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GABF

Favorite Beer Names of GABF 2022

October 21, 2022 |

Sometimes, it is not the description of the beer that pulls you in, but the name of the beer. I have zero qualms about purchasing Hopewell Brewing Co.’s Ya Filthy Animal simply because of the name of the beer (turns out it is my favorite holiday beer, so that one paid off), and going into Great American Beer Festival, my philosophy remained the same.

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The Illinois Breweries That Produce GABF-Winning Hazy Beers (And That’s Not All They Do)

October 18, 2022 |

The Brewers Association introduced the Hazy/Juicy IPA category for the Great American Beer Fest awards in 2018, reflecting the style’s presence and impact within the brewing world — and the first gold medal went to Chicago’s Alarmist Brewing with its Le Jus. Eris Brewery & Cider won bronze in that same category for its Folken Haze. The next year, Old Irving followed with another gold for its ever-popular Beezer. Indeed, Chicago stood as king of the hazy-beer hill. All told, seven Illinois breweries have received a total of nine medals (four gold) in five years for the hazy/juicy Pale Ale, Strong Pale Ale, IPA and Imperial IPA categories. Here are the The Illinois Breweries that Produce GABF-winning Hazy Beers, and a little more about what they brew, serve, and offer.

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Texas Ties Highest Medal Count at 2022 GABF Competition

October 14, 2022 |

Texas breweries brought home 21 medals at the Great American Beer Festival Competition, tying their medal count from 2017. Texas had a strong bounce back after only winning 14 medals in 2021 and 10 medals in 2020.

There were 18 first-time GABF winners and seven of those were Texas breweries; 3 Nations, Edgewise Eight, Mad Pecker, Maple Branch, Old 290, Pecan Street and Roadmap. Texas was the third most awarded state behind California and Colorado.

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Bean to Barstool Podcast | Favorite Beers of GABF Week

October 13, 2022 |

Bean to Barstool host David Nilsen just got back from covering the Great American Beer Festival in Denver for PorchDrinking, as well as the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. While he was in Denver, he attended PorchDrinking’s 10th anniversary festival, hosted a beer and chocolate pairing at Lady Justice Brewing, and stopped in at many of Denver’s best breweries, including Jagged Mountain Brewery, Our Mutual Friend, Cerveceria Colorado and Wah Gwaan Brewing.

In this episode, David shares his favorite beers and experiences of Great American Beer Festival week.

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Ohio Breweries Find Repeat Success at GABF

October 13, 2022 |

Ohio craft breweries once again performed well on the national stage, bringing home eight medals from the 2022 Great American Beer Festival. Notably, every Ohio winner had previously been recognized at GABF or the World Beer Cup.

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The ROI of the Great American Beer Festival

October 10, 2022 |

The 40th anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival marks the first time the event has been held in person and open to the public since 2019. To say that brewers and craft beer fans are excited is an extreme understatement. While participation and attendance were limited this year due to renovations to the Colorado Convention Center, the exhibitor floor was still packed with over 200 suppliers and drew over 10,000 fans to the event.

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2022 GABF Results | What Breweries Won Big This Year?

October 8, 2022 |

The last two years have been… let’s say rough. One beacon of light that has emerged the last few months has been the re-emergence of beer festivals. However, due to its massive size, there were doubts that Great American Beer Festival would be able to come back swinging in 2022. Doubt no more, because the masses of craft beer nerds have descended upon Denver to bask in GABF’s glory once again.

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Illinois Breweries Who Won Big at 2022 GABF Competition

October 8, 2022 |

Illinois breweries, including nine within the Chicago metro area, came away with 10 medals at the Great American Beer Fest, with Double Clutch Brewing emulating what On Tour Brewing did in 2017: win two beer medals and the “Brewery of the Year” for a small brewery award (0-250 barrels). The only gold went to Maplewood Brewing for its Oatmeal Stout. The 10 beer medals is down from the robust 16 Illinois breweries won in 2021, but still a more than respectable showing.
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Colorado Breweries Who Won Big at the 2022 GABF Competition

October 8, 2022 |

Colorado has perennially performed well at GABF, but after a somewhat lackluster showing last year with only 21 medals they rebounded in a big way in 2022. This year, independent … Read More

2022 Great American Beer Fest Day 1 Recap | Standouts and Hidden Gems

October 7, 2022 |

The bagpipers did more than kick-off the 40th annual Great American Beer Fest; they signaled the end of a two-year hiatus caused by the global pandemic. And with that re-start, the PorchDrinking team is back roaming the aisles and aisles of booths, sampling beer and taking notes. Without further ado, here is our team’s GABF Day 1 Recap – our favorites and hidden gems.

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Colorado Beer Beat | Bi-Weekly Beer Release Guide GABF Week

October 6, 2022 |

Welcome to the Colorado Beer Beat, a bi-weekly roundup of all of the new can releases around the state. From Denver to Grand Junction and everywhere in between, we have you covered. Be sure to check back on Thursdays (usually!) to find out what’s new in the Colorado beer scene.

As we go through the final countdown to GABF, you may be wondering to yourself, are there going to be any releases I can pick up even if I’m not at GABF itself? Well, the answer is yes! That being said, with the sheer volume of special releases only available at GABF, it’s looking like a lighter couple of weeks for the canned and bottled releases. If you’re one of the lucky attendees of this year’s GABF, you can find some helpful tips here, that if we’re honest, are pretty valid for first-timers or grizzled veterans of the event!

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2022 GABF Guided Routes | Hoppy Beers to Try at GABF

October 5, 2022 |

The Great American Beer Festival is nearly upon us! And as we always do, each year at PorchDrinking, we’re here to help you navigate the vast lineup of beers to help with planning your route at the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through every beer pouring at this year’s event to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

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2022 GABF Guided Routes | Lagers & Session Beers to Try at GABF

October 3, 2022 |

The Great American Beer Festival is nearly upon us! And as we always do, each year at PorchDrinking, we’re here to help you navigate the vast lineup of beers to help with planning your route at the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through every beer pouring at this year’s event to bring you a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

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First-Timer’s Guide to Attending the Great American Beer Festival

October 3, 2022 | 1

On Wednesday, I fly to Denver, Colorado for my first ever Great American Beer Festival. I’ve never attended GABF and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmed. If you, like me, need advice for your first Great American Beer Festival, keep scrolling.

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The Great American Beer Festival Turns Forty

September 30, 2022 |

Over 10,000 beers judged. More than 2,000 different beers served. Five hundred breweries from across the country represented. Twenty five beer pairings curated by top-rated chefs. Four sessions. Three days. A lot of farts. This year, the Great American Beer Festival turns 40.

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Great American Beer Festival Pouring Guide | Chocolate Beers

September 28, 2022 |

Some of the most sought-after beers at the Great American Beer Festival have been dessert-inspired Stouts with coffee, chocolate, vanilla, lactose, or other ingredients that appeal to drinkers’ sweet tooth, and the 2022 GABF pour list promises to be no exception. There are several dozen excellent chocolate beers at GABF this year waiting for you to try them.

Beers brewed chocolate—or, more commonly, cacao, the ingredient from which chocolate is made—aren’t just candy or dessert substitutes though. At its root, chocolate is an agricultural ingredient, and thoughtfully-brewed Pastry Stouts can highlight the possibilities of this tropical crop. Check out our guide to the most exciting chocolate beers at this year’s Great American Festival.
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PorchDrinking 10th Anniversary Beer Festival Pour List Revealed

September 26, 2022 | 1

By now, it’s no secret that PorchDrinking’s 10th Anniversary Beer Festival has brought out an all-star cast of breweries from across the country and locally to kick off GABF week in a massive way. Now, with just over a week until the festival, we’re thrilled to unveil an equally jaw-dropping initial pour list that features a prolific array of rarities that span a wide diversity of styles.

From barrel-aged Stouts to Barleywines, crispy Pilsners, and historic ales, to spontaneous and wild ales and fruited icebiers, there’s truly something special for everyone.

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The Complete PorchDrinking 2022 GABF Week Events Guide

September 22, 2022 |

Part of the magic associated with the return of GABF involves all of the incredible beer events that take place outside of the actual festival. Although technically the Great American Beer Fest (GABF) begins on Thursday, October 6 and runs through Saturday, October 8, the festivities begin well before the main event and continue throughout the week.

From special tap takeovers to paired beer dinners, out-of-state bottle releases, and collaborations to full-fledged beer festivals, the beer world descends upon Denver in all of its glory. With over a week jam-packed full of events, it can be a bit hard to navigate. Luckily we’re here to help sort through it all with the return of our 2022 GABF Week Events Guide.

2022 GABF Routes:

Be sure to bookmark this page or check back often as we will continue to update the page as events are released.
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Great American Beer Festival Pouring Guide | Ohio Breweries

September 22, 2022 |

Ohio craft beer is booming, with over 400 craft breweries pumping out enough great beer to rank the state fifth in the country in craft beer production. The Great American Beer Festival is the perfect opportunity to taste some of the best beers from the Buckeye State. Here’s our guide to the Ohio breweries at GABF and the beers you don’t want to miss.

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2022 Great American Beer Festival Pour List Released + Initial Can’t Misses

September 14, 2022 |

The wait is nearly over as the Great American Beer Festival returns in less than a month. Returning October 6-8, the country’s largest beer event will celebrate its 40th anniversary after a two-year hiatus. And while this year’s festival footprint is noticeably smaller due to renovations to the Colorado Convention Center, upon first glance the breweries and beers that are anticipated to be poured look like a true return to glory.

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