The full winner’s list can be found here.
Deege’s superb photostream on Fermentarium.com (with link to extended set on Flickr)
Via Bill Brand at ibabuzz.com, a few video clips of the fest can be found here.
Alesmith Brewing was crowned Small Brewing Company of the Year at the record-setting 2008 Great American Beer Festival on Saturday. The San Diego-based brewery was one of five breweries to achieve top honors along with Pyramid Breweries, Rock Bottom Louisville (CO), Redwood Brewing, and Anheuser-Busch. The five breweries topped 467 others in being named tops in their respective classes.
Alesmith won two gold medals with Wee Heavy and Decadence and two silvers with Old Numbskull and Vintage Speedway Stout. The brewery hadn’t placed (or possibly hadn’t even entered) in a category since 2005 and the gold medals were the first that the brewery has ever received at GABF.
Fellow SoCal brewer, Pizza Port (Carlsbad), took home five medals though close relative, Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, surprisingly went 1 for 11, with the lone medalist, Hop 15, winning bronze. The brewery is the reigning 2007 GABF and 2008 World Beer Cup champion (and 2008 CAMRA champ).
The most dominating performance undoubtedly came from Paso Robles’ Firestone Walker Brewing, 2007 GABF Mid-size Brewer of the Year. The brewery won six medals, including two golds and three silvers. The Union Jack IPA beat out 103 other entries to place as the #1 American IPA, the most-heavily contested category of the competition. This became a theme over the course of the awards ceremony. Of the seven most highly-entered styles, FW earned four medals among three of them, toppling 242 beers along the way. The other gold medal winner Nectar Pale repeated as the champ in the American-Style Strong Pale Ale category. Pyramid Brewery in Seattle thwarted a Mid-size championship repeat, however, with three golds of its own, in taking the title.
The only other brewery to earn three golds for a single location was Rock Bottom Brewery in Louisville, Colorado. Nearby Wynkoop Brewing and Durango Brewing each took home a pair of golds for the Rocky Mountain state.
California and Colorado breweries accounted for 72 of 225 medals on the day with California taking home the most overall medals with 39. Colorado tied the Sunshine State with 11 gold medals, however. The two states have emerged as brewing rivals in the competition though California earned the most medals of any state for the ninth consecutive year.
Iron Hill Brewery was the clear winner on the East Coast with six medals on the day among its several locations, including four gold medals.
The most medals on the day went to MillerCoors with eight though the brewery still managed to lose out on the Large Brewery award to Anheuser-Busch.
2,902 beers were judged in the competition, breaking last year’s record of 2,793.
| TOP OVERALL MEDALS | |
| MillerCoors | 8 |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | 6 |
| Pizza Port Carlsbad | 5 |
| Anheuser-Busch | 4 |
| AleSmith Brewing Co. | 4 |
| The SandLot | 4 |
| Pabst Brewing Co. | 4 |
| Alaskan Brewing Co. | 4 |
| Rogue Ales | 3 |
| Dogfish Head Brewery | 3 |
| Snake River Brewing Jackson | 3 |
| Rock Bottom Brewing | 3 |
| Deschutes Brewery | 3 |
| Pyramid Breweries Inc. | 3 |
“Passion for the Pale” continues to be the watch-phrase on the Central Coast and beyond. I am privileged to live in San Luis Obispo County where Firestone-Walker is the preferred brew for home-town fans. It’s so great to see that the world has acknowledged what we already know– Union Jack is simply the BEST American Pale around. I recommend a pilgimage to the faithful to the Paso Robles tasting room to experience the electric enthusiasm of this brew team lead by Matt B. Bring an unbeliever and easily convert them. You experience will be unequalled and you can even visit some wineries— around here we know it takes a lot of good beer to make wine. Congratulations Brew Team! You’re the best– AGAIN!!!!