The verdict is in.

The best church beer in town is a double IPA brewed by the St. Mary Catholic Church Hopostles. The event this weekend at Front Street Brewery was the culmination of a yearlong friendly competition between churches to brew beer and raise money for the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Lifecare Center. Second place was the Wilmington chapter of the Knights of Columbus' smoked porter, and St. James Episcopal Church won the third place.

The winning church gets bragging rights, a 4-feet-tall trophy and their beer on tap at Front Street Brewery. In a different twist, because the Hopostles' brew uses a type of hops that was difficult to get last minute, the second place beer is on tap currently. And the first place brew will follow, said Jeffrey Hughes, the organizer of the first Heavenly Homebrew competition.

But the biggest winner was the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Lifecare Center. The event raised $2,212 to benefit the charity.

- Amanda Greene