Texas Breweries Earn Medals at Great American Beer Festival in Colorado
At the 38th Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held in Denver over the weekend, Texas breweries demonstrated their brewing prowess by taking home 10 medals, Chron reports.
The festival, hosted by the Brewers Association, is one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the US, where breweries from across the nation enter their creations in hopes of being recognized as the best in their categories.
With 8,836 beers judged across various styles, an average of 85 beers competed in each category, making the competition fierce. In total, 326 medals were awarded, and Texas breweries secured one gold medal, six silver medals, and three bronze.
Lone Man Mountain Brewing Co. from Driftwood, near Austin, claimed Texas’ only gold medal for its Belgian-style abbey ale, LMM Dubbel II. Silver medals went to breweries across the state, including Galveston Island Brewing for its German-style märzen, Odd Muse Brewing Co. in Dallas for its pilsener, and On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen for its chili beer. Other silver medalists were Red Horn Brewery and Roastery, Three Wide Brewing Co., and True Anomaly Brewing Co.
Bronze medals were awarded to Bankhead Brewing Co. and Bird Creek Brewing, while Live Oak Brewing Co. earned bronze in a collaboration category for its beer Spudweiser, brewed with Hold Out Brewing in Austin.
Despite Texas’ strong showing, GABF historically favors breweries located closer to Colorado, largely due to logistical advantages like shipping costs and freshness. Breweries from California, for example, dominated this year with over 60 medals.
While this year Texas secured 10 medals, it’s worth noting that Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing Co. made a significant impact last year, winning Brewery of the Year in the 15,001-100,000-barrel category and taking home two gold medals for their iconic beers.
