San Diego Breweries Win 15 Medals At Great American Beer Festival
San Diego County breweries won five Gold Medals and 18 medals overall at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) over the weekend.
The nation’s largest professional brewing competition is commonly referred to as “The Oscars” of the craft beer industry, and it takes place annually in Denver, Colorado.
The 41st GABF competition, which was presented by the Brewers Association, included roughly 9,300 entries within 100 different categories. More than 2,000 breweries entered the competition, and the medals were awarded by more than 200 certified judges and experienced members of the brewing industry.
Great American Beer Festival Winners from San Diego
The five Golds and 18 medals overall eclipsed last year’s totals of three and 15, respectively.
The Gold Medalists!
The Gold Medal-winning breweries are Ballast Point Brewing Company – Little Italy for Barometer Drop in the “Strong Porter” category, Belching Beaver Brewery – Oceanside Brewhouse for Tropical Terps IPA in the “Experimental IPA” category, Santee’s BNS Brewing and Distilling for Gatling Gun in the “Imperial Stout” category, East Village Brewing Company for IZOLA Kvass in the “Historical Beer” category, and North Park’s TapRoom Beer Company for PB Haze in the “Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale” category.
Point Loma’s Modern Times Beer (one Silver, one Bronze) and Carmel Mountain’s Second Chance Beer Company (two Bronze) were San Diego’s only multiple winners.
“Our breweries showed incredibly well once again in the Mile High City,” said San Diego Brewers Guild Executive Director Erik Fowler. “It seems like every year we justify our moniker as The Capital of Craft, and I couldn’t be happier for the medal winners and the entire San Diego craft beer scene.”
“Even with summer over, the beer-drinking weather doesn’t really stop, and I hope San Diegans will go out and support all their favorite breweries whether they won a medal or not. There are extraordinarily talented people in America’s Finest City making the finest beer around.”
The other local Great American Beer Festival winners:
Silver (7)
- Bagby Beer Company (Oceanside): Herd of Turtles in “Strong Porter” category
- Burgeon Beer Company (Carlsbad): Carlsbad Crush in “International-Style Pale Ale” category
- Modern Times: Mega Devil’s Teeth: Double Dutch S’mores Edition in “Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout” category
- North Park Beer Company: X-Raying Flowers in “Juicy or Hazy Imperial IPA” category
- Pizza Port Ocean Beach: Giullaume in “Session Beer or Belgian-Style Table Beer” category
- Rouleur Brewing Company (Carlsbad): DOMESTIQUE Blonde Ale in “Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale” category
- Rip Current Brewing (North Park): Breakline Bock in “Bock” category
Bronze (6)
- AleSmith Brewing Company (Miramar): Nut Brown in “English-Style Brown Ale” category
- Breakwater Brewing Company (Oceanside): Rye Dawn in “Rye Beers” category
- Fall Brewing Company (North Park): Tora! In “International-Style Pilsener” category
- Modern Times Beer: Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course in “Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout” category
- Second Chance Beer Company: Fistful of Gummies in “Fruited Sour” category
- Second Chance Beer Company: Tabula Rasa in “Robust Porter” category
Congratulations to all winners!
For a complete list of winners, visit here.
To keep up with news on the more than 150 craft brewers operating in San Diego, follow the San Diego Brewers Guild, a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization that promotes local small businesses and entrepreneurs of craft beer via education, events, and community involvement.
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See you there, San Diego!
