Combine the Super Bowl, World Series, NCAA Basketball Championship, Nobel Prize - mash them all together, stir, let them ferment a while, invite 62,000 people to Denver, and call it the Great American Beer Festival.This year (as expected) was the biggest ever. It just keeps growing.
Boulder-based Brewers Association has hosted the event since 1982. They added another 100,000 square feet to the venue this year, which provided 17% more elbow room overall inside the cavernous Denver Convention Center. Breweries were organized alphabetically, instead of regionally as at past GABF events. This probably worked best for locating who was where, and it made for interesting discoveries of new beers alongside favorites.
It's still the largest beer competition in the world. Some stats to consider:
Sadly, this will be the last awards ceremony for Charlie Papazian. He started GABF in 1982, and has been at the helm of the Brewers Association for decades. In January 2019, Charlie will exit the Brewers Association on his 70th birthday. Time to relax and have a homebrew, huh Charlie?
He did get to honor Gov. John Hickenlooper with the Friend in Beer Award before Saturday night's session - in recognition of Hick's contributions to, support of and storied history with the craft brewing community. He was one of the founding partners of Denver's Wynkoop Brewing before being elected governor. Maybe Hick will get his chance to be president of the BA, when Charlie steps down.
If you made it to GABF, good for you. It's always a unique beer experience. And if you didn't, no worries. Here's a list and a few photos of the Colorado brewers who won awards at this year's GABF, and we suggest heading out to visit them and try their award-winners for yourself, without all the crowds, direct from the source. See tasty and how much fun it is to support your local brewer?
Boulder-based Brewers Association has hosted the event since 1982. They added another 100,000 square feet to the venue this year, which provided 17% more elbow room overall inside the cavernous Denver Convention Center. Breweries were organized alphabetically, instead of regionally as at past GABF events. This probably worked best for locating who was where, and it made for interesting discoveries of new beers alongside favorites.
It's still the largest beer competition in the world. Some stats to consider:
- 32nd edition of the GABF competition
- 8,496 entries plus 101 Pro-Am and 49 Collaboration entries
- 2,404 breweries in the competition from 49 states plus Washington, D.C. (no Mississippi)
- 293 judges from 13 countries
- Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 83
- Category with the highest number of entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (391 entries)
- 280 medal-winning breweries (including Pro-Am and Collaboration)
- 306 total medals awarded plus three (3) each for Pro-Am and Collaboration
- 537 first-time GABF entrants
- 31 first-time GABF winners
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
Charlie Papazian chats about his passion - homebrewing.
He did get to honor Gov. John Hickenlooper with the Friend in Beer Award before Saturday night's session - in recognition of Hick's contributions to, support of and storied history with the craft brewing community. He was one of the founding partners of Denver's Wynkoop Brewing before being elected governor. Maybe Hick will get his chance to be president of the BA, when Charlie steps down.
If you made it to GABF, good for you. It's always a unique beer experience. And if you didn't, no worries. Here's a list and a few photos of the Colorado brewers who won awards at this year's GABF, and we suggest heading out to visit them and try their award-winners for yourself, without all the crowds, direct from the source. See tasty and how much fun it is to support your local brewer?
Gold
Australian-Style Pale Ale
Sunshine Express
Butcherknife Brewing Co.
Steamboat Springs, CO
Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale
Jean-Claude Van Blond
Wit's End Brewing Co.
Denver, CO
Belgian-Style Dubbel or Quadrupel
BJ's Quad
BJ's Restaurant & Brewery - Boulder
Boulder, CO
Bock
Guten Bock
Gilded Goat Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO
Bohemian-Style Pilsener
Bohemian Pilsner
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant - Tysons Corner
Broomfield, CO
German-Style Altbier
Legendary Red
Golden City Brewery
Golden, CO
German-Style Koelsch
Colorado K?lsch
Steamworks Brewing Co.
Durango, CO
German-Style Pilsener
Netflix and Pils
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.
Golden, CO
Gluten-Free Beer
Puckerberry
High Hops Brewery
Windsor, CO
Oatmeal Stout
Shoshone Stout
Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co.
Glenwood Springs, CO
Old Ale or Strong Ale
Drunkard's Cloak
Banded Oak Brewing Co.
Denver, CO
Ordinary or Special Bitter
Sawtooth Ale
Left Hand Brewing Co.
Longmont, CO
Specialty Beer
Graham Cracker Porter
Denver Beer Co. - Canworks
Denver, CO
Specialty Saison
Apricot Saison
One Zero Five West Brewing Co.
Castle Rock, CO
Vienna-Style Lager
Oktoberfest
SKA Brewing
Durango, CO
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
Barrel Aged Japance Off
Denver Beer Co. - Olde Town Arvada
Arvada, CO
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
Banded Oak wins a Gold for Drunkard's Cloak, a Strong Ale.
Photo by Rick Mazzola - DG2C
Denver Beer Company won two Golds at the 2018 GABF. One for their perennial classic - Graham Cracker Porter, and another for Barrel Aged Japance Off.
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
The Post Brewing takes a Gold for their American-Style Pilsener, Howdy Beer.
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
Ska wins Gold for their Vienna-Style Lager, Oktoberfest.
Photo by Mike Laur © DG2C
Butcherknife strikes Gold for their Sunshine Express, an Australian-Style Pale Ale.
Photo by Mike Laur © DG2C
Lefthand takes a Gold for their Bitter Ale, Sawtooth.
Silver
Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale or Belgian-Style Quadrupel
Séréneté Grand Cru
Bruz Beers
Denver, CO
Emerging India Pale Ale
Vladimir Brutin
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.
Golden, CO
Session India Pale Ale
Trump Hands
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.
Golden, CO
Specialty Saison
Westfield
Cellar West Artisan Ales
Lafayette, CO
Ordinary or Special Bitter
Cousin Jack
Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino
Central City, CO
Bock
Maibock
Dry Dock Brewing Co. - South Dock
Aurora, CO
English-Style Brown Ale
Eclipse Brown Ale
Equinox Brewing
Fort Collins, CO
Aged Beer
Belgian Quad
Green Mountain Beer Co.
Lakewood, CO
German-Style Koelsch
Ice Cutter Kölsch
Joyride Brewing Co.
Edgewater, CO
Irish-Style Red Ale
Balefire Irish Red
Mirror Image Brewing Co.
Frederick, CO
Australian-Style Pale Ale
Mountain Standard IPA
Odell Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO
Experimental Beer
Shibbleshabble
Primitive Beer
Longmont, CO
German-Style Altbier
Howitzer Amber
Red Leg Brewing Co.
Colorado Springs, CO
Fruited American-Style Sour Ale
Hoochie Mama
Storm Peak Brewing Co.
Steamboat Springs, CO
International-Style Dark Lager
El Corn
The Post Brewing Co.
Lafayette, CO
International-Style Pilsener
Upslope Craft Lager
Upslope Brewing Co. - Flatiron Park
Boulder, CO
Oatmeal Stout
Yonder Mountain Stout
Vine Street Pub & Brewery
Denver, CO
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
Itsy Bits
WeldWerks Brewing Co.
Greeley, CO
Imperial India Pale Ale
Westbound Double IPA
Westbound & Down Brewing Co.
Idaho Springs, CO
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Double Barrel Louie
Westbound & Down Brewing Co.
Idaho Springs, CO
Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest
Lindauer Lager
Wit's End Brewing Co.
Denver, CO
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
Citra Dry Hopped Funk Yo Couch, a Mixed-Culture Brett, wins Gold for Wiley Roots Brewing.
Bronze
Light Lager
Lightner Creek Lager
Carver Brewing Co.
Durango, CO
American-Style Amber Lager
Grist Maerzen
Grist Brewing Co.
Highlands Ranch, CO
Session Beer
Peacekeeper
Launch Pad Brewery
Aurora, CO
Pro-Am Comp
Chess with Checkers
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO
Australian-Style Pale Ale
Pete's Stash
Vail Brewing Co. - Vail Village Pilot
Vail, CO
Herb and Spice Beer
Deck Daze
Vail Brewing Co. - Vail Village Pilot
Vail, CO
Photo by Rick Mazzola © DG2C
It Takes a Tribe Red Ale wins Goat Patch Brewing a Bronze.
Photo by Rick Mazzola $copy; DG2C
A German-Style Pilsener, Netflix and Pils, wins Cannonball Creek a Gold.
Photo by Mike Laur © DG2C
Comrade wins Gold for their Irish-Style Red Ale, DEFCON Red.
