Tillamook County, OR – Pelican Brewing Company┬« received two medals at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival┬« (GABF) competition, bringing the total number of medals won by the Pelican Brewing Co. to 40 at this event since their first win back in 1998. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and a symbol of brewing excellence. In its 28th year, the 2014 competition surpassed all previous participation records. The top three winners in the competition’s 90 beer-style categories were announced October 4 at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.
Out of 41 entries in the Belgian-Style Fruit Beer category, Pelican Brewing Co. won a Bronze medal for Poire du Pélican. The recipe of A+D Brewer Whitney Burnside, this was the first Beligian-Style Fruit Beer category Pelican Brewing Company has ever submitted an entry for at The Great American Beer Festival┬«. This ale began its life as a Belgian golden strong brewed with rye malt. Poire was fermented with a spicy farmhouse yeast at a cooler temperature to achieve a pronounced pear/stone fruit ester profile. Once terminal, this golden nectar was then transferred into oak barrels that once held Chardonnay from Northern California. The barrels then received a healthy addition of two varieties of fresh pears from our friends at the Portland Farmers Market and was then aged for three months. Poire has an intoxicating aroma filled with huge notes of fresh pear, spice, and Chardonnay. On the palate, complex flavors of pear and warm spices are complimented by a soft malt character. The peppery/earthy farmhouse yeast lends a slightly tart and dry finish. ABV: 8.2%, IBU: 18, O.G.: 17.2╦Ö
Pelican Brewing Company also brought home the bronze medal in the English-Style Summer Ale category for Surfer’s Summer Ale. This is the fourth time that Pelican’s Summer Ale has won a medal in this category at the Great American Beer Festival┬«. With a brilliant gold color, and a fruity, floral, and herbal ar0ma from Glacier hops, Surfer’s Summer Ale is a refreshing, tasty treat. A sweet, toasted malt flavor comes from the Golden Promise malt, and combines with breadlike wheat character to give this beer a full-bodied, rounded malt aspect. Finishing smooth and clean, Surfer’s Summer Ale exhibits a wonderful balance and character. ABV: 5.3%, IBU: 25, OG: 12.2╦Ö
Pelican Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by Jeff Schons, and Mary Jones in Pacific City and is Oregon’s only oceanfront Brewpub. With the vision and brewing expertise of Brewmaster Darron Welch, Pelican Brewing has won over 300 awards in that span of time including most recently The 2014 World Beer Cup┬® Champion Small Brewing Company and Brewmaster of the Year. “Winning any medal at the GABF is always a huge honor, but to do so in the face of such stiff competition is amazing. It is especially fantastic that our first-ever Belgian-Style Fruit beer, Poire du Pélican, came away with a medal.” said Darron Welch after the GABF awards ceremony.