cider	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Shaina Cranson	Pomegeddon	C3A: Fruit Cider	Keepers of Craft
3rd	Nathan Koeppel	Apple Bottoms	C3A: Fruit Cider

Table 33: Traditional Mead (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Daniel Kukuk MHP	Emberwake	M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead	Motor City Mashers
2nd	Haven Schultz MHP	Macadamia Hydromel	M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead	The Brü Club
3rd	Ryan Vigne MHP	The Sweet One - Kiawe Blossom	M1C: Sweet Mead	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers

Table 34: Fruit Mead (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Scott Estlund MHP	Feeling Kinda Blue	M2C: Berry Mead	The Brü Club
2nd	Brian Stephens MHP	Time Travel Sauce	M2D: Stone Fruit Mead	Keepers of Craft
3rd	Joe Skiles MHP	Kind Of Red	M2D: Stone Fruit Mead	Urban Knaves of Grain

Table 35: Spiced Mead (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dan Acheson MHP	Apples And Spice And Everything Nice	M3B: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Ryan Vigne MHP	BRP	M3A: Fruit and Spice Mead	Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers
3rd	Brian Biggs MHP	All Along The Watchtower	M3B: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead	Dead Yeast Society [LA]

Table 36: Specialty Mead (7 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Paweł Knap	#114 Półtorak	M4B: Historical Mead	Polski Miód Pitny
2nd	Melissa Greenfield MHP	Dwojniak	M4B: Historical Mead	QUAFF
3rd	James Banzhaf	Scorpion Sting	M4C: Experimental Mead	Lincoln Lagers
HM	Garrett Freeman MHP	Oooh Plum	M4C: Experimental Mead	Red Earth Brewers

Table 99: Menace of the Monastery (25 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Joe Skiles MHP	Devil Made Me Do It	48A: MoM Belgian Golden Strong Ale (25C)	Urban Knaves of Grain
2nd	Alex & Patrick Williams	Ff Jamaica	47A: MoM Belgian Blond Ale (25A)	Kansas City Bier Meisters
3rd	Shaun Huggins MHP	Vader's Choke Hold	51A: MoM Belgian Dark Strong Ale (26D)	San Antonio Cerveceros

Account Registration Closed

Account registrations accepted 01/03/2026 9:00 AM, CST through 03/10/2026 6:45 PM, CDT.

Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 01/03/2026 9:00 AM, CST through 03/14/2026 5:00 PM, CDT.