The Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

The Breweries: Speakeasy (San Francisco) and Anderson Valley Brewing (Boonville, California)

The Beers: Big Daddy IPA (Speakeasy) and Boont Amber Ale (AVBC)

The Method of Dispense: From bottles chilled in red tubs, poured into 4 oz. tasting cups (biocompostable)

How They Fared: Darker beers have been performing much better in this competition than anyone could have predicted, but Big Daddy IPA, with its 6.5 percent ABV, was a worthy opponent on this night. Receptionist Sarah like the “stronger, cleaner flavors,” while teacher Musashi felt that “Boont is a fine ale, but the IPA is awesome.” Megan Heuer, who works in fashion, liked the “smooth and spicy” aftertaste. Arborist Steve Buckley found it “colder, tastier, and better looking” than its opponent. Architect Carlos felt for its “smoky flavor,” but marine biologist Casey Clark voted based on the “delicious and hoppy” bouquet.

But Boont Amber Ale, with its 5.8 percent ABV, garnered a loyal following from the moment the CalAcademy doors opened and hundreds of initial shark (and beer) lovers rushed into the main hall. Drew Ogozalek, who works in finance and marketing, felt that Boont was “good for this time of year. A little hoppy and hearty with a clean finish.” Wired.com science writer Dave Mosher said that Boont earned his vote since “it held up against the IPA, and amber ales don’t do that.” Biologist Erin noted that “though the [Big Daddy IPA] is crisp and refreshing, Boont also has a delicious rich flavor and nice oomph.” Chef Glen Kimura found the Boont “smoother, with not much bite.”

In the end, the crowd did indeed prefer their bite from the shark-centric festivities rather than the Big Daddy IPA. Out of some 450 votes cast, Boont Amber Ale emerged victorious with a 35-vote margin. With that, the pride of AVBC’s lineup moves on to the Elite Eight.

Coming up: Stay tuned for more info early next week on the next public October Madness event, as well as the unveiling of the official bracket!

Image: Michael Lennon/Wired.com

Stay tuned to @wiredplaybook and @beerrobot for updates on attending future October Madness events in the Bay Area. Follow us on Twitter at @erikmal and @wiredplaybook and on Facebook.

Authors: Erik Malinowski

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