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(Photo © Brewers Association)
The 2022 Great American Beer Festival competition awarded 300 medals to the best commercial breweries in the US over the weekend and a win at this world-class event is a very big deal.
Presented annually by the national craft beer trade organization, the Brewers Association, the GABF, as its affectionately called in the brewing biz, remains the nation’s largest professional beer competition and the premier symbol of brewing excellence.
Winning breweries were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals in 98 beer categories covering 177 different beer styles for being the best examples of each style in the country.
In addition to that three GABF Collaboration medals pairing two professional breweries and three GABF Pro-Am medals pairing homebrewers with professional brewers were announced.
The competition took place in three phases over a period of nine days and was judged by 235 beer experts from seven countries, including the US.
(Photo © Brewers Association)
On top of the 9,904 commercial brewery entries, the judging panel also evaluated 35 Pro-Am entries and 94 Collaboration entries. So yeah, that’s a lot of beer drinking.
The awards ceremony was held at the Bellco Theatre in Denver during the 40th anniversary Great American Beer Festival.
And here are more highlights from his year’s competition…
GABF COMPETITION STATISTICS
- 36th edition of the GABF competition
- 9,904 beers judged
- 177 beer styles
- 2,154 breweries in the competition from 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico
- 235 judges
- 310 volunteers
- Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 99
- Category with the highest number of entries: American Style India Pale Ale (423 entries)
- 300 total medals awarded, including 3 Pro-Am and 3 Collaboration medals
- 268 medal-winning breweries
- 301 first-time GABF entrants
- 18 first-time GABF winners
MOST-ENTERED STYLE CATEGORIES
The winners of the top five most-entered categories were:
Category 64: American Style India Pale Ale (423 entries) – Sponsored by Micro Matic
GOLD: More Dodge Less RAM | Comrade Brewing Co. | Denver, CO
SILVER: Dankster Squad | Riip Beer Co. | Huntington Beach, CA
BRONZE: Hop-Fu! | North Park Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
Category 65: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (375 entries) – Sponsored by Antigo Zeon
GOLD: Anhyzer Kush | Flatland Brewing Co. | Elk Grove, CA
SILVER: IPO IPA | White Rock Alehouse & Brewery | Dallas, TX
BRONZE: RAD AF | City Barrel Brewing Co. | Kansas City, MO
Category 45: German-Style Pilsener (233 entries)
GOLD: Industry | The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. | Austin, TX
SILVER: Pils | Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl | Portland, OR
BRONZE: German Pilsner | Shred Monk Brewery and Coffeehouse | Bozeman, MT
Category 81: German Wheat Ale (209 entries)
GOLD: Alpenglow | Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon | North Central, OH
SILVER: Kristal Weizen | Bearded Tang Brewing | Stanton, CA
BRONZE: Wild Pitch | SandLot Brewery | Denver, CO
Category 50: German-Style Maerzen (207 entries)
GOLD: Oktoberfest | Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. | Waltham, MA
SILVER: Docktoberfest | Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock | Aurora, CO
BRONZE: Great Dane Oktoberfest | Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. – Downtown | Madison, WI
(Photo © Brewers Association)
Most Medaled Brewery
North Park Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
GOLD: English India Pale Ale or New Zealand India Pale Ale (Cat. 59)
SILVER: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 67)
BRONZE: American-Style India Pale Ale (Cat. 64)
BRONZE: Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 66)
COLLABORATION COMPETITION
GOLD: Templin Family Guava Coconut | Templin Family Brewing / Shades Brewing | Salt Lake City, UT
SILVER: Chicago Peaks Kölsch | Westbound & Down Brewing Co. / Bierstadt Lagerhaus | San Diego, CA
BRONZE: Guns Out For Grain Out | Pizza Port Ocean Beach / Chula Vista Brewery | Karl Strauss | Nickel Beer | San Diego, CA
PRO-AM COMPETITION
GOLD: Kaltrauch | Confluence Brewing Co. | AHA members Randy Daniels & KC McKinney | Des Moines, IA
SILVER: Sticky Fingers Saison | CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing | AHA Member Mark Pennick | Fort Collins, CO
BRONZE: Alt Ale | Shoe Tree Brewing Co. | AHA Member Eric Coffman |Carson City, NV
“Each year the Great American Beer Festival showcases the best that American brewers have to offer,” said Chris Williams, competition director, Great American Beer Festival. “With 9,904 entries, this year’s competition was the most competitive to date. Congratulations to all the winners who truly demonstrated why the U.S. is the best brewing nation in the world.”
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Congratulations to ALL of this year’s winners…Live long and prosper
(All image credits: Brewers Association)
