G-O-O-O-L-D! & other GABF medals for DMV breweries

The Great American Beer Festival is held annually in Denver, Colorado. Breweries throughout the United State enter their beers to be judged in a controlled, 'blind' manner. Many people consider the winners to be the best examples in the nation in their respective categories.

This year was the 29th year for the festival. 3,521 beers were entered by 516 breweries. 151 judges came from 10 countries. 4,900 people attended. On average, each of the 79 categories had 44 entries. The most in in any one category was the American-style India Pale Ale with 142 entries.

The best name for a winning beer was "Clueless Beer Writer," a silver medal winner in the Vienna style Lager category for The Sandlot Brewery of Denver, Colorado. The strangest category had to be "Out of category - traditionally brewed beer" —appropriately enough, Category 13. That's a head-scratcher.

Congratulations to all the winners, but here, today, we'll only mention those from Virginia and Maryland, which is where this blog is written. There were no winning entries from Washington, D.C. —the 'D' in 'DMV'— but we'll claim an honorary mention for the District. The national brewpub chain Gordon-Biersch garnered two medals, and one of its locations, although not necessarily the location which brewed the winners, is indeed in D.C.

Devils Backbone of Roseland, Virginia, took 4 medals, 2 gold; Blue Mountain Brewery of Afton, Virginia, took 2 medals, one gold; Heavy Seas of Baltimore, Maryland took 2 medals, both bronze; Sweetwater Tavern of Centreville, Virginia, took one medal, a gold.

Devils Backbone in Roseland, Virginia.

Jason Oliver, brewer

*Gold - American or International style Pilsner

          Gold Leaf Lager

*Gold - Coffee flavored beer 

          Baltic Coffee

*Bronze - English style Mild Ale

          Ale of Fergus

*Bronze - South German style Hefeweizen

          Wintergreen Weiss

Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia.
Taylor Smack, brewer

*Gold - American style wheat 

          Sandy Bottom Wheat
*Bronze - German style Kölsch
          Kölsch

Great American Restaurants (aka Sweetwater Tavern) in Centreville, Virginia.

Nick Funnell, brewer

*Gold - Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter

          GAR Pale Ale

Heavy Seas Brewing in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ernesto Igot, brewer

*Bronze- Vienna style Lager

          Heavy Seas Märzen

*Bronze - Golden or Blonde Ale

          Heavy Seas Gold Ale

See the full list of all winners here at the festival website or as a pdf file download here. More information here. As per usual, there's good analysis of the results at BeerNews.org. And, a 'thank you' to BeerTap.tv for streaming the awards ceremony, live on the web.