Arron Luebbert, brewer and Sleepy Eye Brewing poses with their award winning beers, Salsa Dancing and FIVE Barley Wine. Submitted photo

Sleepy Eye Brewing took home two awards from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s MN Brewers Cup Competition, the state-wide, blind taste-test competition for Minnesota breweries and brewpubs.

Sleepy Eye Brewing’s Salsa Dancing, took home first place in the Spice, Herb, & Vegetable Beers category.

in the Pale Strong Beers category, Sleepy Eye Brewing took second for “FIVE: Barley Wine.

This year, the Brewers Cup Competition had over 350 competition entries from over 70 breweries and brewpubs in the state. Beers were organized into 18 categories based on style. The submissions were judged blind and scored based on how well each submission represented the standards of its style. The top three in each style category, along with the top three overall, were announced at an industry-only awards ceremony on the evening of April 10, in Bloomington.

“This award reflects our commitment to crafting high-quality, award-winning beer and demonstrates that, while we are a small brewery, we can compete at the highest level in the industry,” said Sleepy Eye Brewing Brewer Arron Luebbert.”Recognition like this instills a strong sense of pride throughout our team, strengthening how we represent our beers and connect with our customers. It also brings meaningful attention to our brewery and draws visitors to our rural Minnesota community, supporting local businesses and contributing to the overall vitality of the area.”

The winning beer can be tried exclusively at the Sleepy Eye Brewing taproom, inside the historic Pix Theater in Sleepy Eye. Salsa Dancing is available on tap or in crowler. Five: Barley Wine will also be available for a limited time.