Tuesday’s ad is for a Spanish beer, Moritz. The Barcelona brewery was founded in 1856 and closed in 1978, but remaining family members started up the brand again a few years ago, contracting the brewing. This ad is from the first half of the last century, and I particularly love the laughing elephant with his mug of beer.
Trying to catch up after being gone a week at GABF, the week before I attended the annual Brews on the Bay beer festival put on by the San Francisco Brewers Guild. It’s such a unique, fun event in such a great setting that I really enjoy it going each year.
The Brews on the Bay beer festival aboard the SS Jeremiah O’Brien.
Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment, and Brendan Dobel, brewer at Thirsty Bear.
Rich Higgins, from Social Kitchen, me and Hop-Meisters hop farmer Marty Kuchinski.
Below is a slideshow of this year’s Brews on the Bay beer festival. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.
Last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed, 7-3, the proposed alcohol tax sponsored by John Avalos, urged on by the Marin Institute, who gave him the idea in the first place. Today, as promised, mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed the ordinance.
According to a press release from the California Alliance for Hospitality Jobs, “San Francisco small business owners and employees in the hospitality industry breathed a sigh of relief after learning that Mayor Gavin Newsom followed through on his promise to veto Supervisor John Avalos’ job-killing alcohol ‘mitigation fee.'” I wish I could be so optimistic. This is not over yet. There will be a major push now by the Marin Institute, and other proponents of the tax, to twist the arms of the three San Francisco supervisors who voted against. It originally looked like Avalos would send the ordinance back to committee as he’d promised the local business community. But he apparently changed his mind and instead sent it for a vote anyway, fueling speculation that he’d been promised that the votes needed for a veto override would be found, and indeed just before it went to a vote the Marin Institute issued an action alert to persuade the three supervisors and the mayor to change their vote, asking their members to contact them for that purpose.
I would suggest that citizens opposed to the alcohol tax do likewise, asking the same supervisors and the mayor to stand firm and not be persuaded by propaganda and misinformation. So contact Carmen Chu, Bevan Dufty and Sean Eisbernd along with mayor Gavin Newsom and ask them to continue their opposition to the alcohol tax proposed by Avalos. And while you’re at it, tell the others supervisors, especially if they’re in your district to not vote for the override. I think it’s reasonable that they should hear from both sides of the argument, not just the one side that the majority of the local media has portrayed, doing a disservice to the democratic process. I assume there’s a time limit for veto overrides, but I’m not sure what the time limit is; anybody know? However long it is, the next few weeks will certainly be interesting.
The San Francisco Chronicle is now on record saying Gavin Newsom must veto S.F. alcohol tax and the Examiner appears doubtful, too. Fingers crossed. If this doesn’t stop now, you can bet we’ll see it in countless communities throughout the state.
Monday’s ad is for a French beer, presumably from the Lorraine area. I love the giant mugs, showing they offer both kinds of beer, light and dark. And the server must be one of the strongest people in the world, despite looking somewhat frail. Impressive.
Toronado owner Dave Keene and his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Smith tied the knot during the afternoon session at the Great American Beer Festival on Saturday, September 18. The impromptu ceremony took place in front of the Russian River Brewery booth, with Vinnie Cilurzo as best man and Natalie Cilurzo as Jennifer’s maid of honor. Brett Joyce, president of Rogue Ales, officiated the ceremony, Brett being a minister in the Universal Life Church.
The wedding ceremony, with the bride on the left, the reverend Brett Joyce in the middle with the groom Dave Keene on the right, flanked by best man Vinnie Cilurzo.
The wedding came together organically and wasn’t planned. Apparently there had been another wedding at GABF and recently Marty and Lisa Jones renewed their vows in the hall, but as far as I know this is the first impromptu wedding at GABF. Once Dave and Jen made the decision, there was delay while we found where the best man and maid of honor were at. Eventually, Vinnie and Natalie were found behind the Brooklyn Brewery booth with Garrett Oliver. No one could hear in the hall, but inundated with people calling and texting, Natalie came over to find out what was going on. As soon as she realized what was happening, she sped back to grab Vinnie and Garrett so the ceremony could begin.
But the delay had a beneficial side, too. It allowed Gail Williams, from Beer by Bart, to run around the hall and find a suitable bouquet for the bride, a sprig of hops. It allowed Dave and a few of us to have a 5-minute bachelor party behind the booth. I had a Hopfather IPA. As people gathered to wait for the wedding to begin, it took on the look of something about to happen, and more and more people who knew the parties involved stopped to witness the event. Surrounded by dozens of people, perhaps as many as a hundred, Vinnie shut down his booth and the wedding ceremony began. I walked Jennifer down the aisle and gave her away, a great honor, and Brett began the vows.
After Brett declared them husband and wife, the newlyweds embraced for their first kiss as a married couple, as the crowd cheered them on.
The wedding party: Vinnie, Dave, Jennifer, Natalie, minister Brett Joyce and me. I think Garrett Oliver summed it up best, when he said. “I’ve been coming to GABF for nineteen years, and this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Below is a slideshow of Dave & Jennifer’s wedding. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.
The Napa Smith Brewery of Napa, California has been sold to Pelican Brands, an alcohol brand management company from Indiana. According to the CSBA, the “purchase includes seven acres of land and 50,000 sq.ft. of production, warehousing and office space.” Pelican Brands plans to make Napa Smith beer available nationwide over the next year.
Brewmaster Don Barkley, who worked for America’s first modern craft brewery, New Albion, and also founded Mendocino Brewing, will be remaining with the brewery.
It appears that Pelican Brands has ambitious plans for the brand. J. Smoke Wallin, Chairman & CEO of Pelican Brands, said, “It is our belief that while a few will become regional brands, a very select few will become national brands. In a press release, the company stated that Napa Smith will be available nationwide by mid 2011.
“In the past three months alone, Napa Smith, through Pelican’s platform, has expanded into eight new states. Pelican Brands will provide the growth capital needed for further expansion. Napa’s winemakers made the Napa Valley into a global name and destination. We are proud to continue this tradition by bringing beer — brewed with the same level of quality and attention to detail — to discerning consumers everywhere.”
The trade group representing California beer distributors, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors (CBBD) has reportedly donated $10,000 to the No on Proposition 19 campaign.
California’s Prop 19 is about the control and taxation of marijuana, not legalization per se, but it’s still seen as a step in the right direction by many beer lovers. The 420 Times has part of the story. Because of the CBBD’s donation and opposition to Prop 19, I’ve seen a number of sharp denunciations from many beer enthusiasts, criticizing both breweries who appear on the CBBD’s website and by extension the California Small Brewers Association.
Since I work with the CSBA, I wanted to set the record straight. The CSBA does not take a stand on non-industry related issues and has no stated position on Prop 19. The CSBA is strictly a grass roots organization and does not contribute PAC money to any initiative or make campaign contributions to any candidates.
The CBBD is made up strictly of beer distributors in California. They are independent beverage distributors and are not directly associated with craft brewers. Of course, most, if not all, of the CBBD distributors do business with craft breweries throughout the state. But the CBBD does not represent in any way the political interests of the craft brewing community or individual breweries.
I’ve written about this before, but the interests of distributors and breweries do not always align, and this is yet another example. Presumably, distributors feel that making marijuana commercially available represents competition for the products they sell, and that’s why they oppose it. Most craft breweries, I suspect, do not feel similarly threatened by Prop 19, but regardless of any brewery’s individual stance on it, the CBBD does not speak for them or the CSBA.
Ken Grossman, the co-founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing was chosen by the food website CHOW as one of their CHOW 13 for 2010. They describe the 13 folks chosen as “honoring the people pushing the food world in new and adventurous directions.” Last year — the first year for the awards — Sam Calagione was among the thirteen. This year it’s Ken Grossman.
CHOW’s pithy reason for giving Grossman the award is “[f]or starting the war against crappy beer.” If perhaps not the very first, Grossman certainly was one of the first, definitely a true pioneer, and he’s undoubtedly been one of the best at doing just that — winning the war, that is. A very well-deserved honor. It’s also great to see a food website include beer without fanfare as if it belonged; which of course it does. Still, that feels like progress.
On Saturday, the winners of the Great American Beer Festival were announced for 2010. A total of 236 medals were awarded in 79 categories (gold, silver and bronze). California breweries took home the highest total of any state, with 52 of the 236 awards, or about 22% of the total. Colorado won 40 and Oregon 19, making them 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The top winners by state were:
Just for fun, this year I also ran the medal numbers weighted, using 3 for gold, 2 for silver, and 1 for bronze. Here’s how things shake out that way:
Twelve states were shut out and another eleven won a single award. That means the remaining 27 won two or more. Only four states were in double digits, winning 10 or more.
California also won the most gold medals (19), followed by Colorado (14) and a 3-way tie between Michigan, Virginia and Wisconsin, with 4 each. Twenty-five states, half of the total, won at least one gold medal.
The Great American Beer Festival by the numbers:
Three new categories were judged this year:
The top five entered categories were:
And the winners are:
Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer – 23 Entries
Gold: Sandy Bottom, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: County Seat Wheat, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS
Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 43 Entries
Gold: Point Horizon Wheat, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: American Hefeweizen, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO
Bronze: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Category: 3 Fruit Beer – 75 Entries
Gold: Chardonnay Blonde, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Apricot Ale, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, WA
Bronze: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Category: 4 Field Beer – 28 Entries
Gold: Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH
Silver: Dark o’ the Moon, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA
Category: 5 Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer – 91 Entries
Gold: Rosemary Swamp Fox, Moon River Brewing Co., Savannah, GA
Silver: Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA
Bronze: Super Chili Pepper Madness, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer – 52 Entries
Gold: Baltic Coffee, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Silver: Coffee Monster, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Category: 7 Specialty Beer – 23 Entries
Gold: Belipago, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI
Silver: Coconut Porter, Pagosa Brewing Co., Pagosa Springs, CO
Bronze: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Category: 8 Rye Beer – 32 Entries
Gold: BMB Rye IPA, Black Market Brewing Co., Temecula, CA
Silver: Portsmouth Brewery Rye Not, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH
Bronze: Roggenbier, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA
Category: 9 Specialty Honey Beer – 24 Entries
Gold: Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL
Bronze: Samuel Adams Honey Porter, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Category: 10 Session Beer – 30 Entries
Gold: Squatters Wit, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Endurance IPA Jr., Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: King’s Peak Porter, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Category: 11 Other Strong Beer – 48 Entries
Gold: Sierra 30 Jack and Ken’s Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Silver: Panzer Pilsner, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Category: 12 Experimental Beer – 43 Entries
Gold: Key Lime Pie, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire, MI
Silver: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Wild Lemon Wheat, Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks, NV
Category: 13 Out of Category – Traditionally Brewed Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Fathom IPL, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Mötley Brüe RyePA, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Category: 14 Gluten Free Beer – 13 Entries
Gold: Celia Pale Ale, The Alchemist, Waterbury, VT
Silver: Gluten Free, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Bronze: 3R Raspberry Ale, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO
Category: 15 American-Belgo-Style Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Ryevalry, Bear Republic Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA
Silver: Simcoe Silly, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI
Bronze: Pete’s Support Belgian IPA, FireHouse Grill & Brewery, Sunnyvale, CA
Category: 16 American-Style Sour Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: Brute, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Silver: Eric’s Ale, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Category: 17 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 32 Entries
Gold: Velvet Merkin (100% Barrel Aged), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Humidor India Pale Ale, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Bronze: Bluegrass Brown, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ
Category: 18 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 77 Entries
Gold: Barrel Aged Big Island, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA
Silver: HE’BREW RIPA on RYE, Shmaltz Brewing Co., San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Melange a Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE
Category: 19 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 34 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Silver: Remy, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Bronze: Bourbon County Brand Stout, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Category: 20 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 54 Entries
Gold: Le Serpent Cerise, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: Temptation, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: The Jaspers, Bullfrog Brewery, Williamsport, PA
Category: 21 Aged Beer – 30 Entries
Gold: John Barleycorn Barleywine ‘06, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Silver: Cherry Baltic, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Bell’s Expedition Stout, 1995, Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Galesburg, MI
Category: 22 Kellerbier/Zwickelbier – 24 Entries
Gold: Kolsch, Hale’s Ales, Seattle, WA
Silver: Kellerbier, Triumph Brewing Co. of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Summer Teeth, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH
Category: 23 Smoked Beer – 38 Entries
Gold: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2009, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Silver: Yazoo SUE, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Rauchbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Chattanooga, TN
Category: 24 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener – 27 Entries
Gold: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Silver: Random Luck, The Sandlot, Denver, CO
Bronze: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Category: 25 German-Style Pilsener – 48 Entries
Gold: Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, CA
Silver: German Pilsner, AC Golden, Golden, CO
Bronze: Chuckanut Pilsner, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Category: 26 Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries
Gold: Boathouse Pilsner, Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI
Silver: Golden Pilsner, Morgan Street Brewery, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Bridge Creek Pilsner, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR
Category: 27 Munich-Style Helles – 42 Entries
Gold: What in the Helles?, Steamworks Brewing Co, Durango, CO
Silver: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI
Bronze: Cowboy Lager, The Covey Restaurant & Brewery, Fort Worth, TX
Category: 28 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 21 Entries
Gold: Summerbrau, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Noble Stuff Export, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Category: 29 American-Style Lager or Light Lager – 53 Entries
Gold: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Old Milwaukee, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Category: 30 American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Hamm’s, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Category: 31 Vienna-Style Lager – 35 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Clueless Beer Writer, The Sandlot, Denver, CO
Bronze: Heavy Seas Marzen, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Category: 32 German-Style Märzen – 41 Entries
Gold: Flor Hosen, The Sandlot, Denver, CO
Silver: Oh! Fest!, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA
Bronze: Munsterfest, Three Floyds Brewing Co, LLC, Munster, IN
Category: 33 American-Style Amber Lager – 39 Entries
Gold: Manana, Del Norte Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Schell’s Oktoberfest, August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm, MN
Bronze: Foothills Oktoberfest, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Category: 34 European-Style Dunkel – 19 Entries
Gold: Dunkel, AC Golden, Golden, CO
Silver: Dunkel Lager, Triumph Brewing Co. of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Dark Side Lager, C.B. Potts Restaurant & Brewery (Fort Collins), Fort Collins, CO
Category: 35 American-Style Dark Lager – 20 Entries
Gold: Michelob AmberBock, Michelob Brewing Co., St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Schwarzbier, AC Golden, Golden, CO
Category: 36 German-Style Schwarzbier – 31 Entries
Gold: Redrock Black Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Annie Schwarz, Haverhill Brewery, Haverhill, MA
Bronze: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Category: 37 Bock – 36 Entries
Gold: Hellats Good Beer, Pug Ryans Brewery, Dillon, CO
Silver: Troegenator, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA
Bronze: Maibock, Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Salem, Salem, OR
Category: 38 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 25 Entries
Gold: Carbonator, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: Gordon Biersch Eisbock, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Chattanooga, TN
Bronze: Dominator Dopplebock, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Category: 39 Baltic-Style Porter – 21 Entries
Gold: 3 Dog Night, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Collaborative Evil – Triple Rock, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA
Bronze: Reverend Potter’s Baltic Porter, The Prodigal Brewery, Effingham, NH
Category: 40 Golden or Blonde Ale – 55 Entries
Gold: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Silver: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Bronze: Heavy Seas Gold Ale, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Category: 41 German-Style Kölsch – 46 Entries
Gold: Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Silver: Colorado Kolsch, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Kolsch 151, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Category: 42 English-Style Summer Ale – 35 Entries
Gold: 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Pacific Daylight, Dale Bros. Brewery, Upland, CA
Bronze: Sandbagger Gold, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Category: 43 Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 29 Entries
Gold: Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN
Bronze: Ska Special, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Category: 44 English-Style India Pale Ale – 32 Entries
Gold: Beech Street Bitter, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Illusion Dweller, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Samuel Adams Latitude 48, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Category: 45 American-Style Pale Ale – 109 Entries
Gold: Mission Street Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA
Category: 46 American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 84 Entries
Gold: Himalayan IPA, Yak and Yeti Brewpub, Arvada, CO
Silver: IPA Nectar, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: 7 – Fity, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA
Category: 47 American-Style India Pale Ale – 142 Entries
Gold: “Pseudo” IPA, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: Head Hunter IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: Lumberyard Extra IPA, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Category: 48 Imperial India Pale Ale – 97 Entries
Gold: Doheny Double IPA, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: Hop Crisis!, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Decadence Imperial IPA, Trinity Brewhouse, Providence, RI
Category: 49 American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 83 Entries
Gold: Red Nectar, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Hop Back Amber Ale, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA
Bronze: Red Rock, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA
Category: 50 Imperial Red Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: Lumberyard Imperial Red, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Silver: Red Eye PA, The Brew Kettle Production Works, Strongsville, OH
Bronze: Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Category: 51 English-Style Mild Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Business Time Mild, Boulder Beer Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: Skidmark Brown, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Ale of Fergus, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Category: 52 Ordinary or Special Bitter – 47 Entries
Gold: Rio Blanco Pale Ale, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Silver: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Drop Top, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Category: 53 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter – 42 Entries
Gold: GAR Pale Ale, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA
Silver: Saint Arnold Elissa IPA, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: Bachelor ESB, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Category: 54 Scottish-Style Ale – 22 Entries
Gold: Highland Courage, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Silver: Saint Arnold Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Category: 55 Irish-Style Red Ale – 23 Entries
Gold: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: River Falls Red Ale, Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC
Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Category: 56 English-Style Brown Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: Old Elk Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Silver: Good Grief Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Eclipse Brown Ale, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Category: 57 American-Style Brown Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Sweet Josie, LoneRider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC
Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: American Brown Ale, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI
Category: 58 American-Style India Black Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Go Figure, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI
Bronze: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA
Category: 59 German-Style Altbier – 37 Entries
Gold: GestAlt, Haverhill Brewery, Haverhill, MA
Silver: Bismarck Altbier, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Sticke Alt, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Category: 60 German-Style Sour Ale – 23 Entries
Gold: Berliner Weisse, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: Tiny Bubbles, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA
Bronze: Beer Gone Good, Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, GA
Category: 61 South German-Style Hefeweizen – 65 Entries
Gold: Stoudts Heifer In Wheat, Stoudt Brewing Co., Adamstown, PA
Silver: U-Boat Hefeweizen, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Wintergreen Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Category: 62 German-Style Wheat Ale – 29 Entries
Gold: Hefelightzen, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, Huntington Beach, CA
Silver: Wowzenbock, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Bronze: Capital Weizen Doppelbock, Capital Brewery Co., Inc., Middleton, WI
Category: 63 Belgian-Style Witbier – 45 Entries
Gold: TAPS Belgian White, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Silver: Whale Tail Wit, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Category: 64 French- and Belgian-Style Saison – 52 Entries
Gold: Saison Vautour, McKenzie Brew House, Malvern, PA
Silver: Colette, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Belgian Summer Ale, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Category: 65 Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: Allagash Blonde, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Bastogne Blonde Ale, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Bronze: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Category: 66 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Oude Tart, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: Coolship Resurgam, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Bronze: Le Serpent, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Category: 67 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Nectar Des Dieux, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Silver: Golden Slumber, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Category: 68 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 54 Entries
Gold: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Brother David’s Double, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA
Bronze: Hells Keep, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT
Category: 69 Brown Porter – 33 Entries
Gold: Total Disorder Porter, Ram Production Brewery, Tacoma, WA
Silver: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Bronze: Pullman Brown, Flossmoor Station, Flossmoor, IL
Category: 70 Robust Porter – 53 Entries
Gold: Pig Iron Porter, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Silver: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Bronze: Blimp Hangar Porter, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
Category: 71 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 23 Entries
Gold: Hyde Park Stout, Augusta Brewing Co., Washington, MO
Silver: McLuhr’s Irish Stout, Dillon DAM Brewery, Dillon, CO
Bronze: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Category: 72 Foreign-Style Stout – 33 Entries
Gold: Fade to Black, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: Whiteface Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Bronze: Tsunami Stout, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Category: 73 American-Style Stout – 27 Entries
Gold: Liberty Stout, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Silver: Disorder Stout, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Category: 74 Sweet Stout – 29 Entries
Gold: Kickstart Stout, Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill, Lake Havasu City, AZ
Silver: Oil Change Stout, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO
Bronze: Portsmouth Brewery Milk Stout, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH
Category: 75 Oatmeal Stout – 39 Entries
Gold: Backside Stout, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Naked Oatmeal Stout, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO
Bronze: 825 State Stout, Epic Brewing Co., LLC, Salt Lake City, UT
Category: 76 Imperial Stout – 50 Entries
Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Silver: Night Rider Imperial Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH
Category: 77 Scotch Ale – 34 Entries
Gold: Reed’s Wee Heavy, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Wee Willy Scotch Ale, McCoy’s Public House & Brewkitchen, Kansas City, MO
Bronze: MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Category: 78 Old Ale or Strong Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI
Silver: Curmudgeon, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Outback X, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Category: 79 Barley Wine-Style Ale – 57 Entries
Gold: Flying Mouflan, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA
Silver: Old #23 Barley Wine, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze: Jack Hammer, The Brew Kettle Production Works, Strongsville, OH
2010 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards:
Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Blue Moon Brewing Company, Denver, CO; Dr. David Ryder
Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT; UBC Brewers
Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake, CA; Mad River Brewing Company
Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA; Victor Novak
Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA; Pizza Port Brew Guys (Jeff Bagby)
Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA; Noah Regnery
2010 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition
Gold: Red Velvet, Eagle Rock Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
Brewmaster: Eagle Rock Brewery Brew Team, AHA Member: Donny Hummel
Silver: Ryed Hard & Put Away Wet, Rockyard Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO
Brewmaster: Jim Stinson, AHA Member: Adam Glaser
Bronze: Robust Porter, Wormtown Brewing Co., Worcester, MA
Brewmaster: Ben Roesch, AHA Member: Keith Antul
KDAF-TV in Dallas, Texas is reporting that Anheuser-Busch InBev is increasing the price on a number of their products this week due to “slumping sales.” The price increases will be anywhere from 50 cents to $2.00 on packages ranging from six-packs to 30-packs. MillerCoors will also take a similar price increase in October. To me that’s good news for craft beer, too, because it makes the gap between beer from the big breweries and their diminutive rivals smaller.