Two hundred and forty-seven judges from 15 countries evaluated a mind-boggling 6,647 beers during the course of three days of judging at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
A few other numbers illustrate just how big the event has grown:
– 750 breweries were represented in the festival hall
– 3,800 beers served at the festival
– 60,000 attendees for four sessions
– 3,400 volunteers (festival and competition combined)
– 1,552 breweries in the competition from 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
The most-entered categories were dominated by hop-forward beers. There were: American-Style India Pale Ale (336 entries), Imperial India Pale Ale (208 entries), Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (179 entries), Session India Pale Ale (161 entries), American-Style Pale Ale (160 entries).
Seven breweries won Brewery of the Year awards:
– Very Small Brewing Company – Rip Current Brewery (San Marcos, Calif.)
– Small Brewing Company – Port City Brewing Co. (Alexandria, Va.)
– Mid-Size Brewing Company – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, Calif.)
– Large Brewing Company – Pabst Brewing Co. (Los Angeles, Calif.)
– Small Brewpub – Melvin Brewing (Jackson, Wyo.)
– Mid-Size Brewpub – TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, Calif.)
– Large Brewpub – Titletown Brewing Co. (Green Bay, Wis.)
Download a complete list of the winners here.