On Oct. 5, 2019, the Brewers Association (BA) announced the best beers from around the country at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver.
The event marked the 33rd edition of the professional beer competition, with 2,295 breweries competing. The event took place over three days, with 322 judges from 18 countries evaluating 9,497 entries, and awarding 318 medals, according to a press release.
“This year’s GABF competition was the largest and most competitive to date,” Chris Swersey, GABF competition manager, said. “The beers and talent were as impressive as ever, and we congratulate this year’s winners for their achievements in brewing.”
Like last year, the highest number of entries (348) were submitted in the Juicy or Hazy India Pale category. Following were American-Style India Pale Ale (342 entries), Fruited American-Style Sour Ale (215 entries), German-Style Pilsner (183 entries), and Imperial India Pale Ale (173 entries).
The winners of the top five most-entered categories are included below.
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (348 entries)
- Gold: Old Irving Brewing Co., Beezer, Chicago, IL
- Silver: City Lights Brewing Co., Hazy IPA, Milwaukee, WI
- Bronze: Pond Farm Brewing Co., Devil’s Gulch, San Rafael, CA
American-Style India Pale Ale (342 entries)
- Gold: Comrade Brewing Co., More Dodge Less RAM, Denver, CO
- Silver: Green Cheek Beer Co., Radiant Beauty, Orange, CA
- Bronze: Coronado Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Weekend Vibes IPA, San Diego, CA
Fruited American-Style Sour Ale (215 entries)
- Gold: St. Elmo Brewing Co., Roxanne, Austin, TX
- Silver: Storm Peak Brewing Co., Hoochie Mama, Steamboat Springs, CO
- Bronze: Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., Sour Blackberry Raspberry, Charleston, SC
German-Style Pilsener (183 entries)
- Gold: Blind Owl Brewery, Parliament Drive, Indianapolis, IN
- Silver: Family Business Beer Co., Golden Age Pilsner, Dripping Springs, TX
- Bronze: Hardywood West Creek, Pils, Richmond, VA
Imperial India Pale Ale (173 entries)
- Gold: Alvarado Street Brewery, Double Cone, Salinas, CA
- Silver: Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Westbound Double IPA, Idaho Springs, CO
- Bronze: Brew Hub, Sharrow, Lakeland, FL
The most-medaled brewery was Rowley Farmhouse Ales of Santa Fe, N.M., which earned three medals. Rowley additionally earned “Small Brewpub of the Year.”
The full list of GABF 2019 winners is available here.
