Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2023 winner crowned after closest final match ever ??

Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer

April 3, 2023 at 10:54 PM·5 min read

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The Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2023 championship has broken all the records, flipped all the scripts and has now come to a close with the most dramatic finish ever.

The bracket rookie No. 4 seed ?? Helles Real (Grainworks Brewing Co.) has defeated the double-defending champ, odds-on favorite overall No. 1 seed Bohemian Special Brew (Wiedemann's Fine Beer) in a stunning final match upset for the ages.

The final score was 875-790, the closest final matchup of all time (see more on that in the breakdown below).

Helles Real had a humdinger of a road to the title, plowing through some tough competition. The road was paved with victories over No. 5 seed Kenny's Dey Drinkin' Lager (16 Lots), No. 1 seed Boston Lager (Sam Adams), No. 2 seed Vlad (Fretboard) and No. 2 seed You Betcha! (Sonder) before taking down the returning champ.

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Helles Real from Grainworks Brewing Co. is Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2023.

If you've never tasted the winning brew, here's what Grainworks' website has to say about it: "Brewed in collaboration with Norden (FC Cincinnati supporter group), this Munich-style German lager has a rich, bready malt character balanced by a mild noble hops bite, with a refreshing finish." It's also listed at 4.666% ABV. Get it?

The name of the beer is inspired by the Hell is Real roadside billboard off Interstate 71. The one you've seen every time you've driven from Cincinnati to Columbus. Not so coincidentally, Hell is Real is also the title of the match when FC Cincinnati plays against MLS rival the Columbus Crew.

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Plug the taproom address (found below) into that phone of yours and go grab a pour for yourself. And while you're there, we would be silly not to mention that the in-house food menu from MamaBear’s Mac offers mac and cheese flights. Yes, you heard that right.

Other beers to check out at Grainworks? Well, you might remember the cool-as-ice, shades-laden, Joe Burrow-themed Brrr Cold IPA that debuted in 2022. You'll likely head home with a six-pack of the Rusty Bumper American Brown Ale if that's more your style. There's even a beer called It's Peanut Butter Chocolate Time, which is exactly what it sounds like. Why stop there? How about the Luke I Am Your Lager "Imperial" Black Lager?

A big congratulations goes out to all of the folks and fans at Grainworks, your 2023 champ. And a huge thank you to all of the other local breweries that joined in on the fun this year. We couldn't do this without your liquids and dedication.

Cheers.

?? Zoom into the final bracket HERE.

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Final bracket shows the winner for Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2023.

Find a can from Grainworks Brewing Co. for yourself

Go to the taproom: 7790 Service Center Drive, West Chester Township.
Find Grainworks beer in stores near you with the online beer finder: grainworks.beer/beer/finder.
On Facebook: facebook.com/grainworksbeer.
On Twitter: twitter.com/grainworksbeer.
On Instagram: instagram.com/grainworksbeer.

Factoids from the 2023 beer bracket championship

There were 44,052 votes submitted over the course of all six rounds of voting (including the nomination round) this year.
The 2023 flag-holding mascot you see all over our Cincinnati's Favorite Beer promotions is named Frosty the Beerman.
This is the first time the winning beer was not a No. 1 seed since the inaugural championship in 2019. That year, Taft's Gavel Banger IPA won as a No. 2 seed.
The 875 votes for Helles Real is the single highest vote total for any beer in any round in 2023. The second-highest total was the Bohemian's 790 in that same round.
The 85-point differential in the final matchup makes this the closest final round of all time. The next closest final round was decided by 152 votes in 2019.
Third Eye P.A. (Third Eye) also made history this year, becoming the first No. 8 seed to make it out of the first round, defeating a No. 1 seed. Third Eye broke more records, continuing on to the Elite Eight round, but was defeated by No. 2 seed You Betcha! (Sonder), narrowly missing out at a shot in the Final Four by only 34 votes.
Last year's runner-up was also a No. 4 seed, but Moozie (Brink) was defeated by No. 1 seed Bohemian Special Brew for its second straight title. Moozie was a No. 4 seed again in 2023 but was taken out by Third Eye in the Sweet 16.
This is the first year a beer named Octoberfest/Oktoberfest did not make it to the Elite Eight. Each previous year, that torch was held by Samuel Adams. This year, Cellar Dweller dropped to Streetside in the Round of 32 and West Side fell to Sonder in the Sweet 16.
The win by Grainworks, located in West Chester, takes the Cincinnati's Favorite Beer trophy farther north than in any previous year. The next closest was Taft's in 2019, if you're counting its Brewpourium in Spring Grove Village, just a short drive north from Wiedemann's in St. Bernard.