Saturday, October 12 was the final day of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), and it was also the day that most of the brewers and breweries had been waiting for most with nervous anticipation: Awards Day. Each year the GABF and its panel of expert judges blind taste all of submissions, and award the top three beers in each category with a medal. This year, there were 84 beer categories covering 138 different beer styles (encompassing subcategories), and winners were chosen from 4,809 competition entries from 745 breweries, from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C. Of note this year, there were 230 self-identified first time competitors
The ceremony took place in one of the larger rooms were free coffee and donuts, but given that this was a beer fest, there was also plenty of free breakfast beer available at 10:30, mostly darker stouts and black lagers (a good substitute for coffee?). Despite this and the subsequent joviality brought on by the beer, the atmosphere was somewhat tense, as breweries remained anxious about their chances. Each brewery knew in which categories they would be competing, so for many, the discussions were filled with nervous laughter and awkward silences.
The awards show progressed like other awards shows, with the reading of each category and winners (bronze to gold). For some of the larger, more established breweries like Brooklyn or Dogfish Head, that had been here before, it was not too much of a shock to take a medal, but for a lot of the new comers, it was a real thrill. For many breweries, this event, while it will not necessarily “break you,” as a lot of good beers do not win anything, it can definitely make you. Brewers can spend five or six years developing recipes, refining a business plan, raising money, etc, come to the GABF, win two or three medals, and suddenly become an instant industry celebrity. And, this year, there were 230 self-identified first time competitors. (Based in DC, I am very familiar with a local brewery, Port City that opened in 2011. Port City has had minor success in the past, winning a bronze in a competitive category. This year won 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals. By the time I left the ceremony location, people were already asking who they were and discussing visiting their space. When I got to their space to congratulate them, they were mobbed with people and industry professionals wanting to try their beers.)
Other breweries, however, not seen as true craft beers were cast aside or derided. When Blue Moon won a gold for its Chardonnay fruit beer, very few clapped. Natty Ice won gold for best American Cream Ale, and was meet with jeers and catcalls, as was Budweiser Select (Gold, Light Lager). Most of the overheard comments rhetorically asked how often we are going to hear those results on commercials for the next year.
For the most part, though, the awards were good times for a lot of people, and the general feeling was supportive. The organizers kept things light and airy with wedding style 70′s music (KC and the Sunshine Band, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, etc), and the attendees did their best to retain a sense of humor throughout (Category 69, anyone).
For a full list of this year’s winners, click here.
The first session on Saturday was for media and Brewer’s Association Members only, so although it was crowded, it was nowhere near the capacity of Friday night. Interestingly, after the award ceremony, the brewers paraded into the main hall escorted by the wandering group of bagpipe players. It was actually very cool.
The session allowed me to visit with target breweries and others that had previously been too busy. Also, as the session was for media and members, brewers were more inclined to talk to attendees. Notably, I was able to meet the representatives from Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, North Carolina, which will soon become LEED certified (it also won a medal for its Bohemian style pils). I also spoke with those from Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York which has been actively campaigning against fracking in that part of the state. Other breweries with sustainable efforts include Boulevard Brewing, from St. Louis, MO, Saddlebock Brewery in Springdale, Arkansas, and Ghost River from Memphis, Tennessee. One of the more interesting stories was from Dostal Alley, a brewpub in Central City, Colorado that has been using its spent grain to enrich soil that for 150 years has been inundated with heavy metals from the mining industry. I will be posting those profiles as the next few weeks progress.
Having visited with most of my meeting targets, I opted not to attend the final session on Saturday evening, as I had been warned that it was a real horror show, with people trying to “drink their money’s worth” over the course of the final few hours.
Overall, this was a good first trip to the GABF, and please continue to check back for future columns profiling some of the names above, and others, that are bringing a sense of consciousness to the brewing industry.