Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Historic Beer Birthday: Danny Williams

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Today would have been Danny Williams’ 66th birthday today, having been born exactly two days before yours truly in 1959. Unfortunately, Danny lost a battle with cancer a little over eight years 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 the World Beer Cup. Danny left behind two grown children and a then-8-year old son, Fletcher. His friend Ben Spencer, who’s also a good friend of mine, lets me know from time to time how Danny’s kids are doing, which is great. 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.

Danny Williams and a friend
Danny Williams and a friend at the World Beer Cup dinner in Chicago several 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 until recently was the Events Director for the Brewers Association, which included being the director of the Great American Beer Festival, CBC, and other BA events. She’d been doing that thankless job for a lot of years and always managesd to keep a smile on her face, but retired at the end of last year. 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 the late Danny Williams, at Slow Food Nation 2008 in San Francisco.

After the dinner; Matt Brynildson, Nancy Johnson and Sean Paxton
With Matt Brynildson and Sean Paxton after the World Cup Beer Dinner in Chicago in 2010.

Beer Birthday: Chris Swersey

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Today is the 60th birthday — The Big 6-O — of Chris Swersey, who until recently was on the staff of the Brewers Association as the Competition Manager for both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. He coordinated 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. Plus, the last several years, Chris and I both judged in Belgium at the Brussels Beer Challenge, which has been great fun. More recently, he got married and moved to Australia, and has gone back to brewing beer. 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 2020

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Earlier today, the winners of the 39th Great American Beer Festival were announced (and the 34th with judging). Given the world in 2020, an impressive 8,806 entries in 91 categories (or 170 different beer styles if you include the subcategories) were tasted by 115 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Here are some more factoids on the results:

  • Category with the most entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: 348 entries (This is the third year in a row that it’s been #1.
  • Top 5 Categories: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (377 entries); American-Style India Pale Ale (355 entries); German-Style Pilsener (200 entries); Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout (199 entries); and Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale (192 entries)
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 97
  • 1,720 breweries in the competition from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
  • 337 first-time breweries entered the competition
  • 19 first-time breweries won medals
  • Only one brewery won 4 medals, Sun King Brewery of Indianapolis, Indiana. Three won 3 medals apiece: Cannonball Creek Brewing of Golden, Colorado; Chuckanut Brewery of Bellingham, Washington; and Riip Beer Co., from Huntington Beach, California. In addition, 23 breweries won 2 medals.

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 62
  2. Colorado = 26
  3. Oregon = 22
  4. Washington = 16
  5. Virginia = 15
  6. North Carolina = 11
  7. TIE: Indiana = 10 / Texas = 10
  8. Ohio = 9
  9. TIE: Illinois = 6 / Michigan = 6
  10. TIE: IOWA = 5 / Missouri = 5 / Nevada = 5 / New York = 5
Print

The 2020 Great American
Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer – 59 Entries
Gold: Whoopty Whoop Wheat, Wild Ride Brewing, Redmond, OR
Silver: Emmer, Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius, NC
Bronze: 10 Barrel TWheat, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR

Category 2: American-Style Fruit Beer – 125 Entries
Gold: Strawberry Zwickelbier, Twin Sisters Brewing Co., Bellingham, WA
Silver: Everything But The Seeds, 1623 Brewing Co., Eldersburg, MD
Bronze: Berry, Berry, Quite Contrary, Territorial Brewing Co., Springfield, MI

Category 3: Fruit Wheat Beer – 107 Entries
Gold: Liliko’i Kepolo, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: Grandma’s Favorite Recipe, Silver Harbor Brewing Co., Saint Joseph, MI
Bronze: Afternoon Delight, Storm Peak Brewing Co., Steamboat Springs, CO

Category 4: Field Beer – 107 Entries
Gold: Lime Cucumber Gose, Urban South Brewery – New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Silver: Coconut Bligh’s Barleywine, Dry Dock Brewing Co.- North Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: No Rules, Perrin Brewing Co., Comstock Park, MI

Category 5: Pumpkin Beer – 51 Entries
Gold: Gordgeous, NoDa Brewing Co. – NE, Charlotte, NC
Silver: 5 Phantoms 2018, Philipsburg Brewing Co., Philipsburg, MT
Bronze: Pumpkin Patch Ale, Rogue Ales & Spirits, Newport, OR

Category 6: Chili Beer – 76 Entries
Gold: 325 Pineapple Chili, Hoops Brewing, Duluth, MN
Silver: Poblano Pils, Cervecería Colorado, Denver, CO
Bronze: Hatch Chile Gatos, Fate Brewing Co., Scottsdale, AZ

Category 7: Herb and Spice Beer – 99 Entries
Gold: Allergeez, Panther Island Brewing, Fort Worth, TX
Silver: Yerba Buena, Del Cielo Brewing Co., Martinez, CA
Bronze: Powder Run, Living the Dream Brewing Co., Littleton, CO

Category 8: Chocolate Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Weapon of Mash Destruction, Main & Six Brewing Co., Jacksonville, FL
Silver: Old Balltown Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Aged Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Brownie Milk Stout, PIVO Brewery, Calmar, IA
Bronze: Von Schrag, Mother’s Brewing Co., Springfield, MO

Category 9: Coffee Beer – 72 Entries
Gold: Daybreak, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing – Columbus, OH
Silver: Golden Stout, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: BJ’s Coffee Blonde, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Reno, Reno, NV

Category 10: Coffee Stout or Porter – 75 Entries
Gold: Super Tonic, Docent Brewing, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Silver: The Riizzo, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Bronze: Venti is Large, Hop Dogma Brewing Co., Half Moon Bay, CA

Category 11: Specialty Beer – 35 Entries
Gold: Coco Burrito Porter, Shoe Tree Brewing Co., Carson City, NV
Silver: Cookies & Cream Milk Stout, Waconia Brewing Co., Waconia, MN
Bronze: Cactus Warrior, Toltec Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 12: Rye Beer – 52 Entries
Gold: Crazy Jackass Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern, Centreville, VA
Silver: Hugzilla, Gezellig Brewing Co., Newton, IA
Bronze: Chuckanut Rye, Chuckanut Brewery – North Nut, Bellingham, WA

Category 13: Honey Beer – 72 Entries
Gold: Honey Please, Armadillo Ale Works, Denton, TX
Silver: Tra La La, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn, NY
Bronze: Grid City Honey Cream Ale, Grid City Beer Works, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 14: Session Beer or Non-Alcohol Beer – 89 Entries
Gold: Tip the Calf, SingleSpeed Brewing, Waterloo, IA
Silver: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Straight Drank N/A IPA, Two Roots Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 15: Session India Pale Ale – 94 Entries
Gold: Hefty Fee, Docent Brewing, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Silver: Pedal Pounder, LazyG Brewhouse, Prescott, AZ
Bronze: On Pins & Needles, Institution Ale Co., Camarillo, CA

Category 16: Other Strong Beer – 82 Entries
Gold: Rico, Chihuahua Cerveza, Costa Mesa, CA
Silver: Krimson King, Accomplice Beer Co., Cheyenne, WY
Bronze: Hello, Sabro!, Danville Brewing Co., Danville, CA

Category 17: Experimental Beer – 115 Entries
Gold: Barrel Aged Coco Piña, Coastal Empire Beer Co., Savannah, GA
Silver: Choco Tuesday, Lone Pine Brewing Co. – Gorham Tasting Room, Gorham, ME
Bronze: Get Artistic, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Athens, GA

Category 18: Experimental India Pale Ale – 103 Entries
Gold: Pepper & Peaches, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont, CA
Silver: Lazy Tiger, Lamplighter Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA
Bronze: Vladimir Brutin, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category 19: Historical Beer – 28 Entries
Gold: Decorah Nordic Gruit, PIVO Brewery, Calmar, IA
Silver: Seedstock Gratzer, Seedstock Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Fr. Bernard’s Grodziskie, New Magnolia Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 20: Gluten-Free Beer – 45 Entries
Gold: Aurochs Hazy IPA, Aurochs Brewing Co., Emsworth, PA
Silver: 1808, ALT Brew, Madison, WI

Category 21: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 34 Entries
Gold: Tank 7, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Dear You, Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO
Bronze: Still Single, Light the Lamp Brewery, Grayslake, IL

Category 22: American-Style Sour Ale – 36 Entries
Gold: Vice Sans Fruit, Wild Barrel Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Silver: Mirage, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Sour IPA, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category 23: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale – 180 Entries
Gold: Guava Dreams, Del Cielo Brewing Co., Martinez, CA
Silver: Peach Afternoon, Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Summer Sun, Stereo Brewing Co., Placentia, CA

Category 24: Brett Beer – 48 Entries
Gold: Bottle Conditioned Day Drinker, Lost Forty Brewing, Little Rock, AR
Silver: Touch of Brett, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR
Bronze: Saison de Walt, Flix Brewhouse, Carmel, IN

Category 25: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 74 Entries
Gold: Wild James, Coldfire Brewing, Eugene, OR
Silver: Déluge, Sanitas Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Gathering Red Currants & Peaches, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn, NY

Category 26: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 65 Entries
Gold: Afternoon Delight, Sun King Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Amburana Graham Cracker Porter, Denver Beer Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: B.A.DUNKEL, TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room, Tustin, CA

Category 27: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 154 Entries
Gold: Amburana Dream, Denver Beer Co. – Olde Town Arvada, Arvada, CO
Silver: Bourbon B.A. Big Game, Bravery Brewing, Lancaster, CA
Bronze: Barrel-Aged Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 199 Entries
Gold: A Night to End All Dawns, Kane Brewing Co., Ocean, NJ
Silver: Ruckus, Melvin Brewing – Thai Me Up, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Grasp of Oak, Moksa Brewing Co., Rocklin, CA

Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 54 Entries
Gold: Cuvee De Funk, Lone Pine Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Triad Blanc, IMBIB Custom Brews, Reno, NV
Bronze: Freedom 7, True Anomaly Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 30: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 111 Entries
Gold: The Many Lives of Our Lives, Big aLICe Brewing Co., Long Island City, NY
Silver: Cleft, Little Fish Brewing Co., Athens, OH
Bronze: Cherry Busey, Sun King Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Category 31: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 71 Entries
Gold: Safety Dance, Smartmouth Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA
Silver: Royal Bohemian Pilsner, Earth Rider Brewery, Superior, WI
Bronze: TF Brewing Granary Keller Bier, Templin Family Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 32: Smoke Beer – 60 Entries
Gold: O’Fallon Smoked Porter, O’Fallon Brewery, Maryland Heights, MO
Silver: Holy Smokes!, Santa Maria Brewing Co., Atascadero, CA
Bronze: Buchenrauch, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Columbus, OH

Category 33: American Lager – 137 Entries
Gold: Lager at World’s End, Epidemic Ales, Concord, CA
Silver: Seismic Tremor, Seismic Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Lite Thinking, Pollyanna Brewing Co., Lemont, IL

Category 34: Light Lager – 85 Entries
Gold: Wander Litely, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Chuckanut Chuck Lite, Chuckanut Brewery – North Nut, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Pachanga, Sun King Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Category 35: American Pilsener – 120 Entries
Gold: Beachscape, Ventura Coast Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Silver: Imagine a World with Beer Cellars Instead of 401ks, Freetail Brewing Co., San Antonio, TX
Bronze: Pilsner, Old Town Brewing, Portland, OR

Category 36: International Pilsener – 114 Entries
Gold: Japanese Lager, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Silver: Rioveza, Kern River Brewing Co. – The Backyard, Kernville, CA
Bronze: Little Wing, Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co., Chicago, IL

Category 37: American-Style Cream Ale – 135 Entries
Gold: Moonlite, Moontown Brewing Co., Whitestown, IN
Silver: Cerveza, True North Ale Co., Ipswich, MA
Bronze: Let’s Talk About Mex, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category 38: American Amber Lager – 111 Entries
Gold: Volksbier Vienna, Wibby Brewing, Longmont, CO
Silver: Oktoberfest, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Amber Lager, Skipping Rock Beer Co., Staunton, VA

Category 39: German-Style Pilsener – 200 Entries
Gold: Sprockets, Gravely Brewing Co., Louisville, KY
Silver: Prost Pils, Prost Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Pils, Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City, MO

Category 40: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 137 Entries
Gold: Perle Haggard, Ex Novo Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Fortune & Glory, Precarious Beer Project – Precarious Beer Hall, Williamsburg, VA
Bronze: Tres Tres, Ocean Beach Brewery, San Diego, CA

Category 41: Munich-Style Helles – 131 Entries
Gold: Augenblick Light Lager, Masthead Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH
Silver: Nashville Lager, Nashville Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Bronze: Helles, Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2, Bellingham, WA

Category 42: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 90 Entries
Gold: CounterWeight Fest Bier, Counter Weight Brewing Co., Hamden, CT
Silver: The Prince of DORTness, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Funfest, Bootlegger’s Brewery, Fullerton, CA

Category 43: Vienna-Style Lager – 109 Entries
Gold: RhinO’fest, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA
Silver: Vienna Lager, East Rock Brewing Co., New Haven, CT
Bronze: Oktoberfest, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 44: German-Style Maerzen – 142 Entries
Gold: Amber’s Lager-Amber Lager, Irwin Brewing Co., Crested Butte, CO
Silver: White Rocktoberfest, White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, Dallas, TX
Bronze: Big Grove Oktoberfest, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, IA

Category 45: German Dark Lager – 98 Entries
Gold: Maximilian, La Reforma, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Dozer Line, Topa Topa Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Bronze: Umbeereon, GameCraft Brewing, Laguna Hills, CA

Category 46: International Dark Lager – 89 Entries
Gold: Baltic Porter, Skipping Rock Beer Co., Staunton, VA
Silver: Murder Ballads, Noble Beast Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH
Bronze: Public Enemy Baltic Porter, Dust Bowl Brewing Co., Turlock, CA

Category 47: Bock – 50 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Maibock, Chuckanut Brewery – North Nut, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Maibock, NoDa Brewing Co. – NE, Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Skool House Bock, Moontown Brewing Co., Whitestown, IN

Category 48: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 40 Entries
Gold: Agent Provocator, Clandestine Brewing, San Jose, CA
Silver: Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC
Bronze: Doppelbock, Lupulin Brewing, Big Lake, MN

Category 49: Golden or Blonde Ale – 137 Entries
Gold: Carolinian, Columbia Craft Brewing Co., Columbia, SC
Silver: Salty Crew, Coronado Brewing Co., Coronado, CA
Bronze: Sunlight Cream Ale, Sun King Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Category 50: German-Style Koelsch – 162 Entries
Gold: Kolsch, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Silver: Kodiak Kolsch, Bear Chase Brewing Co., Bluemont, VA
Bronze: Kolsch Money, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Framingham, MA

Category 51: English Ale – 93 Entries
Gold: Proper Beer, Proper Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Summer Lovin’, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Bronze: Uncle Dave’s, Discretion Brewing, Soquel, CA

Category 52: International Pale Ale – 87 Entries
Gold: Locals Only, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Carlsbad Crush, Burgeon Beer Co., Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Inner Light, Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Denver, CO

Category 53: American-Style Pale Ale – 156 Entries
Gold: Featherweight Pale Ale, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Somewhere Golden, Institution Ale Co., Camarillo, CA
Bronze: Pantsless, Alarmist Brewing, Chicago, IL

Category 54: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 137 Entries
Gold: Moon Haze, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Hazy L IPA, Bale Breaker Brewing Co., Yakima, WA
Bronze: Mosaic Pale Ale, Random Row Brewing Co., Charlottesville, VA

Category 55: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 149 Entries
Gold: Built For Speed, Grains of Wrath Brewing, Camas, WA
Silver: Superpower IPA, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Mai Tai P.A., Alvarado Street Brewery & Tasting Room, Salinas, CA

Category 56: Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale – 145 Entries
Gold: Goofy Boots, Penrose Brewing Co., Geneva, IL
Silver: Reuben’s Crush, Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom, Seattle, WA
Bronze: Tight Quarters, Slice Beer Co., Lincoln, CA

Category 57: American-Style India Pale Ale – 355 Entries
Gold: IPA, Perry Street Brewing, Spokane, WA
Silver: Updrift India Pale Ale, Pelican Brewing Co. – Tillamook, Tillamook, OR
Bronze: Nothing Noble, Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl, Portland, OR

Category 58: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale – 377 Entries
Gold: Spellbinder, Wren House Brewing Co., Phoenix, AZ
Silver: Yojo, Moonraker Brewing Co., Auburn, CA
Bronze: Wicked Pawesome, Metazoa Brewing Co. – Stringtown Production Facility, Indianapolis, IN

Category 59: Imperial India Pale Ale – 166 Entries
Gold: Hammerland DIPA, El Segundo Brewing Co., El Segundo, CA
Silver: Double Cone, Alvarado Street Brewery & Tasting Room, Salinas, CA
Bronze: Freak of Nature Double IPA, Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville, NC

Category 60: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale – 192 Entries
Gold: The Hopsplainer, Burke-Gilman Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Not A Scientist, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, WA
Bronze: Sugar on My Tongue, Highland Park Brewery, Los Angeles, CA

Category 61: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 110 Entries
Gold: Avalon Amber Ale, Bowigens Beer Co., Casselberry, FL
Silver: Justin’s Easy Going Amber, Zuni Street Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Paulie’s Not Irish, Old Town Brewing, Portland, OR

Category 62: Strong Red Ale – 75 Entries
Gold: Happy Days, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont, CA
Silver: Side Hike, Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville, CA
Bronze: Devil’s Path, El Segundo Brewing Co., El Segundo, CA

Category 63: English Mild or Bitter – 57 Entries
Gold: Deep Roots, Three Weavers Brewing Co., Inglewood, CA
Silver: English Pale Mild Ale, Wallenpaupack Brewing Co., Hawley, PA
Bronze: MSB (McFleshman’s Special Bitter), McFleshman’s Brewing Co., Appleton, WI

Category 64: Extra Special Bitter – 56 Entries
Gold: Wicket Awesome, Eureka Heights Brew Co., Houston, TX
Silver: Extra Special StormBreaker, StormBreaker Brewing, Portland, OR
Bronze: English Sporting Beer, Midwest Coast Brewing Co., Chicago, IL

Category 65: Scottish-Style Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: Back Country, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Silver: It Takes a Tribe Red Ale, Goat Patch Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze: Taildragger Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co., Goodyear, AZ

Category 66: Irish-Style Red Ale – 78 Entries
Gold: Balefire Irish Red, Mirror Image Brewing Co., Frederick, CO
Silver: Crimson Lass, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Vixen, Old Bust Head Brewing Co., Vint Hill, VA

Category 67: English-Style Brown Ale – 55 Entries
Gold: Get Up Offa That Brown, Golden Road Brewing, Anaheim, CA
Silver: Bloodhound Brown Ale, Attic Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Brown Ale, Lowercase Brewing – Production Facility, Seattle, WA

Category 68: American-Style Brown Ale – 60 Entries
Gold: Brown Ale, Second Street Brewery, Santa Fe, NM
Silver: Wallops Island, Rocket Frog Brewing Co., Sterling, VA
Bronze: All-American Brown, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA

Category 69: American-Style Black Ale or American-Style Stout – 69 Entries
Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – The Propagator, Marina del Rey, CA
Silver: Black the Riipper, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Bronze: 1979 Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Mills River, Mills River, NC

Category 70: German-Style Sour Ale – 54 Entries
Gold: Breakside Gose, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Silver: Slightly Sour, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: First Steps on a Sour Planet, Aeronaut Brewing Co., Somerville, MA

Category 71: Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse – 74 Entries
Gold: Razzle Fo Shazzle, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Reno, Reno, NV
Silver: Glitz & Glam, Eppig Brewing, Vista, CA
Bronze: Plumpricot, Beale’s, Bedford, VA

Category 72: Contemporary Gose – 81 Entries
Gold: Cruise to Nowhere, Town Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Silver: Haole Punch, Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill, Monterey, CA
Bronze: Steady As She Gose – P.O.G., Big Ugly Brewing, Chesapeake, VA

Category 73: German-Style Altbier – 44 Entries
Gold: Howitzer Amber, Red Leg Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Silver: Control ALT, Devil’s Logic Brewing, Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Altitude Alt, Altitude Chophouse & Brewery, Laramie, WY

Category 74: German-Style Wheat Ale – 145 Entries
Gold: Goggle Fogger Hefeweizen, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Hefeweizen, Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City, MO
Bronze: Doc’s Dunkel, Gravely Brewing Co., Louisville, KY

Category 75: Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale – 74 Entries
Gold: First To Fall, The Good Society, Seattle, WA
Silver: Crazy Train, Fretboard Brewing Co., Blue Ash, OH
Bronze: III Belgian Blond, Third Window Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA

Category 76: Belgian-Style Witbier – 72 Entries
Gold: White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Boeman Belgian White, Ogopogo Brewing, San Gabriel, CA
Bronze: Wolk, Lock 27 Brewing, Centerville, OH

Category 77: Classic Saison – 80 Entries
Gold: Beyond the Gnome World, Silver Branch Brewing Co., Silver Spring, MD
Silver: Tomorrow’s Verse, Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse, Sacramento, CA
Bronze: Meadowlark, Metazoa Brewing Co. – Taproom, Indianapolis, IN

Category 78: Specialty Saison – 74 Entries
Gold: Farmhouse Cuvée, Alesong Brewing & Tasting Room, Eugene, OR
Silver: Seeds of Infinity, Coldfire Brewing, Eugene, OR
Bronze: Obeisance, Von Ebert Brewing – Glendoveer, Portland, OR

Category 79: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 108 Entries
Gold: Funk Yeah, Beachwood Blendery, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Peche, Block 15 Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR
Bronze: Cerise Morte, Wicked Weed – Funk House, Arden, NC

Category 80: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 103 Entries
Gold: Cosmic Sloth, Pinthouse Pizza – South Lamar, Austin, TX
Silver: Qualified, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN
Bronze: Hell Camino Belgian Quad, Dos Desperados Brewery, San Diego, CA

Category 81: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 106 Entries
Gold: Dubbel or Nothing, Monkless Belgian Ales, Bend, OR
Silver: 228 Tripel, Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort, MI
Bronze: Lux Mundi, Save The World Brewing Co., Marble Falls, TX

Category 82: Belgian-Style Specialty Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Tangible Passion, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Silver: Goin’ Stag, Cabin Boys Brewery, Tulsa, OK
Bronze: Orange Diva, StillFire Brewing, Suwanee, GA

Category 83: Brown Porter – 54 Entries
Gold: Brown Claw, Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville, CA
Silver: FivePine Porter, Three Creeks Brewing Co., Sisters, OR
Bronze: Old Normal, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 84: Robust Porter – 60 Entries
Gold: Tabula Rasa, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Thriller Pillar Porter, Bron Yr Aur Brewing Co., Naches, WA

Category 85: Stout – 72 Entries
Gold: ODIS, O’Connor Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA
Silver: Void of Light, Gun Hill Brewing Co., Bronx, NY
Bronze: Dry Stout, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO

Category 86: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 39 Entries
Gold: Moozie Milk Stout, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Korova Milk Porter, Gnarly Barley Brewing Co., Hammond, LA
Bronze: Irish Prenup, Barley Naked Brewing Co., Stafford, VA

Category 87: Oatmeal Stout – 52 Entries
Gold: Settlers’ Oatmeal Stout, Vallensons’ Brewing Co., Pearland, TX
Silver: North Tower Stout, Earth Rider Brewery, Superior, WI
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category 88: Imperial Stout – 88 Entries
Gold: The Snow, Community Beer Works, Buffalo, NY
Silver: Doggin Wrench, Five Branches Brewing, Tarpon Springs, FL
Bronze: Stoutacus, Shoe Tree Brewing Co., Carson City, NV

Category 89: Scotch Ale – 58 Entries
Gold: No. 17 Scotch Ale, The Freehouse, Minneapolis, MN
Silver: The Bruce, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Bronze: Wee Heavy HINDER, H.H. Hinder Brewing Co., Waupaca, WI

Category 90: Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine-Style Ale – 91 Entries
Gold: Miss Cleo’s Barkleywine, Sanford Brewing Co., Sanford, FL
Silver: Baby Maker, Triple C Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Waterline Wee Heavy, Waterline Brewing Co., Wilmington, NC

Category 91: Fresh Hop Beer – 58 Entries
Gold: Conelick’r, Three Creeks Brewing Co., Sisters, OR
Silver: Fresh Hop Ride the Pine, Belching Beaver Brewery – Tavern & Grill, Vista, CA
Bronze: Fresh Hop Hazealicious, Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery, Seattle, WA

2020 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
The Good Society, Seattle, WA
Phil Cammarano & Nick Berger

Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Monkless Belgian Ales, Bend, OR
Todd Clement & Chris Dinsdale

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
The Freehouse, Minneapolis, MN
The Freehouse Team

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Five Branches Brewing, Tarpon Springs, FL
Jerry Brown

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Big aLICe Brewing Co., Long Island City, NY
Big aLICe Production Team

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Lost Forty Brewing, Little Rock, AR
Lost Forty Brewing Team

Brewery Group and Brewery Group Brewer of the Year
Three Creeks Brewing Co., Sisters, OR
Team Three Creeks

GABF Winners 2019

By

gabf-2014

On Saturday, the winners of the 38th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 9,497 entries (plus 113 Pro-Am and 70 Collaboration entries were judged) in 107 (or 174 different beer styles if you include the subcategories), categories by 322 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Here are some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: 348 entries (This is the second year in a row that it’s been #1, unseating American-style IPA, which had been number #1 since 2002)
  • Top 5 Categories: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (348 entries); American-Style India Pale Ale (342 entries); Fruited American-Style Sour Ale (215 entries); German-Style Pilsener (183 entries); and Imperial India Pale Ale (173 entries)
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 88
  • 2,295 breweries in the competition from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
  • 401 first-time breweries entered the competition
  • 37 first-time breweries won medals
  • Over 800 breweries in the festival hall
  • Over 4,000 beers served at the festival
  • 60,000 attendees
gabf-2019-glasses

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 68
  2. Colorado = 40
  3. Texas = 16
  4. TIE: Ohio = 15 / Oregon = 15
  5. Washington = 14
  6. Virginia = 13
  7. North Carolina = 12
  8. Illinois = 10
  9. TIE: Florida = 9 / Indiana = 9
  10. Arizona = 8
Print

The 2018 Great American
Beer Festival Winners

GABF19-awards-02
Charlie Papazian ready to hand out the awards.

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer – 80 Entries
Gold: No medal awarded
Silver: Cumberland Punch, East Nashville Beer Works, Nashville, TN
Bronze: Termes Beer, Spearfish Brewing Co., Spearfish, SD

Category 2: American-Style Fruit Beer – 144 Entries
Gold: Salt River, Historic Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Silver: Quat, Tampa Bay Brewing Co. – Ybor City, Tampa, FL
Bronze: Boom Dynamite, O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery, Phoenix, AZ

Category 3: Fruit Wheat Beer – 109 Entries
Gold: Bitchin’ Berry, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Reno, NV
Silver: Cherry Wheat, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM
Bronze: Smash, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 4: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer – 52 Entries
Gold: Foxy Lady, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: All the Goodness, Gezellig Brewing Co., Newton, IA
Bronze: Cherry Valley Farmhouse, Heritage Hill Brewhouse & Kitchen, Pompey, NY

Category 5: Pumpkin/Squash Beer or Pumpkin Spice Beer – 51 Entries
Gold: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: Pumpkin Rumble, Mistress Brewing Co., Ankeny, IA
Bronze: Pumpkinator, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 6: Field Beer – 104 Entries
Gold: Scoring Discrepancies, Listermann Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Dessert Station: Cherry Almond Cookie, Corporate Ladder Brewing Co., Palmetto, FL
Bronze: Grandma’s Pecan, The Dudes’ Brewing Co., Somis, CA

Category 7: Chili Beer – 96 Entries
Gold: Jalapeno Pineapple Pils, Brickway Brewery & Distillery, Omaha, NE
Silver: Bringin’ Da Heat, Devil’s Creek Brewery, Collingswood, NJ
Bronze: Oyster Jalapeno Porter, Bull Island Brewing Co., Hampton, VA

Category 8: Herb and Spice Beer – 119 Entries
Gold: Kveik Thai Tom Kha, Shades Brewing, Park City, UT
Silver: One Night in Bangkok Smoothie IPA, Midland Brewing, Midland, MI
Bronze: Deck Daze, Vail Brewing Co. – Vail Village Pilot, Vail, CO

Category 9: Chocolate Beer – 68 Entries
Gold: Old Balltown Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Aged Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Brownie Milk Stout, PIVO Brewery, Calmar, IA
Silver: Contains Chocolate, Corporate Ladder Brewing Co., Palmetto, FL
Bronze: Somebody Else’s Dream, Fort Myers Brewing Co., Fort Myers, FL

Category 10: Coffee Beer – 97 Entries
Gold: Duluth Coffee Pale Ale, Earth Rider Brewery, Superior, WI
Silver: Clear Sky Daybreak, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Columbus, OH
Bronze: Central Perk, Ambitious Ales, Long Beach, CA

Category 11: Coffee Stout or Porter – 100 Entries
Gold: There is No Cow Level, GameCraft Brewing, Laguna Hills, CA
Silver: Portola Breakfast Stout, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
Bronze: White Russian, SunUp Brewing Co., Phoenix, AZ

Category 12: Specialty Beer – 67 Entries
Gold: Rye Hipster Brunch Stout, Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, MI
Silver: Agavemente, SouthNorte Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: I Did It All For The Cookie, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category 13: Rye Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Rye Dawn, Breakwater Brewing Co., Oceanside, CA
Silver: Unite the Clans, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Suss it Out, Level Crossing Brewing Co., South Salt Lake, UT

Category 14: Honey Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: A&M Honey Bock, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Boulder, Boulder, CO
Silver: Honey Hole, SpindleTap Brewery, Houston, TX
Bronze: Jetty, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY

Category 15: Non-Alcohol Beer or Alcohol-Free Beer – 17 Entries
Gold: Enough Said N/A, Two Roots Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Bravus Oatmeal Stout, Bravus Brewing Co., Newport Beach, CA
Bronze: Bravus Barrel-Aged Bourbon Stout, Bravus Brewing Co., Newport Beach, CA

Category 16: Session Beer – 50 Entries
Gold: Texas Lager, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: Lite It!, Light the Lamp Brewery, Grayslake, IL
Bronze: Peacekeeper, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, CO

Category 17: Session India Pale Ale – 94 Entries
Gold: Gravity Check, Kern River Brewing Co. – The Backyard, Kernville, CA
Silver: Trump Hands, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: That IPA, Community Beer Works, Buffalo, NY

Category 18: Other Strong Beer – 29 Entries
Gold: Northstar Imperial Porter, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: False Hope, Spilled Grain Brewhouse, Annandale, MN
Bronze: Double Brown Ale, Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, Santa Fe, NM

Category 19: Experimental Beer – 124 Entries
Gold: Fungus Shui, Meadowlark Brewing, Sidney, MT
Silver: Shibbleshabble, Primitive Beer, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Fluffernutter, Kings Brewing Co., Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Category 20: Fresh Hop Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Fresh Hop Green Battles, Pinthouse Pizza North, Austin, TX
Silver: Hop Stalker, Fat Head’s Brewery – Canton, Canton, OH
Bronze: Aqua Seafoam Shame, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, WA

GABF19-awards-Cloudburst
Cloudburst Brewing.

Category 21: Historical Beer – 47 Entries
Gold: No medal awarded
Silver: Afterburner Smoked Lager, Four Day Ray Brewing, Fishers, IN
Bronze: Decorah Nordic Gruit, PIVO Brewery, Calmar, IA

Category 22: Gluten-Free Beer – 59 Entries
Gold: Boombastic Hazy IPA, Holidaily Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Co-Conspirator Apricot Sour, Revelation Craft Brewing Co., Rehoboth Beach, DE
Bronze: Grandpa’s Nap, Evasion Brewing – Production Facility, McMinnville, OR

Category 23: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: Wit-Tington, Central District Brewing, Austin, TX
Silver: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Bronze: White Rainbow, Red Rock Brewery – Production, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 24: American-Style Sour Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Low pHunk, MobCraft Beer, Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Alegria, Millersburg Brewing, Millersburg, OH
Bronze: Citra Acid Test, Triple C Brewing, Charlotte, NC

Category 25: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale – 215 Entries
Gold: Roxanne, St. Elmo Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Hoochie Mama, Storm Peak Brewing Co., Steamboat Springs, CO
Bronze: Sour Blackberry Raspberry, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., Charleston, SC

Category 26: Brett Beer – 58 Entries
Gold: Who’s Brett?, The Hold By Revelry Brewing, Charleston, SC
Silver: St. Eldritch, Cellar Works Brewing Co., Sarver, PA
Bronze: C’Mon Sunshine, Birds Fly South Ale Project, Greenville, SC

Category 27: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 94 Entries
Gold: Standard Issue, Central Standard Brewing, Wichita, KS
Silver: Farmer’s Reserve No. 5, Almanac Beer Co., Alameda, CA
Bronze: Côte d’Or – Double Cerise, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Amburana Dream, Denver Beer Co. – Olde Town Arvada, Arvada, CO
Silver: Gran Muckle, Sun King Brewing, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Bourbon Barrel Aged Lady In Red, Bombshell Beer Co., Holly Springs, NC

Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 155 Entries
Gold: Knotty Dog, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Double Barrel Louie, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, CO
Bronze: Bourbon Legend, Great Heights Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 172 Entries
Gold: Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas, Begyle Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver: Ales from the Crypt: Te Quiero, O.H.S.O. Brewery – Gilbert, AZ
Bronze: Señor Rhino, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR

Category 31: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 82 Entries
Gold: Sour Brown Aged on Palo Santo, Hi-Wire Brewing – South Slope, Asheville, NC
Silver: Agent Orange – Apple Brandy Barrel, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM
Bronze: Reserve Doree, The Chamber By Wooden Robot Brewery, Charlotte, NC

Category 32: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 128 Entries
Gold: Midnight Choir, Sun King Brewing, Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Crimson Cherry Variant, Upland Brewing Co. – Bloomington Brewpub, Bloomington, IN
Bronze: Rossano, Kings Brewing Co., Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Category 33: Aged Beer – 38 Entries
Gold: A Creator’s Calling, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Silver: Belgian Quad, Green Mountain Beer Co., Lakewood, CO
Bronze: Mob Barley, Meadowlark Brewing, Sidney, MT

GABF19-awards-Lost-Abbey
The Lost Abbey.

Category 34: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 96 Entries
Gold: German Pilsner, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Silver: Loral Zwickelbier, Haas Innovations Brewing, Yakima, WA
Bronze: Stand By, Rockwell Beer Co., St. Louis, MO

Category 35: Smoke Beer – 60 Entries
Gold: Red-Fish Rauchbock, Sockeye Brewing, Boise, ID
Silver: TF Brewing Rauch Bier, Templin Family Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Up In Smoke, Fat Head’s Brewery – Canton, Canton, OH

Category 36: American-Style Lager or American-Style Pilsener – 153 Entries
Gold: Lite Reading, Pollyanna Brewing Co., Lemont, IL
Silver: Valley Beer, Wren House Brewing Co., Phoenix, AZ
Bronze: Schaben’s, Thunderhead Brewing Co., Kearney, NE

Category 37: Contemporary American-Style Pilsener – 61 Entries
Gold: Lazy River Pils, New Trail Brewing Co., Williamsport, PA
Silver: Citra Pils, Saint Archer Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Citraveza, Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas, CA

Category 38: International-Style Pilsener – 108 Entries
Gold: Torcido, Barebottle Brewing Co., San Francisco, CA
Silver: Upslope Craft Lager, Upslope Brewing Co. Boulder, CO
Bronze: Party, MAP Brewing Co., Bozeman, MT

GABF19-awards-Barebottle
Barebottle Brewing Co.

Category 39: Light Lager – 90 Entries
Gold: Altitude Banquet, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Silver: Sif’s Light Lager, Odin Brewing Co., Tukwila, WA
Bronze: Lightner Creek Lager, Carver Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Category 40: India Pale Lager or Malt Liquor – 55 Entries
Gold: Timbo Pils, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Go Kart Mozart, MotoSonora Brewing Co., Tucson, AZ
Bronze: Yeah Buoy IPL, Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia, MO

Category 41: American-Style Cream Ale – 87 Entries
Gold: Sea Señor! Mex Lager, SouthNorte Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Los Dudes’ Cerveza Lager Mexicana, Dudes’ Brewing Co., Somis, CA
Bronze: Gold Style, Ballast Point Brewing Co. – Chicago, Chicago, IL

Category 42: American-Style Amber Lager – 101 Entries
Gold: Märzen, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA
Silver: Oktoberfest, Huss Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Grist Maerzen, Grist Brewing Co., Highlands Ranch, CO

Category 43: German-Style Pilsener – 183 Entries
Gold: Parliament Drive, Blind Owl Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Golden Age Pilsner, Family Business Beer Co., Dripping Springs, TX
Bronze: Pils, Hardywood West Creek, Richmond, VA

Category 44: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 123 Entries
Gold: Bohemian Shine, Castle Island Brewing Co., Norwood, MA
Silver: Bo Pils, East Brother Beer Co., Richmond, CA
Bronze: The People’s Pilsner, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA

GABF19-awards-East-Bros
East Brother Beer Co.

Category 45: Munich-Style Helles – 138 Entries
Gold: Altstadt Lager, Altstadt Brewery, Fredericksburg, TX
Silver: Florida Sunshine, Crooked Can Brewing Co., Winter Garden, FL
Bronze: Wayfinder Hell, Wayfinder Beer, Portland, OR

Category 46: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 96 Entries
Gold: Schnitzengiggles, New England Brewing Co., Woodbridge, CT
Silver: Lindauer Lager, Wit’s End Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Chuckanut Fest Bier, Chuckanut Brewery, Burlington, WA

GABF19-awards-Chuckanut
Chuckanut Brewery.

Category 47: Vienna-Style Lager – 93 Entries
Gold: Jomo, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
Silver: Vienna Lager, Grains of Wrath Brewing, Camas, WA
Bronze: Moonlight Sonata, Chilly Water Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 48: German-Style Maerzen – 165 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, Bear Chase Brewing Co., Bluemont, VA
Silver: Rocktoberfest, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., Chattanooga, TN
Bronze: Festie, Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage, Roanoke, VA

Category 49: German-Style Dark Lager – 127 Entries
Gold: Pious Monk Dunkel, Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville, PA
Silver: Black Lager, Bingo Beer Co., Richmond, VA
Bronze: Don’t Drop That Dun Dun Dunkel, TAPS Brewery, Tustin, CA

Category 50: International-Style Dark Lager – 31 Entries
Gold: Dark Horse, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Silver: El Corn, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO
Bronze: Schwarzbier, Hofbräuhaus Cleveland, Cleveland, OH

Category 51: Bock – 45 Entries
Gold: Tackle Bock, Bobbing Bobber Brewing Co., Hutchinson, MN
Silver: Maibock, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Dunkel Bock, Pilot Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC

Category 52: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 57 Entries
Gold: Eis Nine, Sun King Brewing – Fishers Small Batch, Fishers, IN
Silver: Doppelbock, Scorched Earth Brewing Co., Algonquin, IL
Bronze: Eis Vienne, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

GABF19-awards-DAB
Sun King Brewing.

Category 53: Baltic-Style Porter – 51 Entries
Gold: Snap Yo’ Baltics, Freetail Brewing Co. – Brewpub, San Antonio, TX
Silver: Dark Reckoning, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Bronze: Murder Ballads, Noble Beast Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH

Category 54: Golden or Blonde Ale – 150 Entries
Gold: 1956 Golden Ale, Bootstrap Brewing, Longmont, CO
Silver: MadeWest Standard, MadeWest Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Bronze: Luke’s Original, Lucky Luke Brewing Co., Palmdale, CA

Category 55: German-Style Koelsch – 167 Entries
Gold: Altstadt Kolsch, Altstadt Brewery, Fredericksburg, TX
Silver: Ice Cutter Kölsch, Joyride Brewing Co., Edgewater, CO
Bronze: Dry Creek Blonde Ale, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, San Jose, CA

GABF19-awards-Santa-Clara-Valley
Santa Clara Valley Brewing.

Category 56: English-Style Summer Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: Organic California Blonde Ale, Eel River Brewing Co., Scotia, CA
Silver: Quid, Rhinegeist – Innovation Brewery, Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Breakside Wentworth by the Sea, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 57: English-Style or International-Style Pale Ale – 104 Entries
Gold: Ferment Pale Ale, Ferment Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Silver: Annadel Pale Ale, Third Street AleWorks, Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Endless Summer Nights, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, WA

Category 58: Australian-Style Pale Ale – 61 Entries
Gold: Australian For Pale, Green Cheek Beer Co., Orange, CA
Silver: Mountain Standard IPA, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Pete’s Stash, Vail Brewing Co. – Vail Village Pilot, Vail, CO

Category 59: American-Style Pale Ale – 169 Entries
Gold: Johnny Utah, Georgetown Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Acclimated APA, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Breakside Woodlawn Pale Ale, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR

GABF19-awards-Breakside
Breakside Brewery.

Category 60: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 114 Entries
Gold: Gulp, Tribus Beer Co., Milford, CT
Silver: Itsy Bits, WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Bronze: Mo-Haze-Ic, Migration Brewing Co. – Wilkes, Portland, OR

Category 61: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 131 Entries
Gold: Superpower IPA, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: NoPac IPA, Crossbuck Brewing, Walla Walla, WA
Bronze: JAF IPA, JAFB Wooster Brewery, Wooster, OH

Category 62: Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale – 106 Entries
Gold: Breakside What Rough Beast, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Silver: Kaaterskill, West Kill Brewing, West Kill, NY
Bronze: Goofy Boots, Penrose Brewing Co., Geneva, IL

Category 63: American-Style India Pale Ale – 342 Entries
Gold: More Dodge Less RAM, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Radiant Beauty, Green Cheek Beer Co., Orange, CA
Bronze: Weekend Vibes IPA, Coronado Brewing Co. – Production Facility, San Diego, CA

GABF19-awards-Coronado
Coronado Brewing.

Category 64: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale – 348 Entries
Gold: Beezer, Old Irving Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Hazy IPA, City Lights Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Devil’s Gulch, Pond Farm Brewing Co., San Rafael, CA

Category 65: Emerging India Pale Ale – 124 Entries
Gold: Pure Tropics, Parish Brewing Co., Broussard, LA
Silver: Vladimir Brutin, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: No medal awarded

Category 66: Imperial India Pale Ale – 173 Entries
Gold: Double Cone, Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas, CA
Silver: Westbound Double IPA, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, CO
Bronze: Sharrow, Brew Hub, Lakeland, FL

GABF19-awards-Alvarado-St
Alvarado Street Brewing.

Category 67: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale – 165 Entries
Gold: Extra Extra Juicy Bits, WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: Juice Jockey, Phantom Ales, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: Chaos Emeralds, Lone Pine Brewing Co. – Gorham, Gorham, ME

Category 68: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 127 Entries
Gold: Diablo Rojo, Boneyard Beer, Bend, OR
Silver: 1890 Founder’s Ale, Grayton Beer Co., Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Bronze: Red Alert, Aftershock Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

Category 69: Double Hoppy Red Ale – 49 Entries
Gold: Station 101, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont, CA
Silver: Side Hike, Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville, CA
Bronze: Cannon Ball, Migration Brewing Co. – Glisan, Portland, OR

Category 70: Imperial Red Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Bone Head Imperial Red, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Frogs Like Possum, King’s Court Brewing Co., Poughkeepsie, NY
Bronze: Gifted Gunslinger, Big Sexy Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA

Category 71: English-Style Mild Ale – 40 Entries
Gold: Hold The Reins, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Sliding Rock, BearWaters Brewing Co., Canton, NC
Bronze: Saddle Bronc Brown, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Category 72: Ordinary or Special Bitter – 41 Entries
Gold: Chronic Amber Ale, Pizza Port – Bressi Ranch, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Cousin Jack, Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino, Central City, CO
Bronze: Milford Pub Ale, River’s Edge Brewing Co., Milford, MI

Category 73: Extra Special Bitter – 63 Entries
Gold: ESB, Hillman Beer, Asheville, NC
Silver: Bridgeview, Henderson Brewing Co., Henderson, KY
Bronze: Red Ale, The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery, Hampton, VA

Category 74: English-Style India Pale Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: Hop’lin IPA, Southbound Brewing Co., Savannah, GA
Silver: Shanghai’d IPA, Old Town Brewing, Portland, OR
Bronze: Hoppy Poppy, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Category 75: Scottish-Style Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Taildragger Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co., Goodyear, AZ
Silver: Yarmouth, Arkane Aleworks, Largo, FL
Bronze: Thistle Dew, Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN

Category 76: Irish-Style Red Ale – 82 Entries
Gold: Outraged Daughters, Wise Man Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Silver: Balefire Irish Red, Mirror Image Brewing Co., Frederick, CO
Bronze: Red Molly Irish Red Ale, Pale Fire Brewing Co., Harrisonburg, VA

Category 77: English-Style Brown Ale – 67 Entries
Gold: Bobcat Brown Ale, Bridger Brewing, Bozeman, MT
Silver: Eclipse Brown Ale, Equinox Brewing, Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Mischievous Brown, Helltown Brewing, Export, PA

Category 78: American-Style Brown Ale – 99 Entries
Gold: Naked Sunbather, Mad Swede Brewing Co., Boise, ID
Silver: Bull Creek Brown Ale, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO
Bronze: Browner Than Ivan, Chula Vista Brewery, Chula Vista, CA

Category 79: American-Style Black Ale – 35 Entries
Gold: Alpha Force Double Tap, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Silver: Bowie Knife, Thunderhawk Alements, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Beer, Baker City, OR

Category 80: German-Style Sour Ale – 63 Entries
Gold: Meier, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM
Silver: Meersalz, Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., Florissant, MO
Bronze: And the Award Gose to…, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Category 81: Specialty Berliner Weisse – 82 Entries
Gold: Midwestern Exotic, Barrel Theory Beer Co., St. Paul, MN
Silver: Jungalow Juice, Arrow Lodge Brewing, Covina, CA
Bronze: Raspberry Vermonter Weiss, 14th Star Brewing, Saint Albans, VT

Category 82: Contemporary Gose – 102 Entries
Gold: Cruise to Nowhere, Town Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Silver: Mimosa Gose, Pilot Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Galactic Minotaurt, True Vine Brewing Co., Tyler, TX

Category 83: German-Style Altbier – 64 Entries
Gold: Rhine Heights ALT, Vintage Brewing Co. – Madison, Madison, WI
Silver: Howitzer Amber, Red Leg Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze: Jeremy Altbier, The Royal Oak Brewery, Royal Oak, MI

Category 84: South German-Style Hefeweizen – 150 Entries
Gold: Prosperity Wheat, Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH
Silver: Hug Deal Gone Sideweiss, Gezellig Brewing Co., Newton, IA
Bronze: Leisel Weapon, Noon Whistle Brewing Co., Lombard, IL

Category 85: German-Style Wheat Ale – 37 Entries
Gold: Krystal Clear, TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room, Tustin, CA
Silver: Dunkelweisse, Swashbuckler Brewing Co., Manheim, PA
Bronze: HefeWeizen, Live Oak Brewing Co., Austin, TX

Category 86: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale – 51 Entries
Gold: Nènette, Kern River Brewing Co. – The Backyard, Kernville, CA
Silver: Hell’s Keep, Squatters Craft Beers, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Suddenly a Saint, Moonraker Brewing Co., Auburn, CA

Category 87: Belgian-Style Witbier – 94 Entries
Gold: Way West Wit, Zuni Street Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Boeman Belgian White, Ogopogo Brewing, San Gabriel, CA
Bronze: Under a Blood Orange Sky, Temblor Brewing Co., Bakersfield, CA

Category 88: Classic Saison – 106 Entries
Gold: Meadowlark, Metazoa Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Summer Opal, Firestone Walker Propagator, Marina Del Rey, CA
Bronze: Gray Matter, Aspetuck Brew Lab, Bridgeport, CT

Category 89: Specialty Saison – 91 Entries
Gold: Obeisance, Von Ebert Brewing – Glendoveer, Portland, OR
Silver: Westfield, Cellar West Artisan Ales, Lafayette, CO
Bronze: Palisade #2, Fortside Brewing Co., Vancouver, WA

Category 90: Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Junebug, Echo Brewing Co., Erie, CO
Silver: Swingin’ Single, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Industrial Gris, Resident Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

GABF19-awards-Revolution
Piece Brewery.

Category 91: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 95 Entries
Gold: Get The Funk Out, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO
Silver: Olly, Free Will Brewing Co., Perkasie, PA
Bronze: Saison Apothēca, Yeast of Eden, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA

Category 92: Belgian-Style Dubbel – 26 Entries
Gold: Dedication, Vintage Brewing Co. – Madison, Madison, WI
Silver: Belgian Dubbel, Sugar Creek Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Bronze: OB Bubble Dubbel, Kilowatt Brewing, San Diego, CA

Category 93: Belgian-Style Tripel – 83 Entries
Gold: Princeps Pacis, Save The World Brewing Co., Marble Falls, TX
Silver: Marvella, Red Rock Brewery – Production, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Triple-Whirl, 217 Brew Works, Wilson, NC

Category 94: Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale – 44 Entries
Gold: Fu Fighter, Good River Beer, Denver, CO
Silver: Sandy Dunes Saison, River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph, MO
Bronze: Stay Gold, Bluebird Brasserie, Sherman Oaks, CA

Category 95: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale or Belgian-Style Quadrupel – 62 Entries
Gold: Quad Damn It, Chicago Brewing Co. – Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Séréneté Grand Cru, Bruz Beers, Denver, CO
Bronze: Sisters Quad, Bitter Sisters Brewing Co., Addison, TX

Category 96: Other Belgian-Style Ale – 30 Entries
Gold: Very, Very Far, Off Color Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver: Conquer Then Divide, Barrage Brewing Co., Farmingdale, NY
Bronze: Pentuple, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing, Akron, OH

Category 97: Brown Porter – 61 Entries
Gold: Maduro Brown Ale, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Silver: Brown Claw, Kern River Brewing Co. – The Backyard, Kernville, CA
Bronze: Honey Porter, Cape May Brewing Co. – Rio Grande, Cape May, NJ

Category 98: Robust Porter – 87 Entries
Gold: Tabula Rasa, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Powell Street Porter, Bartlett Hall, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Shadowcaster Porter, Folklore Brewing & Meadery, Dothan, AL

Category 99: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 43 Entries
Gold: SeaSide Stout, Pizza Port – Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Shooter McMunn’s, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA
Bronze: O’Dark Thirty, 6 Bears & A Goat Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, VA

Category 100: Export Stout – 42 Entries
Gold: Correspondent, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Thor’s Shadow Imperial Stout, Odin Brewing Co., Tukwila, WA
Bronze: Void of Light, Gun Hill Brewing Co., Bronx, NY

GABF19-awards-Stone
Stone Brewing.

Category 101: American-Style Stout – 55 Entries
Gold: Black Cliffs, Boise Brewing, Boise, ID
Silver: Liberty Station Cimmerian Portal, Stone Brewing, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Kilgore, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

GABF19-awards-Beachwood
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing.

Category 102: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 67 Entries
Gold: Moozie, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Emperor Norton’s Sweet Stout, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Leandro, CA
Bronze: Volcano Mudslide Sweet Stout, Feather Falls Brewing, Oroville, CA

GABF19-awards-21A
21st Amendment Brewery.

Category 103: Oatmeal Stout – 69 Entries
Gold: 80 Chain Stout, MAP Brewing Co., Bozeman, MT
Silver: Yonder Mountain Stout, Vine Street Pub & Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Shaman Stout, Toltec Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 104: Imperial Stout – 93 Entries
Gold: The Russian, 2SP Brewing Co., Aston, PA
Silver: Black Cauldron Imperial Stout, Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, ID
Bronze: Rescue Buoy Imperial Stout, Rip Current Brewing, San Marcos, CA

GABF19-awards-Rip-Current
Rip Current Brewing.

Category 105: Scotch Ale – 52 Entries
Gold: Knuckle Dragger, Dueces Wild Brewery, Colorado Springs, CO
Silver: Real Heavy, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: Wee Heavy Metal, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., Chattanooga, TN

Category 106: Old Ale or Strong Ale – 36 Entries
Gold: Private Stock Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Old Scrooge, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Bronze: Last Will & Testament, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, GA

GABF19-awards-AleSmith
AleSmith Brewing.

Category 107: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 59 Entries
Gold: Old Diablo, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Silver: Freebooter Barleywine, Coronado Brewing Co., Coronado, CA
Bronze: Three Ryes Men, Reuben’s Brews – The Taproom, Seattle, WA

GABF19-awards-Morgan-Territory
Morgan Territory Brewing.

Pro-Am Competition – 113 Entries
Gold: Distemper, IMBĪB Custom Brews, Reno, NV
Brewmaster: IMBĪB Brew Crew
AHA Member: Lance Newlin
Silver: Leicht, Precarious Beer Project – Beer Hall, Williamsburg, VA
Brewmaster: Greg Fleehart
AHA Member: Joel Miller
Bronze: Chess with Checkers, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Brewmaster: The Employee Owners of New Belgium
AHA Member: Erich Purcell

Collaboration Competition – 70 Entries
Gold: Getting By on Central Time, Sun King Brewing, Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Brewers Guild Beer Brigadiers
Silver: Are You Pricklish?, Taft’s Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Against the Grain Brewing, Louisville, KY
Bronze: Willie Big Dog, Public Coast Brewing Co., Cannon Beach, OR
Big Dog’s Brewing CO., Las Vegas, NV

2019 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM
Rowley Farmhouse Ales

Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, CO
Westbound & Down Brewery Team

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Vintage Brewing Co. – Madison, Madison, WI
Drinking Fresh Thinking

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Brink Brew Crew

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Marks Lanham & David Lin

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver City Brew Team

Brewery Group and Brewery Group Brewer of the Year
Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville, CA

GABF19-awards-Kern-River-BOtY
Kern River Brewing.

GABF Medal Streaks

By

gabf-2014
A few days ago, I posted the results of this year’s Great American Beer Festival, a list of the medal winners, along with some statistics and a few photographs from the ceremony. A comment thread ensued about the longest streak of winning medals, meaning how many years in a row has a brewery won at least one medal. Intrigued, I reached out to the BA’s economist Bart Watson to see if that was a data point that the Brewers Association tracked. They do not, but one of the leading candidates, Iron Hill Brewery’s Mark Edleson, pointed out that the GABF website could be filtered not only by year but also by “All Years” and then you could search for a particular brewery and see which years they won. One problem with that is, as Bart pointed out, is that brewery names have on occasion changed, as have some ownership situations, over the years, but apart from that you could look at some of the leading candidates, at least. Undaunted, I started noodling through the data, somewhat randomly, but having been around almost thirty years, I tried as many of the old breweries I could remember.

At first, I thought I’d spend maybe an hour or so on this, just for fun, but as is typical for me it got out of hand and I’ve been doing searches off and on for a few days now. Obviously, I don’t have the time to search every brewery that’s won a medal since 1983, but I did search a lot of them. If you know of one I missed or just want to look up your favorite brewery, start at the BA’s GABF Winners page. Set the drop-down menu to “All Years” and then type in the brewery name you want to check in the “Search” field. I’d suggest using the fewest number of names as possible to weed out name changes like brewery to brewing co., etc. If the name itself is unique then leave off brewing entirely, although if it’s a place name you’ll probably need to include it. If you do find one that has a streak of three or more years, please comment below and I’ll add it to this list. Thanks.

gabf-banner

Current Streak

This first list is what I’m calling the “Current Streak,” meaning a streak that’s still active. This means the brewery won a medal this year, and stretching back in previous consecutive years. For purposes of compiling this, a minimum of three years of winning medals is the minimum for no better reason then it seemed sensible. One win is great, two could be a happy coincidence, but once you hit three, it feels like a streak.

  1. 22 Years: Iron Hill 1997-2018 *

  2. 19 Years: Pizza Port 2000-2018 *

  3. 17 Years: Firestone Walker 2002-2018 *^

  4. 8 Years:
    • Beachwood BBQ & Brewery 2011-2018 *
    • Figueroa Mountain 2011-2018 *
  5. 7 Years: Real Ale Brewing 2012-2018

  6. 6 Years:
    • Cannonball Creek Brewing 2013-2018
    • Karl Strauss 2013-2018 *
  7. 5 Years:
    • Chuckanut 2014-2018
    • Fat Head’s 2014-2018 *
  8. 4 Years:
    • Alvarado Street 2015-2018
    • Austin Beer Garden 2015-2018
    • Boise Brewing 2015-2018
    • Denver Beer Co. 2015-2018
    • Grimm Brothers 2015—2018
    • TAPS Fish House and Brewery – Corona 2015-2018
  9. 3 Years:
    • Alesong 2016-2018
    • Bruery 2016-2018
    • Snake River 2016-2018
    • Summit Brewing 2016-2018
    • Sunriver 2016-2018
    • Uberbrew 2016-2018

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* = The asterisk represents an elephant in the room, meaning these medals were won by the same company, but for multiple locations. I don’t mean to detract from the awesome achievement that their streaks represent, but it feels like it needs an asterisk since having more locations, especially under the older rules of entering, represents an advantage because they entered more beers than a single brewery would have been able to enter.

^ = This is a unique situation. Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles production brewery won medals for sixteen years in a row, from 2002 to 2017. This year Firestone Walker Barrelworks, in Buellton, won a medal. However, in the new special category, without a number, the Collaboration Competition, they won a medal for their collaboration with themselves, Firestone Walker Barrelworks of Buellton won for Pixie Dusted with Firestone Walker Brewing – Paso Robles. So does that mean Paso has won 17 Years in a row, or is it only 16? I don’t really know the answer, but it’s worth a discussion.

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All Streaks

This second list is what I’m calling “All Streaks,” meaning every streak, whether it’s still active or not. This means the brewery won a medal at least three years in a row. As I mentioned, I undoubtedly missed some, and I apologize in advance if I miised yours. It’s a lot of data, and I’m just one guy. If you know of one I missed, please comment below. Thanks.

  1. 22 Years:
    • Anheuser-Busch 1988-2009
    • Coors 1988-2009
    • Iron Hill 1997-2018

  2. 19 Years: Pizza Port 2000-2018 *

  3. 17 Years: Firestone Walker 2002-2018 *^

  4. 16 Years:
    • Firestone Walker – Paso Robles 2002-2017
    • Goose Island 1997-2012
    • Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field 1999-2014
  5. 15 Years:
    • Boston Beer Co. 1985-1999
    • Rock Bottom 2000-2014 *

  6. 14 Years:
    • Miller Brewing 2003-2016
    • New Belgium 2000-2013
  7. 13 Years: Bear Republic 2004-2016

  8. 12 Years:
    • Alaskan 1987-1998
    • New Glarus 1996-2007
    • Steelhead 1991-2002 *
  9. 11 Years:
    • BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery 2002-2012 *
    • Boston Beer Co. 2004-2014
  10. 10 Years:
    • Bend Brewing 2006-2015
    • Dry Dock Brewing 2008-2017 *
    • Russian River Brewing 2001-2010
    • Stoudt’s 1988-1997

  11. 9 Years:
    • Alaskan 2000-2008
    • Capital Brewery Co. 2004-2012
    • Big Horn Brewing/CB & Pott’s 2000-2008 *
    • Pabst 1990-1998
    • RAM Restaurant & Brewery 2006-2014 *
    • Sierra Nevada 1987-1995
    • Tröegs Brewing 2006-2014
  12. 8 Years:
    • Anchor 2001-2008
    • Barley Brown’s Brew Pub 2009-2016
    • Beachwood BBQ & Brewery 2011-2018 *
    • Deschutes 2007-2014
    • Devils Backbone Brewing 2009-2016 *
    • Figueroa Mountain 2011-2018
    • Montana Brewing 2005-2012
    • Pabst 2010-2017
    • Pennsylvania Brewing 1997-2004
    • Southampton Publick House 2000-2007
    • Sun King Brewing 2010-2017
  13. 7 Years:
    • AC Golden Brewing 2009-2015
    • Anchor 1987-1993
    • Celis Brewery 1992-1998
    • Deschutes 1990-1996
    • Flossmoor Station 1997-2003
    • Flying Dog 2003-2009
    • G. Heileman Brewing 1990-1996
    • Laurelwood Brewing 2006-2012
    • Leinenkugel 2002-2008
    • Lost Abbey 2007-2013
    • Marble Brewery 2011-2017
    • Pacific Coast 1989-1995
    • Pelican Brewery 2004-2010
    • Prescott Brewing 1996-2002
    • Pyramid Breweries 2004-2010
    • Real Ale Brewing 2012-2018
    • Schooner’s Grille and Brewery/Morgan Territory 2004-2010
    • Sierra Nevada 2008-2014
    • Tommyknocker 2002-2008
  14. 6 Years:
    • Cannonball Creek Brewing 2013-2018
    • Capital Brewery Co. 1987-1992
    • Dogfish Head 2004-2009
    • Elysian Brewing 2002-2007
    • Gordon Biersch 2009-2014
    • Hart/Pyramid/Thomas Kemper 1994-1999
    • Hudepohl-Schoenling 1987-1992
    • John Harvard’s Brew House 1997-2002
    • Karl Strauss 2013-2018
    • Moose’s Tooth Brewing 2003-2008
    • Pabst 2003-2008
    • Pug Ryan’s Brewery 2003-2008
    • Rocky River Brewing 1998-2003
    • Rogue 2007-2012
    • Saint Arnold 2005-2010
    • Snake River 1999-2004
    • Snake River 2007-2012
    • Stroh Brewery 1997-2002
    • Uinta Brewing 2009-2014
  15. 5 Years:
    • 21st Amendment Brewery 2009-2013
    • Butterfield Brewing 1992-1996
    • Chuckanut 2014-2018
    • Cigar City Brewery 2009-2013
    • Clipper City Brewing 2006-2010
    • The Commons Brewery 2012-2016
    • Deschutes 2001-2005
    • Fat Head’s 2014-2018
    • Glenwood Canyon 2009-2013
    • Great Adirondack Brewing 2008-2012
    • Marin Brewing 1989-1993
    • Millstream Brewing 2003-2007
    • New Glarus 2009-2013
    • North Coast 1999-2003
    • Pelican Brewery 2012-2016
    • Piece Brewery 2005-2009
    • Redrock Brewing 2010-2014
    • Redwood Coast Brewing/Tied House 1990-1994
    • Rogue 1990-1994
    • Saxer Brewing 1994-1998
    • Seabright Brewery 1991-1995
    • Third Street AleWorks 2000-2004
    • Widmer Brothers 2006-2010
  16. 4 Years:
    • AleSmith Brewing 2011-2014
    • Alvarado Street 2015-2018 *
    • Angelic Brewing 2001-2004
    • Austin Beer Garden 2015-2018
    • Avery Brewing 2012-2015
    • Big Time 1990-1993
    • Blind Tiger 2009-2012
    • Boise Brewing 2015-2018
    • Boscos Brewing 2000-2003
    • Boulevard Brewing 2011-2013
    • Boundary Bay Brewery 2001-2004
    • Chuckanut 2009-2012
    • Coors 2014-2017
    • Denver Beer Co. 2015-2018
    • Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery 2014-2017
    • Firehouse Grill & Brewery 2008-2011
    • Flossmoor Station 2005-2008
    • Frankenmuth Brewing 1989-1992
    • Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing 2007-2010
    • Great Lakes 1990-1993
    • Grimm Brothers 2015—2018
    • Heavenly Daze Brewery & Grill 1993-1996
    • Left Hand Brewing 2013-2016
    • Mad River Brewing 2010-2013
    • Midnight Sun Brewing 2005-2008
    • Miller Brewing 1992-1995
    • Miller Brewing 1997-2000
    • Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery 2011-2014
    • Minnesota Brewing 1992-1995
    • New Belgium 1995-1998
    • Nodding Heading 2002-2005
    • Odell 2005-2008
    • Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing 2003-2006
    • Pelican Brewery 1999-2002
    • Plank Road Brewery 2000-2004
    • Portland Brewing/MacTarnahan’s 2000-2003
    • Redrock Brewing 2005-2008
    • Russian River Brewing 2012-2015
    • SKA Brewing 2013-2016
    • Snake River 1994-1997
    • Squatters Pub Brewery 2001-2004
    • Steamworks Brewing 2013-2016
    • St. Ides Brewing 1999-2002
    • SweetWater Brewing 2000-2003
    • TAPS Fish House and Brewery – Brea 2010-2013
    • TAPS Fish House and Brewery – Corona 2015-2018
    • Telegraph Brewing 2011-2014
    • Third Street AleWorks 2007-2010
    • Thirsty Dog Brewing 2000-2003
    • Three Floyds Brewing 2010-2013
    • Twenty Tank Brewery 1995-1998
    • Wicked Weed Brewing 2013-2016 *
    • Widmer Brothers 2001-2004
  17. 3 Years:
    • Alaskan 2010-2012
    • Alesong 2016-2018
    • Allagash 2005-2007
    • Allagash 2009-2011
    • Allagash 2014-2016
    • Anchor 1997-1999
    • Anderson Valley 1994-1996
    • Atwater Block Brewing 1997-1999
    • Auburn Alehouse 2012-2014
    • Avery Brewing 2007-2009
    • Baltimore Brewing/DeGroen’s 1994-1996
    • Baltimore Brewing/DeGroen’s 1998-2000
    • Bitter End Bistro & Brewery 1998-2000
    • Blitz-Weinhard 1999-2001
    • Bluegrass Brewing 1996-1998
    • Blue Moon Brewing 2006-2008
    • Blue Point Brewing 2005-2007
    • Boscos Brewing 2005-2007
    • Bristol Brewing 2000-2002
    • Bristol Brewing 2005-2007
    • Bruery 2010-2012
    • Bruery 2016-2018
    • Cambridge Brewing 2006-2008
    • Captain Lawrence Brewing 2007-2009
    • Chama River Brewing 2008-2010
    • Chicago Brewing (Las Vegas) 2011-2013
    • Church Brew Works 1999-2001
    • Commonwealth Brewing 1998-2000
    • CooperSmith’s Pub 1991-1993
    • Copper Tank Brewing 1996-1998
    • Durango Brewing 2007-2009
    • Eel River Brewing 2004-2006
    • Elk Grove Brewery 1997-1999
    • Epic Brewing 2010-2012
    • Foothills Brewing 2009-2011
    • Founders Brewing 2014-2016
    • Four Peaks Brewing 2009-2011
    • Genesee/High Falls 1993-1995
    • Glenwood Canyon Brewing 2001-2003
    • Glenwood Canyon Brewing 2005-2007
    • Golden Pacific Brewing 1995-1997
    • Grand Teton Brewing 2007-2009
    • Great Basin 2013-2015
    • Great Divide 2008-2010
    • Grimm Brothers 2011-2013
    • Hollister Brewing 2008-2010
    • Hoptown Brewing 2002-2004
    • Hub City Brewery 2001-2003
    • Humboldt Brewery 1990-2000
    • Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales 2008-2010
    • Kona Brewing 2015-2017
    • Lakefront Brewery 2006-2008
    • Left Hand Brewing 2008-2010
    • Lone Star 1993-1995
    • Long Trail Brewing 1990-1992
    • Main Street Brewery – Corona 2004-2006
    • Mammoth Brewing 2000-2002
    • Maui Brewing 2007-2009
    • Melvin Brewing 2015-2017 *
    • Mendocino 1990-1992
    • Michigan Brewing 2002-2004
    • Mickey Finn’s Brewery 1996-1998
    • Miller Brewing 1988-1990
    • Millstream Brewing 1989-1991
    • Morgan Territory 2014-2016
    • New Holland Brewing 2000-2002
    • North Coast 1992-1994
    • Oasis Brewery 1992-1994
    • Old Dominion 2004-2006
    • Perennial Artisan Ales 2015-2017
    • P.H. Woods 2000-2002
    • Pig’s Eye Brewing 2005-2007
    • Powerhouse Brewing 1999-2001
    • Rhino Chasers 1993-1995
    • Rockies Brewing 1992-1994
    • Rogue 1996-1998
    • Russian River Brewing 1997-1999
    • Saint Arnold 1999-2001
    • Saint Arnold 2013-2015
    • Schaefer Brewing 2000-2002
    • Schlitz Brewing 1997-1999
    • SKA Brewing 2009-2011
    • SLO Brewing 2000-2002
    • Sly Fox Brewing 2013-2015
    • Snake River 2016-2018
    • Societe 2014-2016
    • Spoetzl Brewery 2004-2006
    • Starr Hill Brewing 1999-2001
    • Starr Hill Brewing 2003-2005
    • Steamworks Brewing 2005-2007
    • Stoddard’s Brewhouse & Eatery 1994-1996
    • Stone Brewing 2005-2007
    • Summit Brewing 2012-2014
    • Summit Brewing 2016-2018
    • Sunriver 2016-2018
    • Sun Valley Brewing 1989-1991
    • SweetWater Brewing 2011-2013
    • Tabernash Brewing 1997-1999
    • Telluride Brewing 2014-2016
    • Thomas Kemper 1995-1997
    • Titletown Brewing 2008-2010
    • Triumph Brewing Co. of New Hope 2004-2006
    • Triple Rock 2009-2011
    • Uberbrew 2016-2018
    • Uinta Brewing 1999-2001
    • Wild River Brewing 1995-1997
    • Willoughby Brewing 1999-2001
    • Yards Brewing 2012-2014

gabf_logo_2011

GABF Winners 2018

By

gabf-2014
Yesterday, the winners of the 37th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 8,496 beers were judged in 102 categories (or 167 different beer styles if you include the subcategories), plus the ProAm and Collaboration competitions, by 293 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Here are some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: 391 entries (unseating American-style IPA, which had been number #1 since 2002)
  • Top 5 Categories: IPA (336 entries); Imperial IPA (208); Wood- & Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (179); Session IPA (161); and American Pale Ale (160)
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 83
  • 2,404 breweries in the competition from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C. (No brewery from Mississippi entered a beer.)
  • 537 first-time breweries entered the competition
  • 31 first-time breweries won medals
  • 3 breweries tied for most medals won, with three apiece; 10 Barrel Brewing, Alesong Brewing and Blending, and Lewis & Clark Brewing
  • Over 800 breweries in the festival hall
  • Over 4,000 beers served at the festival
  • 62,000 attendees
  • New Categories This Year: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale, Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale, American-Style Pilsener, Australian-Style Pale Ale, plus a new category outsie the numbered ones, Collaboration Beers

Print

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 72
  2. Colorado = 30
  3. Oregon = 22
  4. Texas = 18
  5. Washington = 17
  6. Ohio = 14
  7. North Carolina = 13
  8. Minnesota = 12
  9. Illinois = 11
  10. Michigan = 9
  11. Virginia = 8
  12. TIE:
    • Florida = 7
    • South Carolina = 7
  13. New Mexico = 6
  14. TIE:
    • Indiana = 5
    • Massachusetts = 5
    • Montana = 5
    • Pennsylvania = 5
  15. TIE:
    • Georgia = 4
    • Kansas = 4
    • Nevada = 4
    • Wisconsin = 4
  16. TIE:
    • New Jersey = 3
    • New York = 3
  17. TIE:
    • Arizona = 2
    • New Hampshire = 2
    • Tennessee = 2
    • Utah = 2
    • Wyoming = 2

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The 2018 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer – 54 Entries
Gold: Sweet As Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Goofy Footed, Escape Brewing Co., Trinity, FL
Bronze: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Cloudburst Brewing, Seattle, WA

GABF-Awards18-01
Steve Luke from Cloudburst Brewing, on the left, opening his shirt to reveal his “Fuck AB-InBev” T-Shirt. I’ve judged with Steve a couple of times recently, and he’s an awesome person.

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast – 37 Entries
Gold: Miner’s Gold, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Silver: Fuzztail, Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR
Bronze: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, OR

Category 3: American-Style Fruit Beer – 140 Entries
Gold: Raspberry Twist Lager, Garage Brewing Co., Temecula, CA
Silver: Cherry Blonde, Ignite Brewing Co., Barberton, OH
Bronze: Tropic Maelstrom, Peter B’s Brewpub, Monterey, CA

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer – 103 Entries
Gold: Passionate Envy, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Purple Line, Smylie Brothers Brewing Co., Evanston, IL
Bronze: Cherry Wheat, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM

Category 5: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer – 65 Entries
Gold: Foxy Lady, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: Blood-Orange Wit, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Sparks, Sparks, NV
Bronze: Kumquat Saison, Smog City Brewing Wood Cellar, Torrance, CA

Category 6: Pumpkin/Squash Beer or Pumpkin Spice Beer – 38 Entries
Gold: Gordgeous, NoDa Brewing Co. – NE, Charlotte, NC
Silver: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Bronze: Phantoms Pumpkin Spice Barleywine, Philipsburg Brewing Co.
– The Vault, Philipsburg, MT

Category 7: Field Beer – 90 Entries
Gold: Cool for the Summer, Lakes & Legends Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN
Silver: Coco Piña Gose, Coastal Empire Beer Co., Savannah, GA
Bronze: Hawaiian Lion Toasted Coconut & Coffee Porter, Big Top Brewing Co., Sarasota, FL

Category 8: Chili Beer – 96 Entries
Gold: White Legs Jalapeno Wheat, Tribute Brewing Co., Eagle River, WI
Silver: Chamuco, Künstler Brewing, San Antonio, TX
Bronze: San Antonio Hatch Lager, Ranger Creek Brewery, San Antonio, TX

Category 9: Herb and Spice Beer – 130 Entries
Gold: Pendragon, Royal Docks Brewhouse and Cannery, Massillon, OH
Silver: Hazelnut Crunch, North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery – Slaughter, Austin, TX
Bronze: Wheatstone Bridge, Tin Whiskers Brewing, St. Paul, MN

Category 10: Chocolate Beer – 59 Entries
Gold: Coco for Coxness, Copperpoint Brewing Co., Boynton Beach, FL
Silver: Genesee Brew House Pilot Batch Dark Chocolate Scotch Ale, Genesee Brew House,
Rochester, NY
Bronze: Chocolate Macadamia Nut Stout, Kilowatt Brewing, San Diego, CA

Category 11: Coffee Beer – 92 Entries
Gold: Coffee Cream Ale, Kiitos Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Mystery Airship 4.0: Temple Cascara Golden Ale, New Helvetia Brewing Co.,
Sacramento, CA
Bronze: First Call, Modist Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN

GABF-Awards18-02
I first met the owner of New Helvetia long before he opened his brewery, and it’s been great watching it grow.

Category 12: Coffee Stout or Porter – 113 Entries
Gold: Speargun, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Silver: Breakfast Stout, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Udder Chaos, RAM Restaurant & Brewery – Seattle, Seattle, WA

GABF-Awards18-03
If you want me to take your picture, take a flag on stage with you. I’ve known Chris Ericson from Snake River for a lot of years, but it’s the Wyoming flag thta sealed the deal.

Category 13: Specialty Beer – 55 Entries
Gold: Graham Cracker Porter, Denver Beer Co. – Canworks, Denver, CO
Silver: Double Stack, Great Notion Brewing, Portland, OR
Bronze: I Did It All For The Cookie, FiftyFifty Brewing – Production Facility, Truckee, CA

Category 14: Rye Beer – 57 Entries
Gold: Rye Dawn, Breakwater Brewing Co., Oceanside, CA
Silver: Unite the Clans, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Rise Up Rye, Gun Hill Brewing Co., Bronx, NY

Category 15: Honey Beer – 79 Entries
Gold: Belgian Honey Blonde, No Clue Craft Brewery, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Silver: Honey Comb Cream Ale, Rock Bottom Brewery – Pittsburgh, Denver, CO
Bronze: Basil Better Have My Honey, Low Tide Brewing, Johns Island, SC

Category 16: Session Beer – 50 Entries
Gold: Natural Bridge: Vienna Lager, Eppig Brewing, San Diego, CA
Silver: Noble Miner, Burgeon Beer Co., Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Stonefly Session Ale, Three Creeks Production, Sisters, OR

Category 17: Session India Pale Ale – 92 Entries
Gold: The Coachman, Societe Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Little Downtown Tom, Three Mile Brewing Co., Davis, CA
Bronze: Mosaic Reprise, Little City Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

GABF-Awards18-04
I first met Travis when he was brewing at Russian River, and it’s great to see his own place, Societe Brewing, do so well.

Category 18: Other Strong Beer – 44 Entries
Gold: Golden Prairie Doppel Alt, Argus Brewery, Chicago, IL
Silver: False Hope, Spilled Grain Brewhouse, Annandale, MN
Bronze: Lampshade Porter, Starr Brothers Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 19: Experimental Beer – 112 Entries
Gold: Feral Brute, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton, CA
Silver: Terroir Pinot Noir, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR
Bronze: Chips & Salsa Cream Ale, Cogstone Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

GABF-Awards18-05
Matt Van Wyk, from Alesong, is one of my favorite people, and it’s great to see his new place doing so well. Alesong was one of only three breweries to win three medals.

Category 20: Historical Beer – 38 Entries
Gold: Pushing Trees, Central Standard Brewing, Wichita, KS
Silver: The BIG Lubelski, Divine Barrel Brewing, Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Zungen Brecher, Home Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 21: Gluten-Free Beer – 38 Entries
Gold: Puckerberry, High Hops Brewery, Windsor, CO
Silver: Aurochs Blonde Ale, Aurochs Brewing Co., Emsworth, PA
Bronze: Dark Ale, Ground Breaker Brewing, Portland, OR

Category 22: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 51 Entries
Gold: Whitewall Wheat, Crank Arm Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC
Silver: #4.5 Dry Hopped Saison, Brown Truck Brewery, High Point, NC
Bronze: Mischief, The Bruery, Placentia, CA

Category 23: American-Style Sour Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Kveik 1, Shades of Pale Brewery, Park City, UT
Silver: Brevity, Brewery Silvaticus, Amesbury, MA
Bronze: Wicked Shifty, Shoe Tree Brewing Co., Carson City, NV

Category 24: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale – 148 Entries
Gold: Pink Passionfruit Sour, BearWaters Brewing Co., Canton, NC
Silver: Kirby Pucker No. 21, Eastlake Craft Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Flaming Fury, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY

Category 25: Brett Beer – 61 Entries
Gold: C’mon Sunshine, Birds Fly South Ale Project, Greenville, SC
Silver: Terroir Pinot Gris, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR
Bronze: Touch of Brett Mandarina, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR

Category 26: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 77 Entries
Gold: Druif, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Silver: Citra Dry Hopped Funk Yo Couch, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Bronze: Coming to Fruition: Cherry, Oregon City Brewing Co., Oregon City, OR

Category 27: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 77 Entries
Gold: Barrel Aged Japance Off, Denver Beer Co. – Olde Town Arvada, Arvada, CO
Silver: Redrum, Duck Foot Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: beWILDering C, Ten Pin Brewing Co., Moses Lake, WA

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 162 Entries
Gold: Santa’s Brass, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA
Silver: Willett Barrel-Aged Ye Old Sprinklerhead Barleywine, The Wrecking Bar Brewpub,
Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Straight Jacket, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL

GABF-Awards18-26
Great to see Wil Turner from Revolution Brewing, too.

Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 177 Entries
Gold: 70K Amburana, Against the Grain Brewery, Louisville, KY
Silver: A Night to End All Dawns, Kane Brewing, Ocean, NJ
Bronze: Eclipse, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 76 Entries
Gold: 3 Barrel Circus, River Dog Brewing Co., Bluffton, SC
Silver: Duck Duck Gooze, Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Oak-Aged Sour, Propolis Brewing, Port Townsend, WA

GABF-Awards18-06
Always great to see Tomme Arthur win another medal, especially for Duck Duck Gooze, which is such a great beer.

Category 31: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 102 Entries
Gold: Réserve Dorée de Pêche, Wooden Robot, Charlotte, NC
Silver: Sour Cherry Sour, Hermitage Brewing Co., San Jose, CA
Bronze: Zoned AG Golden Raspberry, Corralitos Brewing Co., Watsonville, CA

Category 32: Aged Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Quadtum Leap, Revelry Brewing Co., Charleston, SC
Silver: Lock, Stock and Brandy Barrel, Maize Valley Craft Brewery, Hartville, OH
Bronze: Solzhenitsyn, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA

Category 33: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 67 Entries
Gold: Keller Pils, Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN
Silver: STS Pils, Russian River Brewing Co. – Production, Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: NashZwickel, Nashville Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

GABF-Awards18-08
Great to see Russian Rover win for their STS Pils, one of my favorite American pilsners.

Category 34: Smoke Beer – 50 Entries
Gold: St. Chuck’s Smoke, Rogue Ales Issaquah Brewhouse, Issaquah, WA
Silver: Pro-Pro Porter, Wormtown Brewery, Worcester, MA
Bronze: Raucher, Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, MI

Category 35: American-Style Pilsener – 91 Entries
Gold: Rocket 100, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: NZ Pils, Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, MI
Bronze: Howdy Beer, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO

Category 36: International-Style Pilsener – 86 Entries
Gold: Wooden Teeth, Turtle Mountain Brewing Co., Rio Rancho, NM
Silver: Nano – OG Lager, Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH
Bronze: Cerveza Delray, Brew Detroit, Detroit, MI

Category 37: Light Lager – 63 Entries
Gold: Altitude Banquet, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Silver: Awesome Beer Rice Lager, State Room Brewery, San Rafael, CA
Bronze: Super Awesome Lager, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX

Category 38: American-Style Lager or American-Style Malt Liquor – 65 Entries
Gold: Lager, Appalachian Mountain Brewery – Boone, Boone, NC
Silver: American Lager, Castle Island Brewing Co., Norwood, MA
Bronze: Lumino, Unsung Brewing Co., Tustin, CA

Category 39: American-Style Cream Ale – 92 Entries
Gold: Gateway Cream Ale, Lockport Brewery, Bolivar, OH
Silver: Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, New Belgium Brewing Co. – Ft. Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: El Sully, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Leandro, CA

GABF-Awards18-09
Sully wins for El Sully!

Category 40: American-Style Amber Lager – 91 Entries
Gold: Pecos Amber Lager, Texas Beer Co., Taylor, TX
Silver: Märzen, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA
Bronze: Oktoberfest, Lager Heads Brewing Co., Medina, OH

Category 41: German-Style Pilsener – 159 Entries
Gold: Netflix and Pils, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Pilsner, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Bronze: Pilsner, Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond, VA

Category 42: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 84 Entries
Gold: Bohemian Pilsner, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – Tysons Corner, McLean, VA
Silver: Pompey’s Pilsner, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Bronze: Bird Park, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA

Category 43: Munich-Style Helles – 99 Entries
Gold: Hell Yes, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Chuckanut Helles, Chuckanut Brewery – North Nut, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: House Lager, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA

GABF-Awards18-10
I confess I’m not sure what brewery these guys are from, but I love their outfits.

Category 44: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 67 Entries
Gold: Grandpa Tractor, Barley Forge Brewing, Costa Mesa, CA
Silver: Freiheit Oktoberfest Wiesn, Wayfinder Beer, Portland, OR
Bronze: Figtoberfest, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Westlake Village, Westlake Village, CA

Category 45: Vienna-Style Lager – 92 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, SKA Brewing, Durango, CO
Silver: 13.Five Ofest, Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery, Arrington, VA
Bronze: Vienna Lager, Grains of Wrath Brewing, Camas, WA

Category 46: German-Style Maerzen – 129 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
Silver: Oktoberfest, RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Lakewood, Lakewood, WA
Bronze: Oktoberfest, Oak Highlands Brewery, Dallas, TX

Category 47: Munich-Style Dunkel or European-Style Dark Lager – 52 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut – South Nut, Burlington, WA
Silver: Duck River Dunkel, Goat Island Brewing, Cullman, AL
Bronze: Babee Bock, Brew Kettle – Production Works, Strongsville, OH

GABF-Awards18-11
Great to See Will Kemper win again, he’s such a great lager brewer.

Category 48: Dark Lager – 62 Entries
Gold: Iron Horse Lager, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern Centreville,
Centreville, VA
Silver: The Bennie, Granite City Food & Brewery, Olathe, KS
Bronze: Nighthawk, Enegren Brewing Co., Moorpark, CA

Category 49: Bock – 49 Entries
Gold: Guten Bock, Gilded Goat Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: New Kids on Maibock, Independent Brewing Co., Bel Air, MD
Bronze: Blind Tiger Bock, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS

Category 50: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 31 Entries
Gold: Smooth Like Jazz, Revelry Brewing Co., Charleston, SC
Silver: Delaminator Doppelbock, Rip Current Brewery, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: St. Nigels’ Doppelbock, Front Range Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO

GABF-Awards18-12
Paul Sangster (on the right) from Rip Current Brewing picking up his award.

Category 51: Baltic-Style Porter – 33 Entries
Gold: Odin’s Sword, Big Island Brewhaus, Kamuela, HI
Silver: Death and the Maiden, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA
Bronze: Bangor Slate Baltic Porter, Two Rivers Brewing Co., Easton, PA

Category 52: Golden or Blonde Ale – 127 Entries
Gold: MadeWest Standard, MadeWest Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Silver: 1956 Golden Ale, Bootstrap Brewing Co., Niwot, CO
Bronze: Pistol Pete’s 1888 Ale, Bosque Brewing Co. – Bosque North, Bernalillo, NM

Category 53: German-Style Koelsch – 149 Entries
Gold: Colorado Kölsch, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Kascadia, 54°40’ Brewing Co., Washougal, WA
Bronze: Veedels Bräu Kölsch, Crooked Lane Brewing Co., Auburn, CA

Category 54: English-Style Summer Ale – 61 Entries
Gold: Liquid AC, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
Silver: Provider, Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN
Bronze: Zest A Peel, Triple C Brewing, Charlotte, NC

Category 55: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Pale Ale, Omission Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale, Portland Brewing – Portland, OR
Bronze: Prickly Pear, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT

Category 56: English-Style India Pale Ale – 50 Entries
Gold: Castillo IPA, Alaro Craft Brewery, Sacramento, CA
Silver: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR
Bronze: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton, CA

GABF-Awards18-13
Darron Welch (next to Charlie), from Pelican Brewing picking his millionth award.

Category 57: Australian-Style Pale Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: Sunshine Express, Butcherknife Brewing Co., Steamboat Springs, CO
Silver: Strata IPA, Worthy Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Flavor Country, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX

Category 58: International-Style Pale Ale – 23 Entries
Gold: Mai Tai P.A., Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill, Monterey, CA
Silver: Guayabera, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Bronze: The Penske File, Faction Brewing Co., Alameda, CA

GABF-Awards18-14
A very restrained Rodger Davis, from Faction Brewing.

Category 59: American-Style Pale Ale – 170 Entries
Gold: B.Right On Pale Ale, Ocean Beach Brewery, San Diego, CA
Silver: Neighborhood, Ventura Coast Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Bronze: Charlatan, Maplewood Brewing Co., Chicago, IL

Category 60: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 132 Entries
Gold: Voodoo, Tin Roof Brewing Co., Baton Rouge, LA
Silver: Sippin on Dank 2.0, Kings Brewing Co., Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Bronze: Madame Psychosis, Fiction Beer Co., Denver, CO

Category 61: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 129 Entries
Gold: Green Battles IPA, Pinthouse Pizza North, Austin, TX
Silver: Easy Runaway, Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, WA
Bronze: Lucky Day, Central Coast Brewing Co. – Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA

Category 62: American-Style India Pale Ale – 311 Entries
Gold: Bine, Root Down Brewing Co., Phoenixville, PA
Silver: Not an IPA (P.S. it’s an IPA), Appalachian Mountain Brewery – Portsmouth, Portsmouth, NH
Bronze: West Coast IPA is Dead!, Green Cheek Beer Co., Orange, CA

Category 63: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale – 391 Entries
Gold: Le Jus, Alarmist Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver: Fairy Nectar London Double Dry Hopped, Kros Strain Brewing Co., La Vista, NE
Bronze: Foiken Haze, Eris Brewery and Cider House, Chicago, IL

Category 64: Imperial India Pale Ale – 157 Entries
Gold: Nobility, Noble Ale Works, Anaheim, CA
Silver: Northern Lights, Moonraker Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Auburn, CA
Bronze: Unbridled Enthusiasm, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI

Category 65: Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale – 150 Entries
Gold: New England Style Double IPA, Black Market Brewing Co., Temecula, CA
Silver: DDH Double IPA, Corridor Brewery & Provisions, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Contains No Juice, Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas, CA

Category 66: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 124 Entries
Gold: West Coast Swing Amber, The Mitten Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Silver: Sepia Amber, Hopping Gnome Brewing Co., Wichita, KS
Bronze: Avalon Amber Ale, Slack Tide Brewing Co., Cape May Court House, NJ

Category 67: Double Hoppy Red Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Midwest Red IPA, Masthead Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH
Silver: Roundhouse, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo, MI
Bronze: Bad Polaroid, Werk Force Brewing Co., Plainfield, IL

GABF-Awards18-15
Always great to see Larry Bell up on stage.

Category 68: Imperial Red Ale – 45 Entries
Gold: Happy Days, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont, CA
Silver: Robot, Stereo Brewing Co., Placentia, CA
Bronze: Cinder Beast, Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR

Category 69: English-Style Mild Ale – 55 Entries
Gold: Drift, First Magnitude Brewing Co., Gainesville, FL
Silver: Hold The Reins, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Fools & Babies, Green Cheek Beer Co., Orange, CA

Category 70: Ordinary or Special Bitter – 41 Entries
Gold: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: Copperline Amber Ale, Carolina Brewery – Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, NC
Bronze: Saint Arnold Amber Ale, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 71: Extra Special Bitter – 72 Entries
Gold: Happy Amber, MadTree Brewing 2.0, Cincinnati, OH
Silver: ESB, Hillman Beer, Asheville, NC
Bronze: Bull Kelp ESB, San Juan Island Brewing Co., Friday Harbor, WA

GABF-Awards18-17
The Ohio Brewers Guild is very organized, and sends their Ohio Brewers up on stage with an Ohio Brewers Flag, but MadTree gets extra points for having their own flag. I’m starting to think every brewery should have their own flag.

Category 72: Scottish-Style Ale – 40 Entries
Gold: Taildragger Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co., Goodyear, AZ
Silver: Saint Arnold Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: It Takes a Tribe Red Ale, Goat Patch Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

Category 73: Irish-Style Red Ale – 81 Entries
Gold: Scarlet > Fire, Tighthead Brewing Co., Mundelein, IL
Silver: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House and Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Bronze: DEFCON Red, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 74: English-Style Brown Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Get Up Offa That Brown, Golden Road Brewing – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Silver: My Brown Eyed Girl, Thornapple Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: No. 3 Brown, The Freehouse, Minneapolis, MN

GABF-Awards18-18
This is another brewery group that I couldn’t identify, but take a close look at their hats, which resemble MAGA hats. Another brewery had these hats, too, and they read “Make Beer Clear Again.”

Category 75: American-Style Brown Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Davy Brown Ale, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton, CA
Silver: Groundswell Piloncillo Brown Ale, Groundswell Brewing Co., Santee, CA
Bronze: Wallops Island, Rocket Frog Brewing Co., Reston, VA

Category 76: American-Style Black Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Alpha Force Double Tap, Uberbrew, Billings, MT
Silver: Black the Riipper, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Bronze: Midnight Moonlight, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH

Category 77: Berliner-Style Weisse – 115 Entries
Gold: Baywindow, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Germophile, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM
Bronze: Nevada Weisse, IMBIB Custom Brews, Reno, NV

GABF-Awards18-19
Always great to hang out with Tonya Cornett from 10 Barrel.

Category 78: Gose – 112 Entries
Gold: Two of Tarts, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
Silver: Salty by Nature, Root Down Brewing Co., Phoenixville, PA
Bronze: Brewer’s Day Off, D9 Brewing Co., Cornelius, NC

Category 79: German-Style Altbier – 38 Entries
Gold: Legendary Red, Golden City Brewery, Golden, CO
Silver: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Bronze: Alt 1848, Utepils Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN

Category 80: South German-Style Hefeweizen – 152 Entries
Gold: Civil Rest, Little Brother Brewing, Greensboro, NC
Silver: Hoofer’s Hef, Bankhead Brewing Co., Rowlett, TX
Bronze: Hefeweizen, Standard Deviant Brewing, San Francisco, CA

Category 81: German-Style Wheat Ale – 36 Entries
Gold: Bananenhängematte, FiftyFifty Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Truckee, CA
Silver: Alviso Mills Hefeweizen, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, San Jose, CA
Bronze: Doppel Blur, Circle Brewing Co., Austin, TX

GABF-Awards18-20
Steve Donohue picking up a medal for his newish brewery, Santa Clara Brewing.

Category 82: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale – 56 Entries
Gold: Jean-Claude Van Blond, Wit’s End Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Singel, Hardywood West Creek, Richmond, VA
Bronze: Blonde Betty, Smuggler’s Brewpub, Telluride, CO

Category 83: Belgian-Style Witbier – 86 Entries
Gold: Biére Blanche, Pedal Haus Brewery, Tempe, AZ
Silver: Optimal Wit, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Bronze: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Category 84: Classic Saison – 90 Entries
Gold: Saison, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth, MN
Silver: One Arm Farmhouse Ale, Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co., West Ossipee, NH
Bronze: Hayshaker, Gunwhale Ales, Costa Mesa, CA

Category 85: Specialty Saison – 116 Entries
Gold: Apricot Saison, 105 West Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO
Silver: Sunken City, Insight Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Rustic Sunday, Birds Fly South Ale Project, Greenville, SC

Category 86: Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 39 Entries
Gold: 5 Branches Biere de Garde, Munkle Brewing Co., Charleston, SC
Silver: Biere de Garde, Blackberry Farm Brewery, Walland, TN
Bronze: Abby Blonde, Thirsty Monk Pub Brewery, Denver, CO

Category 87: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 78 Entries
Gold: Funk Yeah, Beachwood Blendery, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Triad, IMBIB Custom Brews, Reno, NV
Bronze: I Am Only Memories, Orpheus Brewing, Atlanta, GA

GABF-Awards18-21
Julian’s on fire at his Beachwood Blendery.

Category 88: Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel – 57 Entries
Gold: BJ’s Quad, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Boulder, Boulder, CO
Silver: Kung Fu Smurf, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Bronze: Deduction, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN

Category 89: Belgian-Style Tripel – 68 Entries
Gold: Tripel Carmel-ite, Flix Brewhouse – Carmel, Carmel, IN
Silver: Belgian Tripel, Village Idiot Brewing Co., Mount Holly, NJ
Bronze: Neighbor Girl, Paradigm Shift Brewing, Massillon, OH

Category 90: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 65 Entries
Gold: Midwatch, Figurehead Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Qualified, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN
Bronze: Sol Hominis (The Sun Of Man), Save the World Brewing Co., Marble Falls, TX

Category 91: Other Belgian-Style Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: Pour le Mineur, Corridor Brewery & Provisions, Chicago, IL
Silver: Call of the Void, Original Pattern Brewing Co., Oakland, CA
Bronze: Red Devil, Printer’s Ale Manufacturing Co., Carrollton, GA

Category 92: Brown Porter – 61 Entries
Gold: Maduro Brown Ale, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Silver: Brown Claw, Kern River Brewing Co., Kernville, CA
Bronze: Knee-Knocker Porter, Crow Hop Brewing Co., Loveland, CO

Category 93: Robust Porter – 91 Entries
Gold: Lomporter, Lompoc Brewing – The 5th Quadrant, Portland, OR
Silver: Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Ghost Rider Porter, Big Ugly Brewing Co., Chesapeake, VA

Category 94: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 54 Entries
Gold: Shooter McMunn’s, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA
Silver: It’s My Island, Pocock Brewing Co., Santa Clarita, CA
Bronze: Know Ego, Groundswell Brewing Co., Santee, CA

GABF-Awards18-23
I confess I don’t know the folks at Lost Rhino Brewing, but I have to give it up to them for bringing a member of Star Fleet up on stage with them, who I asume works with them part-time, when he’s not on a five-year mission.

Category 95: Export Stout – 52 Entries
Gold: Dissent, Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN
Silver: Malpais Stout, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Shut Up & Adore Me, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA

GABF-Awards18-22
Craig Cauwels quietly making great beer at Morgan Territory Brewing.

Category 96: American-Style Stout – 43 Entries
Gold: Hooligan Stout, Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, WA
Silver: P2P, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Black Cliffs, Boise Brewing, Boise, ID

Category 97: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 56 Entries
Gold: Moozie, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Udder Love, Beachwood Brewing, Huntington Beach, CA
Bronze: Melk Stout, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

GABF-Awards18-24
See, I told you Beachwood’s on fire.

Category 98: Oatmeal Stout – 59 Entries
Gold: Shoshone Stout, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Bronze: Wall of Sound, Stereo Brewing Co., Placentia, CA

Category 99: Imperial Stout – 86 Entries
Gold: Kill the Lights, The Tap Brewery, Bloomington, IN
Silver: The Shroud, Bravery Brewing, Lancaster, CA
Bronze: Shimmergloom, Loowit Brewing Co., Vancouver, WA

Category 100: Scotch Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Real Heavy, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Silver: Skag, 6th and La Brea, Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Kilt Switch, 903 Brewers, Sherman, TX

Category 101: Old Ale or Strong Ale – 37 Entries
Gold: Drunkard’s Cloak, Banded Oak Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Old Scrooge, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Bronze: Rail Gun Wee Heavy, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co., Santee, CA

Category 102: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 52 Entries
Gold: Chicago Overcoat, Midnight Pig Beer, Plainfield, IL
Silver: Barnacled Manatee, Walking Tree Brewery, Vero Beach, FL
Bronze: Bear Temper, Trustworthy Brewing Co., Burbank, CA

GABF-Awards18-27
And finally, the folks from Walking Tree Brewery brought their Florida flag with them.

2018 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition, 101 Entries

Gold: Deer Crossing, Little Harpeth Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Brewmaster: Jesse Brown
AHA Member: Chris Allen

Silver: Gone for a Burton, Rock Bottom Brewery – Warrenville, Denver, CO
Brewmaster: Erik Pizer
AHA Member: Jim Todd

Bronze: La Bomba, Cheluna Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Brewmaster: Jennifer Perez
AHA Member: Chris Cardillo

2018 Great American Beer Festival Collaboration Competition, 49 Entries

Gold: Transatlantique Kriek, New Belgium Brewing Co. – Ft. Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Oud Beersel, Beersel, Belgium

Silver: Pixie Dusted, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton, CA
Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Bronze: Mocha Hipster Bomb, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Albuquerque, NM
Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Albuquerque, NM

The 2018 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Very Small Brewing Company of the Year (<1,000 barrels produced in 2017)
Brink Brewing Co.; Cincinnati, OH
Brewmaster: Kelly Montgomery

GABF-Awards18-25
See what I mean about the Ohio Brewers Flag.

Small Brewing Company of the Year (1,000 – 14,999 barrels produced in 2017)
Lewis & Clark Brewing Co.; Helena, MT
Brewmaster: Lewis & Clark Brewing and Packaging Crew

Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year (Over 6,000,000 barrels produced in 2017 or multi-location breweries wishing to compete as a group)
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.; Truckee, CA
Brewmaster: FiftyFifty BrewCrew

FiftyFifty
Fantastic to see how happy Brian was picking up his award for Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year.

Large Breweries or Multiple Location Breweries of the Year (15,000 – 6,000,000 barrels produced in 2017)
pFriem Family Brewers; Hood River, OR
Brewmaster: pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem

Small Brewpub of the Year (<750 barrels produced in 2017)
Ocean Beach Brewery; San Diego, CA
Brewmaster: Jim Millea & Scott Watkins

Ocean-Beach

Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year (750 – 1,500 barrels produced in 2017)
Root Down Brewing Co.; Phoenixville, PA
Brewmaster: Root Down Brew Team

Large Brewpub of the Year (Over 1,500 barrels produced in 2017)
The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.; Austin, TX
Brewmaster: Amos Swifty Kim

ABGB

GABF Awards 2017

By

gabf-2014
I’m a little late on this post, but since I got home from GABF last week, we’ve had a bit of turmoil here in Sonoma County, with over 5,700 homes and buildings destroyed by wildfires and a current death toll of at least 36. It’s now officially the worst disaster in California history. So please forgive my tardiness. So let’s return to the day before the fires began, when things were still calm and worry-free. On Saturday, October 7, the winners of the 36th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 7,923 beers were judged in 98 categories by 276 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. First, here are some statistics about the festival:

  • 36th anniversary of the festival; 31st edition of the GABF competition
  • 800 breweries in the festival hall
  • 3,900+ beers served at the festival
  • 60,000 attendees
  • 4,308 volunteers (festival and competition combined)
  • 2,217 breweries in the competition from 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
  • 266 medal-winning breweries
  • 293 total medals awarded
  • 7,923 beers judged (not including 88 Pro-Am competition entries), a nearly 9 percent increase over 2015
  • 98 style categories judged, plus the Pro-Am competition
  • 276 judges from 13 different countries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 81 (excludes Pro-Am beers)
  • Category with highest number of entries: American-Style India Pale Ale: 408

Since 2002, the most-entered category has been American-Style India Pale Ale (IPA), which saw 312 entries in 2016 compared to 336 entries in 2015.The top five entered categories were:

  1. American-Style India Pale Ale (408 entries)
  2. Imperial India Pale Ale (221 entries)
  3. American-Style Strong Pale Ale (199 entries)
  4. American-Style Strong Pale Ale (182 entries)
  5. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (175 entries)

gabf-medals

Only two breweries won 3 medals (Austin Beer Garden and Saint Arnold), but four won 2 (Melvin, On Tour, Rockford, Sunriver). By ratio, Missouri did best (92 entries and 8 medals) for 8.7%. In second was Pennsylvania (259 entries and 16 medals) with 6.2% and third was Indiana (163 entries and 10 medals) with 6.1%. 584 breweries entered the competition for the first time, and of those, 36 won a medal.

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 57
  2. Colorado = 37
  3. Texas = 21
  4. Oregon = 17
  5. Pennsylvania = 16
  6. North Carolina = 14
  7. TIE: Illinois / Indiana /Washington = 10
  8. TIE: Michigan / Ohio = 9
  9. TIE: Florida / Missouri = 8
  10. TIE: Georgia / Minnesota / New Mexico = 6

In addition, one state won 5, five states won 4, two won 3, six won 2, and eight states plus DC won a single medal. Ten states did not win a medal.

gabf-banner

The 2017 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer – 39 Entries
Gold: Sweet As Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Lemon Rye, 105 West Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO
Bronze: Fieldhouse Wheat, Triton Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 52 Entries
Gold: Fuzztail, Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR
Silver: Miner’s Gold Hefeweizen, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Bronze: Wrangler Wheat, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

Category 3: American-Style Fruit Beer – 145 Entries
Gold: Razz Against the Machine, Little Machine, Denver, CO
Silver: The Mesa, Cismontane Brewing Co., Santa Ana, CA
Bronze: Elvis Juice, BrewDog Brewing Co., Canal Winchester, OH

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer – 90 Entries
Gold: Sierra Blanca Cherry Wheat, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM
Silver: Purple Line, Smylie Brothers Brewing Co., Evanston, IL
Bronze: Paradise Now, Trim Tab Brewing, Birmingham, AL

Category 5: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer – 58 Entries
Gold: Blood Orange Wit, Refuge Brewery, Temecula, CA
Silver: ZuurPruim, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR
Bronze: Cherry Busey, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 6: Pumpkin/Squash Beer or Pumpkin Spice Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Saint Arnold Pumpkinator, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Silver: Pumpkin Ale, Schlafly Beer/The Saint Louis Brewery, Saint Louis, MO
Bronze: 5 Phantoms Pumpkin Spice Barleywine, Philipsburg Brewing Co., Philipsburg, MT

Category 7: Field Beer – 87 Entries
Gold: C Porter, LauderAle, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Silver: No Crusts, Funky Buddha Brewery, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Bronze: Spa Water Saison, Ohana Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 8: Chili Beer – 98 Entries
Gold: Ghost Pepper Imperial Stout, ZwanzigZ Brewing, Columbus, IN
Silver: Bad Hombre, Eight & Sand Beer Co., Woodbury, NJ
Bronze: Dia de los Mangos, Beachwood Blendery, Long Beach, CA

Category 9: Herb and Spice Beer – 145 Entries
Gold: Lemon Balm and Beets Wheat, New Sarum Brewing, Salisbury, NC
Silver: 80 Acre Carrot Ale, Humble Farmer Brewing Co., Holtville, CA
Bronze: India Spring Honey Cream Ale, Broken Plow Brewery, Greeley, CO

Category 10: Chocolate Beer – 62 Entries
Gold: Imperial Smoked Porter With Cacao Nibs, Joseph James Brewing Co., Henderson, NV
Silver: Aphrodisiac Chocolate Pomegranate Imperial Stout, Cranker’s Brewery, Big Rapids, MI
Bronze: Tears of My Enemies, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, GA

Category 11: Coffee Beer – 89 Entries
Gold: Heritage Coffee Brown Ale, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Silver: It’s 8 O’clock Somewhere, Torched Hop Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Stony Joe, Stony Creek Brewery, Branford, CT

Category 12: Coffee Stout or Porter – 114 Entries
Gold: Speargun Coffee Milk Stout, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Silver: Udder Chaos, RAM/Big Horn Brewery – Seattle, Seattle, WA
Bronze: Kawi, Currahee Brewing Co., Franklin, NC

Category 13: Specialty Beer – 42 Entries
Gold: Barrel Aged Sweet Potato SouthNorte Rye, Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, MI
Silver: Rye Hipster Brunch Stout, Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, MI
Bronze: Agavamente, SouthNorte Beer Co., San Diego, CA

Category 14: Rye Beer – 49 Entries
Gold: Unite the Clans, Third Space Brewing, Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Nighthawk Rye Pale Ale, Packinghouse Brewing Co., Riverside, CA
Bronze: Breakside Rye Curious?, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 15: Honey Beer – 69 Entries
Gold: Orange Blossom Common, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Jetty Ale, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY
Bronze: Honey Please, Armadillo Ale Works, Denton, TX

Category 16: Session Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA
Silver: Peacekeeper, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Stonefly Session Ale, Three Creeks Brewing Co., Sisters, OR

Category 17: Session India Pale Ale – 130 Entries
Gold: Rome City IPA, Brew Hub, Lakeland, FL
Silver: Patio Pounder, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Featherweight Session IPA, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 18: Other Strong Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Imperial Cream Ale, Nexus Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Laissez-Faire, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Antwerp’s Placebo, Batch Brewing Co., Detroit, MI

Category 19: Experimental Beer – 94 Entries
Gold: Source Series Opuntia, Carolina Bauernhaus Ales, Anderson, SC
Silver: Roswell: Grudge, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, Denver, CO
Bronze: Hot Pink, Four Day Ray Brewing, Fishers, IN

Category 20: Fresh or Wet Hop Ale – 44 Entries
Gold: Wet Hop Melvin, Melvin Brewing, Alpine, WY
Silver: Field to Ferment, Fremont Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Fresh As It Gets, Mother Earth Brew Co. – Nampa, Nampa, ID

Category 21: Historical Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Waverly Tulip, Square Peg Brewerks, Alamosa, CO
Silver: Hilltopper’s Pride Kentucky Common Ale, Ironworks Brewery & Pub, Lakewood, CO
Bronze: Spring Gruit, The BottleHouse Brewery And Meadery, Cleveland, OH

Category 22: Gluten-Free Beer – 33 Entries
Gold: Dark Ale, Ground Breaker Brewing, Portland, OR
Silver: Meteor Shower Blonde Ale, Ghostfish Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Co-Conspirator Apricot Sour, Revelation Craft Brewing Co., Rehoboth Beach, DE

Category 23: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Saison Du Bois, Lynnwood Brewing Concern – Production Facility, Raleigh, NC
Silver: Klipspringer, Metazoa Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: 5 & 20 IPA, Nedloh Brewing Co., Bloomfield, NY

Category 24: American-Style Sour Ale – 35 Entries
Gold: DAM Wild: Hops and Lemon Verbena, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR
Silver: Disenchantment Blend #1, Bond Brothers Beer Co., Cary, NC
Bronze: Yeast of Eden – Skeptics & Believers, Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas, CA

Category 25: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale – 105 Entries
Gold: No medal awarded
Silver: Sour Wench Blackberry Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Co. – Home Brew Mart, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Breakside Passionfruit Sour Ale, Breakside Brewery & Taproom, Milwaukie, OR

Category 26: Brett Beer – 71 Entries
Gold: Fancy Pants, Jessup Farm Barrel House, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Saison Trystero, Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Denver, CO
Bronze: Touch of Brett Mosaic, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR

Category 27: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 65 Entries
Gold: Galaxy Dry Hopped Funk Yo Couch, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: 10 Buck Chuck, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton, CA
Bronze: CBC & Jester King’s Cor Cordium, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 70 Entries
Gold: Porter Aged on Palo Santo Wood, Spellbound Brewing, Mount Holly, NJ
Silver: Magpie Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Woody Pils, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO

Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 175 Entries
Gold: Hurly Burly Port Barrel Aged Barleywine, Out of Bounds Brewing Co., Rocklin, CA
Silver: Woods Monk, Odyssey Beerwerks, Arvada, CO
Bronze: Barrel Aged Barleywine, Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, Sainte Genevieve, MO

Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 154 Entries
Gold: Medianoche, WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: Maman 2017, Perennial Artisan Ales, Saint Louis, MO
Bronze: Barrel-Aged Marfa Light, Big Bend Brewing Co., Alpine, TX

Category 31: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 86 Entries
Gold: Plum Creek Sour, Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO
Silver: Train to Beersel, Bruery Terreux, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: 5th Anniversary Tequila Sour, Loveland Aleworks, Loveland, CO

Category 32: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 122 Entries
Gold: Zoned AG Apricot, Corralitos Brewing Co., Watsonville, CA
Silver: BA Excommunication, Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery, Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Riserva, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA

Category 33: Aged Beer – 26 Entries
Gold: La Muerta, Freetail Brewing Co., San Antonio, TX
Silver: Solzhenitsyn, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA
Bronze: There is No Quad, The BottleHouse Brewery And Meadery, Cleveland, OH

Category 34: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 54 Entries
Gold: Zwickelbier, Red Rock Brewing Co. – Production, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Luchesa Lager, Oasis Texas Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Bronze: Pilsner, Marble Brewery – Production, Albuquerque, NM

Category 35: Smoke Beer – 62 Entries
Gold: So long and thanks for all the (smoked) fish!, The Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, CO
Silver: Smoke on the Lager, Chilly Water Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Croydon is Burning, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., Croydon, PA

Category 36: American-Style Pilsener or International-Style Pilsener – 98 Entries
Gold: Rocket 100, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Sesión Cerveza, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Bronze: Lemon Pils, Elk Horn Brewery, Eugene, OR

Category 37: Light Lager – 45 Entries
Gold: Super Awesome Lager, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Silver: Pedal Haus Light Lager, Pedal Haus Brewery, Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Sun Grown, Sycamore Brewing, Charlotte, NC

Category 38: American-Style Lager or Malt Liquor – 75 Entries
Gold: Mexican Lager, Lone Tree Brewing Co., Lone Tree, CO
Silver: Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR), Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Sun Grown Fresh Craft Lager, The Sycamore Brewing Cannery, Charlotte, NC

Category 39: American-Style Cream Ale – 92 Entries
Gold: Buckle Bunny, Eureka Heights Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Silver: Canü, Uberbrew, Billings, MT
Bronze: Artifexican, Artifex Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA

Category 40: American-Style Amber Lager – 70 Entries
Gold: Auburn Lager, Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
Silver: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Bronze: Rod’s Steam Bitter, Second Street Brewery, Santa Fe, NM

Category 41: German-Style Pilsener – 145 Entries
Gold: Zoigl-Pils, Zoiglhaus Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Pilsner, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category 42: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 93 Entries
Gold: Velvet Revolution, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Bohemian Pilsener, TAPS Fish House and Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Bronze: Torch Pilsner, Foothills Brewing Co., Winston-Salem, NC

Category 43: Munich-Style Helles – 105 Entries
Gold: Penn Gold, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA
Silver: Solar, Sanctum Brewing Co., Pomona, CA
Bronze: Munich Light, Emmett’s Brewing Co. – Wheaton, Wheaton, IL

Category 44: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 56 Entries
Gold: Dortmunder, Lupulin Brewing, Big Lake, MN
Silver: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI
Bronze: Northtown Native, Cinder Block Brewery, North Kansas City, MO

Category 45: Vienna-Style Lager – 87 Entries
Gold: Gustav, Taft’s Ale House, Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Vienna Lager, Lost Forty Brewing, Little Rock, AR
Bronze: Dock Time, Stony Creek Brewery, Branford, CT

Category 46: German-Style Maerzen – 122 Entries
Gold: Asheville Lager, Wedge Brewing Co., Asheville, NC
Silver: Oktoberfest, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
Bronze: Oktoberfest, Beaver Island Brewing Co., Saint Cloud, MN

Category 47: Munich-Style Dunkel or European-Style Dark Lager – 47 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Moondoor Dunkel, Wibby Brewing, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Dunkel, Pug Ryan’s Brewing Co., Dillon, CO

Category 48: Dark Lager – 74 Entries
Gold: Mischievous Black, Six Ten Brewing, Tampa, FL
Silver: DTB Schwarzbier, Desperate Times Brewing Co., Carlisle, PA
Bronze: Lighter Than I Look, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton, CA

Category 49: Bock – 36 Entries
Gold: Low Boy, On Tour Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Rock Out with Maibock Out, Hailstorm Brewing Co., Tinley Park, IL
Bronze: Mountain Series: Maibock, Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO

Category 50: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 51 Entries
Gold: Wobblor, Crooked Lane Brewing Co., Auburn, CA
Silver: Spectator, On Tour Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Bronze: Goldie’s Big Bock, Lonerider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

Category 51: Baltic-Style Porter – 48 Entries
Gold: Public Enemy Baltic Porter, Dust Bowl Brewing Co., Turlock, CA
Silver: Herd Of Turtles, Bagby Beer Co., Oceanside, CA
Bronze: Powers of Observation, Ocelot Brewing Co., Dulles, VA

Category 52: Golden or Blonde Ale – 126 Entries
Gold: Boone Creek Blonde, Appalachian Mountain Brewery – Portsmouth, Portsmouth, NH
Silver: Firemans 4, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: Blonde, Culture Brewing Co., Solana Beach, CA

Category 53: German-Style Koelsch – 154 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Kolsch Style, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Seafarer, Three Weavers Brewing Co., Inglewood, CA
Bronze: Downhill Kölsch, Elk Mountain Brewing Co., Parker, CO

Category 54: English-Style Summer Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: Organic California Blonde Ale, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA
Silver: Back In The ESSA, Monkey Paw Brewing, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Bright Ale, Half Full Brewery, Stamford, CT

Category 55: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 30 Entries
Gold: Mr. Kite’s Pale Ale, Social Kitchen & Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN
Bronze: Annadel Pale Ale, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA

Category 56: English-Style India Pale Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: Punjabi, CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Buellton, CA
Bronze: Jacaranda Rye IPA, Claremont Craft Ales, Claremont, CA

Category 57: Australian-Style or International-Style Pale Ale – 105 Entries
Gold: Triumvirate, Reuben’s Brews Taproom, Seattle, WA
Silver: Pure Intention Pale Ale, HopSaint Brewing Co., Torrance, CA
Bronze: Cannonball Australian-Style Pale Ale, Scottsdale Beer Co., Scottsdale, AZ

Category 58: American-Style Pale Ale – 199 Entries
Gold: Monterey Street, Central Coast Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Silver: Mosaic Pale Ale, Lynnwood Brewing Concern – Production Facility, Raleigh, NC
Bronze: Triple Tail, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA

Category 59: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 182 Entries
Gold: Hubert MPA, Melvin Brewing, Alpine, WY
Silver: Wolfback Ridge, Headlands Brewing Co., Mill Valley, CA
Bronze: Breakside Stay West, Breakside Brewery + Beer Hall, Portland, OR

Category 60: American-Style India Pale Ale – 408 Entries
Gold: Prairie Madness, Hailstorm Brewing Co., Tinley Park, IL
Silver: Gold Digger IPA, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Bronze: Breakside IPA, Breakside Brewery & Taproom, Milwaukie, OR

Category 61: Imperial India Pale Ale – 221 Entries
Gold: Manta Ray, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Lupulin River, Knee Deep Brewing Co., Auburn, CA
Bronze: Chux, Danville Brewing Co., Danville, CA

Category 62: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 90 Entries
Gold: F-Town Amber, Copper Club Brewing Co., Fruita, CO
Silver: Legally Red, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Blue Bridge, Galveston Island Brewing, Galveston, TX

Category 63: Double Red Ale – 72 Entries
Gold: Hop Donkey, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Silver: St. James, Coldfire Brewing, Eugene, OR
Bronze: Midwest Red IPA, Masthead Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH

Category 64: Imperial Red Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: Cinder Beast, Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR
Silver: Hop Zombie, Lone Tree Brewing Co., Lone Tree, CO
Bronze: Jagged Shard, Boise Brewing, Boise, ID

Category 65: English-Style Mild Ale – 44 Entries
Gold: Hold the Reins, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Mamoot English Mild, Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia, MO
Bronze: Nemo, Bonn Place Brewing, Bethlehem, PA

Category 66: Ordinary or Special Bitter – 34 Entries
Gold: Three Tun, Brew Hub, Lakeland, FL
Silver: Mooey, Bonn Place Brewing, Bethlehem, PA
Bronze: Saint Arnold Amber Ale, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 67: Extra Special Bitter – 73 Entries
Gold: 14° ESB, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth, MN
Silver: Extra Special Ale, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Holler ESB, Holler Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 68: Scottish-Style Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Taildragger’s Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co., Goodyear, AZ
Silver: McGarvey’s Scottish Ale, Oggi’s Sports Brewhouse Pizza, San Clemente, CA
Bronze: Heavy 80 Scotch Ale, Coal Creek TAP, Laramie, WY

Category 69: Irish-Style Red Ale – 80 Entries
Gold: Ridgetop Red, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: Bomber Mountain, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Bronze: Riley’s Irish Red, Packinghouse Brewing Co., Riverside, CA

Category 70: English-Style Brown Ale – 63 Entries
Gold: Boulder Garden Brown, Orlison Brewing Co., Airway Heights, WA
Silver: Shaven Yak Brown, Wichita Brewing Co. – Production, Wichita, KS
Bronze: Rogue River Brown, Rockford Brewing Co., Rockford, MI

Category 71: American-Style Brown Ale – 90 Entries
Gold: Bull Creek Brown Ale, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO
Silver: FRB Brown, Fort Rock Brewing, Rancho Cordova, CA
Bronze: Machine Gun Teddy, Goldwater Brewing Co., Scottsdale, AZ

Category 72: American-Style Black Ale – 54 Entries
Gold: Hoppa Emeritus, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Black 28, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Midnight Moonlight, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH

Category 73: Berliner-Style Weisse – 72 Entries
Gold: Kalliope, Captain Fatty’s, Goleta, CA
Silver: Ringmaster Raspberry Berliner, Big Top Brewing Co., Sarasota, FL
Bronze: Blackberry Table Sour, Baere Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 74: Leipzig-Style Gose or Contemporary Gose – 96 Entries
Gold: Mermaid’s Scorn, Benchtop Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA
Silver: No. 33 Gose, The Freehouse, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Passionfruit Gose, Perrin Brewing Co., Comstock Park, MI

Category 75: German-Style Altbier – 53 Entries
Gold: Glacier Ale, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT
Silver: It’s Your Fault, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO

Category 76: South German-Style Hefeweizen – 128 Entries
Gold: Hefeweizen, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – Navy Yard, Broomfield, CO
Silver: Big Horn Hefeweizen, RAM/Big Horn Brewery – Lakewood, Lakewood, WA
Bronze: Hornet’s Nest, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte, NC

Category 77: German-Style Wheat Ale – 41 Entries
Gold: AlpenGlow, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Hidden Gem, OB Brewery, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Saint Arnold Weedwacker, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 78: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale – 64 Entries
Gold: Squatters Hell’s Keep, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Breton Blonde, Metazoa Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Belgian Pale Ale, Redwood Curtain Brewing Co., Arcata, CA

Category 79: Belgian-Style Witbier – 78 Entries
Gold: Wild Wacky Wit, Moon River Brewing Co., Savannah, GA
Silver: Suntrip, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Witte Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY

Category 80: Classic Saison – 103 Entries
Gold: Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Matisse, Night Shift Brewing, Everett, MA
Bronze: One Arm Farmhouse Ale, Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co., West Ossipee, NH

Category 81: Specialty Saison – 81 Entries
Gold: Rye Saison, Base Camp Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Make Hay, Cellar West Artisan Ales, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Farmhouse Saison, CO-Brew, Denver, CO

Category 82: Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 53 Entries
Gold: Grisette Summer Ale, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA
Silver: Biere de Voleur, Horse Thief Hollow Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Working Title, Perennial Artisan Ales, Saint Louis, MO

Category 83: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 77 Entries
Gold: El Sur, Casa Agria Specialty Ales, Oxnard, CA
Silver: Blended 2017, Side Project Brewing, Maplewood, MO
Bronze: Drinking with Friends, Mraz Brewing Co., El Dorado Hills, CA

Category 84: Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel – 75 Entries
Gold: #QuadGoals, 515 Brewing Co., Clive, IA
Silver: Deduction, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN
Bronze: Four Fat Baby, Hillman Beer, Asheville, NC

Category 85: Belgian-Style Tripel – 77 Entries
Gold: Tripel Dog Dare, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Rapunzel, Corridor Brewery & Provisions, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Tripel Horse, River Horse Brewing Co., Ewing, NJ

Category 86: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 74 Entries
Gold: Amandus, Lazarus Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: It’s Always Something, Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas, TX
Bronze: Smells Like Money, BearWaters Brewing Co., Canton, NC

Category 87: Other Belgian-Style Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Witty Moron, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, San Diego, CA
Silver: Lux Mundi, Save the World Brewing Co., Marble Falls, TX
Bronze: Cousin Stoopid, Stickman Brews, Royersford, PA

Category 88: Brown Porter – 57 Entries
Gold: Porter, Back East Brewing, Bloomfield, CT
Silver: Pinch Hit Porter, Stadium Pizza Main St., Lake Elsinore, CA
Bronze: Man Full of Trouble, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA

Category 89: Robust Porter – 97 Entries
Gold: Tabula Rasa Toasted Porter, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Black Strap Molasses Porter, Waikiki Brewing Co., Honolulu, HI
Bronze: JFP, Rivertowne Pour House, Monroeville, PA

Category 90: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 30 Entries
Gold: Bearded Seal, Pinthouse Pizza North, Austin, TX
Silver: Sheehan’s Stout, Rockford Brewing Co., Rockford, MI
Bronze: Boulder Stout, PT’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Category 91: Export Stout – 48 Entries
Gold: Correspondent, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Z-Man Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Black Rock Stout, Crossroads Brewing Co., Athens, NY

Category 92: American-Style Stout – 60 Entries
Gold: Cholo Stout, Marble Brewery – Mav Lab, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: American Stout, Wild Wolf Brewing Co., Nellysford, VA
Bronze: Night of the Living Stout, Full Pint Brewing Co., North Versailles, PA

Category 93: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 69 Entries
Gold: Oatmeal Milk Stout, Finkel & Garf Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: Milk Bone, Pinellas Ale Works, Saint Petersburg, FL
Bronze: McPoyle, Mile Wide Beer Co., Louisville, KY

Category 94: Oatmeal Stout – 57 Entries
Gold: Wall of Sound, Stereo Brewing Co., Placentia, CA
Silver: The Ferguson, Studio Brew, Bristol, VA
Bronze: Fat Pug, Maplewood Brewing Co., Chicago, IL

Category 95: Imperial Stout – 80 Entries
Gold: The Russian, 2SP Brewing Co., Aston, PA
Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA
Bronze: Duke Snider’s Imperial Stout, Walking Tree Brewery, Vero Beach, FL

Category 96: Scotch Ale – 70 Entries
Gold: Real Heavy, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Silver: Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC
Bronze: AleSmith Wee Heavy, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 97: Old Ale or Strong Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: 10&2 Barleywine, Fifty West Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Heini’s Good Cheer, Roundabout Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA
Bronze: Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI

Category 98: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 49 Entries
Gold: Shipfaced, Silver Harbor Brewing Co., Saint Joseph, MI
Silver: No. 20 Barleywine, The Freehouse, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Behemoth, One Barrel Brewing Co., Madison, WI

Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition – 118 Entries
Gold: Just Another Pretty Face, Denver Beer Co., Denver, CO
     Brewmaster Jason Buehler and Denver Beer Co. Brewing Team, AHA Member Doug Thiel
Silver: Lichtenhainer, Black Bottle Brewery, Fort Collins, CO
     Brewmaster Black Bottle Scuba Squad, AHA Member Daniel Tomkins
Bronze: Eluxansis, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
     Brewmaster Odell Brew Team, AHA Member Mark Boelman

2017 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Packaging Breweries

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year = <1,000 BBLS
on-tour
On Tour Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Mark Poffenberger & Mark Legenza

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year = 1,000 – 14,999 BBLS
sunriver
Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR
Sunriver Brewing Team

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year = 15,000 – 6,000,000 BBLS
st-arnold-new
Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Saint Arnold Brew Crew

Brewpubs

Small Brewpub and Brewmaster of the Year = <750 BBLS
rockford
Rockford Brewing Co., Rockford, MI
Rockford Brewing Company

Mid-Size Brewpub and Brewmaster of the Year = 750 – 1,500 BBLS
moon-river-wh
Moon River Brewing Co., Savannah, GA
Moon River Brewing Company

Large Brewpub and Brewmaster of the Year = 1,500+ BBLS
abgb
The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Amos Swifty Kim

Large Breweries or Multiple Location Breweries

Brewery Group and Brewmaster of the Year
melvin
Melvin Brewing, Alpine, WY
Melvin Brewing

GABF Awards With Photographs 2016

By

gabf-2014
On Saturday, October 8, the winners of the 34th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 7,227 beers were judged in 96 categories by 264 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. I was on hand at the awards ceremony and thought I’d share the results again, this time along with some of the photographs I took during the awards.

gabf-medals

IMG_4859
The theater quickly filled up for the awards ceremony.

SAM_7414
And competition director Chris Swersey read each of the medal winners’ names.

SAM_7468
This was the 35th GABF, and former Wynkoop Brewing co-owner, and current Colorado governor, John Hickenlooper, stopped by in the middle of the awards ceremony to present Charlie Papazian his own award.

SAM_7465
Two, actually. One for the 35th anniversary and Charlie’s own gold medal.

[Read more…]

GABF Awards 2016

By

gabf-2014
On Saturday, October 8, the winners of the 34th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 7,227 beers were judged in 96 categories by 264 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. First, here’s some statistics about the festival:

  • 35th anniversary of the festival; 30th edition of the GABF competition
  • 780 breweries in the festival hall
  • 3,800+ beers served at the festival
  • 60,000 attendees
  • 3,600 volunteers (festival and competition combined)
  • 1,752 breweries in the competition from 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
  • 254 medal-winning breweries
  • 286 total medals awarded
  • 7,227 beers judged (not including 88 Pro-Am competition entries), a nearly 9 percent increase over 2015
  • 96 style categories judged, plus the Pro-Am competition
  • 264 judges from 12 different countries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 75 (excludes Pro-Am beers)
  • Category with highest number of entries: American-Style India Pale Ale: 312

This year’s GABF competition saw seven new style categories:

  • Pumpkin/Squash Beer (category 6)
  • Four new historical beer categories were added: Finnish Sahti, Swedish Gotlandsricke, and Pale and Dark Breslau Schoeps (categories 21e, 21f, 21g, 21h)
  • German Leichtbier (category 36c)
  • Specialty Saison (category 79)

Since 2002, the most-entered category has been American-Style India Pale Ale (IPA), which saw 312 entries in 2016 compared to 336 entries in 2015.The top five entered categories were:

  1. American-Style India Pale Ale (312 entries)
  2. Imperial India Pale Ale (211 entries)
  3. American-Style Strong Pale Ale (169 entries)
  4. Coffee Beer (168 entries)
  5. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (159 entries)

gabf-medals

Only one brewery won 4 medals (Überbrew), but three won 3 (Brown Truck, Fat Head’s, Karl Strauss). By ratio, Wyoming did best (45 entries and 5 medals) for .111. In second was Hawaii (28 entries and 3 medals) with .107 and third was Virginia (200 entries and 14 medals) with .07. 464 breweries entered the competition for the first time, and of those, 41 won a medal.

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 68
  2. Colorado = 38
  3. Oregon = 21
  4. North Carolina = 17
  5. Washington = 14
  6. TIE: Illinois / Virginia = 13
  7. TIE: Michigan / Texas = 10
  8. Ohio = 8
  9. Pennsylvania = 7
  10. TIE: Montana / New Mexico = 6

In addition two states won 6, two won 5 and three won 4. Two won 3 medals, 10 won 2, and 7 won a single medal. Thirteen states, plus DC, did not win a medal.

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The 2016 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer – 37 Entries
Gold: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Silver: Shredder’s Wheat, Barley Brown’s Beer, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Flash Bang, Excel Brewing Co., Breese, IL

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 31 Entries
Gold: White Noise, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Silver: Medley of Moods, Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Co., Greensboro, NC
Bronze: Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA

Category 3: American-Style Fruit Beer – 106 Entries
Gold: Slingback, High Heel Brewing, St. Louis, MO
Silver: Miss IPPA, Peter B’s Brewpub, Monterey, CA
Bronze: Apricot Cream Ale, Vertigo Brewing, Hillsboro, OR

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer – 84 Entries
Gold: Mexican Spring, 515 Brewing Co., Clive, IA
Silver: Mango Wheat, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Apricot Hefeweizen, Wasatch Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 5: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer – 61 Entries
Gold: Apricot Wheat, Wiens Brewing Co./Wiens Family Cellars, Temecula, CA
Silver: Cherry Busey, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Cerasus, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR

Category 6: Pumpkin/Squash Beer – 10 Entries
Gold: None awarded
Silver: None awarded
Bronze: Butt-Ah Nut, BTU Brasserie, Portland, OR

Category 7: Field Beer – 92 Entries
Gold: Imperial Coconut Porter, Maui Brewing Co. – Production, Kihei, HI
Silver: Slam Piece, Coppertail Brewing, Tampa, FL
Bronze: Redbud with Cucumber, Independence Brewing Co., Austin, TX

Category 8: Chili Beer – 112 Entries
Gold: Rocky Mtn Saison, 14er Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: The Contender IPA with Fresh Chilis, Duck Foot Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Vengeance! Jalapeno Cream Ale, Jack Pine Brewery, Baxter, MN

Category 9: Herb and Spice Beer – 114 Entries
Gold: NoDajito, NoDa Brewing Co. – Davidson, Charlotte, NC
Silver: Ginger American Ale, Broken Compass Brewing, Breckenridge, CO
Bronze: 1634 Ale, Brewer’s Alley Restaurant & Brewery, Frederick, MD

Category 10: Pumpkin Spice Beer – 39 Entries
Gold: Pump Action Imperial Pumpkin Ale, 4 Noses Brewing Co., Broomfield, CO
Silver: Twisted Gourd, South Street Brewery, Charlottesville, VA
Bronze: 5 Phantoms Pumpkin Spice Barleywine, Philipsburg Brewing Co., Philipsburg, MT

Category 11: Chocolate Beer – 46 Entries
Gold: Chaos, RAM/Big Horn Brewery – Wheeling, Wheeling, IL
Silver: The Ticket Chocolate Beer, ZwanzigZ Brewing, Columbus, IN
Bronze: 4th Gear (4th Anniversary), Kinetic Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA

Category 12: Coffee Beer – 168 Entries
Gold: Gusto Crema, Georgetown Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Dusk ‘til Dawn – SC, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Bronze: Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout, New English Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 13: Specialty Beer – 54 Entries
Gold: Campfire Stout, High Water Brewing, Stockton, CA
Silver: Good Conduct, Fieldwork Brewing Co., Berkeley, CA
Bronze: GAZPROM!, Lion Bridge Brewing Co., Cedar Rapids, IA

Category 14: Rye Beer – 81 Entries
Gold: Breakside Rye Curious?, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Silver: Rock-Biter Roggenbier, Hop Dogma Brewing Co., El Granada, CA
Bronze: Runaround Rye Ale, Roundhouse Brewery, Brainerd, MN

Category 15: Honey Beer – 64 Entries
Gold: Jetty Cream Ale, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY
Silver: Spring Fever, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA
Bronze: Belgian Honey Blonde Ale, No Clue Craft Brewery, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Category 16: Session Beer – 52 Entries
Gold: PSB Session IPL, Perry Street Brewing Co., Spokane, WA
Silver: Oatmeal Stout, Benchmark Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Slippery When Wit, South Street Brewery, Charlottesville, VA

Category 17: Session India Pale Ale – 118 Entries
Gold: Trump Hands, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Pace Car Racer, Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Cloverdale, CA
Bronze: Mosaic Session IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – San Diego, San Diego, CA

Category 18: Other Strong Beer – 46 Entries
Gold: Anodyne Wheat Wine, Revolver Brewing, Granbury, TX
Silver: Black Muddy River, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: Muir Woods Coastal Red, Barebottle Brewing Co., San Francisco, CA

Category 19: Experimental Beer – 87 Entries
Gold: Dry Hopped Systema Naturae – Scuppernong & Lily, D9 Brewing Co., Cornelius, NC
Silver: Wineification II, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Bronze: Oyster Weiss, Scratch Brewing Co., Ava, IL

Category 20: Fresh or Wet Hop Ale – 45 Entries
Gold: Melvin IPA, Melvin Brewing – Jackson, Jackson, WY
Silver: Acequia IPA, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: IBUsive, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH

Category 21: Historical Beer – 43 Entries
Gold: Valhalla, El Rancho Brewing, Evergreen, CO
Silver: Grosse Teufel, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond, VA
Bronze: Wild & Crazy Rye, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Boulder, Boulder, CO

Category 22: Gluten-Free Beer – 37 Entries
Gold: Dark Ale, Ground Breaker Brewing, Portland, OR
Silver: Copperhead, Greenview Brewing, Madison, WI
Bronze: Grapefruit IPA, Ghostfish Brewing Company, Seattle, WA

Category 23: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 70 Entries
Gold: Mischief, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: #4.5 Hops with Saison Added, Brown Truck Brewery, High Point, NC
Bronze: White Wall Wit, Crank Arm Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

Category 24: American-Style Sour Ale – 142 Entries
Gold: Queen of Tarts, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – San Diego, San Diego, CA
Silver: Heart of Gold, Great Notion Brewing, Portland, OR
Bronze: Excommunication, Forte Cerise, Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery, Atlanta, GA

Category 25: Brett Beer – 53 Entries
Gold: Touch of Brett, Alesong Brewing & Blending, Eugene, OR
Silver: Dreamy Thing, Cerebral Brewing, Denver, CO
Bronze: Brett Saison, Ardent Craft Ales, Richmond, VA

Category 26: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer – 65 Entries
Gold: Fünke Hop Farm, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA
Silver: White Label, Almanac Beer Co., San Francisco, CA
Bronze: DAM Wild Marionberry Pink Peppercorn, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR

Category 27: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Drama Queen, Denver Beer Co. – Canworks, Denver, CO
Silver: Brett Saison, Blackberry Farm Brewery, Walland, TN
Bronze: Rye Robustito, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 159 Entries
Gold: Silent Warrior, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Silver: Mélange À Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co. – Papillion, Papillion, NE
Bronze: 15th Anniversary Ale, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA

Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 131 Entries
Gold: Barrel-Aged Darkness, Surly Brewing Co., Brooklyn Center, MN
Silver: The Event Horizon, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Bronze: Little Nonsense, Verboten Brewing, Loveland, CO

Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 64 Entries
Gold: Sour Project Ale, Adirondack Pub and Brewery, Lake George, NY
Silver: Avant-Chard, Historic Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Bronze: Angelina, Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MI

Category 31: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 82 Entries
Gold: Razz-Jerry Tart, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Brea, Brea, CA
Silver: Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour Framboise, DESTIHL, Normal, IL
Bronze: Pi, Propolis Brewing, Port Townsend, WA

Category 32: Aged Beer – 40 Entries
Gold: Doc’s Scotch Ale, Millersburg Brewing, Millersburg, OH
Silver: Expedition Stout, Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Comstock, MI
Bronze: Winter Wheatwine 2007, Rubicon Brewing Company Pub, Sacramento, CA

Category 33: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 69 Entries
Gold: Sunnyside Dweller, Ocelot Brewing, Sterling, VA
Silver: Kelly Alt, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Bronze: Pilsner, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category 34: Smoke Beer – 65 Entries
Gold: Raucher, Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, MI
Silver: Cowboy Curtis, Arts District Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Croydon Is Burning, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., Croydon, PA

Category 35: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener – 66 Entries
Gold: Robot Crush, Aeronaut Brewing Co., Somerville, MA
Silver: Pelicano Extra!, Pelican Brewing Co., Tillamook, OR
Bronze: Mexican Logger, SKA Brewing, Durango, CO

Category 36: American-Style Light Lager or German-Style Light Lager – 21 Entries
Gold: #10 American Lager, Brown Truck Brewery, High Point, NC
Silver: Lightner Creek Lager, Carver Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Coors Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category 37: American-Style Lager or Ice Lager or Malt Liquor – 34 Entries
Gold: Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR), Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Lager, Craft Brew Alliance – Omission, Portland, OR

Category 38: American-Style Cream Ale – 65 Entries
Gold: El Sully, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Leandro, CA
Silver: Old Style Lager, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Broadway Light, Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI

Category 39: American-Style Amber Lager or Dark Lager – 108 Entries
Gold: Casa Azul, El Segundo Brewing Co., El Segundo, CA
Silver: Tragedy of the Commons, Iowa Brewing Co., Cedar Rapids, IA
Bronze: Lighter Than I Look, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Buellton, Buellton, CA

Category 40: German-Style Pilsener – 115 Entries
Gold: Industry, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Bosque Lager, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Lokahi Pilsner, Kohola Brewery, Lahaina, HI

Category 41: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 62 Entries
Gold: Sweet Ride, Bagby Beer Co., Oceanside, CA
Silver: Polaris Pilsner, Chainline Brewing Co., Kirkland, WA
Bronze: Torch Pilsner, Foothills Brewing Co., Winston-Salem, NC

Category 42: Munich-Style Helles – 84 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Helles, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Helles, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Hell Yes, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX

Category 43: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 46 Entries
Gold: Dortmunder Mifflin, Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co. – Palatine, Palatine, IL
Silver: Longboard Island Lager, Craft Brew Alliance – Kona Brewery, Kailua-Kona, HI
Bronze: Figtoberfest, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Westlake Village, Westlake Village, CA

Category 44: Vienna-Style Lager – 67 Entries
Gold: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost Production Facility, Lexington, VA
Silver: 13.FIVE Ofest, Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery, Arrington, VA
Bronze: Churchville Lager, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., Croydon, PA

Category 45: German-Style Maerzen – 79 Entries
Gold: Zirkusfest Oktoberfest Lager, Hi-Wire Brewing – Big Top Production Facility, Asheville, NC
Silver: Seven Bridges, Jekyll Brewing, Alpharetta, GA
Bronze: Fruhauf Oktoberfest, Pollyanna Brewing Co., Lemont, IL

Category 46: European-Style Dark Lager/Munich-Style Dunkel – 38 Entries
Gold: I Dunkled in My Pants, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Buellton, Buellton, CA
Silver: Piney Ridge Dunkel, Front Range Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO
Bronze: Prunkle’s Dunkle, Horse Thief Hollow Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category 47: German-Style Schwarzbier – 47 Entries
Gold: General Schwarz, Central Coast Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Silver: Alternate Present, Fiction Beer Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Once You Go Schwarz…, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Arroyo Grande, Arroyo Grande, CA

Category 48: Bock – 36 Entries
Gold: Breakline Bock, Rip Current Brewery, San Marcos, CA
Silver: Numbskull, Swamp Rabbit Brewery & Taproom, Travelers Rest, SC
Bronze: Bridge Street Bock, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Phoenixville, Phoenixville, PA

Category 49: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 29 Entries
Gold: Warning Sign, Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO
Silver: Frankenwald Eisbock, ZwanzigZ Brewing, Columbus, IN
Bronze: Apocalyptinator, Nevin’s Brewing Co., Plainfield, IL

Category 50: Baltic-Style Porter – 41 Entries
Gold: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Silver: Apogee Baltic Porter, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Bronze: Siberian Silk, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 51: Golden or Blonde Ale – 115 Entries
Gold: Kirby, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO
Silver: Miss Conduct, Moonraker Brewing Co., Auburn, CA
Bronze: German Blonde Ale, Bemidji Brewing Co., Bemidji, MN

Category 52: German-Style Koelsch – 111 Entries
Gold: Light of Cologne, Ornery Beer Co., Woodbridge, VA
Silver: Vacation, Daredevil Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Lü, Solemn Oath Brewery, Naperville, IL

Category 53: English-Style Summer Ale – 68 Entries
Gold: Hometown Blonde, RAM/Big Horn Brewery – Lakewood, Lakewood, WA
Silver: Ridgway Blonde, Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery, Ridgway, CO
Bronze: Liquid AC, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA

Category 54: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN
Silver: Breakside ESB, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: HopFish IPA, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ

Category 55: English-Style India Pale Ale – 43 Entries
Gold: Gatecrasher, Temperance Beer Co., Evanston, IL
Silver: Face Plant, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA
Bronze: Live Wire, Roak Brewing Co., Royal Oak, MI

Category 56: Australian-Style or International-Style Pale Ale – 90 Entries
Gold: Drop Bear Australian Pale Ale, Lynnwood Brewing Concern, Raleigh, NC
Silver: Mai Tai P.A., Alvarado Street Brewery, Salinas, CA
Bronze: Breakside Lunch Break ISA, Breakside Brewery & Taproom, Milwaukie, OR

Category 57: American-Style Pale Ale – 157 Entries
Gold: Stick’s Pale Ale, Bootstrap Brewing Co., Niwot, CO
Silver: Monterey Street, Central Coast Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Bronze: The Charlatan, Maplewood Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category 58: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 169 Entries
Gold: Good Green, Highland Park Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Rippin, Sunriver Brewing, Sunriver, OR
Bronze: HFS, Alpine Beer Co., San Diego, CA

Category 59: American-Style India Pale Ale – 312 Entries
Gold: Bodhizafa IPA, Georgetown Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Super Cali IPA, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Bronze: Breaking Bud, Knee Deep Brewing Co., Auburn, CA

Category 60: Imperial India Pale Ale – 211 Entries
Gold: Humulus Insani, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Silver: Nobility, Noble Ale Works, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: Hop JuJu Imperial IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH

Category 61: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 114 Entries
Gold: Ole Prospector Red Ale, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co., Santee, CA
Silver: Better Off Red, Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Bronze: Sabre-Toothed Squirrel, Smog City Brewing Co., Torrance, CA

Category 62: Double Red Ale – 78 Entries
Gold: The Red Glove, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Average at Best, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Bronze: RIPA, Carson’s Brewery, Evansville, IN

Category 63: Imperial Red Ale – 62 Entries
Gold: Paradocs Red Imperial IPA, Raised Grain Brewing Co., Waukesha, WI
Silver: reDANKulous – Backstage Series, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Wreak Havoc, Bootstrap Brewing Co., Niwot, CO

Category 64: English-Style Mild Ale – 44 Entries
Gold: Workman’s Compensation, Lion Bridge Brewing Co., Cedar Rapids, IA
Silver: Saddle Bronc Brown, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Bronze: Old Town Brown, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA

Category 65: Ordinary or Special Bitter – 39 Entries
Gold: DBA (Double Barrel Ale), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Drop Top Amber Ale, Craft Brew Alliance – Widmer, Portland, OR
Bronze: Special Bitter, Redwood Curtain Brewing Co., Arcata, CA

Category 66: Extra Special Bitter – 71 Entries
Gold: Redfeather, Black Raven Brewing Co., Redmond, WA
Silver: Red Fish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ
Bronze: Mother Earth ESB, Mother Earth Brew Co., Vista, CA

Category 67: Scottish-Style Ale – 46 Entries
Gold: White Street Scottish Ale, White Street Brewing Co., Wake Forest, NC
Silver: Scottish Ale, Two Kilts Brewing, Sherwood, OR
Bronze: McGreagor Scottish Ale, Kootenai River Brewing Co., Bonners Ferry, ID

Category 68: Irish-Style Red Ale – 80 Entries
Gold: Highlander Devil’s Hump Red Ale, Missoula Brewing Co., Missoula, MT
Silver: St. James Irish Red Ale, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Bronze: Riley’s Irish Red, The Packinghouse Brewing Co., Riverside, CA

Category 69: English-Style Brown Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Tri-Town Brown, Echo Brewing Cask and Barrel, Erie, CO
Silver: Sir Williams, Grapevine Craft Brewery, Grapevine, TX
Bronze: Not Brown, CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

Category 70: American-Style Brown Ale – 84 Entries
Gold: Brown, Culture Brewing Co., Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co. – Flatiron Park, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Face Down Brown, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO

Category 71: American-Style Black Ale – 61 Entries
Gold: Once You Go, Lynnwood Brewing Concern – Production Facility, Raleigh, NC
Silver: Midnight Moonlight, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Bronze: Alpha Force Double Tap, Überbrew, Billings, MT

Category 72: German-Style Sour Ale – 141 Entries
Gold: Gose, Reuben’s Brews, Seattle, WA
Silver: Gose, Kulshan Brewing Co., Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Farmers Market Citrus Gose, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA

Category 73: German-Style Altbier – 57 Entries
Gold: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Silver: Deep Roots, Red Cypress Brewery, Winter Springs, FL
Bronze: On-Sight Alt, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., Chattanooga, TN

Category 74: South German-Style Hefeweizen – 111 Entries
Gold: Windansea Wheat, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – San Diego, San Diego, CA
Silver: Weißbier, Prost Brewing, Denver, CO
Bronze: Shotgun Betty, Lonerider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

Category 75: German-Style Wheat Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: AlpenGlow, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Slam Dunkel, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Küsterer Original Weissbier, Cedar Springs Brewing Co., Cedar Springs, MI

Category 76: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale – 61 Entries
Gold: Solid Gold, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Lunatic, Wicked Weed Brewing – Asheville, Asheville, NC
Bronze: Sunken Road, Spencer Devon Brewing, Fredericksburg, VA

Category 77: Belgian-Style Witbier – 85 Entries
Gold: Ommegang Witte Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Silver: Wit’s End Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern, Centreville, VA
Bronze: Witbier, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX

Category 78: Classic Saison – 88 Entries
Gold: Achtertuin Seizoen Farmhouse Ale, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO
Silver: Meriwether, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Saison, Baere Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 79: Specialty Saison – 92 Entries
Gold: Six Finger Sam Saison, Two Rivers Brewing Co., Easton, PA
Silver: #4 Saison, Brown Truck Brewery, High Point, NC
Bronze: Creme de Peche, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 80: Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Silver: Swingin’ Single, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Antonym, 2SP Brewing Co., Aston, PA

Category 81: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 74 Entries
Gold: Hexotic, Two Roads Brewing Co., Stratford, CT
Silver: Chaos is a Friend of Mine, Beachwood Blendery, Long Beach, CA
Bronze: Roes Red, Pure Project, San Diego, CA

Category 82: Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel – 63 Entries
Gold: Abbey Dubbel, Elm City Brewing Co., Keene, NH
Silver: Responsibly, Nebraska Brewing Co. – Papillion, Papillion, NE
Bronze: Flyin’ Monks, Adelbert’s Brewery, Austin, TX

Category 83: Belgian-Style Tripel – 92 Entries
Gold: Allagash Tripel, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: PDA, Black Bottle Brewery, Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Tripel Dog Dare, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Category 84: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 70 Entries
Gold: Old Split-Foot, Broken Bow Brewery, Tuckahoe, NY
Silver: Monk in Public, Maize Valley Craft Brewery, Hartville, OH
Bronze: Treachery, 12Degree Brewing, Louisville, CO

Category 85: Other Belgian-Style Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: Blond, Copper Kettle Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Standard Issue, Central Standard Brewing, Wichita, KS
Bronze: Petite Classique, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 86: Brown Porter – 61 Entries
Gold: FivePine Chocolate Porter, Three Creeks Production, Sisters, OR
Silver: Black Shack Porter, Wachusett Brewing Co., Westminster, MA
Bronze: Porter, Back East Brewing, Bloomfield, CT

Category 87: Robust Porter – 94 Entries
Gold: Tabula Rasa Toasted Porter, Second Chance Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Shallow Grave, Heretic Brewing Co., Fairfield, CA
Bronze: Point Reyes Porter, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA

Category 88: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 41 Entries
Gold: Big Drought Stout, Solid Rock Brewing, Spicewood, TX
Silver: Love Stout, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Bangin The Mash, Latitude 42° Brewing Co., Portage, MI

Category 89: Export Stout – 43 Entries
Gold: Dirty Frank Stout, River’s Edge Brewing Co., Milford, MI
Silver: Fade to Black, Volume 1, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Bronze: Starway Stout, Barrel Mountain Brewing, Battle Ground, WA

Category 90: American-Style Stout – 55 Entries
Gold: P2P, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Black Cliffs, Boise Brewing, Boise, ID
Bronze: The Volcanist, Societe Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 91: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 71 Entries
Gold: Chocolate Milk Stout, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC
Bronze: Good Mooed Milk Stout, Railtown Brewing Co., Dutton, MI

Category 92: Oatmeal Stout – 61 Entries
Gold: Sless’ Oatmeal Stout, Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Fairfax, CA
Silver: Backside Stout, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Feelin’ Your Oats, SLO Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA

Category 93: Imperial Stout – 91 Entries
Gold: The Russian, 2SP Brewing Co., Aston, PA
Silver: Gatling Gun Imperial Stout, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co., Santee, CA
Bronze: Iron Triangle Jawbone, Iron Triangle Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 94: Scotch Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Real Heavy, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Silver: Oh My Darlyn!, Revelry Brewing Co., Charleston, SC
Bronze: Going Plaid, Fifty West Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH

Category 95: Old Ale or Strong Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Irish Walker, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Silver: COLOSSAL FIVE, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Bronze: Old Silenus Ale, Migration Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category 96: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 60 Entries
Gold: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Barley Wine Ale, Dick’s Brewing Co., Centralia, WA
Bronze: Toad Choker Barley Wine, Nine-Band Brewing Co., Allen, TX

Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition – 88 Entries
Gold: Just Rye’te, Panther Island Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
     Brewmaster Panther Island Brewing, AHA Member Clifton Ellis
Silver: Vernal Equinox, Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet, VA
     Brewmaster Starr Hill Brewing Team, AHA Member Gary Layton
Bronze: The Kolsch Experiment, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
     Brewmaster Jesse Brown, AHA Member Shawn Miller

2016 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
zwanzigz
ZwanzigZ Brewing, Columbus, IN
Mike Rybinski & Trent Fleener

Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year
boxing-bear
Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Justin Hamilton and Dylan Davis

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
austin-beer-garden
The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Amos Swifty Kim

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
brown-truck
Brown Truck Brewery, High Point, NC
Team Brown Truck

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
uberbrew-circle
Überbrew, Billings, MT
Über Cru

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
karl-strauss-new
Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – San Diego, San Diego, CA
Team Karl

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year *
fat-heads-cleveland
Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, Ohio
Matt Cole and Mike Zoscak

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
pabst
Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Gregory Deuhs

* – Note: During the awards ceremony, for the brewery and brewmaster of the year awards, Karl Strauss was awarded Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year, while Fat Head’s Brewery received the award for Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year. Afterwards, a correction was sent out indicating that Karl Strauss was considered a brewing company rather than a brewpub, and the points were re-calculated. As a result, Karl Strauss’ award moved from brewpub to brewing company, Boxing Bear Brewing was awarded the mid-size brewpub award vacated by Karl Strauss, and Fat Head’s was stripped of their award. What I heard (but haven’t confirmed) is that it may have been a paperwork error on Karl Strauss’ part in filling out their GABF entry form (which is understandable since they operate both a production brewery and brewpubs). As I understand it, brewpubs are considered brewing companies if they sell 25% or more beer on-site, so therefore Karl Strauss is a brewing company, and apparently that’s reflected in their membership. One could argue that Karl Strauss should have filled out the entry form correctly (assuming what I heard is correct) and if they didn’t … well, then it’s on them. I know that in some sports or contests, that’s cause for being disqualified. But the BA maybe could have caught it earlier since the form didn’t match their membership. To be fair, I doubt there was a procedure to check for that since you wouldn’t expect anyone to get that wrong. There are only a few companies like Karl Strauss where there might be any confusion. In the end, I think the BA was right to correct the error as soon as someone caught it. Even though I can’t really quibble with that, the one thing I wish they might have considered was not taking the award away from Fat Head’s and letting them share it this year with Karl Strauss. I feel confident that Karl Strauss would have been alright with that, especially if it was indeed their clerical error. That just seems like the kinder, fairer result.