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GABF Awards With Photographs 2015

By

gabf-2014
On Saturday, September 26, the winners of the 34th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 6,647 beers were judged in 92 categories by 242 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.

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Inside the back of the theater, about an hour before the award ceremony began.

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Justin Crossley, from The Brewing Network, on stage getting ready to simulcast the awards.

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After the theater filled up.

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A partial panorama view of the theater.

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GABF Winners 2015

By

gabf-2014
Yesterday, the winners of the 34th Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 6,647 beers were judged in 92 categories by 242 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: American-style IPA: 336 entries (279 last year; #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: 72 (61.2 last year)
  • 1,552 breweries in the competition from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. (1,309 last year)
  • 38 first-time breweries won medals (52 last year)
  • 4 breweries tied for most medals won, with three apiece; Firestone Walker Brewing, Sun King Brewing, Port City Brewing, and Left Hand Brewing.
  • 750 breweries in the festival hall (710 last year)
  • Over 3,800 beers served at the festival (3,500 last year)
  • 60,000 attendees (49,000 last year)
  • New Categories This Year: Chili Pepper Beer, Session IPA and Mixed Culture Brett Beer.

Print

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 67 (46 last year)
  2. Colorado = 36 (39 last year)
  3. Oregon = 19 (22 last year)
  4. Texas = 15 (16 last year)
  5. Washington = 13 (9 last year)
  6. TIE:
    • Indiana = 10 (4 last year)
    • Ohio = 10 (5 last year)
  7. Virginia = 9 (7 last year)
  8. TIE:
    • North Carolina = 8 (6 last year)
    • Pennsylvania = 8 (12 last year)
    • Wisconsin = 8 (7 last year)
  9. Minnesota = 7 (6 last year)
  10. Michigan = 6 (6 last year)
  11. TIE:
    • Missouri = 5 (4 last year)
    • Nevada = 5 (3 last year)
    • New York = 5 (3 last year)
  12. TIE:
    • Arizona = 4 (1 last year)
    • Illinois = 4 (9 last year)
    • New Mexico = 4 (8 last year)

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The 2015 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer, 58 Entries
Gold: Super 77 Wheat, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Silver: Whacked Out Wheat, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO
Bronze: Mogabi, Elevator Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Columbus, OH

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast, 41 Entries
Gold: The Big O, O’so Brewing, Plover, WI
Silver: WeldWerks Hefeweizen, WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley, CO
Bronze: Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA

Category 3: American-Style Fruit Beer, 87 Entries
Gold: Chchchch-Cherry Bomb, Melvin Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: Rasplendent, Mazama Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR
Bronze: Apricot Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Aurora, CO

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer, 69 Entries
Gold: Magnolia’s Peach, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Chandler, AZ
Silver: You’re My Boy, Blue!, Brew Bus Brewing, Tampa, FL
Bronze: Purple Line, Smylie Brothers Brewing Co., Evanston, IL

Category 5: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: X-Reserve Ale 05-15 Peach and Ginger Saison, Saucony Creek Brewing, Kutztown, PA
Silver: Kumquat Saison, Smog City Brewing, Torrance, CA
Bronze: Cherry Busey, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 6: Pumpkin Beer, 56 Entries
Gold: No Medal
Silver: Pumpkin Grinder, Mankato Brewery, Mankato, MN
Bronze: The Great Pumpkin Ale, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Sparks, Sparks, NV

Category 7: Field Beer, 52 Entries
Gold: Beets, Rhymes and Life, Fonta Flora Brewery, Morganton, NC
Silver: Window Seat Coconut Almond Porter, Baxter Brewing Co., Auburn, ME
Bronze: Coconut Porter, Broken Compass Brewing, Breckenridge, CO

Category 8: Chili Beer, 79 Entries
Gold: Fire Tiger, Lander Brewing Co., Lander, WY
Silver: Heir Apparent, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Goochland, VA
Bronze: Ballast Point Pale Ale with Serrano, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits – Scripps Ranch,
San Diego, CA

Category 9: Herb and Spice Beer, 142 Entries
Gold: Garden Party, Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS
Silver: Allergeez, Panther Island Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
Bronze: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ale, Aftershock Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

Category 10: Chocolate Beer, 65 Entries
Gold: The Velvet Hog, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Silver: El Toro Coco Chocolate Stout, El Toro Brewing Co., Morgan Hill, CA
Bronze: Wonka Bar, Mispillion River Brewing, Milford, DE

Category 11: Coffee Beer, 149 Entries
Gold: Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout, New English Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Mocha Machine, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Bronze: Bacon and Eggs, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Category 12: Specialty Beer, 59 Entries
Gold: Hog Cabin, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY
Silver: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Bronze: Pack Dog Peanut Butter Ale, Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Bloomsburg, PA

Category 13: Rye Beer, 84 Entries
Gold: Blitzkrieg Bock, Fat Head’s Brewery – Portland, Portland, OR
Silver: Concrete Dinosaur, Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City, MI
Bronze: Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager, Headlands Brewing Co., Mill Valley, CA

Category 14: Honey Beer, 52 Entries
Gold: Electric Stinger, The Tap Beer Co., Bloomington, IN
Silver: Honey Chamomile Wheat, Nexus Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Spring Fever, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category 15: Session Beer, 44 Entries
Gold: BJ’s LightSwitch Lager, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Temple, Temple, TX
Silver: MCA, 21st Amendment Brewery Cafe, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Category 16: Session India Pale Ale, 161 Entries
Gold: The Coachman, Societe Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Size 4, Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN
Bronze: Nose Candy, Noble Ale Works, Anaheim, CA

Category 17: Other Strong Beer, 43 Entries
Gold: Ursa Minor, McCoy’s Public House, Kansas City, MO
Silver: Humboldt Brownie, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Bronze: Take Back the Streets, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category 18: Experimental Beer, 85 Entries
Gold: Mystery Airship Imperial Chocolate Porter, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA
Silver: Melt My Brain, Short’s Brewing Co., Elk Rapids, MI
Bronze: Ramjet, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, Denver, CO

Category 19: Fresh or Wet Hop Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Acequia IPA, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Fresh Hop Superpower IPA, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Melvin IPA, Melvin Brewing, Jackson, WY

Category 20: Historical Beer, 40 Entries
Gold: Black Eagle Gratzer, Platform Beer Co., Cleveland, OH
Silver: Dortmunder Adambier, Blue Pants Brewery, Madison, AL
Bronze: Snow Drop, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO

Category 21: Gluten-Free Beer, 24 Entries
Gold: Watchstander Stout, Ghostfish Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: IPA No. 5, Ground Breaker Brewing, Portland, OR
Bronze: Ghostfish Grapefruit IPA, Ghostfish Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 22: American-Belgo-Style Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Summer Saison, Blackberry Farm Brewery, Walland, TN
Bronze: Salad Days American Saison, Pale Fire Brewing Co., Harrisonburg, VA

Category 23: American-Style Sour Ale, 86 Entries
Gold: Savant Blanc, Perennial Artisan Ales, Saint Louis, MO
Silver: Ensorcelled, The Rare Barrel, Berkeley, CA
Bronze: Apropos of Nothing, The Rare Barrel, Berkeley, CA

Category 24: American-Style Brett Beer, 85 Entries
Gold: (512) Wild Bear, (512) Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Red Swingline IPA Primitif, Trinity Brewing, Colorado Springs, CO
Bronze: 2015 Golden Ale, New Glarus Brewing Co. – Hilltop, New Glarus, WI

Category 25: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 69 Entries
Gold: Wild Warehouse, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Palo Santo Aged Porter, Spellbound Brewing, Mount Holly, NJ
Bronze: Barrel Aged Brown Ale, Twin Peaks Brewery, Irving, TX

Category 26: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 179 Entries
Gold: Melange A Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co., La Vista, NE
Silver: Batch 666: Sympathy For The Devil, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Ska Face, SKA Brewing, Durango, CO

Category 27: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 128 Entries
Gold: Ctayt, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Sherry Ink, Rhinegeist Brewing, Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Dosvidanya, DESTIHL – Champaign, Champaign, IL

Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 137 Entries
Gold: Veritas 015, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Silver: 24 Frames Per Second, Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew, Denver, CO
Bronze: Sour Opal, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton, CA

Category 29: Aged Beer, 38 Entries
Gold: Big Deluxe, Ritual Brewing Co., Redlands, CA
Silver: Sasquatch 2014, 903 Brewers, Sherman, TX
Bronze: Old Diablo, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA

Category 30: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, 45 Entries
Gold: STS Pils, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Silver: TAPS Kellerbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Brea, Brea, CA
Bronze: Fargo Original, Fargo Brewing Co., Fargo, ND

Category 31: Smoke Beer, 57 Entries
Gold: Smoked Märzen, 49th State Brewing Co., Denali National Park, AK
Silver: S.S.A., Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI
Bronze: Smokie Robbins, Lager Heads Brewing Co., Medina, OH

Category 32: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 51 Entries
Gold: Rocket 100, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Mexican Logger, SKA Brewing, Durango, CO
Bronze: Amend This!, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Brea, Brea, CA

Category 33: German-Style Pilsener, 100 Entries
Gold: Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Pilsner, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Bronze: Pilsner, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Category 34: Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 62 Entries
Gold: Shower Beer, Champion Brewing Co., Charlottesville, VA
Silver: Bohemian Pilsner, von Trapp Brewing, Stowe, VT
Bronze: Peacemaker Pilsner, Pug Ryan’s Brewing Co., Dillon, CO

Category 35: Munich-Style Helles, 55 Entries
Gold: Bucket Seat Blonde, Garage Brewing Co. & Pizzeria, Temecula, CA
Silver: Long Goodbye, Ahnapee Brewery, Algoma, WI
Bronze: Goldencold Lager, Susquehanna Brewing Co., Pittston, PA

Category 36: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 48 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, Fort Collins Brewery & Tavern, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Longboard Island Lager, Craft Brew Alliance – Kona Brewery, Kailua Kona, HI
Bronze: Helles Lager, Lucky Envelope Brewing, Seattle, WA

Category 37: American-Style Lager or Light Lager, 55 Entries
Gold: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Lone Tree Mexican Lager, Lone Tree Brewing Co., Lone Tree, CO
Bronze: Southern Girl Lager, Sycamore Brewing, Charlotte, NC

Category 38: American-Style Cream Ale, 56 Entries
Gold: Rainier Lager, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Olympia, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Nuff, Dale Bros Brewery, Upland, CA

Category 39: Vienna-Style Lager, 46 Entries
Gold: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Silver: Oktoberfest, Stoudts Brewing Co., Adamstown, PA
Bronze: Firebrick, August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm, MN

Category 40: German-Style Märzen, 65 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
Silver: Antonius 1742 Oktoberfest, Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Duck-Rabbit Märzen, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC

Category 41: American-Style Amber Lager, 48 Entries
Gold: Auburn Lager, Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
Silver: Karbachtoberfest, Karbach Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: St. Florian’s Brewery California Common, St. Florian’s Brewery, Windsor, CA

Category 42: European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel, 34 Entries
Gold: Gigi, Exile Brewing, Des Moines, IA
Silver: Fearless Youth, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Bronze: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category 43: American-Style Dark Lager, 21 Entries
Gold: Lagerithm, Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA
Silver: Lighter Than I Look, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Arroyo Grande, Arroyo Grande, CA
Bronze: Black Diamond, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 44: German-Style Schwarzbier, 37 Entries
Gold: Lobo Negro, Pedernales Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, TX
Silver: Black Knight, Fat Head’s Brewery – N. Olmstead, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: Eastside, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI

Category 45: Bock, 38 Entries
Gold: Break Line Bock, Rip Current Brewery, San Marcos, CA
Silver: Rock Out with Maibock Out, Hailstorm Brewing Co., Tinley Park, IL
Bronze: A Cart Ride to Mexico, Red Eye Brewing Co., Wausau, WI

Category 46: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 25 Entries
Gold: The Regulator, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX
Silver: Procrastinator Doppelbock, Fitger’s Brewhouse, Duluth, MN
Bronze: Hot for Teacher Ms. Doppelbock, Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 47: Baltic-Style Porter, 35 Entries
Gold: Cobaltic Porter, Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA
Silver: Double Porter, Bemidji Brewing Co., Bemidji, MN
Bronze: Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC

Category 48: Golden or Blonde Ale, 107 Entries
Gold: Sunlight Cream Ale, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Boxcar Blonde Ale, Heroes Restaurant and Brewery, Riverside, CA
Bronze: Alpine Gold, Tied House Cafe & Brewery – Mt. View, Mountain View, CA

Category 49: German-Style Kölsch, 111 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Kolsch Style, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Colorado Kölsch, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Friar Chuck, Black Bottle Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

Category 50: English-Style Summer Ale, 38 Entries
Gold: Beaverton Blonde, Golden Valley Brewery and Pub, McMinnville, OR
Silver: Cream Ale, Newburgh Brewing Co., Newburgh, NY
Bronze: Lonely Blonde, Fulton Beer, Minneapolis, MN

Category 51: Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 46 Entries
Gold: Mr. Kite’s Pale Ale, Social Kitchen & Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: India Pale Ale, Arcadia Brewing Co., Kalamazoo, MI
Bronze: PBW Pale Ale, Paducah Beer Werks, Paducah, KY

Category 52: English-Style India Pale Ale, 42 Entries
Gold: Shanghai’d IPA, Old Town Brewing, Portland, OR
Silver: Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Bronze: Hammersmith IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category 53: International-Style Pale Ale, 75 Entries
Gold: Mai Tai P.A., Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill, Monterey, CA
Silver: Rain Delay IPA, JAFB Wooster Brewery, Wooster, OH
Bronze: San Diego-Style IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA

Category 54: American-Style Pale Ale, 160 Entries
Gold: Monterey St. Pale Ale, Central Coast Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Silver: Hoppy Palm, Track 7 Brewing Co. – Natomas, Sacramento, CA
Bronze: Featherweight Pale Ale, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category 55: American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 134 Entries
Gold: Ratchet Strap IPA, Barley Brown’s Beer, Baker City, OR
Silver: Via Chicago, CODA Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: 3C India Pale Ale, Triple C Brewing, Charlotte, NC

Category 56: American-Style India Pale Ale, 336 Entries
Gold: Revolver IPA, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co., Santee, CA
Silver: Pernicious IPA, Wicked Weed Brewing – Candler, Candler, NC
Bronze: White Rajah, The Brew Kettle Taproom and Smokehouse, Strongsville, OH

Category 57: Imperial India Pale Ale, 208 Entries
Gold: Hop JuJu Imperial IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Silver: Eazy Duz It IIPA, Laurelwood Public House and Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Teahupo’o, Breakwater Brewing Co., Oceanside, CA

Category 58: American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 94 Entries
Gold: Immersion Amber Ale, Two Beers Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Silver: Proletariat Red, Lompoc Brewing – The 5th Quadrant, Portland, OR
Bronze: Sharkbite Red, Pizza Port Bressi Ranch, Carlsbad, CA

Category 59: Double Red Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Bone Head Imperial Red, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Silver: Toaster Pastry, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Leandro, CA
Bronze: GRAMBO, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category 60: Imperial Red Ale, 35 Entries
Gold: reDANKulous, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Silver: Wreak Havoc, Bootstrap Brewing Co., Niwot, CO
Bronze: Imperial Red Ale, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category 61: English-Style Mild Ale, 40 Entries
Gold: Mild, Brothers Craft Brewing, Harrisonburg, VA
Silver: Summer Porter, Fort Point Beer Co., San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Mamoot, Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia, MO

Category 62: Ordinary or Special Bitter, 43 Entries
Gold: DBA (Double Barrel Ale), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Spitfire Best Bitter, Flyers Restaurant and Brewery, Oak Harbor, WA
Bronze: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Category 63: Extra Special Bitter, 67 Entries
Gold: The Guilty Party, Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Co., Greensboro, NC
Silver: 14° ESB, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth, MN
Bronze: Red Fish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ

Category 64: Scottish-Style Ale, 52 Entries
Gold: Copper John Scotch Ale, Madison River Brewing Co., Belgrade, MT
Silver: Cold Smoke, KettleHouse Brewing Co., Missoula, MT
Bronze: Barrio Rojo, Barrio Brewing Co., Tucson, AZ

Category 65: Irish-Style Red Ale, 70 Entries
Gold: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Silver: Johnny Blood Red, Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI
Bronze: Hooligan’s Irish Red Ale, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT

Category 66: English-Style Brown Ale, 72 Entries
Gold: Red Hydrant Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: No Name, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Bronze: Rogue River Brown, Rockford Brewing Co. – Rockford, Michigan, Rockford, MI

Category 67: American-Style Brown Ale, 85 Entries
Gold: 1623 Brown Ale, 7th Settlement Brewery, Dover, NH
Silver: Rapture Fusion Brown Ale, Rabbit Hole Brewing, Justin, TX
Bronze: Restraint, Institution Ale Co., Camarillo, CA

Category 68: American-Style Black Ale, 54 Entries
Gold: Midnight Moonlight, Fat Head’s Brewery – N. Olmstead, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Singularity, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa, CA
Bronze: King Ink, Denver Beer Co. – Canworks, Denver, CO

Category 69: German-Style Sour Ale, 111 Entries
Gold: Gose, Reuben’s Brews Taproom, Seattle, WA
Silver: Volkssekt, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Cucumber Crush, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 70: German-Style Altbier, 49 Entries
Gold: Copper Alt, Zipline Brewing Co., Lincoln, NE
Silver: Generation Alt, Flix Brewhouse – Indy, Carmel, IN
Bronze: Altbier, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO

Category 71: South German-Style Hefeweizen, 95 Entries
Gold: Weißbier, Prost Brewing, Denver, CO
Silver: Wild Wapiti Wheat, Elk Mountain Brewing Co., Parker, CO
Bronze: Windansea Wheat, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 72: German-Style Wheat Ale, 35 Entries
Gold: Saint Arnold Weedwacker, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Silver: Weizenbock, Kansas City Bier Co., Kansas City, MO
Bronze: Monkey Business, New Bohemia Brewing Co., Santa Cruz, CA

Category 73: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale, 47 Entries
Gold: Bear Hair, Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia, MO
Silver: Bleek Worden, Prison City Brewing, Auburn, NY
Bronze: Belgian Style Pale Ale, Aardwolf Brewing Co., Jacksonville, FL

Category 74: Belgian-Style Witbier, 82 Entries
Gold: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: White Rascal, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Optimal Wit, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 75: French- and Belgian-Style Saison, 132 Entries
Gold: Siren’s Lure, Fair Winds Brewing Co., Lorton, VA
Silver: Daily Wages, Brasserie Saint James, Reno, NV
Bronze: Saison, URBN St. Brewing Co., El Cajon, CA

Category 76: Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 47 Entries
Gold: Vintage Monks, Adelbert’s Brewery, Austin, TX
Silver: Grisette, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA
Bronze: Petite Classique, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 77: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 78 Entries
Gold: Turbulent Consequence, Peche, Block 15, Corvallis, OR
Silver: Feral One, Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Buellton, CA
Bronze: Viejo Rojo, Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Truckee, Truckee, CA

Category 78: Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadruple, 60 Entries
Gold: Sanitarium, Bier Brewery and Taproom, Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Dubbel Entendre, River’s Edge Brewing Co., Milford, MI
Bronze: Qualified, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN

Category 79: Belgian-Style Tripel, 52 Entries
Gold: Wild West Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co. – NV, Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Allagash Tripel, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Bronze: Millennium Trippel, Church Brew Works – Lawrenceville Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA

Category 80: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 65 Entries
Gold: Van Dammit, Jailbreak Brewing Co., Laurel, MD
Silver: The Cannibal, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Quad Damn It, Chicago Brewing Co. – NV, Las Vegas, NV

Category 81: Other Belgian-Style Ale, 45 Entries
Gold: Spangalang Table Beer, Spangalang Brewery, Denver, CO
Silver: Summer Rye Ale, Mayflower Brewing Co., Plymouth, MA
Bronze: Witty Moron, Stone Brewing World Bistro, Liberty Station, San Diego, CA

Category 82: Brown Porter, 57 Entries
Gold: Disaster at Meux, Lion Bridge Brewing Co., Cedar Rapids, IA
Silver: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Factory 5, Cloverdale, CA
Bronze: Black Jack Porter, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Category 83: Robust Porter, 102 Entries
Gold: Recalcitrant Dockhand, Black Star Co-op, Austin, TX
Silver: Porter, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Bronze: Night Watchman, City Star Brewing, Berthoud, CO

Category 84: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 36 Entries
Gold: Stearns Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Silver: Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout, Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant, Novato, CA
Bronze: Dry Stout, Reuben’s Brews, Seattle, WA

Category 85: Export Stout, 39 Entries
Gold: Fade to Black, Volume 1, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: Black Rock Stout, Crossroads Brewing Co., Athens, NY
Bronze: Z-man Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category 86: American-Style Stout, 39 Entries
Gold: Disorder Stout, Barley Brown’s Brewpub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Black Cliffs, Boise Brewing, Boise, ID
Bronze: P2P, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 87: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout, 75 Entries
Gold: West O CocO, West O Beer, West Okoboji, IA
Silver: Chocolate Milk Stout, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: The Husstler, Huss Brewing, Tempe, AZ

Category 88: Oatmeal Stout, 73 Entries
Gold: R & R Oatmeal Stout, Beaver Street Brewery, Flagstaff, AZ
Silver: Scripps Pier Stout, South Park Brewing – CA, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Scaredy Cat, Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI

Category 89: Imperial Stout, 80 Entries
Gold: Double Negative, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn, NY
Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
Bronze: The Miller’s Toll, Raleigh Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

Category 90: Scotch Ale, 55 Entries
Gold: MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Silver: Black Lagoon Scottish Strong, Rip Current Brewery, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Real Heavy, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX

Category 91: Old Ale or Strong Ale, 39 Entries
Gold: Old Scrooge, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Silver: Innsmouth Olde Ale, Narragansett Brewing Co., Providence, RI
Bronze: MASSIVE! 2013, Gigantic Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category 92: Barley Wine-Style Ale, 56 Entries
Gold: Fat Hog, Ritual Brewing Co., Redlands, CA
Silver: Statik, Brewery Rickoli, Wheat Ridge, CO
Bronze: Old Skook, Three Magnets Brewing, Olympia, WA

2015 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition, 91 Entries
Gold: Muscat Love, Great South Bay Brewery; Bay Shore, NY
Brewmaster: Great South Bay Brewery Team, AHA Member: Brian Giebel

Silver: Atahsaisa, Odd13 Brewing; Lafayette, CO
Brewmaster: Ryan Scott and Brandon Boldt, AHA Member: Mike Froehlich

Bronze: Citra IPA, FATE Brewing; Boulder, CO
Brewmaster: FATE Brewing Company Team, AHA Member: Ryan Lotter

The 2015 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Very Small Brewing Company of the Year
Rip Current Brewery; San Marcos, CA
Brewer: Paul Sangster and Guy Shobe

Small Brewing Company of the Year
Port City Brewing; Alexandria, VA
Brewer: Port City Brewing Team

Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year
Firestone Walker Brewing; Paso Robles, CA
Brewer: Matt Brynildson & the Firestone Walker Brewing Team

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

Small Brewpub of the Year
Melvin Brewing; Jackson, WY
Brewer: Kirk McHale and Jeremy Tofte

Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year
TAPS Fish House & Brewery; Corona, CA
Brewer: TAPS Fish House & Brewery Team

Large Brewpub of the Year
Titletown Brewing; Green Bay, WI
Brewer: David Oldenburg

GABF Winners 2014

By

gabf-2014
Yesterday, the winners of the 33rd Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 5,507 beers were judged in 90 categories by 222 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: American-style IPA: 279 entries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 61.2
  • 1,309 breweries in the competition from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
  • 52 first-time breweries won medals
  • 4 breweries tied for most gold medals won; 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.–Outpost, and Left Hand Brewing Co.
  • 710 breweries in the festival hall
  • Over 3,500 beers served at the festival
  • 49,000 attendees

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 46
  2. Colorado = 39
  3. Oregon = 22
  4. Texas = 16
  5. Pennsylvania = 12
  6. TIE: Illinois, Washington = 9
  7. New Mexico = 8
  8. TIE: Virginia, Wisconsin = 7
  9. TIE: Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina = 6
  10. TIE: Maryland, Ohio, Utah = 5

Print

The 2014 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer, 31 Entries
Gold: Red Dawn, Carson’s Brewery, Evansville, IN
Silver: Yellow Armadillo, Thirsty Planet Brewing, Austin, TX
Bronze: Amber Waves, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast, 44 Entries
Gold: Whitetail Wheat, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Silver: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Wheatfish Wheat Lager, Great Northern Brewing Co., Whitefish, MT

Category 3: American-Style Fruit Beer, 56 Entries
Gold: Raspberry Stout, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond, VA
Silver: Sleepyhead Passion Fruit, Coda Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Apricot, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock, Aurora, CO

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer, 65 Entries
Gold: Apricot Ale, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, WA
Silver: Peachy Peach, Pagosa Brewing & Grill, Pagosa Springs, CO
Bronze: Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen, Wasatch Brewery, Park City, UT

Category 5: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer, 41 Entries
Gold: Raspberry Provincial, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Saison en Regalia, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Bronze: Poire du Pélican, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR

Category 6: Pumpkin Beer, 52 Entries
Gold: Wolaver’s Pumpkin Ale, Otter Creek Brewing Co., Middlebury, VT
Silver: Spiced Harvest, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Dover, DE
Bronze: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI

Category 7: Field Beer, 46 Entries
Gold: Cucumber Crush, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: 3 Pepper Ale, Rock Bottom Breweries, Broomfield, CO
Bronze: Elektrick Cukumbahh, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

Category 8: Herb and Spice Beer, 150 Entries
Gold: Basil Beer, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS
Silver: Aloha Piña, 5 Stones Artisan Brewery, Cibolo, TX
Bronze: Dawn Patrol Breakfast Stout, Coastal Empire Beer Co., Savannah, GA

Category 9: Chocolate Beer, 44 Entries
Gold: Chocolatized, Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, NC
Silver: Death By Coconut, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Sweet Baby Jesus!, DuClaw Brewing Co., Rosedale, MD

Category 10: Coffee Beer, 116 Entries
Gold: Mocha Machine, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Batshit Crazy, MobCraft Beer, Madison, WI
Bronze: Ascension, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX

Category 11: Specialty Beer, 47 Entries
Gold: Campfire Stout, High Water Brewing, Chico, CA
Silver: Maple Tripple Ale, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Warren, VT
Bronze: Nutcase Peanut Butter Porter, Listermann/Triple Digit Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH

Category 12: Rye Beer, 83 Entries
Gold: Rye Pale Ale, The Civil Life Brewing Co., St. Louis, MO
Silver: Rye of the Tiger, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA
Bronze: Rockchuck Rye, Lander Brewing Co., Lander, WY

Category 13: Specialty Honey Beer, 56 Entries
Gold: Mampara, Wicked Weed Brewing Funkatorium, Asheville, NC
Silver: Mexican Honey, Indeed Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Blue Moon Honey Grand Cru, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 14: Session Beer, 94 Entries
Gold: Oatmeal Stout, Benchmark Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA
Bronze: Mosaic Session Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA

Category 15: Other Strong Beer, 43 Entries
Gold: Double White, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Shadow of the Moon Imperial Stout, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL
Bronze: Aphotic Imperial Porter, High Water Brewing, Chico, CA

Category 16: Experimental Beer, 79 Entries
Gold: Key Lime Pie, Short’s Brewing Co., Elk Rapids, MI
Silver: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Black Project #1, Former Future Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 17: Fresh or Wet Hop Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Fresh Hop Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Fresh Hop Superpower IPA, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Acequia IPA, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 18: Indigenous/Regional Beer, 31 Entries
Gold: Salmonberry Sour, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Choc Lobster, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Bronze: Sage Fight IPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category 19: Historical Beer, 14 Entries
Gold: Thurston, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA
Silver: White Eagle Smoked Wheat, RAM Restaurant & Brewery – Schaumburg, Schaumburg, IL
Bronze: Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Category 20: Gluten-Free Beer, 20 Entries
Gold: Dark Ale, Ground Breaker Brewing, Portland, OR
Silver: Glutart, Bonfire Brewing, Eagle, CO
Bronze: Liberation Gluten Free, Shine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 21: American-Belgo-Style Ale, 69 Entries
Gold: White IPA, Badger Hill Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN
Silver: Belgian IPA, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – Rockville, Rockville, MD
Bronze: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 22: American-Style Sour Ale, 56 Entries
Gold: Cosmic Dust, The Rare Barrel, Berkeley, CA
Silver: Myrtle, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Los Innovadores Kriek, Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM

Category 23: American-Style Brett Beer, 44 Entries
Gold: Beltane, Propolis Brewing, Port Townsend, WA
Silver: Peche ‘n Brett, Logsdon Organic Farm Brewery, Hood River, OR
Bronze: Curiosity No. 2, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Athens, GA

Category 24: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 64 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Barrel Drafty Kilt, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, GA
Silver: Private Stock #472, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Bronze: Reintarnation, Ei8ht Ball Brewing, Newport, KY

Category 25: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 107 Entries
Gold: Lonesome Dove, Sun King Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Barrel Aged 666: Sympathy for the Devil, Sun King Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Buffalo Bock, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN

Category 26: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 65 Entries
Gold: Sour Beer #2, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Silver: Recolte Du Bois – Apricot, Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Truckee, Truckee, CA
Bronze: Yazoo Embrace the Funk “Cherry Deux Rouges”, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Category 27: Aged Beer, 22 Entries
Gold: 2012 Great Scot!, Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: Saint Bob’s Imperial Stout ‘07, Canteen Brewhouse, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Brother Dewey’s Date Night, College Street Brewhouse & Pub, Lake Havasu City, AZ

Category 28: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, 48 Entries
Gold: Gold Beach Lager, Arch Rock Brewing Co., Gold Beach, OR
Silver: Surfliner Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: 18th Rebellion, Horse Thief Hollow, Chicago, IL

Category 29: Smoke Beer, 55 Entries
Gold: Rauchbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – Annapolis, Annapolis, MD
Silver: Smokejumper Smoked Imperial Porter, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Bronze: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2013, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category 30: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 29 Entries
Gold: Pre-Flight Pilsner, Airways Brewing Co., Kent, WA
Silver: Howdy Beer, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO
Bronze: Remain In Light, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA

Category 31: German-Style Pilsener, 75 Entries
Gold: Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: STS Pils, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Tiny Bomb, Wiseacre Brewing Co., Memphis, TN

Category 32: Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 46 Entries
Gold: Class VI Golden Lager, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Patio Pounding Pilz, LowDown Brewery + Kitchen, Denver, CO
Bronze: Double Aught, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category 33: Munich-Style Helles, 50 Entries
Gold: Golden Export, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Broomfield, CO
Silver: Saint Arnold Summer Pils, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: Stammtisch Lager, Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI

Category 34: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 26 Entries
Gold: The Weasel, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery – Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch, CO
Silver: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Move Back, The Sandlot, Denver, CO

Category 35: American-Style Lager or Light Lager, 32 Entries
Gold: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Coors Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category 36: American-Style Cream Ale, 43 Entries
Gold: Primo, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Colorado Cream Ale, Station 26 Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 37: Vienna-Style Lager, 48 Entries
Gold: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Buellton, Buellton, CA
Silver: Gumps, Platt Park Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: VTwin, Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton, FL

Category 38: German-Style Märzen, 59 Entries
Gold: Capital Oktoberfest, Capital Brewery Co., Middleton, WI
Silver: Duck-Rabbit Marzen, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC
Bronze: Octoberfest, Abita Brewing Co., Abita Springs, LA

Category 39: American-Style Amber Lager, 52 Entries
Gold: Colorado Native Amber Lager, AC Golden, Golden, CO
Silver: Colorado Native Golden Lager, AC Golden, Golden, CO
Bronze: Rocket Bike Lager, Moab Brewery, Moab, UT

Category 40: European-Style Dunkel, 23 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Buoy Dunkel, Buoy Beer Co., Astoria, OR
Bronze: Dunkles, Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., San Jose, CA

Category 41: American-Style Dark Lager, 19 Entries
Gold: Lagerithm, Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA
Silver: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Bronze: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

Category 42: German-Style Schwarzbier, 37 Entries
Gold: Schwartz Bier, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Silver: Lobo Negro, Pedernales Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, TX
Bronze: Duck-Rabbit Schwarzbier, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC

Category 43: Bock, 27 Entries
Gold: Troegenator, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Bronze: Winterbock, Triumph Brewing Co. of New Hope, New Hope, PA

Category 44: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 20 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Silver: The Kaiser, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: The Regulator, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth, TX

Category 45: Baltic-Style Porter, 42 Entries
Gold: Perkuno’s Hammer, Earth – Bread + Brewery, Philadelphia, PA
Silver: Black Eagle Baltic Porter, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Bronze: Puddy Porter, Faction Brewing Co., Alameda, CA

Category 46: Golden or Blonde Ale, 90 Entries
Gold: No Medal Award
Silver: 5 Rabbit Golden Ale, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Bedford Park, IL
Bronze: Gold, Heavy Seas Beer, Baltimore, MD

Category 47: German-Style Kölsch, 84 Entries
Gold: Laimas Kolsch, FATE Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: I’d Like to Buy the World a Kolsch, Old Town Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Canoe Paddler, Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI

Category 48: English-Style Summer Ale, 37 Entries
Gold: True Blonde Ale, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Ale 208, Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, ID
Bronze: Surfer’s Summer Ale, Pelican Brewing Co., Tillamook, OR

Category 49: Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 33 Entries
Gold: HopFish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ
Silver: Caldera Ashland Amber, Caldera Brewing Co., Ashland, OR
Bronze: Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN

Category 50: English-Style India Pale Ale, 33 Entries
Gold: Tumbleweed IPA, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Silver: Gatecrasher IPA, Temperance Beer Co., Evanston, IL
Bronze: Burton IPA, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA

Category 51: International-Style Pale Ale, 88 Entries
Gold: Hand Truck Pale Ale, Barley Brown’s Beer, Baker City, OR
Silver: Summer Ale, Fremont Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: The Pupil, Societe Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 52: American-Style Pale Ale, 145 Entries
Gold: Grunion, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits – Scripps Ranch, San Diego, CA
Silver: NYPA, Peekskill Brewery, Peekskill, NY
Bronze: Reef Donkey APA, Tampa Bay Brewing Co., Tampa, FL

Category 53: American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 134 Entries
Gold: Scepter Head, Draught Works, Missoula, MT
Silver: Fire Eagle, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Bronze: Breakside Wanderlust IPA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR

Category 54: American-Style India Pale Ale, 279 Entries
Gold: Breakside IPA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR
Silver: Heyoka, Half Acre Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Bronze: Bodhi, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

Category 55: Imperial India Pale Ale, 135 Entries
Gold: Creeper, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH
Silver: Hop 15, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Category 56: American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 140 Entries
Gold: Dougie Style Amber Ale, Canteen Brewhouse, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Amber Waves Ale, Capitol City Brewing Co., Arlington, VA
Bronze: Rocco Red Ale, Bootlegger’s Brewery, Fullerton, CA

Category 57: Imperial Red Ale, 62 Entries
Gold: Imperial Red, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Hop Donkey Imperial Red Ale, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Bronze: Shark Attack, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Category 58: English-Style Mild Ale, 40 Entries
Gold: Workman’s Compensation, Lion Bridge Brewing Co., Cedar Rapids, IA
Silver: Mamoot Mild Ale, Logboat Brewing Co., Columbia, MO
Bronze: S.S. Minnow Mild Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO

Category 59: Ordinary or Special Bitter, 38 Entries
Gold: London Homesick Ale, Oasis, Texas Brewing Co., Austin, TX
Silver: Cutthroat, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Wisco Disco, Stillmank Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI

Category 60: Extra Special Bitter, 71 Entries
Gold: Public Ale, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: RedFish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ
Bronze: 14° ESB, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth, MN

Category 61: Scottish-Style Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: Scottish Pride, McHale’s Brewhouse, Chattanooga, TN
Silver: Back Country Scottish Ale, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co., Helena, MT
Bronze: McGreagor Scottish Ale, Kootenai River Brewing Co., Bonners Ferry, ID

Category 62: Irish-Style Red Ale, 60 Entries
Gold: ‘Rado’s Red Ale, Crow Hop Brewing Co., Loveland, CO
Silver: Piper Down, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits – Scripps Ranch, San Diego, CA
Bronze: “Hydraulion” Red, Three Notch’d Brewing Co., Charlottesville, VA

Category 63: English-Style Brown Ale, 67 Entries
Gold: Sir William’s English Brown Ale, Grapevine Craft Brewery, Grapevine, TX
Silver: No Medal Awarded
Bronze: Bonanza Brown Ale, Tenaya Creek Brewery, Las Vegas, NV

Category 64: American-Style Brown Ale, 81 Entries
Gold: Face Down Brown, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO
Silver: Braggarts Brown Ale, Diebolt Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 65: American-Style Black Ale, 72 Entries
Gold: Black IPA, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Silver: Black Hops Tactical IPA, Überbrew, Billings, MT
Bronze: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category 66: German-Style Sour Ale, 80 Entries
Gold: Reserve Wheat Ale, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Silver: Old Pro Gose, Union Craft Brewing, Baltimore, MD
Bronze: Berliner Weiss, Fegley’s Brew Works, Allentown, PA

Category 67: German-Style Altbier, 33 Entries
Gold: Red Alt, White Bluffs Brewing, Richland, WA
Silver: Dusseldorf Altbier, Redwood Curtain Brewing Co., Arcata, CA
Bronze: Alt Bier, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category 68: South German-Style Hefeweizen, 89 Entries
Gold: Little Egypt Hefeweizen, Carbondale Craft Beer, Carbondale, IL
Silver: Hefeweizen, Black Market Brewing Co., Temecula, CA
Bronze: Washout Wheat, Holy City Brewing, Charleston, SC

Category 69: German-Style Wheat Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: AlpenGlow, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Silver: Weizenbock, 13 Virtues Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Saint Arnold Weedwacker, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 70: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale, 44 Entries
Gold: Jean-Claude Van Blond, Wit’s End Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Babe’s Belgian Vanilla Blonde Ale, Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse, Rancho Mirage, CA
Bronze: Rainmaker Ale, Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort, MI

Category 71: Belgian-Style Witbier, 65 Entries
Gold: White Ale, Saint Archer Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Ommegang Witte, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Bronze: ZON Belgian-Style Witbier, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category 72: French- and Belgian-Style Saison, 115 Entries
Gold: Daily Wages, Brasserie Saint James, Reno, NV
Silver: Un Atout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Bronze: Saison-Brett, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category 73: Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 27 Entries
Gold: Grisette, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA
Silver: The Citizen, DC Brau Brewing Co., Washington, DC
Bronze: Barren Hill Biere De Extra, Barren Hill Tavern and Brewery, Lafayette Hill, PA

Category 74: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 60 Entries
Gold: Benedictum, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Silver: Coolship Resurgam, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Bronze: Jon Flanders, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA

Category 75: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale, 62 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Tetravis, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Silver: Sanitarium, Bier Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Dubbel Entendre, Sound Brewery, Poulsbo, WA

Category 76: Belgian-Style Tripel, 58 Entries
Gold: Golden Monkey, Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA
Silver: Bedotter, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Newark, Newark, DE
Bronze: La Flama Dorada, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA

Category 77: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 64 Entries
Gold: Squatters Hell’s Keep, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Thor’s Hammer, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Bronze: Golden Sabbath, Big Island Brewhaus, Kamuela, HI

Category 78: Other Belgian-Style Ale, 26 Entries
Gold: Witty Moron, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, San Diego, CA
Silver: La Querelle, Mystery Brewing Co., Hillsborough, NC
Bronze: Darth Delirium, Broken Tooth Brewing, Anchorage, AK

Category 79: Brown Porter, 61 Entries
Gold: Double Nut Brown, Mammoth Brewing Co., Mammoth Lakes, CA
Silver: Black Jack Porter, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Bronze: Power House Porter, Sockeye Brewing, Boise, ID

Category 80: Robust Porter, 83 Entries
Gold: Pop’s Porter, Wynwood Brewing Co., Miami, FL
Silver: Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Peck’s Porter, Tapistry Brewing Co., Bridgman, MI

Category 81: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 26 Entries
Gold: Irish Table, Fonta Flora Brewery, Morganton, NC
Silver: Shaft House Stout, Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino, Central City, CO
Bronze: Asphalt Jungle, Bagby Beer Co., Oceanside, CA

Category 82: Foreign-Style Stout, 32 Entries
Gold: Void of Light, Gun Hill Brewing Co., Bronx, NY
Silver: Wooster New Stout, JAFB Wooster Brewery, Wooster, OH
Bronze: San Quentin’s Breakout Stout, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA

Category 83: American-Style Stout, 48 Entries
Gold: Defender, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago, IL
Silver: Disorder, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: P2P, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 84: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout, 64 Entries
Gold: West O CocO Stout, West O Beer, West Okoboji, IA
Silver: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Bronze: Outlaw Milk Stout, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Reno, Reno, NV

Category 85: Oatmeal Stout, 55 Entries
Gold: Gold Medal Oatmeal Stout, Blue Corn Café and Brewery, Santa Fe, NM
Silver: Darkside of the Pint, Four Seasons Brewing Co., Latrobe, PA
Bronze: Backside Stout, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Category 86: Imperial Stout, 78 Entries
Gold: Quakertown, Armadillo Ale Works, Denton, TX
Silver: Double Negative, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Brooklyn, NY
Bronze: Narwhal Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Category 87: Scotch Ale, 47 Entries
Gold: Wee Heavy, Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN
Silver: Loch, BRU Handbuilt Ales & Eats, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Marauder, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA

Category 88: Old Ale or Strong Ale, 32 Entries
Gold: Arctic Alchemy, Fegley’s Brew Works, Allentown, PA
Silver: Old Scrooge, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA
Bronze: Good Faith, Discretion Brewing, Soquel, CA

Category 89: Barley Wine-Style Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Mastiff Barleywine, Campbell Brewing Co., Campbell, CA
Bronze: Galaxian, Bootlegger’s Brewery, Fullerton, CA

Category 90: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 109 Entries
Gold: A Night to End All Dawns, Kane Brewing Co., Ocean, NJ
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star, Fremont Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Jaguar Shark, Pinthouse Pizza Craft Brewpub, Austin, TX

2014 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition, 89 Entries
Gold: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish 80 Shilling Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA
Brewmaster: Team Bear Republic/Richard Norgrove, AHA Member: Michael Kelly

Silver: Spencer Pale Ale, Kokopelli Beer Co., Westminster, CO
Brewmaster: Kokopelli Brew Crew, AHA Member: Daniel Christensen

Bronze: I Wanna Rauch!, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO
Brewmaster: Ashton Lewis & Bruce Johnson, AHA Member: Keith Wallis

The 2014 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Very Small Brewing Company of the Year
Draught Works, Missoula, MT
Brewer: Draught Works Brew Team

Small Brewing Company of the Year
Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Brewer: Team Marble

Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year
Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Brewer: DB Brewery Team

Large Brewing Company of the Year
AC Golden, Golden, CO
Brewer: AC Golden Brewing Team

Small Brewpub of the Year
Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Brewer: Rockne Van Meter

Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year
Brasserie Saint James, Reno, NV
Brewer: Josh Watterson & Matt Watterson

Large Brewpub of the Year
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Brewer: Julian Shrago & Ian McCall

GABF Winners 2013

By

gabf-2012
Earlier today, the winners of the 32nd Great American Beer Festival were announced. A record 4,809 beers were judged in 84 categories by 201 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

  • Category with the most entries: American-style IPA: 252 entries
  • Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 51
  • 745 breweries in the competition from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C.
  • 230 breweries entered for the first time
  • 24 first-time breweries won medals
  • 2 breweries tied for most gold medals won; Firestone Walker and Left Hand Brewing
  • 624 breweries in the festival hall
  • Over 3,100 beers served at the festival
  • 49,000 attendees

Medals Won by State:

  1. California = 52
  2. Colorado = 45
  3. Oregon = 25
  4. Virginia = 14
  5. Pennsylvania = 12
  6. Texas = 10
  7. TIE: New Mexico, Ohio = 8
  8. TIE: Missouri, New York = 7
  9. TIE: Arizona, Utah, Wisconsin = 5
  10. TIE: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Washington = 4

gabf-2012

The 2013 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer, 31 Entries
Gold: Shredders Wheat, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City , OR
Silver: American Wheat , Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Bronze: Super 77 Wheat, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Greeley, CO

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast, 32 Entries
Gold: American Hefeweizen, Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Silver: Wheatfi sh, Great Northern Brewing Co., Whitefi sh, MT
Bronze: Helio Hefeweizen, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category 3: Fruit Beer, 73 Entries
Gold: Golden Knot – Chardonnay, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Serendipity, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Bronze: Sparkleberry Ale, Bell’s Brewery, Galesburg, MI

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer, 48 Entries
Gold: Peachy Peach, Pagosa Brewing & Grill, Pagosa Springs, CO
Silver: Bitchin’ Berry, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Reno, Reno, NV
Bronze: Lilikoi Kepolo, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 5: Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer, 91 Entries
Gold: Elektrick Cukumbahh, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Silver: Anaheim IPA, Ram Restaurant and Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Splashing Pumpkin, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY

Category 6: Herb and Spice Beer, 134 Entries
Gold: Bitterama, Namaste Brewing at the Whip In, Austin, TX
Silver: Chai Milk Stout, Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub, Arvada, CO
Bronze: Elba, Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery, Austin, TX

Category 7: Chocolate Beer, 39 Entries
Gold: Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: The Fix, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Chocolate Meltdown, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA

Category 8: Coff ee Beer, 92 Entries
Gold: Panama Joe’s Coff ee Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Barrel-Aged Sump Coff ee Stout, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: System of a Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category 9: Specialty Beer, 31 Entries
Gold: Warmer, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, Redlands, CA
Silver: Fate Candy Bar Milk Stout, Fate Brewing Co. – Scottsdale, AZ, Scottsdale, AZ
Bronze: Pack Dog Peanut Butter Ale, Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Bloomsburg, PA

Category 10: Rye Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: LowRyeDer, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Silver: Rye Smile, Triple Rock Brewery, Berkeley, CA
Bronze: RastafaRye, Blue Point Brewing Co., Patchogue, NY

Category 11: Specialty Honey Beer, 40 Entries
Gold: Buzzed Bee Honey Ale, High Sierra Brewing Co., Carson City, NV
Silver: Midas Touch, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Bronze: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 12: Session Beer, 56 Entries
Gold: Beer Hunter, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA
Silver: MCA, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Torque, Kinetic Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA

Category 13: Other Strong Beer, 51 Entries
Gold: Mass Rising, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA
Silver: Power Wagon, Big Sky Brewing Co., Missoula, MT
Bronze: XX Dwarf, Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI

Category 14: Experimental Beer, 66 Entries
Gold: Hops n’ Roses, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Silver: Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Smaug’s Breath, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI
Bronze: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 15: Fresh Hop Ale, 46 Entries
Gold: Cent’s and Censability, Old Town Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Trail Head, Fat Heads Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Bronze: Fresh Hop Pallet Jack, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category 16: Indigenous Beer, 28 Entries
Gold: Vinland 2, Mystic Brewery, Chelsea, MA
Silver: Sage Fight Imperial IPA, Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Bend, OR
Bronze: Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Category 17: Gluten-Free Beer, 14 Entries
Gold: Harvester Brewing IPA No. 1, Harvester Brewing, Portland, OR
Silver: Gluten Free, Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Bend, OR
Bronze: Gluten-Free Brown Ale, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO

Category 18: American-Belgo-Style Ale, 81 Entries
Gold: BrickStone Belgo-APA, BrickStone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL
Silver: Belgo Hoptologist, Knee Deep Brewing Co., Lincoln, CA
Bronze: Little Green, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR

Category 19: American-Style Sour Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Ching Ching, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Myrtle, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category 20: American-Style Brett Beer, 38 Entries
Gold: Serenity, Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville, NC
Silver: Sanctifi cation, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: HopSavant, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO

Category 21: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 49 Entries
Gold: Hellshire III, Oakshire Brewing, Eugene, OR
Silver: Barrel-Aged Frostbite Lager, Ram Restaurant and Brewery – Illinois, Wheeling, IL
Bronze: Rum Barrel Belgian Dubbel Style Ale, Three Brothers Brewing, Harrisonburg, VA

Category 22: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 117 Entries
Gold: Afternoon Delight, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Twisted Trace, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Barrel-Aged Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category 23: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 89 Entries
Gold: Blot Out the Sun, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Silver: Barrel-Aged Narwhal, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH

Category 24: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 76 Entries
Gold: Love Child No. 3, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Dark and Stormy, McKenzie Brew House, Glen Mills, PA
Bronze: Pentagram, Surly Brewing Co., Brooklyn Center, MN

Category 25: Aged Beer, 31 Entries
Gold: Lovely, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: 2009 Big Black Voodoo Daddy, Voodoo Brewery, Meadville, PA
Bronze: COLOSSAL ONE, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 26: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, 30 Entries
Gold: Keller Pils, Prost Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Surfl iner Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Progress Pilsner, Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH

Category 27: Smoke Beer, 79 Entries
Gold: Second Hand Smoke, SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Smokin’ Handsome, Yellow Springs Brewery, Yellow Springs, OH
Bronze: COLOSSAL TWO, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 28: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 29 Entries
Silver: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA

Category 29: German-Style Pilsener, 56 Entries
Gold: Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Pilsner, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA

Category 30: Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 53 Entries
Gold: Bohemian Pilsner, Ninkasi Brewing Co., Eugene, OR
Silver: Czech Pilsner, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Broomfield, CO
Bronze: Bohemian Pilsner, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, NC

Category 31: Munich-Style Helles, 42 Entries
Gold: Helles Festbier, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT
Silver: Saint Arnold Summer Pils, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: TAPS Helles, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Brea, Brea, CA

Category 32: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 29 Entries
Gold: Move Back, SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Oktoberfest, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Thunder from Dortmunder, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category 33: American-Style Lager or Light Lager, 42 Entries
Gold: Budweiser Select, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
Silver: Miller High Life, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Special Export, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 34: American-Style Cream Ale, 37 Entries
Gold: Natural Ice, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 35: Vienna-Style Lager, 30 Entries
Gold: Churchville Lager, Neshaminy Creek Brewing, Croydon, PA
Silver: Oktoberfest, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Bronze: Octoberfest , Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA

Category 36: German-Style Märzen, 51 Entries
Gold: Rhinofest, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA
Silver: Octoberfest, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA
Bronze: Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD

Category 37: American-Style Amber Lager, 61 Entries
Gold: Rod’s Steam Bitter, Second Street Brewery, Santa Fe, NM
Silver: OktoberFish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ
Bronze: Schell’s Oktoberfest, August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm, MN

Category 38: European-Style Dunkel, 19 Entries
Gold: Munich Dunkel, Carver Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Heart of Darkness Dunkel, Springfi eld Brewing Co., Springfield, MO
Bronze: The Fearless Youth, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO

Category 39: American-Style Dark Lager, 22 Entries
Gold: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI
Bronze: Black Diamond, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 40: German-Style Schwarzbier, 26 Entries
Gold: Black Thunder, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Silver: Black Knight, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Corona, CA

Category 41: Bock, 28 Entries
Gold: Troegenator Double Bock, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Andygator, Abita Brewing Co., Abita Springs, LA
Bronze: Goat Rancher, SandLot, Denver, CO

Category 42: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 32 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Samuel Adams,Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Christian Moerlein Emancipator, Christian Moerlein Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Resurrection Doppelbock, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category 43: Baltic-Style Porter, 16 Entries
Gold: Black Eagle Baltic Porter, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Silver: The Hammer, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfi eld, CO
Bronze: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category 44: Golden or Blonde Ale, 69 Entries
Gold: Foam Top, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Bronze: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Category 45: German-Style Kölsch, 60 Entries
Gold: Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI
Silver: Tailgater Kölsch, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR
Bronze: Potential Blonde, Kinetic Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA

Category 46: English-Style Summer Ale, 27 Entries
Gold: True Blonde Ale, Ska Brewing, Durango, CO
Silver: Hanging Lake, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Bronze: Sum’r, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category 47: Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Extra Pale Summer Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Breakside ESB, Breakside Brewery – Pub Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 48: English-Style India Pale Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Taproom IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR
Bronze: Enterprise IPA, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock, Aurora, CO

Category 49: International-Style Pale Ale, 30 Entries
Gold: Hand Truck, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City , OR
Silver: Amazeballs, Peekskill Brewery, Peekskill, NY
Bronze: IPL, AC Golden, Golden, CO

Category 50: American-Style Pale Ale, 124 Entries
Gold: Lumberyard American Pale Ale, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff , AZ
Silver: Featherweight Pale, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Citra Rye Pale Ale, Joseph James Brewing Co., Henderson, NV

Category 51: American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 120 Entries
Gold: Bonobos, Monkey Paw Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Kung Fu Elvis, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA

Category 52: American-Style India Pale Ale, 252 Entries
Gold: Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Union Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Project Dank: Operation Pharoah’s Return, La Cumbre Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 53: Imperial India Pale Ale, 149 Entries
Gold: Hop JuJu, Fat Heads Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Silver: Permanent Funeral, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Bronze: Notch 9 Double IPA, Smartmouth Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA

Category 54: American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 89 Entries
Gold: Prohibition Ale, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, San Francisco, CA
Bronze: Red Rock, Triple Rock Brewery, Berkeley, CA

Category 55: Imperial Red Ale, 56 Entries
Silver: Rhino Chaser, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA
Bronze: Bombay Rouge Red IPA, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA

Category 56: English-Style Mild Ale, 35 Entries
Gold: S.S. Minnow Mild, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO
Silver: Brawler, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Ale of Fergus, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category 57: Ordinary or Special Bitter, 37 Entries
Gold: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: HMS Victory Amber, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Men’s Room Original Red, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 58: Extra Special Bitter, 56 Entries
Gold: Public Ale, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: True Brit IPA, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN
Bronze: Fed, White & Brew, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA

Category 59: Scottish-Style Ale, 42 Entries
Gold: Scottish Ale, Campbell Brewing Co., Campbell , CA
Silver: Kilt Lifter, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Redhawk Ale, Rockyard Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO

Category 60: Irish-Style Red Ale, 48 Entries
Gold: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Colorado Boy Irish Ale, Colorado Boy Brewing Co., Ridgway, CO
Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Category 61: English-Style Brown Ale, 41 Entries
Gold: Bandit Brown, City Star Brewing, Berthoud, CO
Silver: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM
Bronze: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Category 62: American-Style Brown Ale, 66 Entries
Gold: Davy Brown Ale, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Buellton, Buellton, CA
Silver: End Of The Trail Brown Ale, Blue Corn Brewery, Santa Fe, NM
Bronze: Doryman’s Dark Ale, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacifi c City, OR

Category 63: American-Style Black Ale, 73 Entries
Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Black Sails, Coronado Brewing Company Brewpub, Coronado, CA
Bronze: Oxymoron, Oceanside Ale Works, Oceanside, CA

Category 64: German-Style Altbier, 32 Entries
Gold: Tree Hugger, Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, GA
Silver: Brewers Cut Altbier, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: Echo Amber, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO

Category 65: German-Style Sour Ale, 46 Entries
Gold: German Sparkle Party Berliner Weiss, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Passionfruit Sour, Breakside Brewery – Milwaukie Brewery, Milwaukie, OR

Category 66: South German-Style Hefeweizen, 77 Entries
Gold: Big Horn Hefeweizen, CB and Potts Restaurant and Brewery, Highlands Ranch, CO
Silver: Ebel’s Weiss, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Bronze: Brooklyner Weisse, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

Category 67: German-Style Wheat Ale, 28 Entries
Gold: Slam Dunkel, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Bavarian Sun, Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Wheeling, IL
Bronze: Saint Arnold Weedwacker, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 68: Belgian-Style Witbier, 66 Entries
Gold: Optimal Wit, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Silver: Wasatch White Label, Utah Brewers Co-op, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category 69: French & Belgian-Style Saison, 119 Entries
Gold: Liopard Oir Farmhouse Saison, Lavery Brewing Co., Erie, PA
Silver: Urban Farmhouse Ale, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale, Crossroads Brewing Co., Athens, NY

Category 70: Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Azreal, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Silver: Grisette, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA
Bronze: California Ale, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA

Category 71: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 47 Entries
Gold: American Blackberry Sour Ale, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Squatters Fifth Element, Squatters and Wasatch Beers, Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Atrial Rubicite, Jester King Brewery, Austin, TX

Category 72: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale, 88 Entries
Gold: Cedar Creek Belgian Style Dubbel, Cedar Creek Brewery, Seven Points, TX
Silver: AleSmith Decadence 2012 Quadrupel, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Ommegang Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown , NY

Category 73: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 80 Entries
Gold: Stumblin’ Monk, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE
Silver: Quad Damn It, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: The Twelve – Belgian Quad, Black Diamond Brewing Co., Concord, CA

Category 74: Brown Porter, 30 Entries
Gold: Old Tom Porter, Piney River Brewing Co., Bucyrus, MO
Silver: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Bronze: Blind Jake, Pinthouse Pizza, Austin, TX

Category 75: Robust Porter, 74 Entries
Gold: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfi eld, CO
Silver: Black Robusto Porter, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA
Bronze: Genuine Oatmeal Porter, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro, NC

Category 76: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 31 Entries
Gold: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA
Silver: Stearns Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout, Moylan’s Brewing Co., Novato, CA

Category 77: Foreign-Style Stout, 31 Entries
Gold: Fade to Black Volume 1, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: Don Vanuchi “The Killer”, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City , OR
Bronze: Tsunami Stout, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Category 78: American-Style Stout, 40 Entries
Gold: Kilgore Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Battlecat Stout, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Bronze: Stumpy Ridge Stout, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Category 79: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout, 39 Entries
Gold: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Silver: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Bronze: Dark Lightning Milk Stout, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ

Category 80: Oatmeal Stout, 48 Entries
Gold: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Buellton, Buellton, CA
Silver: Gold Medal Stout, Blue Corn Brewery, Santa Fe, NM
Bronze: Oats., Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category 81: Imperial Stout, 59 Entries
Gold: Ale Epeteios, Left Coast Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA
Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Bronze: Hammer and Sickle, Renegade Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 82: Scotch Ale, 44 Entries
Gold: Wee Heavy, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – South Dock, Aurora, CO
Silver: Loose Lucy Scotch Ale, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz, CA
Bronze: Heritage, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category 83: Old Ale or Strong Ale, 41 Entries
Gold: Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI
Silver: Irish Walker, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Bronze: Mule Kick, City Star Brewing, Berthoud, CO

Category 84: Barley Wine-Style Ale, 55 Entries
Gold: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Old Bounder, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Release the Hounds Barley Wine, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO

2013 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition
Gold: Poblano, Cigar City Brewing
Brewmaster: Wayne Wambles, Cigar City, and AHA member Jeff Gladish
Silver: Charlie’s Brown, New Belgium Brewing Co.
Brewmaster: Peter Bouckaert/Grady Hull, New Belgium Brewing Co., and AHA member Mike Formisan
Bronze: Oatmeal Stout, Upslope Brewing Co.
Brewmaster: Alex Violette, Upslope Brewing Co., and AHA member Derek Ordway

The 2013 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Baker City Brewing Company
Brewer: Marks Lanham and Eli Dickison

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Basecamp
Brewer: Jason Oliver

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Brewer: Matt Brynildson

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sandlot
Brewer: John, Tom, Bill & Addison

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Gella’s Diner & Lb Brewing Company
Brewer: Gerald Wyman

Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
Brewer: Julian Shrago and Ian McCall

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Pelican Brewing Company
Brewer: Darron Welch and Steve Panos

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
Rock Bottom Brewery
Brewer: Team Rock Bottom

GABF Winners 2012

By

gabf-2012
Put a fork in the 31st Great American Beer Festival, it’s done, with some pretty impressive statistics again. A record 4,388 beers were judged in 84 categories by 185 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

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

The Breweries That Won the Most Medals:

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

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

The Most Gold Medals Won:

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

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

Medals Won by State:

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

gabf-2012

The 2012 Great American Beer Festival Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GABF Winners 2011

By

gabf-2011
The 30th Great American Beer Festival is now in the history books, with some pretty impressive statistics. A record 3,930 beers were judged in 83 categories by 167 judges from 9 nations. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:

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

The Breweries That Won the Most Medals:

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

The Most Gold Medals Won:

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

Medals Won by State:

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

The 2011 Great American Beer Festival Winners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 30th Great American Beer Festival Judging

By

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

2011_judges
Click on the photo for a larger view.