NEW ULM — Firebrick, the Schell’s Brewery’s Vienna-Style Amber Lager, won a pair of prestigious gold medals from the 2020 European Beer Star contest and the 2020 U.S.Open Beer Championship this fall.

On Nov. 13 in Nuremberg, Germany, 72 judges from across Europe began taste-testing thousands of beers in search of the best Vienna-Style Lager.

After deliberating for 60 hours, they awarded Firebrick the gold medal over 2,036 beers from 42 countries.

“Winning a gold medal at the European Beer Star is a huge honor. We are very excited about it. This helps reinforce Firebrick as one of our flagship beers,” said Schell’s Assistant Brewmaster Jace Marti.

Three weeks later, Firebrick beat out hundreds of beers from 140 breweries, winning another gold medal in the Vienna-Style lager category at the 2020 U.S. Open Beer Championship.

It’s not the first time Firebrick won beer awards. Firebrick’s previous awards were earned at the 2014 World Beer Cup and the 2002 Great American Beer Festival.

“This is something that we are proud of. It really highlights just how good Firebrick actually is,” said Schell’s Communications and Marketing Specialist Jacob Badger.

Brewed since 1998, Firebrick gets its name from the bricks that line the old boilers at Schell’s and is characterized by its amber-red color. It has a hint of hops combined with subtly maltiness.

Originally a seasonal beer, Firebrick was such a hit that Schell’s President Ted Marti decided to brew it year-round.

“Originally, we thought it would only be brewed for a few years, but here we are 22 years later,” said Marti. “It’s a fan-favorite. We can’t wait to brew it for another 22 years.”

Founded in 1860 in New Ulm, the August Schell Brewing Company is the second-oldest, family-owned brewery in the United States.

For more information, visit schellsbrewery.com

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).