15 + 1 for MD & VA at GABF

Yesterday afternoon, I was furiously re-Tweeting DC/MD/VA results from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), as they were being announced. The live Twitter feed provided by the GABF failed part-way into the roll call, so I relied instead on Beernews.org who somehow managed to keep up, typing in names and awards, as they were announced, without advance notice.



So, how did the region fare? Out of 78 categories: 15 medals and one major award.

David Turley, my Virginia compatriot in C.R.A.B.B. (the Chesapeake Region Alliance of Beer Bloggers) has tabulated the results. Here, from his website —Musings Over a Pint:

Virginia

• Devils Backbone Brewing Co. : Gold Leaf Lager : Gold : International-Style Pilsener
• Devils Backbone Brewing Co. : Natural Born Keller : Silver : Kellerbier/Zwickelbier
• Devils Backbone Brewing Co. : Danzig : Silver : Baltic-Style Porter
• Devils Backbone Brewing Co. : Vienna Lager : Silver : Vienna Style Lager
• Great American Restaurants (Sweetwater Tavern) : Crazy Jackass Ale : Gold : Rye Beer
• Great American Restaurants (Sweetwater Tavern) : Wit's End : Bronze : Belgian-Style Witbier
• Rock Bottom Brewery - Arlington : Dude! Where's My Vespa? : Gold : Coffee Flavored Beer
• Starr Hill Brewery : Dark Starr Stout : Gold : Classic Irish Style Dry Stout

Maryland

• Brewer's Alley Restaurant and Brewery : Brewer's Alley India Pale Ale : Bronze : English-Style India Pale Ale
• Clipper City Brewing Co. : Clipper City MärzHon : Bronze : Vienna Style Lager
• DOG Brewing Co. : Pub Dog Black Dog Stout : Bronze : Classic Irish Style Dry Stout
• Flying Dog Brewery : Horn Dog Vintage 2007 : Gold : Aged Beer
• Flying Dog Brewery : Dogtoberfest : Gold : German Style Märzen
• Flying Dog Brewery : Gonzo Imperial Porter : Gold : Imperial Stout
• Flying Dog Brewery : Barrel Aged Gonzo : Silver : Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer

Flying Dog Brewery of Frederick, Md. and its head brewer Robert Malone, were recognized for a stellar performance, receiving the award for Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year. Putting it another way: of all the breweries in the United states, producing between 15,000 and 2,000,000 barrels of beer per year, Flying Dog has been recognized as the most proficient ... until next year, that is. The brewery's Dogtoberfest —its Märzen lager— won gold for the second year in a row.

Clipper City Brewing of Baltimore, Md has now had its MärzHon win a medal for four consecutive years in the Vienna lager category: one gold, one silver, two bronze. Congratulations to head brewer Ernesto Igot and staff.

Clipper City Brewers Chris Farley (l) and Chris Mallon (r) flank Charlie Papazian (c) of the Brewers Association.
Photo courtesy of www.BrookstonBeerBulletin.com.

Just late last year, Jason Oliver commenced brewing operations at new Devils Backbone Brewpub in Wintergreen, Va. Now, only a few months later, he has received four medals. That's a remarkable achievement for a new brewery. It's a testament to his brewing skills, as much as to the categories themselves, all lagers, more difficult, generally speaking, to brew well than ales. His showing pushed the state of Virginia's medal count to eight, compared to only one in 2008 and two in 2007. (analysis by BeerNews.org). Maryland received 7 medals.

Congratulations as well to Chris Rafferty —brewer at Rock Bottom in Ballston, Va., to Tom Flores and Maggie Lenz —brewers at Brewer's Alley in Frederick, Md., to Mark Thompson and his crew at Starr Hill in Crozet, Va., and to DOG Brewing of Westminster, Md.

• A list of all the winners here.
  
• A description of all 78beer style categories here. (pdf file)
  
• My apology is offered to Flying Dog's brewmaster Robert Malone. I bolloxed his name in my Twitter feed.
• Caveat lector: As a representative for northern Virginia wholesaler Select Wines, I sell the beers of Clipper City and Flying Dog.