Guess Which 8 Sprecher Beers Won Awards from The Tasting Alliance?

That's right! Eight Sprecher Beers won awards from The Tasting Alliance at the end of 2023. Can you guess which?

Maybe you are a longtime fan and are racking your brain for the best Sprecher beers right now. Or, maybe you didn't even know Sprecher makes beer. If you're in that latter group, a little history:

Sprecher prides itself on its award-winning Root Beer and our lineup of handcrafted, fire-brewed sodas, but the company's roots are in brewing craft beer. When Sprecher Brewery was founded in 1985, it was the first craft brewery in Milwaukee since prohibition. Sprecher initially earned its fame for making authentic European beers using a traditional fire-brewing process. Only later did founder Randy Sprecher apply his fire-brewing process to Root Beer to create the incredible soda that Sprecher is most well-known for today.

The Original Sprecher Brewery, where the first Sprecher beers were brewed

So, there you have it! While Sprecher is known nationally for Root Beer, the company has not left its beer brewing tradition behind. Far from it. 

Get to the point! Which beers won??

Okay, I hear ya. Sprecher earned a Double Gold Medal for its XII Dragons Bourbon-Barrel Aged Beer; a Gold Medal for its Framboise Raspberry Lambic Ale; and Silver Medals for its Hefe Weiss; Vienna Style Special Amber; Original Lager; Black Bavarian; Doppelbock and Abbey Trippel.

These awards came from The Tasting Alliance, which aims to educate and connect consumers with top alcohol and beer brands. The organization hosts some of the alcohol and beer industry’s most prestigious awards competitions and their understanding of the international alcohol and beer industry is unparalleled. So, it is safe to say their word means a lot to Sprecher.

Sprecher CEO Sharad Chadha was over the moon to hear the news. He said, “These eight awards mean the world to us because we entered eight beers and all received awards. This is noteworthy for us because lately the focus on our company this past year has been on our rapidly expanding soda division but it points out that are beers are just as noteworthy as well.”

Who made this happen?

It takes a village to brew a beer, but most of the credit goes to the master craftspeople who head up the Sprecher Brewing Team: Head Brewer Bill Gorecki, and Brewers Jim Olen, Patrick Maeleon, and Peter Neubert. This brewing dream team works hard year-round to make sure that every last drop of Sprecher beer meets exacting standards for taste, safety, and quality. 

Clockwise from top--Bill Gorecki, Patrick Maeleon, Pete Neubert, and Jim Olen.

Sprecher only has one brewing facility--701 W Glendale Ave, Glendale WI 53209 (which you can visit and tour!)--which means the brewing team is able to work together closely while exercising exceptional control over the brewing process to create truly handcrafted beers.

The result speaks for itself: decades of great tasting, award-winning brews. 

It was great meeting the brewing team! Now what do these beers taste like?

Glad you asked, dear reader. Check it out:

XII Dragons | ABV 14%

Dark mahogany in color, XII Dragons is a massive mouthful of malt goodness balanced by warming alcohol with a whisper of bitterness and playful spice; perfect for cooler weather or late evenings. Predominant flavors include caramelized sugar, toffee, dried fruits (fig, cherry, raisin, plum), molasses, and light spice (clove, pepper, nutmeg). Bourbon barrel aging added notes of vanilla, oak and toasted caramel to this Belgian style ale, creating a velvety smooth, rich and complex treat for beer lovers wide and far. Semi-dry to sweet, this is a strong beer – 14% ABV, alcohol by volume – that is still coming into its own and will continue to develop for many more years.

Framboise | ABV 6%

This medium-bodied Belgian-Style Lambic is the perfect balance of sweet and tart! It's made with fresh raspberries and has a bubbly finish.

Black Bavarian | ABV 6%

This intensely dark Kulmbacher style lager has a superb malt complexity with the distinctive flavors and aromas of coffee, caramel and chocolate. A renowned smoothness and a creamy, tan head make this lager an award-winning flagship brew.

Special Amber | ABV 5%

A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give this medium-bodied German-style lager an intriguing, complex malt flavor. A creamy head, deep golden color and an impressive hop bouquet make this a very special beer.

Hefe Weiss ABV | 4.3%

This coarse-filtered wheat ale is fermented with a German yeast culture for a refreshingly light spiciness and hints of citrus fruit. A cloudy appearance and an immense creamy head are characteristic of this lightly hopped Bavarian Brew

Abbey Triple | ABV 8.4%

A Belgian Trappist triple yeast culture balanced with the finest imported pale barley, Belgian aromatic malt and oats, gives this golden ale a fruity bouquet and a light refined taste.

Dopplebock | ABV 8%

This dark lager was originally brewed as liquid bread to sustain Bavarian monks while fasting. Its sweet complex malt character comes from brewing with many varieties of dark roasted caramel malts and long periods of cold storage (6 months).

Original Lager | 4.5%

A crushable, easy drinking lager for any occasion. Crisp and refreshing with hints of caramel and bready character. The beer drinkers beer.

Where can I get some of this Award-Winning Craft Beer?

Come visit us at our brewery, taproom, and gift shop at 701 W Glendale Ave, Glendale WI, 53209! We have beer on tap and in our gift shop, so you can drink it with us or take it home in a growler, crowler, or can. If you are making a trip to get something in particular, give us a call at (414) 967-0411 to confirm the beer you want is in stock. Of course, you must be 21+ with valid ID to purchase, and we ask you to drink responsibly.

Some of our beers are available in retail locations across Wisconsin as well! You can search for those using the "product finder" feature on our store locator to filter by the beer of your choice. If you don't see a beer in the product finder, it is because it is available exclusively at the brewery.

Unfortunately, you can't purchase Sprecher beer from our online store, because WI state law prohibits us from shipping it to you. Write your congressional representatives! Write our congressional representatives! Write the president! Or, chill out and join us at the brewery. There's still plenty of good beer to go around.