Black Project Spontaneous and Wild Ales took bronze in the GABF competition for experimental beer. (Photo by John Frank, Denver Post)
Thirty-one Colorado breweries won 36 medals at the Great American Beer Festival last week, plus two Colorado breweries brewed two homebrew recipes that won medals in the Pro-Am competition.
So the question now is where can these beers be found? The most obvious response is to go to the brewery itself and ask for the beer. But some beers entered into the competition could have been one-offs or created especially for GABF and aren’t available. Additionally, in Wheat Ridge is planning on a tap takeover on Oct. 24 with as many of the award-winning beers as it can find.
We will keep you updated on that.
Here is what we found for those looking for the medalists.
COLORADO GOLD MEDALISTS:
1) “Coors Banquet,” ., Golden.
(American-Style Lager or Light Lager)
This beer is everywhere, in every liquor store or grocery in the country. It is about as ubiquitous as any beer in existence. You can also probably find its empty cans on every roadside or alley.
2) “Super 77 Wheat,”, Greeley
(American-Style Wheat Beer)
This is the two-year-old Greeley brewery’s flagship beer, winning a bronze in 2013 and the gold this year and can be found on draft om 30 bars and restaurants and 80 liquor stores from Parker to Fort Collins.
3) “Oktoberfest,” , Fort Collins
(Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest)
This fall seasonal can be found in draft in restaurants and bars and in bottles around metro area.
Left Hand Brewing’s Fade to Black. (Courtesy Left Hand Brewing).
4) “Fade to Black, Vol. 1,” ., Longmont
(Export Stout)
This beer has now won three gold medals (also in 2010 and 2013) and continues to kill it as one of the nation’s best stouts. It is a seasonal release that is currently on draft at the brewery but will be released next month in bottles and available in liquor stores throughout Colorado.
5) “Spangalang Table Beer,” , Denver
(Other Belgian-Style Ale)
This three-month-old brewery isn’t canning or bottling yet, so the only place to get its beer is in the taproom. The brewery is currently brewing another batch of this beer that should be available in a month or so.
6) “Weißbier,” , Denver
(South German-Style Hefeweizen)
Prost makes spot-on German-style beers. It won a gold in 2013 for its Keller Pils and now for its Weißbier. This traditional German wheat beer is in bottles and can be found throughout the Denver metro area.
An AC Golden offering (Denver Post file)
7) “Ctyat,”, Golden
(Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout)
This big Russian Imperial Stout with a 12 percent ABV is only found in bombers at specialty liquor stores. Expect to pay around $25.
COLORADO SILVER MEDALISTS
1) “Lone Tree Mexican Lager,” , Lone Tree
(American-Style Lager or Light Lager)
Kudos for Lone Tree Brewing for winning a medal in the American-Style Lager or Light Lager category that is usually dominated by the Superpowers. In fact, Coors Banquet earned the gold in this round. It is being served in the brewery’s taproom. The brewery is talking with its distributor about getting it out into the marketplace soon, said the brewery’s president John Winter
Ska won a silver medal with its Mexican Logger. (Courtesy of Ska Brewing).
2) “Mexican Logger,” , Durango
(American-Style or International-Style Pilsener)
What? Another Mexican lager? This seasonal that is compared to Pacifico is generally available everywhere Ska is distributed in the warmer months. It’s also on draft in the Denver area at various craft beer bars.
3) “Via Chicago,” , Aurora
(American-Style Strong Pale Ale)
This pale ale with notes of citrus and tropical fruit can be found on draft at Colorado Plus, Woody’s in Golden, Barrels and Bottles, Peak to Peak and Stapleton Tap House as well as in bottles at Molly’s, Applejack, Hazels, Liquor Mart, Gateway Liquors, Craft Beer Cellar, Grape Expectations and Chambers Liquors.
4) “Whacked Out Wheat,” , Telluride
(American-Style Wheat Beer)
This year-round beer is available only in draft and not readily available in any Denver-area bars. But the brewery says it may look into getting it out in the Denver area soon.
5) “WeldWerks Hefeweizen,” , Greeley
(American-style Wheat Beer with Yeast)
Impressive that after only seven months in business, this Greeley brewery won a silver medal for one if its beers. This Hefewiezen is available in draft at various bars and restaurants in Fort Collins and Greeley. Brewer Neil Fisher said the brewery will begin delivering to some new accounts in the Denver metro area beginning next week. The first place will be Peak to Peak taproom in Aurora.
6) “Statik,” , Wheat Ridge
(Barley Wine-Style Ale)
This medal is a spectacular achievement for the self-proclaimed smallest brewery in Colorado. The triple India pale ale is currently on tap and in bottles at the Wheat Ridge brewery. However, shortly, it will be distributed to select liquor stores around the area, according to the brewery.
Avery Brewing White Rascal won silver in GABF 2015. (Courtesy of Avery Brewing).
7) “White Rascal,” , Boulder
(Belgian-Style Witbier)
This is a flagship beer for one of the state’s biggest craft brewers. It can be found on tap in bars and restaurants around the state as well as in bottles and cans in liquor stores.
8) “Red Swingline IPA Primitif,” , Colorado Springs
(Brett Beer)
DRAFT Magazine named this wild and sour session IPA among the top 25 beers in the world in 2013. Swingline is bottled in 375ml bottles and can be found at selected liquor stores. But call first.
9) “No Name,”, Glenwood Springs
(English-Style Brown Ale)
This is a slightly different version of this brown ale won the bronze medal in last year’s World Beer Cup. It is only available in draft at the Glenwood Springs Brewpub. “The freshest beer is enjoyed right here,” said brewer Todd Malloy.
10) “Fearless Youth,” , Loveland
(European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel)
This year-round beer is available at restaurants and bars as well as liquor stores throughout the Denver metro area, including at Honor Society and Tap 14.
11) “Fresh Hop Superpower IPA,” , Denver
(Fresh or Wet Hop Ale)
The judges like this wet-hopped beer, which won silver both this year and last in the competitive Fresh or Wet Hop Ale category. But it isn’t bottled or canned. It is available at the taproom but also on draft at bars and restaurants around Denver, including at Peak to Peak, Colorado Plus, World of Beer in Cherry Creek, Asbury Provisions, Stapleton Taphouse, Hops & Pie, Falling Rock and First Draft. (It also will be being poured at the Fresh Hop Festival at Falling Rock on Saturday. ).
Steamworks Colorado Kolsch
12) “Colorado Kölsch,” , Durango
(German-style Kolsch)
You’ve likely seen these cans that resemble Colorado’s flag. The beer is available at Argonaut Wine & Liquor, to name one store. It also is on tap at Whiskey Bar in downtown Denver and Shotgun Willies.
13) “Wreak Havoc,” , Niwot
(Imperial Red Ale)
Though the brewery has canned many of its beers, this is not one of them. However, the Niwot brewery says it has a limited supply on tap “for a few weeks until we brew a new batch.” It is also taking a keg to Pizza Bar 66 in Lyons and plans to have one at Colorado Plus for its medal tap takeover.
14) “Wild Wapiti Wheat,” , Parker ( South German-Style Hefeweizen)
This unfiltered German wheat beer is currently only available in the brewery’s taproom.
15) “24 Frames Per Second,” , Denver
(Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour)
This beer is currently available in bottles at the brewery and will be available on tap for “select events, like our anniversary party in December,” said Brandon Proff, co-owner.
COLORADO BRONZE MEDALISTS
1) “King Ink,” , Denver
(American-Style Black Ale)
This beer is currently unavailable at the tap house. However, the brewery says it plans to tap the next batch at its. It will be available on draft at our Platte Street taproom after then. “We also plan to do a limited release of King Ink in bombers later this fall, probably in November in time for the holiday season.”
Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s Apricot Blonde
2) “Apricot Blonde,” , Aurora
(American-style Fruit Beer)
This is year-round offering is in cans throughout Colorado and is always a big favorite. It is also on draft at bars and restaurants throughout the state. It is also a big award winner, getting gold in 2012, bronze in 2014 and a silver in the World Beer Cup last year. It also has done well at the Colorado State Fair.
3) “Featherweight Pale Ale,” , Golden
(American Pale Ale)
This beer is an annual winner at GABF in the very competitive American Pale Ale category. The brewery said on Thursday that it “just tapped a fresh batch of Featherweight Pale Ale today at the taproom! We rarely distribute, so there are no kegs around town at the moment.”
4) “Peacemaker Pilsner.” , Dillon
(Belgian-Style Pilsener)
This is the second medal for Pug Ryan’s “Peacemaker Pilsner,” which won is available in cans in liquor stores throughout the metro region, including at Argonaut, Mondo Vino and Total Beverage. It is also on tap at various bars and restaurants.
Left Hand Brewing’s Black Jack Porter
5) “Black Jack Porter,” , Longmont
(Brown Porter)
This year-round beer won the gold in 2000 and 1995, the silver last year and bronze in 1994. It is available in bottles at liquor stores throughout Colorado.
6) “Ramjet,” & Wild Ales, Denver
(Experimental Beer)
Unfortunately all of the bottles sold out in one day back in June. According to owner and brewer James Howat, “that specific recipe may not ever be recreated actually.”
7) “Coconut Porter,” , Breckenridge
(Field Beer)
This is the first medal for the Breckenridge brewery. The beer is available at the taproom. It also will be available while supplies last at Asbury Provisions near the University of Denver.
8) “Altbier,” ., Lafayette
(German-Style Altbier)
The first-year brewery from Lafayette has this altbier available in its tasting room, Perry’s Pizza in Northglenn and the Exchange Tavern in Westminster. It will be available in 22-ounce bombers at liquor stores around the Front Range in about a month.
9) “Friar Chuck,” , Fort Collins
(German-Style Kölsch)
This German-Style kölsch is on tap at the brewery as we speak.
10) “Pilsner,” ., Aurora
(German-Style Pilsener)
This beer is only available in draft. South Dock head brewer Tim Evon is currently brewing another batch, so it should be on tap at the brewery in a month or so. There are no distribution plans yet but that could certainly change.
Grimm Brothers Snow Drop
11) “Snow Drop,” , Loveland
(Historical Beer)
This ale is brewed under an old German style called Köttbusser because it contains oats, honey and molasses, which were outlawed under German law centuries ago. This beer is in bottles in liquor stores throughout the metro area. It is also available on draft in several bars in and around Denver, including at the Stout Street Social, First Draft Tivoli Taproom.
12) “Sawtooth Ale,”, Longmont
(Ordinary or Special Bitter)
This is Left Hand’s original flagship beer is a perennial winner, earning bronze in 2012, 2008 and 2000 and gold in 2013 and 2014. It is available in bottles year-round in liquor stores around the Colorado.
13) “Night Watchman,” , Berthoud
(Robust Porter)
Night Watchman is only packaged in kegs and primarily served in the Berthoud brewery’s taproom. But this beer also can be found on tap at The Sink in Boulder, Ed’s Cantina in Estes Park and Jake’s Brew Bar in Littleton. Folks can find Night Watchman on upcoming rotator taps at Lowry Beer Garden in Denver, Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids in Longmont and Georgia Boys in Frederick.
14) “Ska Face,” Durango
(Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer)
This beer is a limited release by the Durango-based brewery and will come out again at the end of December, mainly in Colorado. Expect to find it most craft beer liquor stores in the state. Specialty craft beer bars also will be the likely place to find it at the end of the year.
Pro-Am Beers
Silver medal — “Atahsaisa,” , Lafayette.
This barley wine was brewed by Ryan Scott and Brandon Boldt from homebrewer Mike Froehlich’s recipe. It will be served at the taproom starting this weekend.
Bronze medal — “Citra IPA,” , Boulder/
This IPA was among the 91 beers judged. Homebrewer Ryan Lotter created the recipe that was brewed by FATE’s head brewer Jeff Griffith. It is expected to be available at FATE’s brewery by next week.
