Colorado Brewers Collect 38 Medals at Great American Beer Festival Competition

DENVER (Oct. 12, 2024) — The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) is pleased to congratulate the 34 Colorado breweries that collected a total of 38 medals among 102 beer-styles at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition at Bellco Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center earlier today. The GABF competition drew 8,970 entries from 1,773 breweries across the United States. 

Produced by the Brewers Association (BA), GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition. Its medals are globally acknowledged as an emblem of brewing excellence and among the most sought-after accolades within the brewing community.

“Colorado’s breweries continue to shine with their high-quality beers in a variety of styles. Especially noteworthy this year is that five different breweries won medals in five different German-style lager categories,” says CBG Executive Director Shawnee Adelson. 

Notable trends:

• This is the third year in a row that New Terrain Brewing Company, River North Brewery, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., and Resolute Brewing have medaled at GABF.
• Two Colorado breweries (Station 26 and Liquid Mechanics) took home hardware for the chili beer category.
• First timers included: Alpine Beer Company, Burns Family Artisan Ales, Eagle River Brewing Company, Long Table Brewhouse, Second Dawn Brewing, and Stodgy Brewing Company.
• Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. had back-to-back wins, including a gold medal for Festbier which was the 4th most entered category.
• Two medals for Cannonball Creek pushing their GABF medal streak to 12 years. Featherweight Pale Ale medaled for the fifth time.
• Bootstrap took home its second gold medal in row in the Strong Red Ale category for Wreak Havoc. It is the fourth GABF medal for Wreak Havoc.
• Resolute Brewing’s Execrator medaled for the third year in a row in the German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock category.

2024 Colorado Craft Brewery Winners:

Gold Medal Winners:

• Denver Beer Co. Canworks - Fennel Rye Ale (Field Beer)
• Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company - El Poblano Borracho (Chili Beer)
• River North Brewery - Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun (Coffee Beer)
• Holidaily Brewing Company - Fat Randy (Gluten-Free Beer)
• Launch Pad Brewery - Silver Medal Worthy (American-Belgo-Style Ale)
• Bull & Bush Brewery - Ghoul Fuel - Rum Diaries Edition (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer)
• Westbound & Down Brewing Company - Western Justice (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout)
• Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Mill  - Infinity Pils (Hoppy Lager)
• Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. - Festbier (Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 4th most entered category)
• Denver Beer Co. (Lowry Field) - Coppermind (Irish-Style Red Ale)
• Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. - More Than a Zealand (New Zealand India Pale Ale)
• Bootstrap Brewing - Wreak Havoc (Strong Red Ale)

Silver Medal Winners:

• Cheluna Brewing Company - Enduro (Fruit Wheat Beer)
• And coming off two GABF medals last year
• River North Brewery - Pumpkin Spice J. Marie (Pumpkin Beer)
• Bull & Bush Brewery - Temporary Paradise-Rum Diaries Edition (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer)
• Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. - Las Cruces (American Amber Lager)
• Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. - Crystal River (Munich-Style Helles)
• Eagle River Brewing Co. - Czech-6 (International Dark Lager)
• Westbound & Down Brewing Co. - Don't Hassle The Hef (South German-Style Hefeweizen)
• Stodgy Brewing Co. - Scottish Ale (Scottish-Style Ale)
• Verboten Brewing - Grow Old with You (Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine)
• Cannonball Creek - Featherweight Pale (American-Style Pale Ale)

Bronze Medal Winners:

• Station 26 Brewing Company - Palisade Peak (Chili Beer)
• First GABF medal since 2014
• The Empourium Brewing Company - Animals Strike Curious Poses (Honey Beer)
• New Terrain Brewing Company - Mirage (American Sour Ale)
• 12Degree Brewing - Cactus Juice (Fruited American Sour Ale)
• Long Table Brewhouse - 50 On It (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer)
• Second Dawn Brewing Company - Wolf of the Woods (Italian-Style Pilsener, new category)
• Left Hand Brewing Co. - Oktoberfest (German-Style Maerzen)
• Resolute Brewing Co. - Execrator (German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock)
• Third year in a row win for this category
• Rock Cut Brewing Co. - Altruism - Rock Cut Brewing Co. (German-Style Altbier)
• Green Mountain Beer Company - Polterweiss Hefeweizen (South German-Style Hefeweizen)
• Oskar Blues Brewery - Old Chub (Scotch Ale)
• Burns Family Artisan Ales - Artemesia (Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine)
• Aspen Brewing Company - Independence Pass Ale IPA (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)
• Alpine Beer Co. - Windows Up (Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale)

“GABF continues to prove that we are the State of Craft Beer, with breweries old and new winning medals in such a diverse array of categories,” says Adelson.

For the full list of 2024 GABF medalists, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.

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About the Colorado Brewers Guild: The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) is a nonprofit trade association with the mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. The majority of the state’s 400+ licensed breweries are members. See a list of events that support membership, learn how to become a member, and more at coloradobeer.org.