Cincy Craft Madness: Championship

Update: voting for the Championship is now closed.

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Welcome to the Championship match-up between (10) Bircus Alta Via Altbier and (6) Municipal Approachable Blonde! With more than 13,000 votes, Municipal won its Final Four bout against Little Miami, which had nearly 12,000 total votes. On the other side of the bracket, Bircus pulled way with 57% of the vote (9,090) to 13 Below’s nearly 7,000 votes. Some background about the Championship beers:

Bircus Alta Via Altbier:
A traditional German style from Dusseldorf, this Altbier balances its hoppiness with a malty, complex base. The name for this beer comes from the Latin word “altus,” meaning “high,” and refers to the rising yeast. The meaning also refers to the “high road” at BIRCUS, where we rise above the day-to-day with a unique brand and brewing experience.

Municipal Approachable Blonde:
One of the most—er, approachable—styles, this ale is an easy-drinking beer that is visually appealing and has no particularly dominating malt or hop characteristics. Rounded and smooth, it is an American classic known for its simplicity. “Smooth, easy. Nice entry level beer that pairs well with food.”

Bircus Brewery opened to the public in late 2017, which makes this its first Cincinnati Craft Madness tournament appearance. Can another new brewery in town (last year’s winner) take home the hardware* this year, too? Municipal Brew Works, new to the scene in 2016, calls Hamilton home. 

Thanks again for all of your support and enthusiasm of this fun way to celebrate Cincinnati’s great beers and illustrious brewing history. (And also forget the city’s poor showings in this year’s March Madness tournament.) Be sure to share this poll and posts on social media. You will have 24 hours to vote for the winner!

For a complete background and game rules, click here.

Results from previous rounds can be found on Facebook.

Full schedule
First Round: March 15–21
Second Round: March 26
Sweet Sixteen: March 27
Elite Eight: March 28
Final Four: March 29
Championship: April 2

*Bragging rights