Tega Cay brewery repeats with two-medal night; deep field included nearly 150 entries from 32 area breweries
TEGA CAY, S.C. — Model A Brewing added two more medals to its trophy case at the Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance (CIBA) 2025 awards, earning a gold for “American Dreamin’” in the Barrel-Aged/Strong Ale category and a silver for “Auf Wiedersehen” in the Amber & Dark Lager category.
This year’s competition drew nearly 150 entries across 10 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) categories, representing 32 Charlotte-area breweries—including both CIBA members and non-members.
A growing medal legacy
- 2025: Gold — American Dreamin’ (Barrel-Aged/Strong Ale); Silver — Auf Wiedersehen (Amber & Dark Lager)
- 2024: Two Golds — Tega Haze (Hazy IPA) and Disco Sticke (Experimental Fruit)
- 2023: 3rd Place Best in Show — Absofugginlutely, which also won Gold in Hops (IPA/Pale); Gold — Finley’s Alt
- 2022 (inaugural CIBA awards): CROWN JEWEL / Best in Show WINNER — Prohibition ESB (PALE/BLONDE); Gold — Prohibition ESB (PALE/BLONDE); Silver — Magic Carpet Rye’d Roggenbier (Malt/Dark)
Why it matters
- Regional stature: CIBA’s awards are a benchmark for the Charlotte metro beer scene, spotlighting technical excellence, balance, and style accuracy under BJCP guidelines.
- Consistency across styles: From hop-forward hazies and classic German ales to lagers and barrel-influenced strong ales, Model A continues to medal in markedly different categories—underscoring depth and quality throughout the brewhouse.
By the numbers
- Entries: ~150
- BJCP categories: 10
- Participating breweries: 32
- Model A CIBA haul since 2022: Multiple golds across styles plus the 2022 CROWN JEWEL Best in Show
With another standout performance on a competitive regional stage, Model A Brewing keeps putting Tega Cay on the craft-beer map—one medal at a time.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
