For the second year in a row, San Antonio's Second Pitch Beer Company and its Hometown Lager returned victorious from the World Beer Cup with a silver medal.

Widely regarded as the “Olympics of Beer,” the 2023 World Beer Cup featured 10,213 entries from 2,376 breweries in 51 countries, and winners in 103 beer style categories were selected by an international panel of 272 beer judges from 26 countries.

Second Pitch took silver in the American-Style Amber Lager category for its Hometown Lager, which is also called a California Common.

This beer style originated in San Francisco, the hometown of Second Pitch founder Jim Hansen. Also called a “steam beer,” the style is known for being malt-forward and easy to drink.

That same Hometown Lager also recently scored back-to-back gold medal wins in the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

Hansen and his wife Samantha opened Second Pitch in August 2020, staking out 11935 Starcrest Dr. for the 15 barrel brewing system brewery and friendly taproom that often hosts events like trivia, Bring Your Own Vinyl Sundays, and "Singo" music Bingo. To help combat the Texas heat, even more indoor seating is being added this summer.

"We want San Antonio to be a beer destination," says Jim. "We are constantly searching for the best, most appropriate ingredients for each style of beer we make. This includes wheat malt from Germany for our German Hefeweizen or hops from Yakima Valley in Washington for our West Coast IPA. We take pride in knowing exactly what is in our pint glasses."

You can also find cans of Hometown Lager in HEBs all around San Antonio, and on draft in local bars and restaurants by using the beer locator.

“The World Beer Cup brings together the finest brewers and beers from around the globe and celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and passion for great beer," says competition director Chris Williams. “Receiving a World Beer Cup award is a testament to quality and innovation, and we commend this year’s winners for setting the bar higher than ever.”