Ohio brewers win 10 medals in national competition

Ohio brewers won 10 medals at this year's Great American Beer Festival (GABF), Axios Denver's John Frank reports from the weekend awards ceremony in Colorado.

Why it matters: The festival is the nation's premier beer competition, so winning one of the 300-plus medals helps put a brewery on the map.

Yes, but: We couldn't help but notice that while Cincinnati took home five medals, Columbus breweries were snubbed. What gives?

Between the lines: Winning a GABF medal has always been difficult, but it was even harder this year.

• The competition was the most competitive to date, with 2,154 breweries submitting more than 9,900 beers, per the organizers.
• The festival celebrated its 40th year and a return after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

What they're saying: Justin Hemminger, deputy director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, tells Axios — and Columbus beer connoisseurs — that there's no cause for alarm.

• "The beers that they're making are as good as they've ever been and I'm sure they'll be back on the medal stand again soon," he assured us over email.

Details: Cleveland's Fat Head's continued its winning ways with a gold for Alpenglow, a German wheat, and a bronze for Bone Head, a strong red ale.

• Platform Beer in Cleveland also won twice — both silvers — for Second Hand Lions, a Belgian fruit beer, and New Cleveland, an international style pale ale.

Other winners:

• MadTree (Cincinnati), gold for Happy Amber, an extra special bitter ale.

• Sam Adams' operation in Cincinnati, gold for Just the Haze, a non-alcoholic beer.
• Big Ash (Cincinnati), gold for Symphony, a Vienna-style lager.
• Little Fish (Athens), gold for Apple Brandy Barrel Maker of Things, a barrel-aged sour.
• Sonder (Mason), silver for Kato, a coffee beer.
• Brink (Cincinnati), silver for Zoomie, in the coffee stout or porter category.

Flashback: In years past, local gold medal winners have included Wolf's Ridge's Daybreak coffee beer and Columbus Brewing Co.'s Creeper, an imperial IPA.

📬 What local brews do you think deserve a medal? Email [email protected] to tell us your favorites.