Here are some photographs from the award ceremony for the 2007 Great American Beer Festival, held October 11-13, in Denver, Colorado.

Nancy Johnson, Event Director, welcomed everyone and got the show on the road.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, former owner of the Wynkoop brewpub, welcomed everyone to Denver.

Then raised a toast to Michael Jackson. Charlie Papazian did likewise, reading a selection of remembrances posted on the Brewers Association online memorial, including a portion of mine, which was flattering.

Rich Tucciarone (center), of Kona Brewing in Hawaii, won a bronze medal in Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer for Pipeline Porter.

Tomas Kerns (at right) and the gang from Maui Brewing in Hawaii won a silver medal in Category: 7 Specialty Beer for Maui Gold Summer Ale. Tomas was also my judging roomie.

Sam Calagione, from Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware, won a silver medal in Category: 9 Specialty Honey Lager or Ale, for their Midas Touch.

Rob Tod, from Allagash in Portland, Maine won a bronze medal for his Victor in Category: 11 Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale). Allagash also won a Bronze for Four in Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

Peter Bouckert, from New Belgium Brewing, accepting a bronze medal for La Terroir in Category: 13 American-Style Sour Ale or German-Style. New Belgium also won another Bronze for Mothership Wit in Category: 57 Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian.

Tomme Arthur, from The Lost Abbey, winning a gold medal for his eponymous Cuvee de Tomme in Category: 16 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer. The Lost Abbey also won a Gold for Judgment Day in Category: 7 Specialty Beer and a Silver for Veritas 002 in Category: 11 Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale). In addition, Tomme and The Lost Abbey also won Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.

Sue Thompson (2nd from left), who I also judged with this year, from Miller Brewing, accepting the gold medal for Icehouse in Category: 27 American Style Specialty Lager. They also won a Silver and Bronze in the same category, completing the trifecta with Mickey’s Ice and Mickey’s Malt Liquor, respectively. Miller also won another Gold for Hamm’s and a Silver for Miller Genuine Draft, both in Category: 26 American-Style Lager, a Bronze for Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager in Category: 5 Herb and Spice Beer, and a Silver for Henry Weinhard’s Classic Dark in Category: 32 American-Style Dark Lager.

Matt Davis — who I met this year at Hop School — and Kevin Templin, from Red Rock Brewing in Salt Lake City, Utah, won a very deserved gold medal for their Organic Zwickelbier in Category: 18 Cellar or Unfiltered Beer. Red Rocks also won a Bronze for Munich Dunkel in Category: 31 European Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel, a Silver for Black Bier in Category: 33 German Style Schwarzbier, another Silver for Redrock Nut Brown Ale in Category: 53 American Style Brown Ale, and a third Silver for Redrock Reve in Category: 62 Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale. Red Rock and Templin also won Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year.

Jim Koch, from the Boston Beer Co., won a gold medal for his Samuel Adams Double Bock in Category: 35 German Style Strong Bock.

Darron Welch (2nd from the right next to Charlie Papazian) and the gang from Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon won a silver medal for their Kiwanda Cream Ale in Category: 37 Golden or Blonde Ale. Pelican Pub also won a Gold for Doryman’s Dark Ale in Category: 53 American Style Brown Ale and a second Gold for MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale in Category: 71 Strong Scotch Ale.

Chuck Silva (in striped shirt in middle) and the gang from Green Flash Brewing in Vista, California, won a bronze medal for their Extra Pale Ale in Category: 39 English-Style Summer Ale. Green Flash also won two Silvers, one for Hop Head Red in Category: 46 American Style Amber/Red Ale and the other for Green Flash Trippel in Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

Jonathan Cutler, from Piece Brewing in Chicago, Illinois, won a bronze medal for his Full Frontal Pale Ale in Category: 42 American Style Pale Ale. Piece also won a Bronze for Top Heavy Hefeweizen in Category: 55 South German Style and a Silver for Dark ‘n’ Curvy in Category: 56 German-Style Wheat Ale.

Jeff Bagby (center in the electric pants) and assistant brewer Sean Featherstone, of Pizza Port – Carlsbad, in Carlsbad, California, won a bronze medal for Beech Street Bitter in Category: 41 English-Style India Pale Ale. Pizza Port Carlsbad also won a Gold for Sticky Stout in Category: 67 American-Style Stout.

Matt Brynildson (at right next to Charlie) and the gang from Firestone Walker Brewing struck Gold for their Firestone Pale 31 in Category: 42 American Style Pale Ale. Firestone Walker also won a Silver for DBA (Double Barrel Ale) in Category: 40 Classic English Style Pale Ale, another Gold for Nectar Pale in Category: 43 American-Style Strong Pale Ale, a second Silver for Firestone Extra Pale in Category: 10 Other Low Strength Ale or Lager and a Bronze in the same category for Firestone Lager (Mini-Hell). Matt Brynildson and Firestone Walker also won Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.

Nico Freccia and Jesse Houck, from 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, accept the bronze medal for their Double Trouble Imperial IPA in Category: 45 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale. I predicted 21st Amendment would win a medal this year owing to the fact that brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan was sidelined at home this year with his second bought of pneumonia in six months.

Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California, accepting one of three silver medals they were awarded this year, this one for Blind Pig IPA in Category: 44 American-Style India Pale Ale. The other two Silvers were for Supplication in Category: 60 Belgian-Style Sour Ale and Temptation for Category: 16 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer.

Dick Cantwell and Dave Buehler, co-owners of Elysian Brewing in Seattle, Washington (at left), won a gold medal for The Wise ESB in Category: 49 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter. Elysian also won two Silvers, one for Dragonstooth Stout in Category: 73 Other Strong Ale or Lager and another for The Great Pumpkin in Category: 4 Fruit Beer or Vegetable Beer.

Mark Edelson and Bob Barrar, from Iron Hill Brewery in Media, Pennsylvania, won a bronze medal for their Kriek de Hill in Category: 60 Belgian-Style Sour Ale.

Owner Glynn Phillips (at right) and head brewer Scott (2nd from right) won a well-deserved gold medal for Scott’s High Mountain Cherry — which was seven years in the making — in Category: 60 Belgian-Style Sour Ale.

Arne Johnson and Shane Aldrich, from Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California, winning one of their four gold medals, this one for Triple Dipsea Belgian-Style Ale in Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Marin Brewing also won three more gold medals, for Tiburon Blonde in Category: 59 Belgian and French-Style Ale, Pt. Reyes Porter in Category: 64 Robust Porter, and Star Brew Triple Wheat in Category: 74 American-Style Wheat Wine Ale.

Peter Hoey, from Sacramento Brewing, in Sacramento, California, won a bronze medal for his Russian Imperial Stout in Category: 66 Foreign (Export) Style Stout.

Rich Norgrove (center) and the gang from Bear Republic Brewing in Healdsburg, California won a silver medal for their Big Bear in Category: 67 American-Style Stout.

Craig Cauwels (at right) and his assistant brewer. from Schooner’s Grille & Brewery in Antioch, California won a silver medal for their Oatmeal Stout in Category: 69 Oatmeal Stout.

Tonya Cornett (center), from Bend Brewing in Bend, Oregon, won a silver medal for her Outback X in Category: 72 Old Ale or Strong Ale.

The gang from Flyers Restaurant and Brewery in Oak Harbor, Washington, winning a bronze medal for Bottleworks VIII in Category: 73 Other Strong Ale or Lager. They made the beer for Bottleworks, the great Seattle beer store, which is why Matt Bonnie from Bottleworks is standing in the back.

Wil Turner, from the Goose Island Brewpub in Chicago, Illinois, for his Wheatmiser in Category: 74 American-Style Wheat Wine Ale. Wil also won a Gold for the companion Bourbon Wheatmiser in Category: 15 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer.

Matt Brynildson (again at right next to Charlie) and the gang from Firestone Walker Brewing winning Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year, and not for the first time.

Tomme Arthur, from The Lost Abbey, winning Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.

The gang from Red Rock Brewing in Salt Lake City, Utah winning Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year.

 
NOTE TO BREWERS: If you would like the original photo displayed here, just drop me a line and I’ll be happy to e-mail it to you. The files are big, averaging around 2 MB, so make sure your e-mail can handle receiving a file that large.