Oregon breweries won 18 medals and Washington breweries won 19 at the Saturday awards ceremony of the Great American Beer Festival, the largest and most prestigious beer competition in the United States.
Seven golds, seven silvers and four bronzes were taken home with Oregon’s breweries after the three-day festival, which was held in Denver from October 6-8. Captaining the contingent was Deschutes Brewery and perennial winner Breakside Brewery, both of whom won three awards, including one gold each, and 10 Barrel Brewing, which had two medals, including a gold. Other gold medalists included Little Beast Brewing, Sunriver Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers and Great Notion Brewing.
Von Ebert Brewing won silver in the coveted German Pilsner category.
Of Washington’s medals, Grains of Wrath Brewing of Camas, which has a taproom in North Portland, was the only brewery in Clark County to win a medal and bronze in the Light Lager category for its Wrath Premium American Lager. Burlington’s Chuckanut Brewery, with its P. Nut Beer Hall in Southeast Portland, won gold in Light Lager for its Chuckanut Chuck Light.
The coveted American Style India Pale Ale category was the most entered, with 423 entries, and Comrade Brewing of Denver took gold with its More Dodge Less RAM. Comrade Brewing of Denver won silver with Dankster Squad and Riip Beer of Huntington Beach, California took bronze with Hop-Fu!
The Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale category was the second highest category with 375 beers. Flatland Brewing of Elk Grove, California, won gold for Anhyzer Kush. Austin, Texas-based Austin Beer Garden Brewing won gold for its beer industry in German-style Pilsener, the third-highest with 233 beers.
About 40,000 people attended the 40th annual festival, which returned to Denver, its old home, after being virtual for the past two years due to the pandemic. The first GABF in 1982 included 24 breweries and 47 beers, a number that has grown to this year to include 500 on-site breweries from 46 states plus Washington, DC, with more than 2,000 different beers served for attendees.
The competition portion was held for the 36th year and awarded 300 medals in 98 categories for 177 beer styles. About 10,000 beers from more than 2,000 breweries were entered for the competition.
Next year’s festival will be held from September 21 to 23.
Oregon Medals
Gold
- Hot Break, Little Beast Brewing, in American Sour Ale
- Rippin, Sunriver Brewing, American Style Pale Ale
- Mexican Lager, pFriem Family Brewers, in Australasian, Latin American or Tropical Light Lager
- Phoenix, Great Notion Brewing, in historic beer
- Hachimitsu Mai, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery and Public House, in Honey Beer
- Purple You, Breakside Brewery – NW Slabtown, in specialty beer
- Gindulgence, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, in Weisse Specialty Berliner-Style
Silver
- Sweet as! Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing, in American wheat beer
- Woodlawn Pale Ale, Breakside Brewery, American Style Pale Ale
- Edgefield Refrigerated Vessel No. 5, McMenamins Breweries, in Experimental Beer
- Pils, Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl District, German Style Pilsener
- Passionfruit Sour Ale, Breakside Brewery & Taproom – Milwaukie, in Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse
- Sensationator, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery & Public House, in wood and barrel aged beer
- Genièvre, ColdFire Brewing, in wood and barrel matured sour beer
Bronze
- Otter Encounter, Deschutes Brewery – Bend Brewery & Public House, in English Ale
- Riviera, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, in Sour Ale ., Germany
- Oregon Sunrise, Alesong Brewing & Tasting Room, in Brett Beer with mixed culture
- Blossoms: Cherry, Oregon City Brewing, in Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse
— André Meunier; sign up for my weekly newsletter Oregon Brews and Newsand follow me Instagram where I am @oregonianbeerguy.
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