Rookie brewery absolutely STUNS beer bracket field. Elite 8 revealed! 🍺

Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer
The final eight bracket for Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2024.
The final eight bracket for Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2024.

A rookie brewery has sent a message to the Cincinnati's Favorite Beer field.

An astonishing 834 votes brought No. 2 Crazy Norse (Barleycorn's) to a landslide victory over No. 6 Oktoberfest (Cellar Dweller). That's 270 more votes than any other beer in the Sweet 16 round. That earns the brew a proper introduction.

Crazy Norse is a New England (hazy) IPA from Barleycorn's Brewhouse, a new-to-the-bracket brewery that opened in 2022 in Wilder, Kentucky. It's 6.8 ABV, and I want one. Up next for the diaper dandy is a faceoff against the only other IPA left in the field, No. 4 Coast to Coast (Fifty West). Who will bring the hops to the Final Four?

🍺 Ready? VOTE HERE on Elite Eight matchups March 25-26 🍺

Not to be outdone, Cinderella is still dancing past midnight. No. 8 Untapped Potential (Third Eye) executed another sudsy upset in the Sweet 16 round against rival No. 4 Moozie (Brink). The next matchup will prove a mighty challenge as the underdog takes on reigning champ No. 3 Helles Real (Grainworks). With a victory, Third Eye would make history for the deepest run ever for an 8-seed.

If all of that action didn't bust your beer bracket, No. 4 Happy Amber (MadTree) pulled off the upset over No. 1 Boston Lager (Sam Adams) and will now face No. 2 Dunkel (Hofbrauhaus) in an Elite Eight battle of the red-hued beers.

Only one top-seeded beer remains in the running, and that's two-time champ No. 1 Bohemian Special (Wiedemann), which will look to keep hopes alive for a third trophy as it faces another easy-drinking No. 3 Vlad (Fretboard) next.

Need I remind you that you have all the power here? Voting is free and easy. Here's how to join in and drink along with us. (Scroll down to see the final scores of all the Sweet 16 matchups.)

CFB Elite Eight voting guide

  • Voting begins HERE at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 25, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, March 26.

  • You can vote once per day, per matchup.

  • Final Four voting will begin on Thursday, March 28, featuring winners from the previous round (duh).

  • NOTE: You might have to verify your email address before being able to vote for the first time. Apologies for the runaround, but we have to make sure you're a real human.

It's time for local beers to do battle again in this year's Cincinnati's Favorite Beer championship, the beer bracket where YOU decide who wins.
It's time for local beers to do battle again in this year's Cincinnati's Favorite Beer championship, the beer bracket where YOU decide who wins.

Sweet 16 final scores

1 Bohemian Special (Wiedemann) | WINNER

Votes: 560

4 Oktoberfest (West Side)

Votes: 481

–

3 Vlad (Fretboard) | WINNER

Votes: 426

2 You Betcha! (Sonder)

Votes: 390

–

4 Happy Amber (MadTree) | WINNER

Votes: 517

1 Boston Lager (Sam Adams)

Votes: 345

–

2 Dunkel (Hofbrauhaus) | WINNER

Votes: 511

3 Cincy Light (Rhinegeist)

Votes: 426

–

8 Untapped Potential (Third Eye) | WINNER

Votes: 492

4 Moozie (Brink)

Votes: 318

–

3 Helles Real (Grainworks) | WINNER

Votes: 564

2 Gavel Banger (Taft’s)

Votes: 377

–

4 Coast to Coast (Fifty West) | WINNER

Votes: 448

1 Garage Beer (Braxton)

Votes: 395

–

2 Crazy Norse (Barleycorn’s) | WINNER

Votes: 834

6 Oktoberfest (Cellar Dweller)

Votes: 447

Dates to know

  • Round of 32: March 18-19.

  • Sweet 16: March 21-22.

  • Elite Eight: March 25-26.

  • Final Four: March 28-29.

  • THE FINALS: April 1-2.

  • Winner announced: April 7.

The 2023 Cincinnati's Favortie Beer trophy.
The 2023 Cincinnati's Favortie Beer trophy.

Previous CFB championship winners

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rookie brewery absolutely STUNS in Cincinnati's Favorite Beer bracket

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