GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AFTER 31 YEARS

Cover Photo © Brewers Association

The 27th Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held October 10-12 at the Colorado Convention Center, stands as a testament to the intrinsic appeal of craft brewed beer … and to the vision and hard work of the people at the Brewers Association (which organizes it) and to the craft brewers that have proliferated across the country in recent years.

While the rest of the American economy is at best slowly recovering, the craft beer world keeps expanding at amazing levels of growth. The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association, which represents the majority of U.S. breweries, announced that during the first six months of 2013, American craft beer dollar sales and volume were up 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Over the same period last year, dollar sales jumped 14 percent and volume increased 12 percent. During the first half of 2013, approximately 7.3 million barrels of beer were sold by small and independent1 craft brewers, up from 6.4 million barrels over the first half of 2012.

According to the Brewers Association, there were 2,538 breweries operating in the U.S. as of June 30, 2013, an increase of 446 breweries since June 2012 and more than at any time since the 1870s. The Brewers Association also lists an additional 1,605 breweries (!) in planning at the year’s midpoint, compared to 1,252 a year ago. As of June 30, 2013, the count of craft breweries was at 2,483, showing that 98 percent of U.S. brewers are craft brewers. Craft brewers currently employ an estimated 108,440 full-time and part-time workers, many of which are manufacturing jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.

Not surprisingly, the GABF seems to get more popular every year, this year selling out in just 20 minutes during the public ticket sale (45 minutes last year). The GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world. Here are some stats to make the point:

Festival Facts

• 624 breweries (578 last year) served 3,124 beers (over 400 more than last year) and the biggest selection of American beers ever served), to 49,000 attendees (including ticketed attendees, brewers, judges, volunteers and journalists).
• The 84 beer categories covered 138 different beer styles.
• Winners were chosen from 4,809 entries from 745 breweries, from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C.
• The top entered categories were (theoretically an indication of consumer interest):
• American-Style India Pale Ale, 252 Entries (the most entered category for thirteen years running)
• Imperial India Pale Ale, 149 entries
• Herb and Spice Beer, 134 entries
• American-Style Pale Ale, 124 entries
• American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 120 entries
• French & Belgian-Style Saison, 119 Entries
• Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 117 entries

Festival Sustainability

I’m also glad the GABF has continued its sustainability program and actually has worked to grow it. They have expanded their partner relationships and volunteers to increase the percent of material diverted from the landfill (from 70% to a goal of 80%). The diversion rate increased by 8% and total material recycled and composted increased 22%.

Program components included:

• Disposable items at GABF were recyclable or compostable. No Styrofoam!
• All glass and plastic bottles, cans, paper and cardboard were recycled (with a goal of diverting 100% of glass).
• Plastic beer glasses were reusable.
• Bulk condiments were used at concession areas.
• Trained educators helped attendees put waste in the appropriate containers.
• Attendees were urged to offset their carbon footprint to and from the festival by using a CO₂ emissions calculation tool and offsetting the carbon through the Colorado Carbon Fund.
• GABF has made donations to the Colorado Carbon Fund to offset their carbon footprint.
• Hybrid taxis were available after each session.
• House lights were kept at 50% during the show.

Colorado’s Winners!

The GABF is both a public/member festival and a privately judged competition. And once again Colorado was well represented among the awards. By my count, 35 Colorado breweries won 43 awards, all increases from last year. Only California, with 52 awards, won more. The Colorado winners are listed below.

• American-Style Wheat Beer, Bronze: Super 77 Wheat, Wiley Roots Brewing, Greeley
• Fruit Beer, Gold: Golden Knot – Chardonnay, Blue Moon Brewing, Denver
• Fruit Wheat Beer, Gold: Peachy Peach, Pagosa Brewing & Grill, Pagosa Springs & Bronze: Lilikoi Kepolo, Avery Brewing, Boulder
• Field or Pumpkin Beer, Gold: Elektrick Cukumbahh, Trinity Brewing, Colorado Springs

• Herb and Spice Beer, 
Silver: Chai Milk Stout, Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub, Arvada
• Chocolate Beer, Gold: Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide, Denver
• Specialty Honey Beer, Bronze: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing, Boulder
• Gluten-Free Beer, Bronze: Gluten-Free Brown Ale, New Planet Beer, Boulder
• American-Style Brett, Bronze: HopSavant, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver
• Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, Gold: Keller Pils, Prost Brewing, Denver
• Smoke Beer, Gold: Second Hand Smoke, SandLot, Denver
• Bohemian-Style Pilsner, 
Silver: Czech Pilsner, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Broomfield
• Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, Gold: Move Back, SandLot, Denver
• European-Style Dunkel, Gold: Munich Dunkel, Carver Brewing, Durango & Bronze: The Fearless Youth, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland
• Bock, 
Bronze: Goat Rancher, SandLot, Denver
• English-Style Summer Ale, Gold: True Blonde Ale, Ska Brewing, Durango,
• Silver: Hanging Lake, Glenwood Canyon Brewing, Glenwood Springs
• Classic English-Style Pale Ale, Gold: 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins & Silver: Extra Pale Summer Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Aurora
• English-Style India Pale Ale, 
Bronze: Enterprise IPA, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora
• International-Style Pale Ale, Bronze: IPL, AC Golden, Golden
• American-Style Pale Ale, Silver: Featherweight Pale, Cannonball Creek Brewing, Golden
• English-Style Mild Ale, Gold: S.S. Minnow Mild, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora,
• Ordinary or Special Bitter, Gold: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont &
• Silver: HMS Victory Amber, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora
• Scottish-Style Ale, 
Bronze: Redhawk Ale, Rockyard Brewing, Castle Rock
• Irish-Style Red Ale, 
Silver: Colorado Boy Irish Ale, Colorado Boy Brewing, Ridgway & Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield
• English-Style Brown Ale, Gold: Bandit Brown, City Star Brewing, Berthoud & 
Bronze: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield
• German-Style Altbier, Bronze: Echo Amber, Echo Brewing, Frederick
• South German-Style Hefeweizen, Gold: Big Horn Hefeweizen, CB and Potts Restaurant and Brewery, Highlands Ranch
• German-Style Wheat Ale, Gold: Slam Dunkel, Steamworks Brewing, Durango
• Robust Porter, Gold: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield
• Foreign-Style Stout, Gold: Fade to Black Volume 1, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont
• American-Style Stout, Silver: Battlecat Stout, Cannonball Creek Brewing, Golden
• Sweet Stout or Cream Stout, Gold: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont
• Imperial Stout, Bronze: Hammer and Sickle, Renegade Brewing, Denver
• Scotch Ale, Gold: Wee Heavy, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora
• Old Ale or Strong Ale, Bronze: Mule Kick, City Star Brewing, Berthoud
• Barley Wine-Style Ale, 
Bronze: Release the Hounds Barley Wine, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver

Special kudos goes to Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing, who tied for most gold medals won (three) with California’s Firestone Walker Brewing.

And it doesn’t end there! Colorado breweries won two of the three medals in the Pro-Am competition, which pairs amateur brewers with professional brewers who scale up the award-winning homebrew recipes. The Colorado medal winners, including the winning professional brewers and American Homebrewers Association (AHA) member homebrewers are:

• Silver: Charlie’s Brown, New Belgium Brewing, 
Brewmaster: Peter Bouckaert/Grady Hull, and AHA member Mike Formisan
• Bronze: Oatmeal Stout, Upslope Brewing, 
Brewmaster: Alex Violette, and AHA member Derek Ordway

Colorado breweries won two of the eight “Brewery and Brewer of the Year” Awards:

• Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year: Rock Bottom Brewery, Broomfield, Team Rock Bottom
• Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: SandLot, Denver, John, Tom, Bill & Addison

And last but not least, Wheat Ridge’s Brewery Rickoli and owner Rick Abitbol were selected for the Samuel Adams 2013 “Brewing and Business Experienceship,” award by the company’s “Brewing the American Dream” program. Over the coming year, Arbitol and Rickoli will benefit from this mentoring opportunity offered as part of the company’s ongoing small business microlending and coaching program, which founder Jim Koch started in 2008. By the way, this is a really cool program by craft brewing’s largest brewer to support the smaller players in the industry. How many other large companies actively promote the success of smaller “competitors” in their industry?

Farm to Table Pavilion

I was glad to see the festival continued its emphasis on matching beer with food. This was prominently on display in the more intimate Farm-to-Table Pavilion where chefs created dishes using Colorado products to pair with selected beers from around the country.

I have been pleased to see craft brewers in recent years put more effort into making beers that are best drunk with food. The Farm-to-Table Pavilion presented a fine opportunity to discover how much local foods rendered by skilled chefs have in common with craft beer from small and independent breweries. This innovative event has quickly become a highlight of the GABF.

Colorado chefs Kelly Whitaker of Basta Pizzeria (Boulder), Alex Seidel of Fruition (Denver), Drew Hardin of Lola (Denver), Kelly Liken of Restaurant Kelly Liken (Vail), Kyle Mendenhall of The Kitchen (Denver), Lon Symensma of ChoLon Bistro (Denver), and Sean Clark of  El Moro (Durango) all clearly were having a great time serving their amazing food with great beers (special releases available only in the pavilion and not in the festival hall) from Great Divide, CH Evans, Real Ale, Rahr and Sons, Cigar City, Big Sky, The Bruery, Port City, Surly, Victory, Redrock, and Logsdon Organic.

And believe it or not, what I have covered here represents only a fraction of all the activities at the GABF.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with for next year.