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(Photo © Brewers Association)
A win at the Great American Beer Festival competition is a BIG deal. Taking a gold, silver or bronze medal in any one of this year’s beer categories can put a new brewery on the map and reaffirm the brewing skills of industry leaders that sometimes get overlooked.
Even though the legendary festival was cancelled this year thanks to COVID-19, the competition still took place. And this year the Brewers Association awarded 272 medals to 240 breweries across the country during this weekend’s 2020 Great American Beer Festival competition awards ceremony. The best beers in 91 beer categories covering 170 different beer styles (including all subcategories) were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals.
“Despite being forced to cancel the festival portion of GABF, our brewing community rallied together to make this year’s GABF competition one for the books—our largest competition judged to date,” said Chris Swersey, competition director, Great American Beer Festival. “Judges continue to be impressed with the quality and innovation of all entries they evaluated. The Brewers Association is proud to honor this year’s deserving winners. We look forward to celebrating in person together next year.”
And here (drum roll please) is a complete list of this year’s winners…
The 2021 GABF Winners
| Medal | Beer Name | Brewery | City | State | Category | Year |
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| Gold | Meat Sweats | Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Westlake Village | Westlake Village | CA | American Amber Lager | 2021 |
| Silver | Amber Lager | Skipping Rock Beer Co. | Staunton | VA | American Amber Lager | 2021 |
| Bronze | Breakside Disco Queen Lager | Breakside Brewery – NW Slabtown | Portland | OR | American Amber Lager | 2021 |
| Gold | Wakes of Grain | Grove Roots Brewing Co. | Winter Haven | FL | American Amber/Red Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Stoup NW Red | Stoup Brewing | Seattle | WA | American Amber/Red Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Paulie’s Not Irish | Old Town Brewing | Portland | OR | American Amber/Red Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Irish Channel Stout | NOLA Brewing Co. | New Orleans | LA | American Black Ale or American Stout | 2021 |
| Silver | Black the Riipper | Riip Beer Co. | Huntington Beach | CA | American Black Ale or American Stout | 2021 |
| Bronze | Broad Blade | Shovel Town Brewery | North Easton | MA | American Black Ale or American Stout | 2021 |
| Gold | Cerveza | True North Ale Co. | Ipswich | MA | American Cream Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Moonlite | Moontown Brewing Co. | Whitestown | IN | American Cream Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Buckle Bunny | Eureka Heights Brew Co. | Houston | TX | American Cream Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Blood Orange Kölsch | Crystal Springs Brewing Co. | Louisville | CO | American Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Wild Raspberry Ale | Great Divide Brewing Co. | Denver | CO | American Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Lone Tree Peach Pale Ale | Lone Tree Brewing Co. | Lone Tree | CO | American Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | King’s Gold | Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Wilmington | Wilmington | DE | American Pilsener | 2021 |
| Silver | Happy Little Clouds | Cloudburst Brewing | Seattle | WA | American Pilsener | 2021 |
| Bronze | Rocket 100 | The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. | Austin | TX | American Pilsener | 2021 |
| Gold | Vice Sans Fruit | Wild Barrel Brewing Co. | San Marcos | CA | American Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Funk Daddy | Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co. | Worcester | MA | American Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Kveik 1 | Shades Brewing | South Salt Lake | UT | American Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Sweet Peel | Stubborn Brothers Brewery | Shawano | WI | American Wheat Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | White Noise | Überbrew | Billings | MT | American Wheat Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Miner’s Gold | Lewis & Clark Brewing Co. | Helena | MT | American Wheat Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Mischief | The Bruery | Placentia | CA | American-Belgo-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Low Country Belgo-American Pale Ale | Tribes Beer Co. | Mokena | IL | American-Belgo-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Siren’s Lure | Fair Winds Brewing Co. | Lorton | VA | American-Belgo-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Davy Brown Ale | Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. | Buellton | CA | American-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Docks Brown Ale | Naked River Brewing Co. | Chattanooga | TN | American-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Face Down Brown | Telluride Brewing Co. | Telluride | CO | American-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Volatile Substance | Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl | Portland | OR | American-Style India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | JAF IPA | JAFB Wooster Brewery | Wooster | OH | American-Style India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Bullitt | All Season Brewing Co. | Los Angeles | CA | American-Style India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Tremor California Light Lager | Seismic Brewing Co. | Santa Rosa | CA | American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Silver | Stampede | Avery Brewing Co. | Boulder | CO | American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Bronze | Midwest Royalty | Alarmist Brewing | Chicago | IL | American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Gold | Stick’s Pale Ale | Bootstrap Brewing | Longmont | CO | American-Style Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Mosaic Pale Ale | Stoup Brewing | Seattle | WA | American-Style Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | South Forty | Corralitos Brewing Co. | Watsonville | CA | American-Style Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Threat Level: Turquoise | Ex Novo Brewing Co – Corrales | Corrales | NM | American-Style Strong Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | IPA | pFriem Family Brewers | Hood River | OR | American-Style Strong Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Civil Disturbance | Escape Craft Brewery | Redlands | CA | American-Style Strong Pale Ale | 2021 |
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| Gold | Inner Light | Our Mutual Friend Brewing | Denver | CO | Australian Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Strata IPA | Worthy Brewing Co. | Bend | OR | Australian Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Mo’ Diggity | Liquid Gravity Brewing Co. | San Luis Obispo | CA | Australian Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Stonefruit Symphony | Alesong Brewing & Tasting Room | Eugene | OR | Belgian Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Coolship Chaos Balaton Cherry | Beachwood Blendery | Long Beach | CA | Belgian Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Wit-Ness Protection | Prison City Brewing | Auburn | NY | Belgian Fruit Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Trippel | New Belgium Brewing Co. – Asheville | Asheville | NC | Belgian-Style Abbey Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Tripel | Allagash Brewing Co. | Portland | ME | Belgian-Style Abbey Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | The Dutch! | Tenaya Creek Brewery | Las Vegas | NV | Belgian-Style Abbey Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Celestis Thesauri | Save The World Brewing Co. | Marble Falls | TX | Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Iron Lion: Blonde | Albion Malleable Brewing Co. | Albion | MI | Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Farm Girl | Lift Bridge Brewing Co. | Stillwater | MN | Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Flanders Style Red Ale | Caboose Brewing Co. | Vienna | VA | Belgian-Style Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Stay the Funk In | Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project | Denver | CO | Belgian-Style Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | TransAmLam | Wicked Weed Brewing | Asheville | NC | Belgian-Style Sour Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Pentuple | Hoppin’ Frog Brewing | Akron | OH | Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Jan Quadrupel Vincent 16 | Belching Beaver Brewery – Tavern & Grill | Vista | CA | Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Treachery | 12Degree Brewing | Louisville | CO | Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | First To Fall | The Good Society | Seattle | WA | Belgian-Style Table Beer or Belgian-Style Session Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Austere Abbot | Deft Brewing | San Diego | CA | Belgian-Style Table Beer or Belgian-Style Session Ale | 2021 |
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| Bronze | Table Beer | Lost Cabin Beer Co. | Rapid City | SD | Belgian-Style Table Beer or Belgian-Style Session Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Optimal Wit | Port City Brewing Co. | Alexandria | VA | Belgian-Style Witbier | 2021 |
| Silver | White | Allagash Brewing Co. | Portland | ME | Belgian-Style Witbier | 2021 |
| Bronze | Lilywhite Wit | Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery | Seattle | WA | Belgian-Style Witbier | 2021 |
| Gold | Maibock | Natural State Beer Co. | Rogers | AR | Bock | 2021 |
| Silver | Unresolved | Attic Brewing Co. | Philadelphia | PA | Bock | 2021 |
| Bronze | Skool House Bock | Moontown Brewing Co. | Whitestown | IN | Bock | 2021 |
| Gold | The People’s Pilsner | Sudwerk Brewing Co. | Davis | CA | Bohemian-Style Pilsener | 2021 |
| Silver | Polaris Pilsner | Chainline Brewing Co. | Kirkland | WA | Bohemian-Style Pilsener | 2021 |
| Bronze | 40th Parallel | Moontown Brewing Co. | Whitestown | IN | Bohemian-Style Pilsener | 2021 |
| Gold | Gregg | Cinderlands Brewing Co. – Foederhouse | Pittsburgh | PA | Brett Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Pearly Dewdrops | Grimm Artisanal Ales | Brooklyn | NY | Brett Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Matilda | Goose Island Beer Co. – Fulton St. | Chicago | IL | Brett Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Peter Porter | Westlake Brewing Co. | Dallas | TX | Brown Porter | 2021 |
| Silver | The Disaster at Meux | Lion Bridge Brewing Co. | Cedar Rapids | IA | Brown Porter | 2021 |
| Bronze | Man Full of Trouble | Dock Street Brewery | Philadelphia | PA | Brown Porter | 2021 |
| Gold | Humo y Espejos with Fuego! | Cerebral Brewing – Florence St. | Aurora | CO | Chili Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Prescribed Burn | Steamworks Brewing Co. | Durango | CO | Chili Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Apricot Habanero | Eleven Lakes Brewing Co. | Cornelius | NC | Chili Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Hold the Waffle | Six Ten Brewing | Tampa | FL | Chocolate Beer | 2021 |
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| Silver | Shuggah Daddi – Chocolate Cake Variant | Main & Six Brewing Co. | Jacksonville | FL | Chocolate Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Chocolate Vanilla Oak Cream Ale | HUDL Brewing Co. | Las Vegas | NV | Chocolate Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Saison | Waypost Brewing Co. | Fennville | MI | Classic Saison | 2021 |
| Silver | Work-Life Balance | HenHouse Brewing Co. | Santa Rosa | CA | Classic Saison | 2021 |
| Bronze | Ride Lots | Autumn Arch Beer Project | Newark | DE | Classic Saison | 2021 |
| Gold | Trash Panda | Metazoa Brewing Co. – Stringtown Production Facility | Indianapolis | IN | Coffee Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Daybreak | Wolf’s Ridge Brewing – Production Operations | Columbus | OH | Coffee Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Golden Stout | Karl Strauss Brewing Co. – Anaheim | Anaheim | CA | Coffee Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Vlad the Barista | Bearded Tang Brewing | Stanton | CA | Coffee Stout or Porter | 2021 |
| Silver | Venti is Large | Hop Dogma Brewing Co. | Half Moon Bay | CA | Coffee Stout or Porter | 2021 |
| Bronze | Captain’s Coffee Stout | Galveston Bay Beer Co. | Dickinson | TX | Coffee Stout or Porter | 2021 |
| Gold | Backyard Hero American Lager | Sudwerk Brewing Co. | Davis | CA | Contemporary American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Silver | Frequency Lager | SingleCut Beersmiths | Astoria | NY | Contemporary American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Bronze | Float | Swamp Head Brewery | Gainesville | FL | Contemporary American-Style Lager | 2021 |
| Gold | Ring Around the Gose | SingleSpeed Brewing | Waterloo | IA | Contemporary Gose | 2021 |
| Silver | Prickly Pear Margarita | Workhorse Brewing Co. | King of Prussia | PA | Contemporary Gose | 2021 |
| Bronze | Sour Flower | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo | MI | Contemporary Gose | 2021 |
| Gold | The Cushman | Morgan Territory Brewing | Tracy | CA | Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest | 2021 |
| Silver | High Brau | Cowtown Brewing Co. | Fort Worth | TX | Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest | 2021 |
| Bronze | Festbier | Zipline Brewing Co. | Lincoln | NE | Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest | 2021 |
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| Gold | Annadel Pale Ale | Third Street Aleworks | Santa Rosa | CA | English Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | True Blonde Ale | SKA Brewing | Durango | CO | English Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Organic California Blonde Ale | Eel River Brewing Co. | Fortuna | CA | English Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Palm Sway | Coronado Brewing Co. – Production Facility | San Diego | CA | English India Pale Ale / New Zealand India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Let it Out | Unsung Brewing Co. – Taproom | Anaheim | CA | English India Pale Ale /New Zealand India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Flight of the Kiwis | My Yard Live Beer Co. | San Marcos | CA | English India Pale Ale / New Zealand India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Momentum | Mechanical Brewery | Cherry Hill | NJ | English Mild or Bitter | 2021 |
| Silver | Sir Marcus | Protagonist Beer – Southend Brewery | Charlotte | NC | English Mild or Bitter | 2021 |
| Bronze | Toasty | The Brew Brothers – Eldorado Scioto Downs Racino | Columbus | OH | English Mild or Bitter | 2021 |
| Gold | Pine Mountain Monolith | Wild Fields Brewhouse | Atascadero | CA | English-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | Brown Ale | Lowercase Brewing | Seattle | WA | English-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Beería | Craft Coast | Oceanside | CA | English-Style Brown Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Japanese Dry Rice Lager | Hi-Wire Brewing – South Slope Specialty Brewery & Taproom | Asheville | NC | Experimental Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | Vocal Jam | Short Fuse Brewing Co. | Schiller Park | IL | Experimental Beer | 2021 |
| Bronze | Skins | Amalgam Brewing | Denver | CO | Experimental Beer | 2021 |
| Gold | Vladimir Brutin | Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. | Golden | CO | Experimental India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Silver | No Slaw Extra Toast | Parish Brewing Co. | Broussard | LA | Experimental India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Bronze | Bromosa Tangerine IPA | Big Storm Brewing Co. – Cape Coral | Cape Coral | FL | Experimental India Pale Ale | 2021 |
| Gold | Category 5 Belgian Quintupel | Big Storm Brewing Co. – Cape Coral | Cape Coral | FL | Experimental Wood-Aged Beer | 2021 |
| Silver | House of Flying Barrels: Plumage | Melvin Brewing – Eureka | Eureka | MO | Experimental Wood-Aged Beer | 2021 |
To allow for the fall hop harvest and beer production, and to include Fresh Hop beers in this prestigious competition, 78 Fresh Hop Beer category entries will compete in early October, with winners announced Friday, October 15.
Congratulations to all this year’s winners…Live long and prosper!
