Boulder, CO — The 2015 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition awarded 275 medals to some of the best commercial breweries in the United States, plus three GABF Pro-Am medals to teams of amateur brewers paired with professional brewers.
Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and a symbol of brewing excellence. In its 29th year, the 2015 competition surpassed all previous participation records, exceeding last year’s record-setting competition.
Overview: Great American Beer Festival Competition
Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 92 beer categories covering 145 different beer styles (including all subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the country. Winners were chosen from 6,647 competition entries (20 percent more than in 2014) from 1,552 breweries hailing from 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
This year's GABF competition saw its biggest panel of judges ever, with 242 beer experts from 15 countries, including the U.S., and 155 competition volunteers. The panel also evaluated 91 Pro-Am entries.
2015 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards
Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group (BSG)
- Rip Current Brewery (San Marcos, Calif.)
- Paul Sangster and Guy Shobe
Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by O-I
- Port City Brewing Co. (Alexandria, Va.)
- Port City Brewing Co. Team
Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by MicroStar Logistics
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, Calif.)
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Team
Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Beer Institute
- Pabst Brewing Co. (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- Gregory Deuhs
Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
- Melvin Brewing (Jackson, Wyo.)
- Kirk McHale and Jeremy Tofte
Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group (BSG)
- TAPS Fish House & Brewery (Corona, Calif.)
- TAPS Fish House & Brewery Team
Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Country Malt Group
- Titletown Brewing Co. (Green Bay, Wis.)
- David Oldenburg
Overall Competition Highlights
Reflecting craft brewing's sustained excellence nationwide as the industry grows, overall competition highlights include:
- 38 first-time entering breweries won awards.
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Top three states by ratio of medals to entries by state:
- Maine: 21% with 14 entries and three medals
- Rhode Island: 10% with 10 entries and one medal
- North Dakota: 8% with 12 entries and one medal
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Most medals won, with three medals each:
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, Calif. (three medals: two gold, one bronze)
- Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, Ind. (three medals: one gold, one silver, one bronze)
- Port City Brewing Co.; Alexandria, Va. (three medals: two silver, one bronze)
- Left Hand Brewing Co.; Longmont, Colo. (three medals: one gold, two bronze)
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The 2015 competition saw three new style categories:
- Category 8: Chili Pepper Beer
- Category 16: Session India Pale Ale
- Category 24B: Mixed Culture Brett Beer
- No gold medal was awarded in Category 6: Pumpkin Beer. (See GABF awards philosophy and criteria)
View the 2015 winners or download a PDF list of the winners.