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Colorado Cleans Up At The Largest Ever GABF with 46 Medals, Large Brewery of the Year

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Colorado's breweries took home 46 medals from the Great American Beer Festival over the weekend, including 19 Gold, 10 Silver and 17 Bronze. In addition, there were two Colorado companies that took a Brewery and Brewpub of the Years awards. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world. In its 27th year, the 2013 competition surpassed all previous participation records— the judges had 4,809 beers to judge from 745 breweries, a 12 percent increase in beers since 2012.

201 judges from 11 countries chose the GABF winners, establishing the best examples of 138 different beer styles. Longmont's Left Hand Brewing Company tied with Paso Robles' Firestone Walker Brewing Co. for the most gold medals with three beers: the famed Milk Stout, Sawtooth Ale, and Fade To Black Volume 1. Denver's SandLot Brewery received the Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year award and Broomfield's Rock Bottom Brewery was recognized as the Brewpub Group of the Year.


Here are some other notable 2013 GABF medal winners from Colorado:

Great Divide Brewing Co.'s Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout received a gold medal for chocolate beer. The Denver brewery has won medals almost every year at GABF since its opening.

Odell Brewing Co.'s 5 Barrel Pale Ale received a gold medal for classic English-style pale ale.

Cannonball Creek Brewery's Battlecat Stout took home two silvers for the American Stout category and the Featherweight Pale. This was the Golden brewery's first year competing at the festival.

New Belgium's Pro-Am entry Charlie's Brown Ale, brewed in collaboration with homebrewer Mike Formisan, received a silver medal.

For a complete list of winners, visit the Great American Beer Festival website.

· Blind Pairings: Tastemakers Give Their Suggestions On GABF Beers [EDen]
· All GABF Coverage [EDen]

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