Beer Birthday: Danny Williams

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Today would have been Danny Williams’ 54th birthday today, having been born exactly two days before yours truly in 1959. Unfortunately, Danny lost a battle with cancer a little over a year ago, and passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 23, 2012. For over a decade, Danny worked for the Brewers Association as the beer competition manager for both the Great American Beer Festival and/or the World Beer Cup. Danny left behind two grown children and an 8-year old son, Fletcher. Join me in raising a birthday beer and giving a toast to the memory of Danny Williams tonight. Danny would have wanted it that way.

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Danny Williams and a friend at the World Beer Cup dinner in Chicago two years ago.

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Tom Nickel (owner of O’Brien’s in San Diego), Nancy Johnson, Director of GABF and Danny at Slow Food Nation 2008 in San Francisco.

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Danny in the former goldmine beer cellar.

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Danny’s Angels, after a BA event.

Beer Birthday: Nancy Johnson

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Today is Nancy Johnson’s birthday. Nancy is the Events Director for the Brewers Association, which includes being the director of the Great American Beer Festival, among others. She’s been doing that thankless job for a lot of years now and always manages to keep a smile on her face. Join me in wishing Nancy a very happy birthday.

George Wendt, Nancy Johnson & Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
George Wendt, Nancy, and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper at the 2009 GABF Awards Ceremony.

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Nancy with Chris Black, the owner of Falling Rock, at GABF in 2006.

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With Tom McCormick, from the CSBA, at the Roadhouse in Boston, Mass.

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Tom Nickel (owner of O’Brien’s in San Diego), Nancy and Danny Williams, also from the Brewers Association, at Slow Food Nation 2008 in San Francisco.

Beer Birthday: Chris Swersey

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Today is the 48th birthday of Chris Swersey, who’s on the staff of the Brewers Association as the Competition Manager for both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. He coordinates all the judges, volunteers and the thousands of beers needed for each festival. It’s a big job and Chris seems to do it effortlessly. Join me in wishing Chris a very happy birthday.

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Chris reading the list of World Beer Cup winners in 2008.

Nancy Johnson, Justin Crossley & Chris Swersey Before the GABF Awards Ceremony
Nancy Johnson, Justin Crossley & Chris right before the GABF Awards Ceremony in 2009.

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Eric and Lauren Salazar, both from New Belgium Brewing, sandwiched by Jim Crooks, from Firestone Walker, and Chris Swersey, Competition Manager for GABF judging.

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Me, Chris and another BA staff member freshly arriving at CBC in Austin in 2007.

GABF Winners 2012

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Put a fork in the 31st Great American Beer Festival, it’s done, with some pretty impressive statistics again. A record 4,388 beers were judged in 84 categories by 185 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: American-style IPA: 203 entries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 50.6
  • 666 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Guam
  • 578 breweries in the festival hall
  • Over 2,700 beers served at the festival
  • 49,000 attendees

The Breweries That Won the Most Medals:

  • Devil’s Backbone; 8 medals
  • Barley Brown’s, Church Brew Works; 4 medals
  • Captain Lawrence, Figueroa Mountain, Firestone Walker, Green Flash, Lost Abbey, Redrock, Spoetzl, Thai Me Up, Tröegs, Uinta; 3 medals

Last year, one brewery won 8 medals, three won 6 and five won 4 apiece. This year again eight was the highest total medals won by a single brewery, but the next closest was 4.

The Most Gold Medals Won:

  • Spoetzl Brewery, Tröegs; 3 gold medals won
  • Boulevard, Devil’s Backbone, Firestone Walker, Funkwerks, Green Flash, Pizza Port San Clemente, Pizza Port Solana Beach, SandLot, Stevens Point, Thai Me Up; 2 gold medals won

Last year, one brewery won 4, two won 3 and five won 2. This year two breweries won 3 golds and ten breweries one 2 gold medals.

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 49
  2. Colorado = 35
  3. Oregon = 24
  4. Pennsylvania = 17
  5. Virginia = 12
  6. TIE: Illinois, Wisconsin = 10
  7. Texas = 9
  8. TIE: Utah, Wyoming = 8
  9. TIE: Indiana, Washington = 7
  10. Missouri = 6

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The 2012 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer, 29 Entries
Gold: Wagon Box Wheat, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: American Wheat, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast, 29 Entries
Gold: MBC Wheat Ale, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Silver: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Bronze: Wrangler Wheat, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 3 Fruit Beer, 58 Entries
Gold: Dry Dock Apricot Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Silver: ChChChCh-Cherry Bomb, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Strawberry Blonde Ale, DESTIHL, Normal, IL

Category: 4 Fruit Wheat Beer, 38 Entries
Gold: Ruby Raspberry Wheat, Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing, Chippewa Falls, WI
Bronze: 5 Lizard Latin-Style Witbier, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Bedford Park, IL

Category: 5 Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: Anaheim IPA, RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Cucumber Saison, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL

Category: 6 Herb and Spice Beer, 114 Entries
Gold: Sweet Heat, Burnside Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: CBC Heather Ale, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA
Bronze: Utah Sage Saison, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 7 Chocolate Beer, 39 Entries
Gold: Cocoa for Coconuts, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: X – 1, DuClaw Brewing Co., Bel Air, MD
Bronze: Milk Chocolate Cherry Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category: 8 Coffee Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: Smog City Groundwork Coffee, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
Silver: Hazelnut Coffee Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Bronze: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category: 9 Specialty Beer, 35 Entries
Gold: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
Silver: Alaskan Birch Bock, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Exit 8, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ

Category: 10 Rye Beer, 62 Entries
Gold: Gramarye, Heretic Brewing Co., Pittsburg, CA
Silver: Kyles Baltic Porter, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO
Bronze: Roggenbier, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Phoenixville, Phoenixville, PA

Category: 11 Specialty Honey Beer, 33 Entries
Gold: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: George’s Fault, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Kuhnhenn Braggot, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI

Category: 12 Session Beer, 67 Entries
Gold: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Dock Street/Thiriez Table Saison, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Bitter American, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Category: 13 Other Strong Beer, 55 Entries
Gold: Reverb Imperial Pilsner, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Heart of Gold, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Double White, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category: 14 Experimental Beer, 62 Entries
Gold: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Track #8, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category: 15 Fresh Hop Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Silver: HopTime Harvest Ale, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Colorado IPA Nouveau, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Category: 16 Indigenous Beer, 27 Entries
Gold: Got Beer, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Boulder, Boulder, CO
Silver: Signature Gratzer, choc Beer Co., Krebs, OK
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Category: 17 Gluten-Free Beer, 20 Entries
Gold: Nikki’s Gluten Free Honey Pale Ale, Rock Bottom Arlington, Arlington, VA
Silver: Brown, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Pale Ale, Harvester Brewing, Portland, OR

Category: 18 American-Belgo-Style Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Chainbreaker WIPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Bronze: A Little Crazy, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL

Category: 19 American-Style Sour Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Barrel Select – Gold, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Silver: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Fitger’s Framboise, Fitger’s Brewhouse, Duluth, MN

Category: 20 American-Style Brett Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Seizoen Bretta, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR
Silver: Flemish Kiss, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: TPS Report, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 51 Entries
Gold: Jerry Maker, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Chandler, AZ
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Sail, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA
Bronze: Local Species, Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, VA

Category: 22 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 103 Entries
Gold: The Manhattan Project, The Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Pappy Van Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Golden Delicious, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY

Category: 23 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 65 Entries
Gold: Fourteen Fourteen, Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI
Silver: Silva Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 24 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 70 Entries
Gold: Lady Of The Woods, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA
Silver: Sentience, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO
Bronze: George’s Phunk, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Category: 25 Aged Beer, 24 Entries
Gold: 2010 Old Trainwreck Barleywine, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR
Silver: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA
Bronze: Lovely Cherry Baltic Porter, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category: 26 Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, 32 Entries
Gold: Bottle Rocket, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que – Lake Travis, Austin, TX
Silver: Redrock Organic Zwickel Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Organic Hopworks Kellerbier, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR

Category: 27 Smoke Beer, 50 Entries
Gold: Bambastic, Fort Collins Brewery, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Rauchtoberfest, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
Bronze: Smoke & Dagger, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA

Category: 28 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 26 Entries
Gold: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Silver: Redhook Pilsner, Redhook Brewery Woodinville, Woodinville, WA
Bronze: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 29 German-Style Pilsener, 52 Entries
Gold: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Hans’ Pils, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: Paintbrush Pilsner, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Category: 30 Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 53 Entries
Gold: Hometown Blonde, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Summit Pilsener, Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN
Bronze: This is the Pilsener, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT

Category: 31 Munich-Style Helles, 42 Entries
Gold: 6X Helles, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery – Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Session Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Bronze: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI

Category: 32 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 23 Entries
Gold: Move Back, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Celestial Gold, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA

Category: 33 American-Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager, 51 Entries
Gold: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Keystone Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 34 American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale or Lager, 34 Entries
Gold: Henry Weinhard’s Blue Boar Pale Ale, Blitz-Weinhard Brewing, Hood River, OR
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Category: 35 Vienna-Style Lager, 36 Entries
Gold: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Silver: Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 36 German-Style Märzen, 69 Entries
Gold: Shiner Oktoberfest, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Mecktoberfest, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Dominion Oktoberfest, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Dover, DE

Category: 37 American-Style Amber Lager, 45 Entries
Gold: Point Oktoberfest, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: Staghorn Octoberfest, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Bronze: Uberbrau, Humperdinks Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX

Category: 38 European-Style Dunkel, 20 Entries
Gold: Knight Ryder Munich Dunkel, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Pious Monk Dunkel, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Bronze: Mother Earth Munich Dunkel, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, NC

Category: 39 American-Style Dark Lager, 12 Entries
Gold: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Session Black Premium Dark Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR

Category: 40 German-Style Schwarzbier, 32 Entries
Gold: Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Baba, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Black Bear, Morgan Street Brewery, Saint Louis, MO

Category: 41 Bock, 33 Entries
Gold: Butt Head Bock, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO
Silver: Elixer Maibock, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA
Bronze: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 42 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 19 Entries
Gold: Uber Bock, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Silver: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams, Cincinnati Brewery, Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Resurrection Doppelbock, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category: 43 Baltic-Style Porter, 31 Entries
Gold: The Hammer, Rock Bottom King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA
Silver: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Polska Porter, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA

Category: 44 Golden or Blonde Ale, 67 Entries
Gold: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Silver: Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: TAPS Cream Ale, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA

Category: 45 German-Style Kölsch, 61 Entries
Gold: Capital City Kolsch, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS
Silver: Chuckanut Kolsch Style, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Sky Blue Golden Ale, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro, NC

Category: 46 English-Style Summer Ale, 38 Entries
Gold: Cross of Gold:, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver: Sum’r, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Mother Lode Golden Ale, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category: 47 Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Royal Scandal, Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: Gayle Force Pale Ale, Wind River Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY
Bronze: Hurricane Reef Pale Ale, Florida Beer Co., Melbourne, FL

Category: 48 English-Style India Pale Ale, 54 Entries
Gold: India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Bronze: Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category: 49 International-Style Pale Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: River Runners Pale Ale, Eddyline Brewing, Buena Vista, CO
Silver: Southern Chaos, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA
Bronze: Pipe Organ Pale Ale, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA

Category: 50 American-Style Pale Ale, 109 Entries
Gold: Brickstone APA, Brickstone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL
Silver: The Weight, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Zombie Dust, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN

Category: 51 American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 111 Entries
Gold: Melvin, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Silver: Lumberyard IPA, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Bronze: Laughing Dog IPA, Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, ID

Category: 52 American-Style India Pale Ale, 203 Entries
Gold: IPA, Tap It Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Silver: Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Duet, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA

Category: 53 Imperial India Pale Ale, 128 Entries
Gold: 2 X 4, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Silver: Café Racer 15, Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
Bronze: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 54 American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 87 Entries
Gold: Hopback Amber Ale, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Fixed Gear American Red Ale, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Winterhook, Redhook Brewery, Woodinville, Woodinville, WA

Category: 55 Imperial Red Ale, 60 Entries
Gold: Organic Deranger Imperial Red Ale Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Imperial Red, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: 547 Haight – The Toronado San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale,
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 56 English-Style Mild Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Bristlecone, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Breakside Session Brown, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: S.S. Minnow Mild Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Category: 57 Ordinary or Special Bitter, 37 Entries
Gold: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Mens Room Original Red Ale, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Category: 58 Extra Special Bitter, 53 Entries
Gold: Crystal Bitter Ale, No-Li Brewhouse, Spokane, WA
Silver: The Tower E.S.B., Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Extra Special Ale (ESA), Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia PA

Category: 59 Scottish-Style Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Wee Heavy, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI
Silver: Isle of Skye Scottish Ale, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN
Bronze: MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR

Category: 60 Irish-Style Red Ale, 48 Entries
Gold: Irish Red, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Bronze: Balefire Red, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO

Category: 61 English-Style Brown Ale, 46 Entries
Gold: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM
Silver: Red Hydrant Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Molly’s Titanic Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO

Category: 62 American-Style Brown Ale, 61 Entries
Gold: Face Down Brown, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO
Silver: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 63 American-Style Black Ale, 61 Entries
Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Black IPA, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Wilmington, Wilmington, DE

Category: 64 German-Style Altbier, 35 Entries
Gold: Balt Altbier, Union Craft Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Silver: Land’s End Amber, Kannah Creek Brewing Co., Grand Junction, CO
Bronze: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO

Category: 65 German-Style Sour Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Silver: German Sparkle Party, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: NBB Love Felix, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category: 66 South German-Style Hefeweizen, 70 Entries
Gold: DreamWeaver Wheat, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Ebel’s Weiss, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Bronze: Yazoo Hefeweizen, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Category: 67 German-Style Wheat Ale, 23 Entries
Gold: Wildpitch Hefeweizen, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: AlpenGlow, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: Weizeneisbock, Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., San Jose, CA

Category: 68 Belgian-Style Witbier, 50 Entries
Gold: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: White Rascal, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: White Lightning Belgian White, Full Pint Brewing Co., North Versailles, PA

Category: 69 French- and Belgian-Style Saison, 68 Entries
Gold: Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Saison, Aspen Brewing Co., Aspen, CO
Bronze: El Verano, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category: 70 Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 68 Entries
Gold: Saint’s Devotion, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Silver: Your Favorite Foreign Movie, DC Brau Brewing Co., Washington, DC
Bronze: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

Category: 71 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 42 Entries
Gold: Sour Reserve, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
Silver: Barrel Select – FO/BB, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Bronze: Sans Pagaie, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA

Category: 72 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale, 86 Entries
Gold: Green Flash Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Sanitarium, Bier Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: ABT 12, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA

Category: 73 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: Deceit, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Grand Cru, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 74 Brown Porter, 44 Entries
Gold: Pluff Mud Porter, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston, SC
Silver: Exodus, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA

Category: 75 Robust Porter, 62 Entries
Gold: No Medal Awarded
Silver: Coco Loco, NoDa Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Black Sand Porter, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI

Category: 76 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 16 Entries
Gold: Seaside Stout, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Oyster Stout, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE
Bronze: Ramsey’s Draft Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 77 Foreign-Style Stout, 25 Entries
Gold: Starry Night Stout, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA
Silver: Whiteface Black Diamond Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Bronze: Ramsey’s Export Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 78 American-Style Stout, 43 Entries
Gold: Order in the Port, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: American Stout, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Ironman, Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS

Category: 79 Sweet Stout, 32 Entries
Gold: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Milk Stout, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO
Bronze: Udder Madness, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI

Category: 80 Oatmeal Stout, 45 Entries
Gold: Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Stumbler’s Stout, Columbia River Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 81 Imperial Stout, 58 Entries
Gold: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH
Silver: Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA

Category: 82 Scotch Ale, 44 Entries
Gold: Way Heavy, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: Iron Thistle, Rahr & Sons Brewing, Fort Worth, TX
Bronze: Scotch Ale, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category: 83 Old Ale or Strong Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Heini’s Hooch, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Silver: Papier, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Decadence ‘10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 84 Barley Wine-Style Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: Johan the Barleywine, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Barley Wine, Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, Ste. Genevieve, MO
Bronze: Dr. StrangeLove, Strange Brewing Co., Denver, CO

2012 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition
Gold: More Fun Blonde, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Brewmaster: New Belgium Brewing Company, AHA Member: Jay Shambo
Silver: Pointon’s Proper – An English Mild RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Wheeling, Wheeling, IL
Brewmaster: Lanny Fetzer, AHA Member: Scott Pointon
Bronze: Classic American Pilsner, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Brewmaster: Mike Hoops, AHA Member: Kyle Sisco

The 2012 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Brewer: Devils Backbone Brewery Team

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Brewer: Steve Sloan

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company, Madison, WI
Brewer: Rob LoBreglio

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Brewer: Funkwerks Brewing Team

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Troegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PA
Brewer: John Trogner

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Pabst Brewing Company, Los Angeles, CA
Brewer: Gregory Deuhs

GABF Winners 2011

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The 30th Great American Beer Festival is now in the history books, with some pretty impressive statistics. A record 3,930 beers were judged in 83 categories by 167 judges from 9 nations. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • 18 new breweries entering for the first time won a medal
  • Category with the most entries: American-style IPA – 176 entries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 48
  • 526 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
  • 466 breweries in the festival hall
  • 2,375 beers served at the festival
  • 49,000 attendees

The Breweries That Won the Most Medals:

  • Sun King Brewing Co., 8 medals
  • Firestone Walker Brewing Co., 6 medals
  • Pizza Port Carlsbad, 6 medals
  • Rock Bottom Brewery, 6 medals
  • Boston Beer Co., 4 medals
  • Boulevard Brewing Co., 4 medals
  • Chuckanut Brewery, 4 medals
  • Pabst Brewing Co., 4 medals
  • Pizza Port Ocean Beach, 4 medals

The Most Gold Medals Won:

  • Sun King Brewing Co., 4 gold medals won
  • Firestone Walker Brewing Co., 3 gold medals won
  • Pizza Port Carlsbad, 3 gold medals won
  • 21st Amendment Brewery, 2 gold medals won
  • Boulevard Brewing Co., 2 gold medals won
  • Chuckanut Brewery, 2 gold medals won
  • Le Cumbre Brewing Co., 2 gold medals won
  • New Glarus Brewing Co., 2 gold medals won

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 51
  2. Colorado = 44
  3. Oregon = 15
  4. Illinois = 12
  5. TIE: Indiana, Washington = 10
  6. Virginia = 8
  7. TIE: Missouri, Pennsylvania, Utah = 7
  8. TIE: Delaware, Wisconsin = 6
  9. TIE: Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, Wyoming = 5
  10. TIE: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas = 4

The 2011 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer – 20 Entries
Gold: SchWheat, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Wagon Box Wheat, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 38 Entries
Gold: Leavenworth Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA
Silver: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Bronze: Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA

Category: 3 Fruit Beer – 56 Entries
Gold: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Brainless on Peaches, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Derailed Black Cherry Ale, Erie Brewing Co., Erie, PA

Category: 4 Fruit Wheat Beer – 48 Entries
Gold: 5 Lizard, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Chicago, IL
Silver: Mr. Pineapple Wheat, SanTan Brewing Co., Chandler, AZ
Bronze: Vintage Blonde Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 5 Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer – 37 Entries
Gold: Upslope Pumpkin Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: Pumpkin Ale, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Chandler, AZ
Bronze: Turnip the Beets, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO

Category: 6 Herb and Spice Beer – 92 Entries
Gold: Mexican Chocolate Stout, Copper Kettle Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: LSD, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: CBC Heather Ale, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA

Category: 7 Chocolate Beer – 30 Entries
Gold: Chocolate Beer, Barley Brothers Brewery and Grill, Lake Havasu City, AZ
Silver: Samuel Adams Chocolate Chili Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Bronze: Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA

Category: 8 Coffee Beer – 60 Entries
Gold: Java Mac, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Coffee Monster, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Coffee Milk Stout, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO

Category: 9 Specialty Beer – 24 Entries
Gold: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Silver: Chateau Jiahu, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Bronze: Denver Beer Co. Graham Cracker Porter, Denver Beer Co., Denver, CO

Category: 10 Rye Beer – 36 Entries
Gold: Three Flowers IPA, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA
Silver: Bock in Bock, Tequesta Brewing Co., Tequesta, FL
Bronze: Crank Tank, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA

Category: 11 Specialty Honey Beer – 32 Entries
Gold: Sixteen, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA
Silver: Eye of the Storm, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Midas Touch, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Category: 12 Session Beer – 44 Entries
Gold: Provo Girl Pilsner, Utah Brewers Co-op, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Firestone Walker Extra Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 13 Other Strong Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Wheat Wine Ale, Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH
Silver: Saison du Summer, Backcountry Brewery, Frisco, CO
Bronze: Totality Imperial Stout, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category: 14 Experimental Beer – 83 Entries
Gold: Mangalitsa Pig Porter, Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City, MI
Silver: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Belgorado, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 15 Indigenous Beer – 31 Entries
Gold: Hqt, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Monticello Reserve Ale, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Category: 16 Gluten-Free Beer – 15 Entries
Gold: Gluten-Free Lemon Pale, Strange Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: New Grist, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Seeley Axe White, Kettlehouse Brewing Co., Missoula, MT

Category: 17 American-Belgo-Style Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: Angry Birds, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago, IL
Silver: Blue Reserve, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Bronze: Boulevard Collaboration #2, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category: 18 American-Style Sour Ale – 21 Entries
Gold: Le Terroir, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Framboise de Amorosa, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Ching Ching, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category: 19 American-Style Brett Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: Confl uence, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Super Friends IPA, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Bronze: Grimalkin – Super Kitty Fantastico, Brugge Brasserie, Indianapolis, IN

Category: 20 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Velvet Merkin, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Wee Pogue, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Pinot Jubel, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 118 Entries
Gold: Melange a Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE
Silver: BBJ (Bourbon Barrel Johan), Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Barrel Aged Naked Evil BBW, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH

Category: 22 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 74 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Murder, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: 2010 Bourbon Barrel Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Bronze: Grand Inquisitor, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category: 23 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 75 Entries
Gold: Friek, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: The Wanderer, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Bronze: Le Serpent Cerise, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Category: 24 Aged Beer – 36 Entries
Gold: Expedition Stout, Bell’s Brewery, Galesburg, MI
Silver: Release the Hounds, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA

Category: 25 Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 48 Entries
Gold: Kolsch Kellerbier, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA
Silver: Bottle Rocket Lager, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que – Lake Travis, Austin, TX
Bronze: B3K Schwarzbier, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 26 Smoke Beer – 43 Entries
Gold: Smoke Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
Silver: Smoke Out, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Bronze: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2010, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category: 27 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener – 31 Entries
Gold: BEER, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Popcorn Pilsner, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Legacy Lager, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR

Category: 28 German-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries
Gold: Pavlov’s Pils, C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery – Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA
Bronze: Pilsner, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category: 29 Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries
Silver: Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Pilsner, McCoy’s Public House and Brewkitchen, Kansas City, MO

Category: 30 Munich-Style Helles – 38 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Helles, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Where in the Helles Gunner?, Emmett’s Brewing Co., West Dundee, IL
Bronze: Órale, Del Norte Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 31 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 20 Entries
Gold: Move Back, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Tommy Two Fists, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Bronze: Dog Days Lager, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

Category: 32 American-Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager – 55 Entries
Gold: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Silver: Busch Light, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Pabst Blue Ribbon Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category: 33 American-Style Lager or Cream Ale or Lager – 31 Entries
Gold: Red Dog, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category: 34 Vienna-Style Lager – 32 Entries
Gold: Jomo Lager, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Silver: Cityfest, Brewzzi, West Palm Beach, FL
Bronze: Vienna Red Lager, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category: 35 German-Style Märzen – 58 Entries
Gold: Stein Knocker, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT
Silver: Munster Fest, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Bronze: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA

Category: 36 American-Style Amber Lager – 58 Entries
Gold: Uberbrau, Humperdink’s Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX
Silver: Colorado Native, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Florida Beer Florida Lager, Florida Beer Co., Melbourne, FL

Category: 37 European-Style Dunkel – 23 Entries
Gold: Dunkel Lager, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Penn Dark, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA

Category: 38 American-Style Dark Lager – 16 Entries
Gold: Durango Dark, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Session Black, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Bronze: Schwarzbier, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 39 German-Style Schwarzbier – 26 Entries
Gold: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, CA), Brea, CA
Silver: Nevermore Lager, Rock Bottom Brewery (King of Prussia, PA), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (Seattle, WA), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 40 Bock – 34 Entries
Gold: Troegenator, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA
Silver: PrePro Bock, Coors Archive Brewery, Golden, CO
Bronze: Maibock, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE

Category: 41 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 22 Entries
Gold: Autumnal Fire, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI
Silver: St. Nik Brewer’s Reserve, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA
Bronze: Eisphyre, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI

Category: 42 Baltic-Style Porter – 19 Entries
Gold: Battle Axe Baltic Porter, Fat Head’s Brewery, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: White Eagle Baltic Porter, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Bronze: Puddy Porter, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA

Category: 43 Golden or Blonde Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Blonde, Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Seattle, Seattle, WA
Silver: Alaskan Pale Ale, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Kent Lake Kolsch, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Fairfax, CA

Category: 44 German-Style Kölsch – 48 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Kolsch, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Great Adirondack Kölsch, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Bronze: Capital City Kolsch, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS

Category: 45 English-Style Summer Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Summer Lovin’, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Silver: Peacemaker, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Bronze: Mad Fox Brewing Company English Summer Ale, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA

Category: 46 Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 25 Entries
Gold: Clear Creek Pale Ale, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale, MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Prime Time Pale Ale, Big Time Brewery, Seattle, WA

Category: 47 English-Style India Pale Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Latitude 48 Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Silver: Napa Smith Organic IPA, Napa Smith Brewery, Napa, CA
Bronze: Down ‘n’ Dirty IPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category: 48 International-Style Pale Ale – 20 Entries
Gold: Boulevard Pale Ale, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Intercontinental Pale Ale, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL
Bronze: Radiant, Ninkasi Brewing Co., Eugene, OR

Category: 49 American-Style Pale Ale – 105 Entries
Gold: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Mission St. Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Ute Trail Pale Ale, Amicas, Salida, CO

Category: 50 American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 103 Entries
Gold: Pako’s Eye P.A., Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ

Category: 51 American-Style India Pale Ale – 176 Entries
Gold: Elevated IPA, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Deviant Dale’s, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Head Hunter IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery, North Olmsted, OH

Category: 52 Imperial India Pale Ale – 102 Entries
Gold: Citra Double IPA, Kern River Brewing, Kernville, CA
Silver: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Imperial IPA, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 53 American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 82 Entries
Gold: Amber Waves, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Jamaica Red Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA

Bronze: Rocket Red, Big River Grille and Brewing (Chattanooga, TN), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 54 Imperial Red Ale – 57 Entries
Gold: 547 Haight – The Toronado San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Rhino Chaser Imperial Red Ale, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Organic Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category: 55 English-Style Mild Ale – 25 Entries
Gold: Skidmark Brown Ale, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Silver: Dawn Patrol Dark, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Bronze: Bird and Baby Mild, The Public House Brewing Co., Rolla, MO

Category: 56 Ordinary or Special Bitter – 28 Entries
Gold: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: New Speedway Bitter, Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Bonnie Lee’s Best Bitter, Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Category: 57 Extra Special Bitter – 43 Entries
Gold: Minaret ESB, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Silver: Colorado Kind, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Harvest Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category: 58 Scottish-Style Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Hope and King Scotch Ale, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Silver: Naughty Scot, Rock Bottom Brewery (College Park – Indianapolis, IN), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Brown Bear Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (Bethesda, MD), Louisville, CO

Category: 59 Irish-Style Red Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: O’Rion Irish Red, Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Copperhead Red, Ghost River Brewing, Memphis, TN
Bronze: Colorado Boy Irish Ale, Colorado Boy Brewing Co., Ridgway, CO

Category: 60 English-Style Brown Ale – 45 Entries
Gold: Good Grief Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Rock Bottom Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Brewery (San Diego, CA), Louisville, CO
Bronze: Molly’s Titanic Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery (Westminster, CO), Louisville, CO

Category: 61 American-Style Brown Ale – 49 Entries
Gold: Great American Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Brave American, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA

Category: 62 American-Style Black Ale – 74 Entries
Gold: Blacktop IPA, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Blackened CDA, Carter’s Brewing, Billings, MT
Bronze: Black Racer, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category: 63 German-Style Altbier – 30 Entries
Gold: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Silver: TAPS Alt, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Brea, CA), Brea, CA
Bronze: Chuckanut Alt, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category: 64 German-Style Sour Ale – 13 Entries
Gold: Berliner Weisse, Crabtree Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: Hottenroth Berliner Weisse, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Goze, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (Rockville, MD), Chattanooga, TN

Category: 65 South German-Style Hefeweizen – 64 Entries
Gold: Hefeweizen, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Silver: Wild Pitch Hefe Weizen, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Bronze: EOS, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE

Category: 66 German-Style Wheat Ale – 23 Entries
Gold: Boscos Hefeweizen, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN
Silver: Weizenbock, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Dark-n-Curvy, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category: 67 Belgian-Style Witbier – 53 Entries
Gold: Witte, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Silver: La Perouse White, Maui Brewing Co. – Brewpub, Maui, HI
Bronze: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category: 68 French- and Belgian-Style Saison – 65 Entries
Gold: Saison-Brett, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Funkwerks Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Sofi e, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category: 69 Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: California Ale, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Silver: TAPS Biere de Garde, TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, CA), Brea, CA
Bronze: Pin-Up Blonde, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI

Category: 70 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 51 Entries
Gold: Fifth Element 2008, Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Blue Sunday, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI
Bronze: Barton Kriek, North by Northwest, Austin, TX

Category: 71 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Brother David’s Double, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA
Silver: Wild-Westmalle Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Two Tortugas, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 72 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 59 Entries
Gold: Buffalo Slumber, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: The Twelve, Black Diamond Brewing Co., Concord, CA

Category: 73 Brown Porter – 32 Entries
Gold: Out of Order Porter, Wind River Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY
Silver: FireHouse Porter, FireHouse Grill & Brewery, Sunnyvale, CA
Bronze: Porter, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Asheville, NC

Category: 74 Robust Porter – 62 Entries
Gold: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery (La Jolla, CA), Louisville, CO
Silver: DeadEye Jack Porter, LoneRider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC
Bronze: Pier Rat Porter, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Category: 75 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 24 Entries
Gold: Ring of Dingle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Breakside Dry Stout, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Shaft House Stout, Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino, Central City, CO

Category: 76 Foreign-Style Stout – 23 Entries
Gold: Dark Side Stout, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR
Silver: Malpais Stout, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Z-Man Stout, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Category: 77 American-Style Stout – 37 Entries
Gold: Jules Winnfi eld, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Achievement Beyond Life’s Experiences American Stout, Brit Antrim Benefi t Beer,
Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Disorder Stout, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category: 78 Sweet Stout – 19 Entries
Gold: Steel Toe Stout, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Bronze: Outlaw Oatmeal Stout, Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks, NV

Category: 79 Oatmeal Stout – 36 Entries
Gold: Back Road Stout, Millstream Brewing Co., Amana, IA
Silver: Oatmeal Stout, Crabtree Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 80 Imperial Stout – 56 Entries
Gold: BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH
Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Bronze: IMOS, Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery, Atlanta, GA

Category: 81 Scotch Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: Wee Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Wee Heavy, Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Bronze: Old Chub Scotch Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO

Category: 82 Old Ale or Strong Ale – 35 Entries
Gold: Papier, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: AleSmith Decadence ‘10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Arctic Alchemy, Fegley’s Brew Works, Allentown, PA

Category: 83 Barley Wine-Style Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Horn Dog Barleywine, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
Silver: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Johan the Barleywine, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

2011 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition
Gold: Before Capone, C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery, Westminster, CO
Brewmaster: Dennis O’Harrow, AHA Member: Tom Gardner
Silver: Schwarzherz, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Brewmaster: Uinta Beer Team, AHA Member: Travis Grimm
Bronze: Kriek, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Brewmaster: Dry Dock Brewers, AHA Member: Ted Manahan

The 2011 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Brewer: Will Kemper

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company
Brewer of the Year
Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA
Brewer: Matthew Brynildson

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company
Brewer of the Year
Pabst Brewing Company, Woodridge, IL
Brewer: Bob Newman

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Brewer: Yiga Miyashiro

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Brewer: Pizza Port Brew Guys

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Brewer: Victor Novak

The 30th Great American Beer Festival Judging

gabf-2011
Right now I’m out in Denver, Colorado judging at the 30th Great American Beer Festival. Because it’s the 30th year, after orientation last night, they took an impromptu group photo of all 167 judges, or at least as many as would fit in the photo. See if you can find me (hint: I’m a little to the left and two-thirds of the way back). Recognize anyone else? There’s plenty of other faces in the crowd that you probably know.

2011_judges
Click on the photo for a larger view.

Great American Beer Festival 1982 vs. 2011

gabf-2011
Joey McDaniel created a cool infographic comparing the first Great American Beer Festival in 1982 to this year’s festival. Joey was introduced to craft beer by his wife, Jen, and together they run the beer blog Wet Your Whistles, covering beer in the Bay Area, with an emphasis on the “watering holes along the San Francisco Bay Area Caltrain railway line.” It’s interesting to see how far we’ve come in the 30 years since the first GABF was held. Nice job, Joey.

GABF_infograph

GABF Media Panel

microphone-3
Saturday night at GABF, I was honored to be on a three-man panel talking about beer media, along with Daniel Bradford from All About Beer magazine, and Stan Hieronymus. We talked for about 40 minutes, although you can hear exactly how bad my voice was all week long, after losing it Wednesday night.

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Daniel Bradford, Stan Hieronymus and me on stage at GABF. (Thanks to Julia Herz for taking the photo.)

We had about a half-full studio, more than I’d expected for a Saturday night session, and a high percentage of the audience was other media personalities. It was great fun, we could easily have talked all night.

If you can’t see the video embedded here, try viewing it on Justin.TV.