Colorado brewers win big at GABF competition
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Wibby Brewing staff hold a University of Colorado flag as they accept their Great American Beer Festival trophy on Saturday in Denver. Photo: John Frank/Axios
Colorado brewers dominated this year's Great American Beer Festival competition, taking home a stunning 40 medals, including 14 golds.
Why it matters: GABF is the most prestigious U.S. beer contest, and the medal haul is the largest in recent memory.
Driving the news: Wibby Brewing claimed the biggest prize among Colorado breweries as Brewer of the Year in the 5,000-15,000 barrel segment. The Longmont brewer also took gold with Wibby Jibby in the American pilsener category.
- Cannonball Creek in Golden extended its 11-year winning streak with a gold for its Featherweight Pale Ale.
- Westbound & Down won three medals including gold with Select, a West Coast-style IPA — which was a new category and had the second most entries.
What they're saying: "This year was a huge year for Colorado, not only for the number of awards but also for the diversity of awards," Colorado Brewers Guild executive director Shawnee Adelson said in a statement. "Colorado brewers proved that they can make anything between a traditional lager to the newest category of West Coast IPAs."
Of note: These are the Colorado brewers who won:
Gold
Ratio Beerworks: King of Carrot Flowers (Field Beer)
Banded Oak: Ye Old Ale (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer)
Wibby: Wibby Jibby (American Pilsener)
Seedstock: Seedstock Maerzen (German-Style Maerzen)
Resolute: Execrator (German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock)
Cannonball Creek: Featherweight (American-Style Pale Ale)
Westbound & Down: Westbound Select (West Coast-Style IPA)
Knuckle Puck: Blown Tire (American Red/Red Ale)
Bootstrap: Wreak Havoc (Strong Red Ale)
Left Hand: Sawtooth Ale (English Mild or Bitter)
Rock Bottom: Foggy London Town (Robust Porter)
Cheluna and Prost: Luna Nueva Mexican Export Lager (Collaboration)
CooperSmith's: She Fancies Herself a Little French (Pro-Am)
Avery: White Rascal (Belgian-style Witbier)
Silver
Odell-Five Points: Big Sippin (American Fruit Beer)
Bent Barley: Green Chile Honey Kolsch (Chile Beer)
River North: Midnight Hike (Chocolate Beer)
Wynkoop: Kurt's Mile High Malt (Coffee Beer)
Hideaway Park: Skate Juice (Other Strong Beer)
Pumphouse: Forager IPA (Experimental IPA)
Dostal Alley: The Sauer House Project: Ellie's Version (American Sour Ale)
Lone Tree: Mexican Lager (Light Lager)
Liquid Mechanics: Cerveza Mecanica (American Pilsener)
Cheluna: Orizaba Cold IPA (India Pale Lager or Cold IPA)
Prost: Prost Pilsner (German-Style Pilsener)
Red Leg: Wunder Bier (German Dark Lager)
New Terrain: Rise & Climb (German-Style Koelsch)
Westbound & Down: Spirit of the West (New Zealand IPA)
Bristol: Laughing Lab (Scottish-Style Ale)
Call to Arms: Freedom Fries with Cherry (Specialty Saison)
Wild Blue Yonder: Scottish Wildcat (Scotch Ale)
Diebolt: Populator (Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine)
Avery: Island Rascal (Belgian Fruit Beer)
Blue Moon: Barrel-Aged Maibock (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer)
Bronze
The Empourium: Condition of My Parole (Coffee Beer)
14er: Pina Colada Milkshake IPA (Experimental IPA)
Westbound & Down: The Coloradan (American Cream Ale)
Oskar Blues: Old Chub (Scotch Ale)