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MillerCoors Earns Eight Medals At Great American Beer Festival

Staff — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 23:27:34 +0000

(Press Release)

CHICAGO—Denver-based brewery, SandLot, received incredible recognition at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, winning “Large Brewing Company of the Year.” Blue Moon Brewing Company’s SandLot Brewery is part of Tenth and Blake, the craft and import division of MillerCoors.

Opening its doors in the right field corner of Coors Field in 1995 in Denver, Blue Moon Brewing Company’s SandLot has been at the forefront of brewing cutting-edge beers. The brewery continues to experiment with unique ingredients to develop bolder beer flavors for the constantly evolving taste-preference of today’s beer drinker. Nationally recognized for its Blue Moon Belgian White, a beer first brewed and served at the SandLot, the brewery opened its doors for the first time this year to guests on non-game days.

“This is a truly amazing honor to be acknowledged amongst our fellow brewers, by beer judges from across the country and around the world,” said John Legnard, SandLot brewmaster. “We couldn’t be more humbled to receive such a prestigious reward for the work we are so passionate about.”

In addition to winning “Large Brewing Company of the Year,” SandLot’s “Move Back” was awarded a gold medal in the Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest category, “Second Hand Smoke” won a gold medal in the Smoke Beer category and “Goat Rancher” won a bronze medal in the Bock category.

To add to the celebration, MillerCoors received five additional medals at this year’s festival, which featured nearly 5,000 judged beers.

“We are thrilled to celebrate and toast the SandLot team on their incredible achievement,” said David Ryder, head brewmaster at MillerCoors. “This year has proven more than ever that MillerCoors continues to deliver the best and most diverse portfolio in the American beer industry.”

The complete list of medals won by MillerCoors at the 2013 GABF®:

Gold

Move Back (SandLot) – Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest
Second Hand Smoke (SandLot) – Smoke Beer
Golden Knot – Chardonnay (Blue Moon Brewing Company) – Fruit Beer
Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler (Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company) – German-Style Kolsch

Silver

Miller High Life (Miller Brewing Company) – American-Style Light Lager
Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark (Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company) – American-Style Dark Lager

Bronze

Goat Rancher (SandLot) – Bock
IPL (AC Golden Brewing Co.) – International-Style Pale Ale

Since 1996, including medals previously won as Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company, MillerCoors has won a combined 271 medals at the Great American Beer Festival® and the bi-annual World Beer Cup®, also hosted by the Brewers Association.

An annual event in Denver, The Great American Beer Festival® was held from October 10-12 and offered different styled beers from 624 breweries to more than 49,000 beer enthusiasts. Known as the signature event in the U.S. brewing industry, its medals are recognized as among the most respected in the business.

About MillerCoors
MillerCoors brews, markets and sells the MillerCoors portfolio of brands in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Built on a foundation of great beer brands and nearly 300 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second-largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, Coors Light and Miller Lite, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. The company offers a variety of leading craft and import brands, including Blue Moon and Leinenkugel’s, through its Tenth and Blake division. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisc., and two microbreweries, the 10^th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company’s SandLot Brewery at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Learn more at MillerCoors.com, at facebook.com/MillerCoors or on Twitter through @MillerCoors.

2013 Great American Beer Festival Winners

Staff — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 18:41:01 +0000

Gerald Wyman of Gella's Diner & Lb. Brewing Co. (Hays, KS) displays the silver and gold medals he won at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival. Photo by Jon Page

DENVER—The 2013 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition awarded 252 medals on Saturday to some of the best commercial breweries in the United States, including GABF Pro-Am medals. The competition is presented by the Brewers Association.

Winners were chosen from 4,809 competition entries from 745 breweries, hailing from 49 states, plus Washington, DC. Here is a complete list of award winners.

2013 BREWERY AND BREWER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.

Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Gerald Wyman

Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year

Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Julian Sarago and Ian McCall

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Darron Welch and Steve Panos

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Team Rock Bottom

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City, OR

Marks Lanham & Eli Dickison

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management

Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Jason Oliver

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Matt Brynildson

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Beer Institute

SandLot, Denver, CO

John, Tom, Bill & Addison

2013 MEDALISTS

Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer (31 Entries)

Gold: Shredders Wheat, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City, OR

Silver: American Wheat, Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Bronze: Super 77 Wheat, Wiley Roots Brewing Co., Greeley, CO

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast (32 Entries)

Gold: American Hefeweizen, Gella’s Diner & Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Silver: Wheatfish, Great Northern Brewing Co., Whitefish, MT

Bronze: Helio Hefeweizen, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category 3: Fruit Beer (73 Entries)

Gold: Golden Knot—Chardonnay, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: Serendipity, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI

Bronze: Sparkleberry Ale, Bell’s Brewery, Galesburg, MI

Category 4: Fruit Wheat Beer (48 Entries)

Gold: Peachy Peach, Pagosa Brewing & Grill, Pagosa Springs, CO

Silver: Bitchin’ Berry, Great Basin Brewing Co. – Reno, Reno, NV

Bronze: Lilikoi Kepolo, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 5: Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer (91 Entries)

Gold: Elektrick Cukumbahh, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

Silver: Anaheim IPA, Ram Restaurant and Brewery—Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Bronze: Splashing Pumpkin, Great South Bay Brewery, Bay Shore, NY

Category 6: Herb and Spice Beer (134 Entries)

Gold: Bitterama, Namaste Brewing at the Whip In, Austin, TX

Silver: Chai Milk Stout, Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub, Arvada, CO

Bronze: Elba, Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery, Austin, TX

Category 7: Chocolate Beer (39 Entries)

Gold: Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: The Fix, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Bronze: Chocolate Meltdown, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA

Category 8: Coffee Beer (92 Entries)

Gold: Panama Joe’s Coffee Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Silver: Barrel-Aged Sump Coffee Stout, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO

Bronze: System of a Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category 9: Specialty Beer (31 Entries)

Gold: Warmer, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, Redlands, CA

Silver: Fate Candy Bar Milk Stout, Fate Brewing Co.—Scottsdale, AZ, Scottsdale, AZ

Bronze: Pack Dog Peanut Butter Ale, Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Bloomsburg, PA

Category 10: Rye Beer (63 Entries)

Gold: LowRyeDer, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA

Silver: Rye Smile, Triple Rock Brewery, Berkeley, CA

Bronze: RastafaRye, Blue Point Brewing Co., Patchogue, NY

Category 11: Specialty Honey Beer (40 Entries)

Gold: Buzzed Bee Honey Ale, High Sierra Brewing Co., Carson City, NV

Silver: Midas Touch, Dogfi sh Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Bronze: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Category 12: Session Beer (56 Entries)

Gold: Beer Hunter, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA

Silver: MCA, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Bronze: Torque, Kinetic Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA

Category 13: Other Strong Beer (51 Entries)

Gold: Mass Rising, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA

Silver: Power Wagon, Big Sky Brewing Co., Missoula, MT

Bronze: XX Dwarf, Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI

Category 14: Experimental Beer (66 Entries)

Gold: Hops n’ Roses, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY

Silver: Dragon’s Milk Reserve—Smaug’s Breath, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI

Bronze: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT

Category 15: Fresh Hop Ale (46 Entries)

Gold: Cent’s and Censability, Old Town Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Silver: Trail Head, Fat Heads Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH

Bronze: Fresh Hop Pallet Jack, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Category 16: Indigenous Beer (28 Entries)

Gold: Vinland 2, Mystic Brewery, Chelsea, MA

Silver: Sage Fight Imperial IPA, Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Bend, OR

Bronze: Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Category 17: Gluten-Free Beer (14 Entries)

Gold: Harvester Brewing IPA No. 1, Harvester Brewing, Portland, OR

Silver: Gluten Free, Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Bend, OR

Bronze: Gluten-Free Brown Ale, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO

Category 18: American-Belgo-Style Ale (81 Entries)

Gold: BrickStone Belgo-APA, BrickStone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL

Silver: Belgo Hoptologist, Knee Deep Brewing Co., Lincoln, CA

Bronze: Little Green, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR

Category 19: American-Style Sour Ale (31 Entries)

Gold: Ching Ching, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Silver: Myrtle, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR

Bronze: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category 20: American-Style Brett Beer (38 Entries)

Gold: Serenity, Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville, NC

Silver: Sanctification, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Bronze: HopSavant, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO

Category 21: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer (49 Entries)

Gold: Hellshire III, Oakshire Brewing, Eugene, OR

Silver: Barrel-Aged Frostbite Lager, Ram Restaurant and Brewery—Illinois, Wheeling, IL

Bronze: Rum Barrel Belgian Dubbel Style Ale, Three Brothers Brewing, Harrisonburg, VA

Category 22: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (117 Entries)

Gold: Afternoon Delight, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Silver: Twisted Trace, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN

Bronze: Barrel-Aged Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category 23: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout (89 Entries)

Gold: Blot Out the Sun, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN

Silver: Barrel-Aged Narwhal, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Bronze: Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH

Category 24: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer (76 Entries)

Gold: Love Child No. 3, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Silver: Dark and Stormy, McKenzie Brew House, Glen Mills, PA

Bronze: Pentagram, Surly Brewing Co., Brooklyn Center, MN

Category 25: Aged Beer (31 Entries)

Gold: Lovely, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Silver: 2009 Big Black Voodoo Daddy, Voodoo Brewery, Meadville, PA

Bronze: COLOSSAL ONE, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 26: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier (30 Entries)

Gold: Keller Pils, Prost Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: Surfliner Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Santa Barbara,

Santa Barbara, CA

Bronze: Progress Pilsner, Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH

Category 27: Smoke Beer (79 Entries)

Gold: Second Hand Smoke, SandLot, Denver, CO

Silver: Smokin’ Handsome, Yellow Springs Brewery, Yellow Springs, OH

Bronze: COLOSSAL TWO, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category 28: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener (29 Entries)

Silver: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Bronze: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA

Category 29: German-Style Pilsener (56 Entries)

Gold: Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Pilsner, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Bronze: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA

Category 30: Bohemian-Style Pilsener (53 Entries)

Gold: Bohemian Pilsner, Ninkasi Brewing Co., Eugene, OR

Silver: Czech Pilsner, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Broomfield, CO

Bronze: Bohemian Pilsner, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, NC

Category 31: Munich-Style Helles (42 Entries)

Gold: Helles Festbier, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT

Silver: Saint Arnold Summer Pils, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Bronze: TAPS Helles, TAPS Fish House & Brewery—Brea, Brea, CA

Category 32: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest (29 Entries)

Gold: Move Back, SandLot, Denver, CO

Silver: Oktoberfest, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.—Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

Bronze: Thunder from Dortmunder, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM

Category 33: American-Style Lager or Light Lager (42 Entries)

Gold: Budweiser Select, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO

Silver: Miller High Life, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Bronze: Special Export, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 34: American-Style Cream Ale (37 Entries)

Gold: Natural Ice, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO

Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Bronze: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA

Category 35: Vienna-Style Lager (30 Entries)

Gold: Churchville Lager, Neshaminy Creek Brewing, Croydon, PA

Silver: Oktoberfest, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Bronze: Octoberfest, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA

Category 36: German-Style Märzen (51 Entries)

Gold: Rhinofest, Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA

Silver: Octoberfest, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA

Bronze: Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD

Category 37: American-Style Amber Lager (61 Entries)

Gold: Rod’s Steam Bitter, Second Street Brewery, Santa Fe, NM

Silver: OktoberFish, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ

Bronze: Schell’s Oktoberfest, August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm, MN

Category 38: European-Style Dunkel (19 Entries)

Gold: Munich Dunkel, Carver Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Silver: Heart of Darkness Dunkel, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO

Bronze: The Fearless Youth, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO

Category 39: American-Style Dark Lager (22 Entries)

Gold: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Silver: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI

Bronze: Black Diamond, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category 40: German-Style Schwarzbier (26 Entries)

Gold: Black Thunder, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX

Silver: Black Knight, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH

Bronze: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA

Category 41: Bock (28 Entries)

Gold: Troegenator Double Bock, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA

Silver: Andygator, Abita Brewing Co., Abita Springs, LA

Bronze: Goat Rancher, SandLot, Denver, CO

Category 42: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock (32 Entries)

Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Samuel Adams—Cincinnati Brewery,

Cincinnati, OH

Silver: Christian Moerlein Emancipator, Christian Moerlein Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH

Bronze: Resurrection Doppelbock, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category 43: Baltic-Style Porter (16 Entries)

Gold: Black Eagle Baltic Porter, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Silver: The Hammer, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Bronze: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category 44: Golden or Blonde Ale (69 Entries)

Gold: Foam Top, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Silver: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA

Bronze: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Category 45: German-Style Kölsch (60 Entries)

Gold: Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI

Silver: Tailgater Kölsch, Flat Tail Brewing Co., Corvallis, OR

Bronze: Potential Blonde, Kinetic Brewing Co., Lancaster, CA

Category 46: English-Style Summer Ale (27 Entries)

Gold: True Blonde Ale, Ska Brewing, Durango, CO

Silver: Hanging Lake, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO

Bronze: Sum’r, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category 47: Classic English-Style Pale Ale (29 Entries)

Gold: 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Silver: Extra Pale Summer Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co.—North Dock, Aurora, CO

Bronze: Breakside ESB, Breakside Brewery – Pub Brewery, Portland, OR

Category 48: English-Style India Pale Ale (31 Entries)

Gold: Taproom IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Bronze: Enterprise IPA, Dry Dock Brewing Co.—North Dock, Aurora, CO

Category 49: International-Style Pale Ale (30 Entries)

Gold: Hand Truck, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City, OR

Silver: Amazeballs, Peekskill Brewery, Peekskill, NY

Bronze: IPL, AC Golden, Golden, CO

Category 50: American-Style Pale Ale (124 Entries)

Gold: Lumberyard American Pale Ale, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ

Silver: Featherweight Pale, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Bronze: Citra Rye Pale Ale, Joseph James Brewing Co., Henderson, NV

Category 51: American-Style Strong Pale Ale (120 Entries)

Gold: Bonobos, Monkey Paw Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Silver: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ

Bronze: Kung Fu Elvis, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA

Category 52: American-Style India Pale Ale (252 Entries)

Gold: Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Silver: Union Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Bronze: Project Dank: Operation Pharoah’s Return, La Cumbre Brewing Co.,

Albuquerque, NM

Category 53: Imperial India Pale Ale (149 Entries)

Gold: Hop JuJu, Fat Heads Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH

Silver: Permanent Funeral, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN

Bronze: Notch 9 Double IPA, Smartmouth Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA

Category 54: American-Style Amber/Red Ale (89 Entries)

Gold: Prohibition Ale, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, San Francisco, CA

Bronze: Red Rock, Triple Rock Brewery, Berkeley, CA

Category 55: Imperial Red Ale (56 Entries)

Silver: Rhino Chaser, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach, CA

Bronze: Bombay Rouge Red IPA, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA

Category 56: English-Style Mild Ale (35 Entries)

Gold: S.S. Minnow Mild, Dry Dock Brewing Co.—South Dock, Aurora, CO

Silver: Brawler, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Bronze: Ale of Fergus, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category 57: Ordinary or Special Bitter (37 Entries)

Gold: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Silver: HMS Victory Amber, Dry Dock Brewing Co.—North Dock, Aurora, CO

Bronze: Men’s Room Original Red, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Category 58: Extra Special Bitter (56 Entries)

Gold: Public Ale, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX

Silver: True Brit IPA, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN

Bronze: Fed, White & Brew, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA

Category 59: Scottish-Style Ale (42 Entries)

Gold: Scottish Ale, Campbell Brewing Co., Campbell , CA

Silver: Kilt Lifter, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ

Bronze: Redhawk Ale, Rockyard Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO

Category 60: Irish-Style Red Ale (48 Entries)

Gold: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Silver: Colorado Boy Irish Ale, Colorado Boy Brewing Co., Ridgway, CO

Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Category 61: English-Style Brown Ale (41 Entries)

Gold: Bandit Brown, City Star Brewing, Berthoud, CO

Silver: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM

Bronze: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Category 62: American-Style Brown Ale (66 Entries)

Gold: Davy Brown Ale, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.—Buellton, Buellton, CA

Silver: End Of The Trail Brown Ale, Blue Corn Brewery, Santa Fe, NM

Bronze: Doryman’s Dark Ale, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Category 63: American-Style Black Ale (73 Entries)

Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Black Sails, Coronado Brewing Company Brewpub, Coronado, CA

Bronze: Oxymoron, Oceanside Ale Works, Oceanside, CA

Category 64: German-Style Altbier (32 Entries)

Gold: Tree Hugger, Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, GA

Silver: Brewers Cut Altbier, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX

Bronze: Echo Amber, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO

Category 65: German-Style Sour Ale (46 Entries)

Gold: German Sparkle Party Berliner Weiss, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Silver: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Bronze: Passionfruit Sour, Breakside Brewery—Milwaukie Brewery, Milwaukie, OR

Category 66: South German-Style Hefeweizen (77 Entries)

Gold: Big Horn Hefeweizen, CB and Potts Restaurant and Brewery—Highlands Ranch,

Highlands Ranch, CO

Silver: Ebel’s Weiss, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

Bronze: Brooklyner Weisse, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

Category 67: German-Style Wheat Ale (28 Entries)

Gold: Slam Dunkel, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Silver: Bavarian Sun, Ram Restaurant and Brewery—Illinois, Wheeling, IL

Bronze: Saint Arnold Weedwacker, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Category 68: Belgian-Style Witbier (66 Entries)

Gold: Optimal Wit, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Silver: Wasatch White Label, Utah Brewers Co-op, Salt Lake City, UT

Bronze: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category 69: French & Belgian-Style Saison (119 Entries)

Gold: Liopard Oir Farmhouse Saison, Lavery Brewing Co., Erie, PA

Silver: Urban Farmhouse Ale, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR

Bronze: Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale, Crossroads Brewing Co., Athens, NY

Category 70: Belgian- and French-Style Ale (71 Entries)

Gold: Azreal, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.—Outpost, Lexington, VA

Silver: Grisette, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Pottstown, PA

Bronze: California Ale, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA

Category 71: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale (47 Entries)

Gold: American Blackberry Sour Ale, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI

Silver: Squatters Fifth Element, Squatters and Wasatch Beers, Salt Lake City, UT

Bronze: Atrial Rubicite, Jester King Brewery, Austin, TX

Category 72: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale (88 Entries)

Gold: Cedar Creek Belgian Style Dubbel, Cedar Creek Brewery, Seven Points, TX

Silver: AleSmith Decadence 2012 Quadrupel, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Bronze: Ommegang Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown , NY

Category 73: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale (80 Entries)

Gold: Stumblin’ Monk, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE

Silver: Quad Damn It, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Bronze: The Twelve—Belgian Quad, Black Diamond Brewing Co., Concord, CA

Category 74: Brown Porter (30 Entries)

Gold: Old Tom Porter, Piney River Brewing Co., Bucyrus, MO

Silver: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Bronze: Blind Jake, Pinthouse Pizza, Austin, TX

Category 75: Robust Porter (74 Entries)

Gold: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, CO

Silver: Black Robusto Porter, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA

Bronze: Genuine Oatmeal Porter, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro, NC

Category 76: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout (31 Entries)

Gold: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA

Silver: Stearns Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.—Santa Barbara,

Santa Barbara, CA

Bronze: Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout, Moylan’s Brewing Co., Novato, CA

Category 77: Foreign-Style Stout (31 Entries)

Gold: Fade to Black Volume 1, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Silver: Don Vanuchi “The Killer”, Baker City Brewing Co., Baker City, OR

Bronze: Tsunami Stout, Pelican Brewing Co., Pacific City, OR

Category 78: American-Style Stout (40 Entries)

Gold: Kilgore Stout, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Silver: Battlecat Stout, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Bronze: Stumpy Ridge Stout, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY

Category 79: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout (39 Entries)

Gold: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Silver: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Bronze: Dark Lightning Milk Stout, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ

Category 80: Oatmeal Stout (48 Entries)

Gold: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.—Buellton, Buellton, CA

Silver: Gold Medal Stout, Blue Corn Brewery, Santa Fe, NM

Bronze: Oats., Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category 81: Imperial Stout (59 Entries)

Gold: Ale Epeteios, Left Coast Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA

Silver: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Bronze: Hammer and Sickle, Renegade Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 82: Scotch Ale (44 Entries)

Gold: Wee Heavy, Dry Dock Brewing Co.—South Dock, Aurora, CO

Silver: Loose Lucy Scotch Ale, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz, CA

Bronze: Heritage, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category 83: Old Ale or Strong Ale (41 Entries)

Gold: Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI

Silver: Irish Walker, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC

Bronze: Mule Kick, City Star Brewing, Berthoud, CO

Category 84: Barley Wine-Style Ale (55 Entries)

Gold: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Silver: Old Bounder, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Bronze: Release the Hounds Barley Wine, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO

2013 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition

Sponsored by Briess, Country Malt Group, Hopunion & White Labs

Gold: Poblano, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL

Brewmaster: Wayne Wambles, AHA Member: Jeff Gladish

Silver: Charlie’s Brown, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Brewmaster: Peter Bouckaert/Grady Hull, AHA Member: Mike Formisan

Bronze: Oatmeal Stout, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

Brewmaster: Alex Violette, AHA Member: Derek Ordway

Wynkoop Launches Cask Beer Program at Brown Palace Hotel & Spa

Staff — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 20:18:55 +0000

(Press Release)

DENVER—Wynkoop Brewing Company and the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa have teamed up for a series of special cask beers for the hotel’s Ship Tavern bar.

The beers match Wynkoop’s 25 years of brewing expertise with the Brown Palace’s historic charm and ingredients from the hotel’s signature elements.

The first beer to debut in the “Palace Caskcraft” series is a customized version of Wynkoop’s London Calling IPA. Wynkoop Head Brewer Andy Brown created a version of the beer that is enhanced by an addition of lemongrass.

In addition to adding bright citrus and spice notes to the beer, lemongrass is used in many of the spa treatments at the Brown Palace.

This customized beer is joined by another favorite cask-conditioned beer from Wynkoop, St. Charles ESB. This “extra special bitter” is a British-style, gently hopped amber ale that has been served at Wynkoop for nearly 20 years.

These “live” beers are primed/carbonated with a dose of unfermented beer and live yeast. The yeast consumes sugars in that “wort” and secretes alcohol along with carbon dioxide that naturally carbonates the beer

These beers are then served via newly installed hand pumps (also called beer engines) in the hotel’s famed Ship Tavern bar. The pumps pull beer from the kegs and then mix the beer with ambient air via a “sparkler” faucet on the beer engine’s tap.

The result is a beer with a creamy head, a softer mouthfeel, a slightly warmer temperature (around 50 degrees) and a broader range of flavors than modern-day, force-carbonated beer.

“Cask beers,” says Andy Brown, “are a historic cultural gem from the days before modern draft beer in stainless steel kegs was available. They are something I enjoy keeping alive,” Brown adds. “They take more work and care to produce, but the end result is worth it.”

As the Palace Caskcraft series continues, the beers will include honey from the hotel’s rooftop beehives, water from The Brown Palace’s artesian well, and other ingredients with ties to the hotel.

“We had so much fun creating the Rooftop Honey Saison and the 1892 Artesian Lager with Wynkoop,” explains Mark Shine, Director of Sales and Marketing for The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. “So we were excited to see what Marty and Andy and their team had in store for us this summer.”

“The cask beers and beer engines,” Shine adds, “are a great way for us to continue a tradition while also sharing the Denver beer experience with our guests.”

In addition to the new beer being served in Ship Tavern, The Brown Palace is also providing guests another way to indulge in Denver’s love for beer with a Signature Microbrew package. The offer includes deluxe accommodations, signature glassware and apparel and, of course, Caskcraft beers in Ship Tavern.

The tradition of cask beer dates back several centuries to when beers were carbonated naturally in wooden barrels and at a slightly warmer temperature. As the process continued to evolve, the beers were stored in stainless steel casks and served with old-fashioned hand pumps.

“Cask-conditioned beers are a perfect fit for the Brown Palace and Ship Tavern,” says Wynkoop’s Marty Jones. “This is how beer was served when the hotel opened in 1890. So they complete a beer circle of sorts in the most glamorous historic building in Denver. It’s a great match of time-tested treasures.”

Wynkoop Brewing has served cask-style beers since its opening in 1988.

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa is a Forbes Four Star, AAA Four Diamond luxury landmark located in the heart of downtown Denver. It is a part of Marriott International’s exclusive Autograph Collection, a charter member of National Trust Historic Hotels of America and is managed by Quorum Hotels and Resorts, a full service management company headquartered in Dallas. For more info visit www.brownpalace.com.

In October Wynkoop Brewing will celebrate its 25^th birthday with a week-long celebration and various beer-minded events.

Great Divide Reveals New Yeti

Staff — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:54:57 +0000

(Press Release)

DENVER—Great Divide Brewing Co. announces the release of its highly-anticipated 2013 third quarter seasonals. This release includes the debut of a new member of Great Divide’s admired Yeti family, Oatmeal Yeti Imperial Stout, as well as the return of Rumble IPA and Wolfgang Doppelbock.

With the unveiling of Oatmeal Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide’s storied Yeti family gains an admirable new member. Much like its legendary predecessors, this Yeti is big, bold and dark. The addition of rolled oats softens Yeti’s notoriously roasty backbone, while a small amount of raisins added in the brew kettle creates a unique, complementary dark fruit character. Just as admired as those that came before it, Oatmeal yeti Imperial Stout is a gentle beast. At 9.5% ABV, it will be available in 22oz bottles and 5-gallon kegs.

July also marks the return Great Divide’s inspired third quarter 6-pack seasonal, Rumble Oak Aged IPA. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, Rumble is gently aged on French and American oak chips, resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, and vanilla, with undertones of pine and citrus. At 7.2% ABV, Rumble is available in 6-packs and 5 and 15-gallon kegs through September.

Also returning for another summer on the shelves is Great Divide’s Wolfgang Doppelbock. Wolfgang’s heavenly notes of caramel, dark fruit and toffee are balanced by a subtle hop character. While the style’s revered history evokes an appreciation of austerity and sacrifice, this Doppelbock is a rich luxury – no repentance required. At 8% ABV, Wolfgang is available in 22oz bottles and 5-gallon kegs.

Additionally, all three of these seasonal beers will be available for purchase in their natural habitat – the Great Divide Brewing Company Tap Room – for on-site tasting and 64-ounce growlers to go. Also this summer, through September, the Tap Room has extended hours, opening at noon every day.

Wynkoop Brewing Debuts Collaboration Beer with Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafes

Staff — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:32:03 +0000

DENVER—Wynkoop Brewing Co. has just released a special beer brewed in conjunction with James and Tina Pachorek and their Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafés.

The result of nine months of discussions and three months of experimentation, Saison de Colfax is now on tap at the Denver-area Cheeky Monk locations (534 East Colfax Avenue in central Denver and 14694 Orchard Pkwy, suite #700 in Westminster, CO), and the company’s sister bar, Royal Hilltop in Aurora, CO.

It’s also on tap at Wynkoop Brewing Co.

Saison de Colfax features the wondrous gifts one expects to find in a saison: vibrant tropical, candy and pepper-spice aromas and flavors in a refreshing Belgian beer.

But these typical saison gifts arrive with a tan head and a very subtle chocolate/cocoa note, in an almost opaque beer with a deep brownish-black color.

“I really enjoy dark Belgian beers,” says James Pachorek. “So when Wynkoop offered to brew a beer for us while we work on our new brewery, that’s what I wanted to make. We wanted something unexpected to keep people on their toes, that pushes the limits of what a ‘dark’ beer could be.”

To create the beer, the Pachoreks and marketing director Dona Dalton met with Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown and Marty Jones to brainstorm target flavors for the finished beer.

After collectively deciding on a dark saison style, Brown fermented growlers of a dark wort with six different saison yeast strains. For further research, each of the wort/yeast combinations was fermented at two different temperatures, to gauge the impact of temperature on the yeast’s character.

The group decided on a French style of saison yeast. To get a richly colored beer that didn’t taste “dark,” Brown used a roasted wheat malt to provide the beer’s dark hue. The beer was also made with two-row malt, flaked oats and specialty malts.

To accentuate the beer’s yeast character and further brighten up Saison de Colfax, Wynkoop used Saphir and Sorachi Ace hops in the beer.

“The goal,” Brown says, “was to create a saison that, if you drank it with your eyes closed, you wouldn’t think it was a dark beer.”

“I think people will find it surprisingly refreshing,” Pachorek says, “and they’ll find that it’s okay to have something dark when it’s above 70 degrees!”

Equally appealing for Pachorek is that the project enabled him to get a fresh, local beer made with his input while he and his staff build their Lost Highway Brewing Company. (The brewery is scheduled to open in August.)

The project has other merits for Pachorek. “It connects two local Colorado beer outfits and shows what we can do together,” he says. “Plus it was really fun to get our hands in the process and create something fun and original with our friends.”

The beer’s name refers to Colfax Avenue, the 26-mile “longest main street in America,” on which the Denver Cheeky Monk location is located. The company’s Lost Highway brewery name also pays tribute to Colfax Avenue (and one of Hank Williams’ best songs.)

Colfax Avenue stretches from Golden, Colorado, east through the Denver metro area and out to the eastern plains of Colorado.

“Colfax Avenue,” Marty Jones says, “is home to the state capitol, great neighborhoods and Colorado landmarks, and the seedier, scruffier parts of the Denver metro area. The beer’s name is a nod to the dark side of Colfax and the edge and allure that comes with it, and the ever-improving and surprisingly welcoming parts of Colfax, too.”

The Breweriana Road Show

Dave Gausepohl with Julie Johnson — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Charlie Staats from Texas stands in his hotel room at the Adam’s Mark in Denver, with the door propped open. He’s stashed the hotel trinkets in drawers, and every horizontal surface—the coffee table, the bed, the chairs, even the ironing board—has become display space for his collection of Texas brewery memorabilia. Staats specializes in anything from San Antonio. The room is filled with Lone Star and Pearl brewery signs and beer cans, ready for other collectors who drop in to buy or trade.

The lower tower of the Adam’s Mark was once a department store, before its eight floors were converted to hotel space. But on this evening in September, many of the rooms have reverted to their old retail role. For a few nights, each open room is a little antique shop dedicated to beer.

The hotel’s housekeeping staff is under strict orders not to make the beds, or clean off the counters or furniture. They know to leave the cans, bottles, openers and tap knobs alone. If it’s garbage, it’s in the garbage can.

Staats and about 800 others are in Denver for the annual CANvention, the biggest gathering of hobbyists who collect all things related to beer. It’s early in the week, before the main trade floor opens, and the action is in the hotel corridors, where the Room to Room (as it’s called) is in full swig. The room holders themselves are often away from their own rooms, getting another beer or checking out other displays, but the rule is “if the door’s open, the store’s open.”

A watering hole with a couple of tapped kegs is strategically located on each floor. The visitors can refill their plastic cups with beer as they migrate from one collector’s room to another, making a circuit of each floor before they wander down the stairs to the next floor.

Just who are these characters who have taken their beer passion to nearly obsessive levels? What makes the relics of beer’s past so compelling that enthusiasts will travel to all parts of the country, completely rearrange their homes around their hobby, or jeopardize marital harmony? Welcome to the world of the collector.

25 All-American Beer Cities: 25 for AAB’s 25th

Paul Ruschmann — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 17:00:00 +0000

As part of its silver anniversary celebration, All About Beer Magazine asked me to name my 25 favorite American beer cities. Lists like these invite controversy, which isn’t a bad thing. Differences of opinion make for good discussion and are amicably resolved over a pint or two.

Naming one’s favorite beer cities is, of course, a matter of opinion, but I tried to introduce a bit of journalistic objectivity by identifying the criteria that would go into a decision whether to visit. No city on Earth meets all of these criteria (well, Munich comes close), but those on my top 25 list ranked high on at least several. Here they are.

• Local breweries. That means microbreweries and brewpubs, because that’s where you’ll find classic beer and unusual new styles. In some cities, historic regional breweries, such as Yuengling and Spoetzel, play a prominent role in the local beer scene. And touring a brewery, be it micro or macro, is a pleasant way to wile away a few hours.

• History and lore. America doesn’t have breweries inside medieval castles or taverns where Shakespeare drank, but there’s plenty of history to be found. Our country is rich in beer lore, ranging from beer barons’ mansions, like Colonel Pabst’s home in Milwaukee, to craft brewing landmarks such as the Mendocino Brewing Co.’s original location in the appropriately named town of Hopland, CA.

• Hard to find beer. Many a beer lover has visited Portland, OR, and brought back bottles of the formidable Adam and Fred, brewed by Hair of the Dog Brewing Co. Likewise, travelers to the Great Lakes region have come home with Bell’s Oberon Ale or Consecrator doppelbock. Beers like these are enjoyable travel souvenirs and a great way to impress friends.

• Taverns. In some parts of our country, the corner tavern is still a part of everyday life. These establishments are what author Ray Oldenburg calls “The Great Good Places,” those places outside the home and workplace where a person can unwind with friends and beer fulfills its traditional role as a social lubricant. The nation’s best beer bars are, in my opinion, those that keep electronic distractions to a minimum and invite conversation.

• Beer festivals. It’s no coincidence that many of the nation’s top festivals are in or near its best beer cities. The Northwest, where the craft brewing movement began, is especially rich in festivals. But many cities not in the top 25 have notable festivals worth a visit. A couple of examples: Cincinnati, which stages the biggest Oktoberfest in America; and Syracuse, NY, where the Empire State Brewing & Music Festival is a summertime must.

• Local food. A beer trip is also an excuse to get out of your normal culinary routine: you can eat when you’re hungry and have fun eating. For me, that means trying such local specialties as Chicago-style hot dogs, Texas chili, New England clam chowder, and a Hawaiian plate lunch. After all, man doesn’t live by beer alone.

• Last but not least, public transportation. We all know the drill about drinking and driving. Besides, there are cities, like New York, where a car actually reduces your mobility. A number of cities on the list have safe, reliable transit systems, and some offer an all-day pass for not much more than the price of a pint.

Mile-High Beer Bars

Paul Ruschmann — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 17:00:00 +0000

Thirty years ago, I made my first trip to Denver. It didn’t start out as a beer tour but I made my acquaintance with the then-exotic Coors on the plane ride out (remember Continental’s “Flying Pub”?); with Mexican food, still a rarity in the Midwest; and in the local bars. And, like thousands of other Americans, including President Ford and Burt Reynolds, I smuggled some home.

The Coors mystique has passed into the realm of history; the brand went national years ago. But today, Denver is more of a beer destination than ever. According to the Chamber of Commerce, more beer is brewed in and around the city than anywhere else in America. That’s largely true because the Coors brewery in Golden turns out more beer than any other brewery in the world. Still, it’s the quality and variety of the beer that makes Denver special.

The same pioneering spirit that lured Adolph Coors west has drawn a new generation of brewers to Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood. When I first visited the city, LoDo was a “don’t go there” district, full of derelict warehouses left over from the days when tons of merchandise were shipped by rail. It continued to decline for years, thanks to an economic slump followed by collapsing energy prices.

City government turned things around. It offered incentives to preserve the district’s historic buildings and lobbied major league baseball for an expansion franchise. Once the Colorado Rockies became a reality, work began on Coors Field, a beautiful new ballpark that has become LoDo’s centerpiece. The warehouses have been turned into lofts—some 5,000 people live there—as well as dance clubs, restaurants, and, of course, bars and brewpubs.