The GABF 2024 Roundup of Nice Lakes Medal Winners

In case you’re seeking to reinforce the idea that GABF is very skewed in the direction of West Coast breweries, effectively, this 12 months’s medal winners provide you with a number of ammo.

By my depend, California took house 71 medals, Colorado brewers earned 41 and Oregon brewers introduced house 38.

That’s not even together with the Brewery of the Yr awards, three of which went to Oregon breweries – plus an Oregon producer received the primary “finest cidermaker” award as effectively. California breweries ate up 4 of the remaining 5 Brewery of the Yr awards (the one outlier went to a Vermont brewer).

Out of 326 general medals, that’s quite a bit to come back from simply three states. In truth, by our math, meaning about 45% of all medals went to California, Colorado and Oregon.

Within the Midwest, Illinois really bested Ohio’s medal depend, which normally doesn’t occur. IL’s 9 medals run the gamut from IPA to amber lager to German types to a few award successful barrel-aged beers, demonstrating the breadth and flexibility of breweries round Chicagoland.

Past that … type of a gradual 12 months. A lot of the press round GABF this 12 months has been concerning the new expertise areas they’ve added, in addition to the expanded presence of ciders and different non-beer drinks, however one factor I haven’t seen anybody talk about but is the general drop in entries despatched to Denver for judging this 12 months.

In 2023, the BA stated they judged 9298 beers on the competitors. This 12 months, breweries from throughout America despatched about 5% fewer beers to compete: Simply 8,836, despite the fact that the variety of breweries nationwide held comparatively regular and there have been 5 extra classes for cider makers to compete in as effectively. Not a precipitious drop, however … I’d have an interest to see if there’s ever been a decline that enormous.

Truly, let’s check out the current knowledge.

Even in 2020, breweries despatched over 8,800 beers to be judged (not that there was a lot else happening at taprooms that 12 months). That quantity jumped again up to 9,680 entries in 2021, so to fall again to 2020 ranges and not using a world pandemic happening kinda speaks to the malaise being felt by brewers lately. Most of those medals have been determined from entry swimming pools of 30-60 beers or ciders submitted, so no less than those that despatched in beers had a reasonably first rate shot of coming away with some {hardware}.

Need much more perspective? Right here’s all our GABF protection courting again a full decade. Now, right here’s who walked away a winner in our area at this 12 months’s GABF 2024:

Illinois: 9 Medals

• Gold:
  • Bateman Bier, Greenstar Brewing (American Amber Lager)
• Silver:
  • Altbier, Double Clutch Brewing Co (German-Type Altbier)
  • Door Code, Piece Brewery (German-Type Pilsener)
  • Humongous Sleepy Chungus Bear, Werk Drive Brewing Co. (Wooden- and Barrel-Aged Sturdy Stout)
• Bronze:
  • Lexical Hole, Pollyanna Brewing Co. (American-Type India Pale Ale)
  • Cassis, Moody Tongue Brewing Co. (Fruited Wooden- and Barrel-Aged Bitter Beer)
  • Tankbeer, Hopewell Brewing Co. (Kellerbier or Zwickelbier)
  • Wild Honey, Cruz Blanca Brewery (Specialty Saison)
  • Barrel Aged Dopplebock, MORE Brewing Co. (Wooden- and Barrel-Aged Beer)

Werk Drive Brewing additionally received within the Collaboration Competitors, taking a Silver for his or her Silly Sticky Fingers made with Rocky Reef.

Indiana (3 Medals)

• Gold:
• Silver:
  • Kill the Lights, The Faucet Brewery (Imperial Stout)
  • Roggenschnizzle, Bier Brewery and Taproom (Rye Beers)
• Bronze:
  • Dill Pickle, Discipline Artisan Brewing (Herb and Spice Beer)

Iowa (4 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Straightforward Eddy, Massive Grove Brewery & Taproom(Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale)
• Silver:
  • Lavender Haze, SingleSpeed Brewing (Experimental India Pale Ale)
  • Decorah Nordic Gruit, PIVO Brewery (Historic Beer)
  • Cedar Valley Mix, Paha Cider Co. (Tannic Cider)
• Bronze:

Michigan (2 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Wobbly Traveler, Silver Harbor Brewing Co. (Scotch Ale)
• Silver:
  • Bourbon Maple Needs and Pecan Desires, Odd Aspect Ales (Experimental Beer)
• Bronze:

Minnesota (3 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Eisbock, Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub (German-Type Doppelbock or Eisbock)
  • Haha Pils, Arbeiter Brewing Co. (German-Type Pilsener)
• Silver:
• Bronze:
  • Equanimity, Ursa Minor Brewing (Irish-Type Purple Ale)

Missouri (3 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Yankee Doodle Shandy, River Bluff Brewing (Fruit Wheat Beer)
• Silver:
  • Pacific Portal, Alma Mader Brewing (West Coast IPA)
• Bronze:
  • Outdated Tom Porter, Piney River Brewing Co. (Brown Porter)

Ohio (7 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Eau Rouge, Noble Beast Brewing Co. (Belgian-Type Bitter Ale)
  • Black Cats, Streetside Brewery (English-Type Brown Ale)
• Silver:
• Bronze:
  • Triple Chocolate Viator Obscura, Wandering Monsters Brewing Co. (Chocolate Beer)
  • Toasty, The Brew Brothers – Scioto Downs Racino (English Delicate or Bitter)
  • Brother Sam, Three Tigers Brewing Co. (Oatmeal Stout)
  • Moozie, Brink Brewing Co. (Candy Stout or Cream Stout)
  • IPA for Aliens, Masthead Brewing Co. (West Coast IPA)

Wisconsin (5 Medals)

• Gold:
  • Fairly Good, Third Area Brewing (American Amber/Purple Ale)
  • Scaredy Cat, Classic Brewing Co. (Oatmeal Stout)
• Silver:
  • Non-Alcoholic Oktoberfest, Octopi Brewing / Untitled Artwork (Amber to Darkish Non-Alcohol Beer)
  • Cucumber Lime Blonde, Third Area Brewing (Discipline Beer)
• Bronze:
  • Brown Ale, Oliphant Brewing (English-Type Brown Ale)

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