Breweries across Canada were taste-tested for their quality in the 17th annual Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference (CBAC) in Toronto, ON, this weekend and BC brewers showed their gusto.

Participating Canadian breweries submitted their best brews to compete in a sanctioned blind tasting program to crown the top three beers, and their brewers, in 55 style categories.

CBAC has not yet released how many beers were tested and how many breweries made an appearance this year, but last year's numbers showed over 1,900 entries from 260 breweries.

Of the over 150 breweries that placed in the competition and conference, which took place from Thursday to Saturday, 36 BC breweries took up 50 of those spots.

While many of the breweries that earned hardware at the competition hailed from the Island and the Lower Mainland, two Thompson-Okanagan breweries had their name printed on the CBAC Awards sheet.

Kamloops’ Iron Road Brewing topped the Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category for their alcoholic elixir called the Boxcar Tourist.

Brewing out of Penticton, The Cannery Brewing Co. earned a bronze in the Oatmeal Stout category for their Darkling Oatmeal Stout brew and a silver in the Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale grouping for their Heist Maple Stout.

CBAC also took the opportunity to announce the launch of a new organization that would represent over 700 craft breweries across Canada called the Canadian Craft Brewers Association/Association des Microbrasseries Canadiennes (or CCBA-AMBC).

For a full listing of CBAC winners, click here.