Every year, the Great AmericanBeerFestival holds a prestigious competition to select the best beers and breweries in the country.
Approximately 1,752 breweries participated in this year’s festival, which was hosted by the Brewers Association and took place from October 6 to 8 in Denver, Colorado.
On Saturday afternoon, a jury of more than 265 beer industry professionals from 12 countries announced the winners. Without knowing the brand names, they tasted each brewery’s selected beers according to specific flavor parameters (which you can read more about in this 68-page set of guidelines).
The breweries are broken into seven different size categories, ranging from “small brewpub” to “large brewing company.” The top one in each group was awarded the title of “Champion Brewery.”
Here are the winners.
Correction - October 9: An earlier version of this story reported Karl Strauss Brewing Company as the Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year and Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon as the Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year. The GABF jury updated the winners based on its size guidelines, later realizing that Karl Strauss is a mid-size brewing company, not a brewpub.
Small Brewpub — ZwanzigZ Brewing
http://instagr.am/p/BJLG7B4jA9w
Location: Columbus, Indiana
Winning beers: Frankenwald Eisbock and The Ticket Chocolate Beer
Mid-Size Brewpub — Boxing Bear Brewing Co.
http://instagr.am/p/BJWTBHBBEFG
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Winning beers: AlpenGlow and Black Muddy River
Large Brewpub — The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
http://instagr.am/p/BIxr9N1hPQY
Location: Austin, Texas
Winning beer: Industry
Very Small Brewing Company — Brown Truck Brewery
http://instagr.am/p/BK4UsRDhv1u
Location: High Point, North Carolina
Winning beers: American Lager and Saison
Small Brewing Company — Überbrew
http://instagr.am/p/BDG9io5gPa0
Location: Billings, Montana
Winning beers: Humulus Insani and Average at Best
Mid-Size Brewing Company — Karl Strauss Brewing Co.
http://instagr.am/p/BKernVPhkVH
Location: San Diego, California
Winning beers: Queen of Tarts and Liquid AC
Large Brewing Company — Pabst Brewing Co.
http://instagr.am/p/BLRz9J8h4Uf
Location: Los Angeles, California
Winning beers: Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Style Lager