Tuesday Tasting: Wittekerke Wit Bier

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample "the white church."

Belgium has brought the world many beer styles. Hefty abbey ales, dubbels and triples, fruity lambics, and sour geueze usually grab most of the attention. But Wit or white beer is the delicate flower of the Belgian beer scene that fits perfectly when the weather starts to turn warm.

Brouwerij Bavik brews Wittekerke Wit Bier in Bavikhove, Belgium. The name means "white church" and it is also a village in Flanders.

Wittekerke Wit Bier is a 5 percent alcohol by volume beer that pours a cloudy yellow color with a creamy white head of foam. The beer has a very refreshing overall character. There is a touch of spice and citrus notes from the wheat and yeast used in the brewing. It's the kind of light beer perfect as a reward after some yard work.

Day 209 Drink: Otto's Apricot Wheat

Otto's Pub & Brewery was started brewing in State College, Pa., in 2002. The brewery typically has 9-11 beers on tap, including two poured from beer engines.

Otto's Apricot Wheat pours a golden color with a thin white head. The nose delivers the scent of fresh apricot skins. The 4.7 percent alcohol by volume beer has plenty of apricot notes and is slightly sweet with a light wheat beer finish. Overall it is pretty smooth and drinkable for the summer months.

Day 189 Drink: Shock Top Belgian Wheat

It was 101 degrees in Charlotte today. If that is not wheat beer weather, I'm not sure what is.

Shock Top is an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale that is part of the Michelob family produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Shock Top pours a orangish golden color with a respectable head. The nose is slightly fruity. The flavor on this one is a little lighter than most wits you might encounter. You get some orange, hints of spice and some good wheat beer crispness.

Day 188 Drink: Catawba Valley Berliner Weisse

Morganton, N.C., is not the first place that comes to mind when you think of Berliner Weisse, the sour low alcohol German wheat beer that can chase away a summer heat wave. But Catawba Valley Brewing, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains makes one that I had the chance to try on draft this evening.

Catawba Valley Berliner Weisse pours an attractive golden color with a thin white head. The beer has a tart sour edge that covers over most of the malt. It would have been interesting to try this one like they do in Germany with a little raspberry syrup to help cut the sourness. Overall, a decent representation of the style.

Day 159 Drink: Deschutes Miss Spelt Hefeweizen

The letter from Deschutes Brewery starts off: "Dear Fellow Beer Lover, We invite you to fill the difficult role of "Deschutes Brewery Beer Tester." The letter goes on to explain they want feedback on a beer they have been "experimenting with in our Bend and Portland pubs for the last several months." Two bottles with plain white labels are packed with the letter. So far, so good.

The beer in question is currently being called Miss Spelt Hefeweizen. Beyond that the good folks at Deschutes are pretty tight lipped on this brew, saying they want opinions "unsullied by our explanations." So, in the name of research and better beer everywhere, I chilled down one of the two bottles they shipped my way and cracked open this lab experiment.

Deschutes Miss Spelt Hefeweizen pours a cloudy orange-gold with a nice firm medium-size head. An inviting citrus and banana nose is pretty clear and straightforward. The flavor has the classic banana base, but not overpowering. A minor amount of the expected clove, but way in the background. There is also some good crisp citrus that comes into play and the beer finishes dry. Which encourages the next sip. Very drinkable. If Deschutes is looking for a summer wheat beer entry, they are on the right track.

Day 149 Drink: Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Ithaca Brewing operates a tasting room that is open seven days a week. The company sells beer throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Ohio. Ithaca Apricot Wheat is the number one selling beer from the Finger Lakes brewery.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat has a fresh apricot aroma and pours a nice golden color with a frothy white head. Nice classic wheat notes, cut with plenty of fruit. But the fruit is not overpowering At 4.9 percent alcohol by volume the beer is a perfect summer session brew and a great alternative for any stuck on the light beer treadmill.

Day 138 Drink: Michelob Ginger Wheat

Michelob Brewing is releasing new summer sampler 12- and 24-packs that contains four different wheat brews: Shock Top Belgian White, Michelob Dunkel Weisse, Hop Hound Amber Wheat and a new brew, Michelob Ginger Wheat.

Michelob Brewing is located in a research brewery next to the Anheuser-Busch InBev plant in St. Louis. The brewery may have up to 50 different beers in the tanks at any one time. Some never make it past the exploration stage. Others, like Michelob Ginger Wheat, make it into sampler packs or full distribution.

Michelob Ginger Wheat is a 5.2 percent alcohol by volume unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale made with citrus peels, spices and accented with ginger notes. The beer pours a cloudy orange gold color with a decent head. The brew has a sharp citrus and ginger edge.

Day 118 Drink: Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale

Sea Dog Brewing Co. was founded in Camden, Maine, in 1993. In 1995 the company opened a second brewpub in Bangor. In 2002, Alan Pugsley and Fred Forsley took over the brewery. The company now operates out of Bangor, Topsham and South Portland.

Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale is a clear gold color with white foam that thins out fairly quickly. This 4.6 alcohol by volume ale has a perfumey blueberry nose. The body is crisp and clean with a very attractive blueberry background flavor.

Day 100 Drink: 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Thanks to the Belgians, most of us have had the chance to taste a kriek (cherry) or a framboise (raspberry) ale. But how about a watermellon beer?

21st Amendment Brewery was founded by Nico Freccia and Shaun O'Sullivan in San Francisco in 2000. The brewery's popular taproom and restaurant is located close to where the home of the San Francisco Giants.

“There are fruit beers out there that I enjoy, but you can really only drink one of them,” says Freccia. A watermelon in Freccia’s kitchen a decade ago sparked an idea that resulted in a brew that Freccia calls “a beer first” and “not a gimmick.”

“Hell or High Watermelon is always the top selling summer beer in our pub,” Freccia says. “We put it in cans because it is the perfect beer to take to a barbecue, the beach or on a picnic.” Even though he says “I don’t think of it as a fruit beer,” about 400 pounds of watermelon go into making a 12 barrel batch of the wheat beer. Gone are the days when staff at 21st Amendment would carve up 40 cases of fresh watermelon to add to the beer. Now the brewery uses a slurry made by a juice company. The brewery cans Hell or High Watermelon in Minnesota and has distribution from Seattle to Northern California and from Massachusetts to Northern Virginia.

21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer pours a cloudy gold color with a direct red watermelon nose. Small, but persistent head. Very drinkable. The watermelon flavor is subdued with a slight hint of the rind in this 4.9 percent alcohol by volume beer. Perfect warm weather pool side brew.

Day 66 Drink: Bayrischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose

Leipzig was once the second largest city in communist East Germany. For the beer lover, Leipzig has earned its place on the beer map for a style that nearly disappeared called Gose. Gose originated in the town of Goslar, but Leipzig was the city that became synonymous with the style.

Gose is a top-fermented wheat beer, that sometimes has oats, coriander and salt added. These beers are closer to Belgian wit than a typical German wheat brew, with a bit of a sour side. Bayrischer Bahnoff Brau is located in the old central train station in the city and is one of the breweries bringing the style back.

Bayrischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose pours a lovely unfiltered bright gold with a long lasting creamy white head. This 4.5 percent alcohol by volume German beer has a slight fruit aroma that opens to a wonderful sharp flavor combination. Hints of dark skin fruit and some spices. Finishes with a solid dry note.

Day 55 Drink: Avery White Rascal

Avery Brewing has been around since 1993. The company has built a reputation for quality beers, especially among higher alcohol and extreme brews. In fact more than half of the beers made by the company have 8 percent or greater alcohol by volume levels. Adam Avery and his brewing team get high marks for brews like Hog Heaven Barleywine, The Reverend Quadrupel Ale and Mephistophele's Stout, which is a 17 percent abv winter seasonal.

“We’re kind of pigeon holed a bit as making extreme beers, but we make a lot of great session beers,” Avery says. In fact, some of my favorite Avery beers are lower gravity brews full of flavor, like Ellie's Brown Ale, 14'er ESB, Karma Ale and White Rascal Belgian-style White Ale.

Avery White Rascal is a 5.5 percent alcohol by volume Belgian-style white ale that pours a pale yellow color with a thin white head. The wheat, coriander and orange peel come together nicely in this beer. The citrus and spice flavor notes are perfect for the warmer weather months.

Day 49 Drink: Hvedegoop Wheat Wine

Indiana's Three Floyds Brewing Co. combined forces a couple of years back with Mikkeller of Denmark to brew Hvedegoop Wheat Wine, a 10.4 percent alcohol by volume brute of a beer. Three Floyds got its start in 1996, Mikkeller in 2006. Both have built a following among beer enthusiasts.

Hvedegoop Wheat Wine pours with a slightly cloudy amber brown color and a thin, but persistent tan head. The nose has a slightly woody character with hints of citrus. The flavor has a caramel base with some hints of fruitiness that is dulled out in mid-palate by a ton of bitterness from Apollo and Bravo hops. A big collaboration.

Day 10 Drink: Witte Noire Imperial Amber Wheat Ale

Belgian brewer Dirk Naudts founded the De Proefbrouwerij in 1996. The relatively new and small craft brewery uses a 9-barrel brewhouse and twists traditional recipes. Witte Noire Imperial Amber Wheat Ale was created by SBS Imports President Alan Shapiro and Naudts as a companion to De Proef's La Grande Blanche Imperial White Ale.

Witte Noire is a rich brown ale that has a thick tan head. The wheat used in the brew softens the flavor profile, while there is a good level of caramelized malt sweetness and some lingering spice notes. Smooth, yet flavorful, the ale would go nicely with a smoked turkey or roasted pork loin.

The 7.5% alcohol by volume beer retails for around $10 per 750 milliliter bottle.

Day 8 Drink: Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Beer

The Lost Coast Brewery and Café opened in 1990, the result of a dream by Barbara Groom, a pharmacist, and Wendy Pound, a family counselor, to run their own brewpub. Since then, the Eureka, Calif., brewery has expanded, adding a production and bottling site nearby the original brewpub that still operates in a 100-year-old building. You can get their beer in more than 20 states.

Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Beer is a cloudy orange-gold color with a thin white head. There is a prominent orange zest nose and a solid level of citrus in the flavor profile. A very refreshing 5 percent alcohol by volume beer.

Tuesday Tasting: Great Beers in the Pacific Northwest

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we taste some fine beers during a recent visit to the Beaver State.

In Portland, with approximately 30 breweries and a gaggle of great beer bars, it feels as if beer is a cultural obligation. You could travel far and wide to try to find a city where beer in its many forms is taken as seriously by as many people. France can have its wine as long as they leave ale to the residents of Portland.

I had the chance to explore Portland a bit during a recent trip to the city for the Oregon Brewers Festival. I was in town with my friend Barron Boyd and we were committed to staffing the Pints for Prostates booth at the OBF. We also decided it was as good a time as any to each develop painful knee issues (both to our left knees, go figure) which slowed us down and found us using up some evening sampling hours at our hotel with ice bags and Motrin. We did manage to limp our way to get a few samples and the beer was worth the painful journey.

In addition to sampling beer at the OBF, we had the chance to hit some great locations around Portland: the Rogue Distillery and Brewery, Horse Brass Pub, Rock Bottom Brewery, Lucky Labrador Brewpub, Henry's 12th Street Tavern, Deschutes Brewpub and McCormick & Schmick's Pilsner Room. Even so, we did not even make an appropriate dent in what Portland has to offer beer enthusiasts. We did get a good cross section of very nice beers, thanks in large part to the OBF.

The Oregon Brewers Festival celebrated its 22nd anniversary. It is held at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette River. Admission to the festival is free, but you pay $5 for a plastic tasting mug and either $1 for a tasting sample or $4 for a full mug of beer. The crowd was moderate and mellow on Thursday, grew larger on Friday, huge on Saturday, before shrinking to a small gathering on Sunday. Overall the event is well run, offering 80 different beers -- one each from mainly northwest brewers, live music and food.

The following beers were tasted over a five day period at the event, unless otherwise noted.

Alaskan White Ale: With temperatures in the 90s this slightly cloudy Belgian witbier-style was the perfect answer. A touch of sweetness in the aroma, with a hint of citrus and spice in the overall flavor. When they ran out of this beer on Sunday, they started pouring Alaskan Smoked Porter. That's a sign of a great festival.

Bayern Brewing Dragon Breath Dark Heff: This Montana beer has a very nice balance of hops and malt sweetness. Just a hint of fruitiness in the finish.

Bear Republic Crazy Ivan: More than a slight hint at an altbier, but different. Copper color and some spicy clove notes also make you think of a Belgian country ale, but this is brewed in California wine country.

Bison Organic Chocolate Stout: From California, this is a dark brown ale with a rich roasty grain quality. The cocoa powder that is added to the mash is clearly present. Nice substantial stout that is not too thick.

Boundary Bay Amarillo Double Dry: If you love hops, this Washington brew should be on your list. Full hop aroma and a flavor that is a complex floral and herbal blast. I was amazed to hear it was just 45 IBUs, but it shows the brewer's skill in adding Amarillo hops four times during the brewing process.

Chuckanut Dortmunder: Golden colored beer with a clean crack of hops in the initial flavor. The malt quickly balances things out, leaving a refreshing aftertaste in this Washington brew.

Laht Neppur Naddy's Brown Nut: Good overall example from Washington of what a nut brown ale can be. Nice malty flavor with a hint of roasted grain.

McMenamins Hot for Teacher IPA: This Oregon brew had a slight amber orange color. Full hop aroma and a long lasting pleasing bitterness. Just a passing note of pine at the finish.

Ninkasi Radiant Summer Ale: A bright and flavorful brew from Oregon. Golden amber color with plenty of hops that emerge and control the direction of the beer and give it a mix of floral and spice notes.

Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout: What can you say about a beer that knocks you down, but keeps you up. This Oregon beer has plenty of coffee aroma from cold-pressed organic coffee, which also comes through in abundance in the flavor profile. Extremely rich.

Port Townsend Hop Diggidy IPA: A pretty straightforward golden IPA. This 70 IBU beer features three hop varieties and is dry hopped twice. Did I mention you can taste the hops in this one?

Rock Bottom Eat a Bale o' Hops IPA: The name says it all for this Oregon ale. Rated at 80 IBUs it's said that the brewer decided to use a surplus of hops on hand because of the weak economy to bulk up this beer. Herbal hop nose and layered hop delivery with each taste.

Track Town Ales 200 Meter: At 90 IBUs this Oregon ale is actually lighter and more aromatic than you might expect. Golden orange in color, this is very drinkable on a summer day.

Deschutes Obsidian Stout: Amazing draught at the company's downtown Portland brewpub. Rich roast coffee notes. The big head worked for several minutes before settling, churning up roasted grain aromas and flavor along the way.

Rogue Mocha Porter: Poured from a firkin at Rogue this was a real treat. Pours black with a thin tan head. Plenty of roasted grains, with hints of cocoa and coffee.

Deschutes Back Butte XXI Porter: This 11 percent alcohol by volume beauty was served up perfectly at the Horse Brass pub. Large amounts of cocoa and coffee that finishes with more than a hint of whiskey from the barrel aging. A world class beer.

Pliny the Elder Double IPA: Also enjoyed at the Horse Brass, this has a huge big hop aroma and a flavor that while hoppy is not overly bitter.

Stone 13th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale: Also sampled at the Horse Brass, a burnt umber color with a fresh cut pine nose. The beer delivers some very satisfying malty notes and direct hop flavors from double dry hopping.

Hales Mongoose IPA: Enjoying this Seattle cask conditioned ale at the Horse Brass was like being transported to a pub in the English countryside. Floral hop nose, nice smooth flavor that lingers.

Amnesia Desolation IPA: This brew accompanied a cheese burger at Henry's 12th Street. Copper colored with a thin head. It gave off a herbal nose with a citrus and slightly hoppy bitterness.

Lucky Labrador Alt: Enjoyed at the brewery, this copper colored beer had an off white collar of foam. Nice level of malty sweetness with balancing hops.

Cascade Lip Smacker: This German-style gose had a hazy gold color and a clean crisp wheat flavor profile. It was one of the beers at the Oregon Brewers Guild Brewers Dinner on Wednesday night.

BridgePort Hop Czar Imperial IPA: This triple hopped beer was also enjoyed at the Oregon Brewers Guild event. There is a good level of malt in the background, but the beer is a hop delivery system. A good example of Portland brewers' love affair with hops.

Tuesday Tasting: Bending Some Beer Rules

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample some beers that break a few rules.

I'll admit that I've been tasting some different beers during the last few weeks and neglecting my responsibility to report the finds. Different? Yes, in more than a few ways. For the most part these are beers that make you stop and think. Maybe not beer the way your Dad would think of beer. Perhaps different in a good way, sometimes not. Different in a memorable way and I still have a few in my fridge waiting their turn.

Foothills Sexual Chocolate: A couple of weeks back at the Flying Saucer in Charlotte they tapped kegs of this North Carolina giant 9.75 alcohol by volume Imperial Stout from 2008 and 2009. This is an impressive beer. Rich, full bodied flavor really only starts to tell the story. In this case I was more than a bit surprised by the side by side vintages. The 2008 was rich and creamy, with a very nice cocoa bitterness. The 2009 was a solid beer, if just slightly thin when compared to the '08. It leaned a bit more towards coffee and toffee notes. I would gladly order either of these beers.

Hophound Amber Wheat: This beer under the Michelob brand is a seasonal that pours a slighly cloudy amber color. It has some standard wheat aromas, but is on the sweet side thanks to a malt kick and 5.3 percent alcohol by volume. I did not think it delivered on the promise of the "Hophound" name, but it is not a bad effort from the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewers.

Orlando Blackwater Porter: I made a stop at this organic brewery that oddly enough is located in a very industrial section of town near downtown Orlando. This was a dark brown brew with a small, sturdy head. Nice subtle roasted coffee notes and an overall smooth flavor. Not extremely complex, but does every beer have to be complex?

Southampton Publick House IPA: This Long Island beer is a bit of a throw back for me to the time when IPAs had some balance and were not so chock full of hops that one or two could destroy your taste buds. In fact, up against another IPA this one almost had a sweet edge, suggesting a nice malt balance.

Sierra Nevada 2009 ESB: Labeled as the brewery's "Early Spring Beer" seasonal, this brew is perfect for the first warm days of the year. Nice crisp hop flavor. Overall light and refreshing.

North Coast LeMerle Saison: This Belgian style farmhouse ale is one of the more interesting beers I've tasted so far in 2009. Nice straw gold color, with an inviting floral aroma. The taste lets you chase it around your mouth, never quite pausing in one place for very long. There is a good hop base to the beer, but the influence of the yeast shapes this beer into something special. The brew weighs in at 7.9 percent alcohol by volume.

Surly Bender & Surly Coffee Bender: In the space of just a few hours in Chicago I was introduced to Surly Bender, an oatmeal brown ale with nicely formed coffee and cocoa notes in a smooth package. Then I ran into the seasonal Surly Coffee Bender, which comes at you with a full bodied coffee flavor that delivers all of the java you really need. If you find yourself in the upper Midwest trading area for Surly, grab one of their beers.

Southern Tier Oak Aged Cuvee II American Oak Impressions: I did not realize what I was in for when I cracked open this brew. The first aroma is a nice vanilla note, but the flavor is a straight on taste bud crunching hit of raw oak. If you want to know what barrel age beers can be on an extreme level, this is a good place to start. At 11 percent alcohol by volume, these folks are not holding much back.

Tasting Weissbier in Wine Country

After arriving on an early train to Wurzburg we made a stop at Wurzburger Hofbrau for a tour and lunch with brewer Michael David and Roland Schafer, who is responsible for the brewery’s export business. Wurzburger’s brewery is large compared to the breweries we visited in Bamberg – producing 300,000 hectoliters annually -- but it is a mid-sized German brewer when compared to the giant brands.

Founded in 1643, the company is the oldest business in Wurzburg. After the 30 Years War and occupation by Sweden, much of the area’s vineyards were destroyed. Beer helped fill the void.

Wurzburger makes 17 varieties of beer using ingredients from Franconia and Bavaria. Its flagship brands are Wurzburger Pils and Julius Echter Heffe-Weissbier.

After Prohibition Wurzburger’s brands were among the most widely available German imports in the U.S. Its brands can still be found in the American market, but brands like Beck’s and Spaten have eclipsed it through marketing power.

David toured us through the brewhouse, lagering tanks, bottling area and warehouse. The 31 fermenters can each handle 2,000 hectoliters of beer during the 4-6 week maturation period. One of David’s critical jobs is monitoring the carbon dioxide levels as the beer is made.

“CO2 is extremely important to the drinkability of a beer. It’s a big part of what makes a beer a healthy drink,” David says. Getting the hop profile right in each beer is also very important. For Wurzburger Pils they use four different hops, including aromatic hops at the end of the process.

In walking through the massive warehouse you get an idea of the scope of the operation. Trucks pull into an enclosed area to have containers of empties removed and new kegs and cases of filled bottles loaded. In Germany, 90-95 percent of all bottles are returned to the brewer for refilling. Before they can be sent to be sanitized, each case needs to be checked to be sure all of the bottles are matching.

The Wurzburger restaurant and beergarden are beautiful spots to spend a lunch. We had roasted pork shoulder in dark beer sauce and a Wurzburg wedding plate (sliced pork and a tangy horseradish sauce) that went perfectly with the fresh beer. Here are notes for some of the beers tasted during the visit to Wurzburger:

Wurzburger Pils: Golden color pilsener with a soft mouth feel for the amount of hops. Made in the Franconian style with 34 IBUs. Good hop character that makes the beer very refreshing.

Wurzburger Citizen Pils: This is Wurzburger’s “value” brand that comes in at 30 IBUs. It is less crisp than the than the flagship Pils, but still is refreshing and light.

Julius Echter Heffe-Weissbier: Classic wheat beer qualities. A frothy head and bright cloudy yellow color. Cloves forward aroma. Nice banana notes in the flavor profile.

Wurzburger Schwarzbier: Rich red, brown color and a rocky and firm head. Nice Munich malt flavor that is extremely smooth and rewarding.

Great American Beer Festival Hands Out 222 Medals

The 27th edition of the Great American Beer Festival ended a few minutes ago. Earlier today the Brewers Association handed out 222 medals for beers entered in 75 style categories.

Also awards were given out for the small, medium and large breweries and small and large brewpubs of the year.

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year:
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Doug Muhleman

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: Sponsored by Crosby & Baker Ltd.
Pyramid Breweries Inc.
Simon Pesch

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management
AleSmith Brewing Co.
The AleSmith Brewing Team

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
Rock Bottom Brewing
Rock Bottom Brewing Team

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
Redwood Brewing Co.
Bill Wamby

Category: 1 American-Style Cream Ale or Lager - 25 Entries
Gold: Lone Star, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Silver: Hamm’s, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Henry Weinhard’s Blue Boar Pale Ale, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer - 21 Entries
Gold: Pyramid Crystal Wheat Ale, Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, WA
Silver: Spanish Peak Crystal Weiss, Spanish Peaks Brewing Co., Stamford, CT
Bronze: American Wheat, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Category: 3 American-Style Hefeweizen - 52 Entries
Gold: Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Whitetail Wheat, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT

Category: 4 Fruit or Vegetable Beer - 87 Entries
Gold: Pyramid Apricot Ale, Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, WA
Silver: Alaskan Raspberry Wheat Beer, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Sangre de Frambuesa, Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM

Category: 5 Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer - 72 Entries
Gold: Russian Roulette, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Silver: Pangaea, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE
Bronze: State Beach Blonde, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer - 28 Entries
Gold: Java the Hut, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery (Flatirons - Westminster), Broomfield, CO
Silver: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Double Espresso Stout, Barley Brothers Brewery and Grill, Lake Havasu City, AZ

Category: 7 Specialty Beer - 21 Entries
Gold: Red & White, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE
Silver: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
Bronze: Palo Santo Marron, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE

Category: 8 Rye Beer - 24 Entries
Gold: Roggenbier, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Media, Wilmington, DE
Silver: Right On Rye, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, Bethesda, MD
Bronze: Ryeteous Red, Amherst Brewing Co., Amherst, MA

Category: 9 Specialty Honey Beer - 33 Entries
Gold: Honey Lager, Capitol City Brewing Co. - Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Silver: Eye of the Storm, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Honey Moon Summer Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 10 Session Beer - 33 Entries
Gold: 3.2 Unfiltered Wheat Beer, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: USS Minnow Mild Ale, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Bronze: Blonde Bombshell, Cascade Lakes Brewing Co., Redmond, OR

Category: 11 Other Strong Beer - 32 Entries
Gold: Derail Ale, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: FiftyFifty Imperial Stout, FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee, CA

Category: 12 Experimental Beer - 82 Entries
Gold: Arquebus, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA
Silver: Fifteen Avery Anniversary Ale, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Le Pelican Brun, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR

Category: 13 Gluten-Free Beer - 10 Entries
Gold: Redbridge, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Silver: New Grist, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Chinquapin Butte Golden Ale, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Category: 14 American-Belgo Style Ale - 36 Entries
Gold: Xtra Gold, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Pleasantville, NY
Silver: Brush Fire Ale, Pump House Restaurant & Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Big Wednesday, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category: 15 American-Style or German-Style Sour Ale - 34 Entries
Gold: The Dissident, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: Brute, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Bronze: Fifth Element, Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 16 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer - 25 Entries
Gold: Old Jack, Ram Restaurant & Brewery (Indianapolis), Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Buffalo Bock, Ram Restaurant & Brewery (Indianapolis), Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Beastie Barrel Stout, Barley Island Brewing Co., Fishers, IN

Category: 17 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer - 79 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Barrel Barleywine, Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI
Silver: The Legend of the Liquid Brain Imperial Stout, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Golden Delicious, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Pleasantville, NY

Category: 18 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer - 27 Entries
Gold: Beekeeper, Bullfrog Brewery, Williamsport, PA
Silver: Cherry Dubbel, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Newark, Wilmington, DE
Bronze: Cascade Kriek Ale, Cascade Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category: 19 Aged Beer - 38 Entries
Gold: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2006, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Silver: Vintage Speedway Stout, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Samuel Adams Utopias 2003, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA

Category: 20 Kellerbier/Zwickelbier - 23 Entries
Gold: Helles Keller, Fredericksburg Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, TX
Silver: Hell In Keller, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que, Austin, TX
Bronze: Zwickel, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category: 21 Smoke-Flavored Beer - 31 Entries
Gold: Rauch Bier, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Royersford, PA
Silver: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2007, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Second Hand Smoke, The SandLot, Denver, CO

Category: 22 International-Style Pilsener - 22 Entries
Gold: Session Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Silver: Yep, Still Boneheads, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Bronze: OE 800, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI

Category: 23 German-Style Pilsener - 44 Entries
Gold: Kaiser Pilsner, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA
Silver: Party Pants Pilsener, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA

Category: 24 Bohemian-Style Pilsener - 34 Entries
Gold: Pleasantville Pils, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Silver: Pallavicini Pilsner, Pug Ryans Brewery, Dillon, CO
Bronze: Double Aught, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category: 25 Munich-Style Helles - 30 Entries
Gold: Himmelbrau Helles, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Saint Arnold Summer Pils, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX
Bronze: BS Helles, The SandLot, Denver, CO

Category: 26 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest - 16
Entries
Gold: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing Jackson,
Jackson, WY
Silver: Westy Export, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery (Flatirons -
Westminster), Broomfield, CO
Bronze: Penn Oktoberfest, Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh, PA

Category: 27 America-Style Light Lager - 25 Entries
Gold: Coors Light, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Keystone Light, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI

Category: 28 American-Style Lager or Premium Lager - 29 Entries
Gold: Olympia, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Silver: Blatz, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI

Category: 29 American-Style Specialty Lager - 24 Entries
Gold: Hurricane High Gravity, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Silver: Natural Ice, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Busch Ice, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO

Category: 30 Vienna-Style Lager - 28 Entries
Gold: Vienna Red Lager, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - West Chester,
Wilmington, DE
Silver: Oaktoberfest, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Clipper City MarzHon, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD

Category: 31 German-Style Märzen - 48 Entries
Gold: Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
Silver: Saratoga Lager, Olde Saratoga Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, NY
Bronze: Munsterfest, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN

Category: 32 American-Style Amber Lager - 43 Entries
Gold: BJ’s Oktoberfest, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Chandler, Huntington
Beach, CA
Silver: Old Scratch Amber Lager, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
Bronze: El Oso, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA

Category: 33 European-Style Dunkel - 18 Entries
Gold: Munich Dark, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Silver: Bastone Münchner Dunkel, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Bronze: Michelob AmberBock, Michelob Brewing Co., St. Louis, MO

Category: 34 American-Style Dark Lager - 12 Entries
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.,
Chippewa Falls, WI
Bronze: Henry Weinhard’s Classic Dark, MillerCoors, Milwaukee, WI

Category: 35 German-Style Schwarzbier - 23 Entries
Gold: B3K, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: Cherny Bock, Bohemian Brewery, Midvale, UT
Bronze: Black Noddy Lager, Buckbean Brewing Co., Reno, NV

Category: 36 Bock - 39 Entries
Gold: Goat Rancher, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Bock Lager, Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant, Elk Grove, CA
Bronze: Butt Head Bock, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Category: 37 German-Style Strong Bock - 19 Entries
Gold: Capital Autumnal Fire, Capital Brewery Co., Inc., Middleton, WI
Silver: Deep Water Dopplebock, Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC
Bronze: Red Cock Doppel Bock, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI

Category: 38 Baltic-Style Porter - 18 Entries
Gold: Kick in the Baltic Porter, Bluegrass Brewing Co., Louisville, KY
Silver: Killer Kowalski, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL
Bronze: SMP, Sixpoint Craft Ales, Brooklyn, NY

Category: 39 Golden or Blonde Ale - 40 Entries
Gold: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Silver: Alaskan Summer Ale, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: All Nighter, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Category: 40 German-Style Kölsch - 42 Entries
Gold: Wind Blown Blonde, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE
Silver: Sierra Nevada Kolsch Style Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Guido’s Kolner Brau, Snake River Brewing Jackson, Jackson, WY

Category: 41 English-Style Summer Ale - 34 Entries
Gold: Surfer’s Summer Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Silver: Montgomery Blonde, Montgomery Brewing Co.,
Montgomery, AL
Bronze: 312 ‘Urban Wheat Ale’, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category: 42 Classic English-Style Pale Ale - 48 Entries
Gold: Full Sail Pale Ale, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Silver: Clipper City Pale Ale, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Bronze: Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN


Category: 43 English-Style India Pale Ale - 28 Entries
Bronze: Hop Daddy IPA, Main Street Brewery, Corona, CA

Category: 44 American-Style Pale Ale - 76 Entries
Gold: Mission Street Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Drake’s 1500 Pale, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA
Bronze: Firestone Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 45 American-Style Strong Pale Ale - 71 Entries
Gold: Hop Bomb, Rock Bottom Brewing, Louisville, CO
Silver: Nectar Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Organic IPA, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR

Category: 46 American-Style India Pale Ale - 104 Entries
Gold: Union Jack IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Blind Pig IPA, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Hop Head, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Category: 47 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale - 50 Entries
Gold: Hopnotic 2X IPA, San Diego Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Hip Hop Double IPA, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA
Bronze: Hop 15, Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category: 48 American-Style Amber/Red Ale - 65 Entries
Gold: Dry Hopped Red, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
Silver: CascaZilla, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Bronze: American Amber, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR

Category: 49 Imperial or Double Red Ale - 30 Entries
Gold: Rock Hopera Imperial IPA, Vino’s Pizza • Pub • Brewery, Little Rock, AR
Silver: Alpha Dog Double Red Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Weekender Red Ale, Amicas, Salida, CO

Category: 50 Bitter or Pale Mild Ale - 42 Entries
Gold: Drop Top, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Hopsmith Pale Ale, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Category: 51 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter - 43 Entries
Gold: Bachelor ESB, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: Sweetwater Motorboat ESB, Sweetwater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Standing Wave Pale Ale, Kannah Creek Brewing Co., Grand
Junction, CO

Category: 52 Scottish-Style Ale - 24 Entries
Gold: Highland Courage, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, Bethesda, MD
Silver: Dells Chief Amber Ale, Dells Brewing Co., Wisconsin Dells, WI
Bronze: Railbender Ale, Erie Brewing Co., Erie, PA

Category: 53 Irish-Style Red Ale - 31 Entries
Gold: Red Rocks Red Ale, Rock Bottom Brewing, Louisville, CO
Silver: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery - La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
Bronze: Eric The Red, Rock Bottom Brewery - Orland Park, Orland Park, IL

Category: 54 English-Style Dark Mild Ale or Brown Ale - 48
Entries
Gold: Sweet George’s Brown, Dillon DAM Brewery, Dillon, CO
Silver: Old Elk Brown Ale, Walnut Brewery, Boulder, CO
Bronze: OB-1, Snake River Brewing Jackson, Jackson, WY

Category: 55 American-Style Brown Ale - 47 Entries
Gold: Kick-Ass Brown, C.H. Evans Brewing at the Albany Pump Station,
Albany, NY
Silver: Bitch Creek ESB, Grand Teton Brewing Co., Victor, ID
Bronze: Bad Dog Brown Ale, Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant, Elk
Grove, CA

Category: 56 German-Style Altbier - 27 Entries
Gold: The Detroit Dwarf, The Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI
Silver: Railyard Ale, Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI
Bronze: All The Way Alt, Desert Edge Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 57 South German-Style Hefeweizen - 52 Entries
Gold: Wixa Weiss, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Silver: The Love, Starr Hill Brewing Co., Crozet, VA
Bronze: Mueller Hefeweizen, Springfield Brewing Co., Springfield, MO

Category: 58 German-Style Wheat Ale - 32 Entries
Gold: I’m Half the Beer I Used to Be, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Chandler,
Huntington Beach, CA
Silver: Dark-n-Curvy Dunkelweizen, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Wasatch Hefeweizen, Wasatch Brew Pub, Park City, UT

Category: 59 Belgian-Style Witbier - 53 Entries
Gold: Mothership Wit/Organic Wheat Beer, New Belgium Brewing Co.,
Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Belgian Wit, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Squatters Wit, Utah Brewers Co-op, Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 60 French- and Belgian-Style Saison - 37 Entries
Gold: Saison, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - West Chester,
Wilmington, DE
Silver: Saison, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Luciernaga, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI

Category: 61 Belgian- and French-Style Ale - 34 Entries
Gold: Redemption, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Silver: Pride, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK
Bronze: Rare Vos, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY

Category: 62 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale - 29 Entries
Gold: Lambic de Hill, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Media,
Wilmington, DE
Silver: Upstream Gueuze-Lambic, Upstream Brewing Co., Omaha, NE
Bronze: Cassis de Hill, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Newark,
Wilmington, DE

Category: 63 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale - 53 Entries
Gold: Bishop’s Tipple Trippel, Main Street Brewery, Corona, CA
Silver: Abbey Dubbel, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Cherry Hill, NJ
Bronze: 6th Glass, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO

Category: 64 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale - 44 Entries
Gold: Darth Delirium, Moose’s Tooth Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK
Silver: Brother David’s Double, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA
Bronze: Golden Armor, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery (Highlands
Ranch), Highlands Ranch, CO

Category: 65 Brown Porter - 30 Entries
Gold: BlackWatch Cream Porter, Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, WA
Silver: FireHouse Porter, FireHouse Grill & Brewery, Sunnyvale, CA
Bronze: Prospector Porter, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Category: 66 Robust Porter - 47 Entries
Gold: Nolan’s Porter, Barrio Brewing Co., Tucson, AZ
Silver: Sweet Sanderine Porter, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Pacemaker Porter, Flyers Restaurant and Brewery, Oak Harbor, WA

Category: 67 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout - 19 Entries
Gold: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA
Silver: Shaft House Stout, Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino, Central City, CO
Bronze: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 68 Foreign-Style Stout - 28 Entries
Gold: Whiteface Black Diamond Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co.,
Lake Placid, NY
Silver: Black Bear XX Stout, Alameda Brewhouse, Portland, OR
Bronze: Black Hole XXX Stout, Chelsea Brewing Co., New York, NY

Category: 69 American-Style Stout - 23 Entries
Gold: Terminal Stout, Rock Bottom Brewing, Louisville, CO
Silver: Black Mocha Stout, Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, NC
Bronze: Troegs Dead Reckoning, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA

Category: 70 Sweet Stout - 19 Entries
Gold: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Silver: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Bronze: Cow Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 71 Oatmeal Stout - 32 Entries
Gold: Oatmeal Stout, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Silver: Velvet Merkin, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Oatmeal Stout, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA

Category: 72 Imperial Stout - 44 Entries
Gold: BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing
Co., Akron, OH
Silver: Night Rider Imperial Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category: 73 Strong Scotch Ale - 38 Entries
Gold: AleSmith Wee Heavy, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Way Heavy, Pizza Port San Clemente, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Bag Pipe’s Scotch Ale, Allentown/Bethlehem Brew Works,
Allentown, PA

Category: 74 Old Ale or Strong Ale - 40 Entries
Gold: AleSmith Decadence Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Old Scrooge, Silver City Restaurant & Brewery, Silverdale, WA
Bronze: Old Scratch Barley Wine ‘99, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.,
Madison, WI

Category: 75 Barley Wine-Style Ale - 55 Entries
Gold: Treblehook, Redhook Ales Brewery, Portland, OR
Silver: AleSmith Old Numbskull, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Scratch #4 “The Flying Mouflan”, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA

2007 GABF Medal Winners Announced

The premier beer festival in America is entering its final hours in Denver. I was not able to make it to the Great American Beer Festival this year, but if you check out some of the other blogs listed under Real Simple Beer Syndication in my blog roll you will get a flavor of the event.

Every beer lover in America needs to make at least one pilgrimage to Denver for the GABF. One of the highlights is having the chance to taste the best beers in America and seeing happy brewers walk around Denver on Saturday night with medals around their necks.

Here is the list of the 2007 medal winners just released by the Brewers Association:

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Pabst Brewing Company, Woodridge, IL Bob Newman

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Crosby & Baker Ltd. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA Matthew Brynildson

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA Tomme Arthur

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group Redrock Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, UT Kevin Templin

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Montana Brewing Company, Billings, MT Travis Zeilstra

Category:1 American-Style Cream Ale or Lager - 24 Entries Gold: Lone Star, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Bronze: TAPS Cream Ale, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer - 19 Entries Gold: Pyramid Crystal Weizen, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, OR Silver: Brewmaster Reserve, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR Bronze: Honey Weiss, Diamond Bear Brewing Co., Little Rock, AR

Category: 3 American-Style Hefeweizen - 46 Entries Gold: Whitetail Wheat, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT Silver: Easy Street Wheat, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Bronze: American Hefeweizen, Gella’s Diner and Liquid Bread Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Category: 4 Fruit Beer or Vegetable Beer - 94 Entries Gold: Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI Silver: The Great Pumpkin, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Bronze: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI

Category: 5 Herb and Spice Beer - 58 Entries Gold: Summertime 69, Gunnison Brewery, Gunnison, CO Silver: Sigda’s Green Chili, CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing Co., Fort Collins,CO Bronze: Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer - 36 Entries Gold: Coffee Bender, Surly Brewing Co., Brooklyn Center, MN Silver: Java Porter, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS Bronze: Pipeline Porter, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI

Category: 7 Specialty Beer - 17 Entries Gold: Judgment Day, Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA Silver: Maui Gold Summer Ale, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI Bronze: Doble Diablo, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ

Category: 8 Rye Beer - 22 Entries Gold: Crazy Jackass Ale, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA Silver: Rockchuck Rye, Snake River Brewing - Lander, Lander, WY Bronze: 1065 Right On Rye, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, Bethesda, MD

Category: 9 Specialty Honey Lager or Ale - 39 Entries Gold: Honey Moon Summer Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Golden, CO Silver: Midas Touch, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE Bronze: Hawaiian Honey, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV

Category: 10 Other Low Strength Ale or Lager - 14 Entries Gold: Half Wit, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Reno, NV & Chandler, AZ, Huntington Beach, CA Silver: Firestone Extra Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA Bronze: Firestone Lager (Mini-Hell), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 11 Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale) - 34 Entries Gold: Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK Silver: Veritas 002, Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA Bronze: Victor, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Category: 12 Gluten Free Beer - 8 Entries Gold: RedBridge, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO Silver: New Grist, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI Bronze: Shakparo Ale, Sprecher Brewing Co., Glendale, WI

Category: 13 American-Style Sour Ale or German-Style - 12 Entries Gold: Cuvee de Castleton, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Pleasantville, NY Silver: Skull & Bones Cuvee, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO Bronze: Le Terroir, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category: 14 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer - 26 Entries Gold: Oak Whiskey Red, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO Silver: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Co., Lexington, KY Bronze: Buffalo Bock, Ram Restaurant & Brewery (Indianapolis), Indianapolis, IN

Category: 15 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer - 72 Entries Gold: Bourbon Wheatmiser, Goose Island Brewpub, Chicago, IL Silver: Bourbon Barrel Anniversary Ale, Olde Peninsula Brewpub & Restaurant, Kalamazoo, MI Bronze: Relapse, Newport Beach Brewing Co., Newport Beach, CA

Category: 16 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer - 21 Entries Gold: Cuvee de Tomme, Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA Silver: Temptation, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Bronze: Barrel-Aged Cherry, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Reno, NV & Chandler, AZ, Huntington Beach, CA

Category: 17 Aged Beer (Ale or Lager) - 30 Entries Gold: Broad Street Barleywine, Rock Bottom Brewery - King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA Silver: 2003 Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI Bronze: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2004, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category: 18 Cellar or Unfiltered Beer - 31 Entries Gold: Organic Zwickelbier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Silver: Cambridge Amber, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA Bronze: Hop Angel I.P.A., Chelsea Brewing Co., New York, NY

Category: 19 Smoke-Flavored Beer - 25 Entries Gold: Smokey the Beer, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS Silver: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2006, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK Bronze: Smokin Willie Porter, Moose’s Tooth Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK

Category: 20 International-Style Pilsener - 10 Entries Gold: 4K Pils, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR Silver: Southside Pils, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Bronze: Pig’s Eye Pilsner Beer, Pig’s Eye Brewing Co., LLC, Woodbury, MN

Category: 21 German-Style Pilsener - 47 Entries Gold: Pikeland Pils, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Royersford, PA Silver: Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA Bronze: Kingfisher Premium Lager Beer, Olde Saratoga Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, NY

Category: 22 Bohemian Style Pilsener - 33 Entries Gold: Gordon Biersch Czech Lager, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Silver: Pallavicini Pilsner, Pug Ryan’s Brewery, Dillon, CO Bronze: Detroit Lager, The Beer Co’s - Detroit, Detroit, MI

Category: 23 Münchner (Munich) Style Helles - 34 Entries Gold: El Amigo Light, Mission Brewery, San Diego, CA Silver: Gorch Foch, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN Bronze: What in the Helles?, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango/Bayfield, CO

Category: 24 Dortmunder/European Style Export or German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen (Meadow) - 18 Entries Gold: Move Back, SandLot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, CO Silver: Green Side Up, SandLot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, CO Bronze: Widmer Export Lager, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category: 25 American Style Light Lager - 27 Entries Gold: Old Milwaukee Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Silver: Pabst Blue Ribbon Light, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL Bronze: Coors Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO

Category: 26 American-Style Lager - 33 Entries Gold: Hamm’s, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Silver: Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: McHenry Lager, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MA

Category: 27 American Style Specialty Lager - 16 Entries Gold: Icehouse, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Silver: Mickey’s Ice, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Category: 28 Vienna Style Lager - 37 Entries Gold: Balto Märzhon, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD Silver: Dos Rios, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO Bronze: Stoudts Ofest, Stoudts Brewing Co., Adamstown, PA

Category: 29 German Style Märzen - 58 Entries Gold: Victory Festbier, Victory Brewing Co., Downingtown, PA Silver: Stewart’s Oktoberfest, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE Bronze: Michelob Marzen, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, MO

Category: 30 American Style Amber Lager - 44 Entries Gold: Steam Engine Lager, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango/Bayfield, CO Silver: Toasted Lager, Blue Point Brewing Co., Patchogue, NY Bronze: Old Scratch Amber Lager, Flying Dog Brewery, Denver, CO

Category: 31 European Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel - 18 Entries Gold: Dunkelstilsken, CB & Pott’s Restaurant & Brewery (Highlands Ranch), Highlands Ranch, CO Silver: Capital Munich Dark, Capital Brewery Co., Inc., Middleton, WI Bronze: Munich Dunkel, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 32 American-Style Dark Lager - 12 Entries Gold: Roadrunner Red Lager, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ Silver: Henry Weinhard’s Classic Dark, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI Bronze: Elevator Dark Horse, Elevator Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

Category: 33 German Style Schwarzbier - 23 Entries Gold: Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Silver: Redrock Black Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category: 34 Bock - 23 Entries Gold: Troegenator, Tröegs Brewing Co., Harrisburg, PA Silver: Gruffmeister 8 Maibock, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC Bronze: Butthead Bock, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Category: 35 German Style Strong Bock - 22 Entries Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA Silver: Warning Sign, Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co., Castle Rock, CO Bronze: Instigator, Sly Fox Brewing Co., Royersford, PA

Category: 36 Baltic-Style Porter - 13 Entries Gold: Killer Kowalski, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL Silver: Foothills Baltic Porter, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC Bronze: Amnesia, The Grumpy Troll Restaurant & Brewery, Mount Horeb, WI

Category: 37 Golden or Blonde Ale - 48 Entries Gold: Red Brick Blonde, Atlanta Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA Silver: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Bronze: Mississippi Blonde, Bent River Brewing Co., Moline, IL

Category: 38 German Style Kölsch/Köln Style Kölsch - 45 Entries Gold: Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX Silver: Colorado Kölsch, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango/Bayfield, CO Bronze: Gordon Biersch SummerFest, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN

Category: 39 English-Style Summer Ale - 24 Entries Gold: “312” Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL Silver: Sandbagger Gold, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT Bronze: Green Flash Extra Pale Ale, Green Flash Brewing Co., Vista, CA

Category: 40 Classic English Style Pale Ale - 32 Entries Gold: Pale Ale, Diamond Bear Brewing Co., Little Rock, AR Silver: DBA (Double Barrel Ale), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA Bronze: Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN

Category: 41 English-Style India Pale Ale - 38 Entries Gold: Squatters IPA, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT Silver: India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL Bronze: Beech Street Bitter, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 42 American Style Pale Ale - 68 Entries Gold: Firestone Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA Silver: Piranha Pale Ale, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Roseville, CA & Portland, OR, Huntington Beach, CA Bronze: Full Frontal Pale Ale, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category: 43 American-Style Strong Pale Ale - 91 Entries Gold: Nectar Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA Silver: Hop Bomb IPA, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bellevue, Bellevue, WA Bronze: Bent Nail IPA, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT

Category: 44 American-Style India Pale Ale - 120 Entries Gold: IPA, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Silver: Blind Pig IPA, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Bronze: El Camino IPA, Mission Brewery, San Diego, CA

Category: 45 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale - 72 Entries Gold: Hopsickle, Moylan’s Brewing Co., Novato, CA Silver: Moylander, Moylan’s Brewing Co., Novato, CA Bronze: Double Trouble Imperial IPA, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Category: 46 American Style Amber/Red Ale - 66 Entries Gold: Stone Levitation Ale, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA Silver: Hop Head Red, Green Flash Brewing Co., Vista, CA Bronze: McCarthy Red, Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co., West Dundee, IL

Category: 47 Imperial or Double Red Ale - 38 Entries Gold: Organic Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR Silver: Hog Heaven, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO Bronze: Extra Special Red, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category: 48 Bitter or Pale Mild Ale - 43 Entries Gold: Pub Bitter, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR Silver: Squatters Organic Amber Ale, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Snake River Pale Ale, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY

Category: 49 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter - 38 Entries Gold: The Wise ESB, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: O’Brien’s Harvest, Hale’s Ales Brewery, Seattle, WA Bronze: Big Sea ESB, Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS

Category: 50 Scottish Style Ale - 26 Entries Gold: 1065 Brown Bear Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, MD, Bethesda, MD Silver: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO Bronze: Commando Scottish Ale, Pizza Port - Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category: 51 Irish Style Red Ale - 25 Entries Gold: Red Rocks Red, Rock Bottom Brewery - Westminster, Westminster, CO Silver: Crimson Phog, 23rd Street Brewery, Lawrence, KS Bronze: Enchanted Rock Red Ale, Fredericksburg Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, TX

Category: 52 English Style Dark Mild Ale or English- - 49 Entries Gold: Lil’ Pip’s Mild Ale, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT Silver: Nut Brown Ale, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN Bronze: 1069 Brown Bear Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery - Campbell, CA, Campbell, CA

Category: 53 American Style Brown Ale - 45 Entries Gold: Doryman’s Dark Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Bitch Creek ESB, Grand Teton Brewing Co., Victor, ID

Category: 54 German Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf Style - 32 Entries Gold: Alt, Herkimer Pub and Brewery, Minneapolis, MN Silver: 1065 Firechief Ale, Rock Bottom Brewery - Bethesda, MD, Bethesda, MD Bronze: Gordon Biersch Alt, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN Bronze: Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN

Category: 55 South German Style - 60 Entries Gold: Hefeweizen, Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Café, Flagstaff, AZ Silver: Stoudts Weizen, Stoudts Brewing Co., Adamstown, PA Bronze: Top Heavy Hefeweizen, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL

Category: 56 German-Style Wheat Ale - 35 Entries Gold: Boscos Hefeweizen, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN Silver: Dark ‘n’ Curvy, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL Bronze: Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN

Category: 57 Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian- - 47 Entries Gold: Nit Wit, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery - Reno, NV & Chandler, AZ, Huntington Beach, CA Silver: John’s Generations White Ale, Millstream Brewing Co., Amana, IA Bronze: Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category: 58 French- and Belgian Style Saison - 35 Entries Gold: Saison Vautour, McKenzie Brew House, Malvern, PA Silver: Liquid Sun 1087, Rock Bottom Brewery Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ Bronze: Southampton Saison, Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY

Category: 59 Belgian and French-Style Ale - 24 Entries Gold: Tiburon Blonde, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA Silver: Southampton Double White Ale, Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY Bronze: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

Category: 60 Belgian-Style Sour Ale - 28 Entries Gold: High Mountain Cherry Ale, Rubicon Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA Silver: Supplication, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Bronze: Kriek de Hill, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Media, Media, PA

Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale - 55 Entries Gold: Triple Dipsea Belgian-Style Ale, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA Silver: Green Flash Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co., Vista, CA Bronze: Four, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Category: 62 Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale - 58 Entries Gold: Celis Grand Cru, Michigan Brewing Co., Webberville, MI Silver: Redrock Reve, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Batch 8000, Bell’s Brewery, Inc, Galesburg, MI

Category: 63 Brown Porter - 23 Entries Gold: Pioneer Porter, Fredericksburg Brewing Co., Fredericksburg, TX Silver: Prospector Porter, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO Bronze: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Category: 64 Robust Porter - 62 Entries Gold: Pt. Reyes Porter, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA Silver: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, OH Bronze: Planet Porter, Boulder Beer Co., Boulder, CO

Category: 65 Classic Irish Style Dry Stout - 24 Entries Gold: Moylan’s Irish Dry Stout, Moylan’s Brewing Co., Novato, CA Bronze: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA

Category: 66 Foreign (Export) Style Stout - 23 Entries Gold: Zonker Stout, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY Silver: Custer’s Last Stout, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT Bronze: Russian Imperial Stout, Sacramento Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA

Category: 67 American-Style Stout - 28 Entries Gold: Sticky Stout, Pizza Port - Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Silver: Big Bear, Bear Republic Brewing, Healdsburg, CA Bronze: Terminal Stout, Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago, Chicago, IL

Category: 68 Sweet Stout - 18 Entries Silver: Double Cream Stout, Bell’s Brewery, Inc, Galesburg, MI Bronze: Milkman Stout, Capitol City Brewing Co. - Arlington, Arlington, VA

Category: 69 Oatmeal Stout - 36 Entries Gold: Blue Corn Oatmeal Stout, New Mexico Brewers Guild, Santa Fe, NM Silver: Oatmeal Stout, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA Bronze: Alaskan Stout, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category: 70 Imperial Stout - 44 Entries Gold: Abyss, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR Silver: TAPS Imperial Stout, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA Bronze: Russian Imperial Stout, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR

Category: 71 Strong Scotch Ale - 28 Entries Gold: MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR Silver: Scotty Karate Scotch Ale, Dark Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI Bronze: McKenzie Wee Heavy, McKenzie Brew House, Malvern, PA

Category: 72 Old Ale or Strong Ale - 32 Entries Gold: Old Woody, Fish Brewing Co., Olympia, WA Silver: Outback X, Bend Brewing Co, Bend, OR Bronze: Imperial Nut Brown Ale, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Category: 73 Other Strong Ale or Lager - 32 Entries Gold: Derail Ale, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO Silver: Dragonstooth Stout, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Bronze: Bottleworks VIII, Flyers Restaurant and Brewery, Oak Harbor, WA

Category: 74 American-Style Wheat Wine Ale - 9 Entries Gold: Star Brew Triple Wheat, Marin Brewing Co., Larkspur, CA Silver: Wheat Wine, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH Bronze: Wheatmiser, Goose Island Brewpub, Chicago, IL

Category: 75 Barley Wine Style Ale - 48 Entries Gold: John Barley Corn Barleywine, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA Silver: Cereal Killer Barley Wine, Arcadia Brewing Co., Battle Creek, MI Bronze: 3 Guy Off the Scale Barley Wine, Dark Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI

2007 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Beer Competition - 48 Entries Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. and Hopunion CBS LLC Gold: English Style India Pale Ale, Allentown/Bethlehem Brew Works, Allentown, PA Beau Badem & AHA Member Chris Bowen Silver: Kentucky Weissbier, Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Co., Lexington, KY Brewery Team & AHAMember Bill Caldwell Bronze: Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA Ballast Point Brewers & AHA Member Doug Duffield

The Session #6: Fruit Beer Bonanza

Greg Clow at Beer, Beats & Bites out of Toronto is the host for The Session #6. After ruminating about the quality of fresh produce at local farmer's markets in his city this summer he came to a topic near and dear to the women in my life: Fruit beer.

I enjoy fruit beer, but my wife, Sandy, and our two daughters love fruit beer. Sandy is not a huge fan of beer bars or brewpubs. However, I know my visit will always last a little longer if they have a framboise or kriek beer available. We've tracked down some classics over the years and some odd ones -- like pineapple and banana. I like fruit beers as a change of pace and consider them to be one of the great side bars to the story of beer. The world is a better place because of brews like New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, a cherry flavored beer that inspires lines at beer festivals and beer runs to Wisconsin.

From blackberries to passion fruit, brewers are experimenting with fruit beer. Some are subtle and some are full of fruit. Some are sweet and some are tart. There is room for all of these interpretations, but fruit beer drinkers tend to be very opinionated. Unlike the gradations of an IPA that generate friendly conversation, my experience with fruit beer is that it is often a thumbs up or a thumbs down experience. You either love it or are left wondering why the brewer even wasted their time, and while you are thinking that the person next to you has a diametrically opposed opinion. I try to go with the flow and recognize what the brewer was trying to accomplish and understand if they wanted to make a fruit forward beer or if they wanted the fruit to just be one note in the flavor symphony. With that in mind, since learning of the topic for the August edition of the session, I've been on the look out for fruit beers. The following tasting notes were compiled during sessions in Saratoga Springs, Chicago, Atlanta and Charlotte.

Blue Point Blueberry Ale: This golden color brew was enjoyed on draught and had a slight hint of fruit in the nose and the essence of blueberries in a laid back flavor profile. The brewery uses 132 pounds of blueberries per batch.

Dogfish Head Black & Blue: This 10 percent alcohol by volume Belgian-style strong ale is hazy gold in color and uses both blueberries and blackberries. The berry flavors come across very subtly and make this draught an inviting way to spend a summer evening.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche: A Berliner Weisse style summer seasonal this draught is a bit hazy and has a nice peach flavor. It is neither too subtle or overdone. It is right on target and refreshing for a hot late afternoon beer.

Founders Rubaeus: A malty draught with plenty of fresh raspberries. Founders brews Rubaeus adding fresh raspberries at five different stages of the brewing process. The beer's 7.0 percent alcohol by volume is cut nicely by a subtle tartness.

Goose Island Strawberry Gold: This draught (pictured) was cloudy, with a thick head that caught bits of fruit. The strawberry flavor was clearly there, but the beer was not overly sweet. A change of pace from most fruit brews.

La Choulette Framboise Farmhouse Ale: This bottled Biere de Garde from northern France is deep, dark red. The flavor notes of raspberry are there, but this is a dry beer that has hints of roasted barley in the taste profile. If you think some fruit beers are way to over the top and sweet, you need to try this beer.

St. Louis Framboise: From Van Honsebrouck Brewery in Belgium, this lambic is a bright red color and even has a pink head. The initial sweetness is balanced somewhat by a tart kick. A bit on the fizzy soda side for a draught, but refreshing.

Saranac Pomegranate Wheat: I found this brew from Upstate New York to be much more enjoyable on draught than the previous bottled version I had tasted. Golden colored with a slight amber haze, the beer had a light fluffy head and a touch of sweetness. The nose was flowery.

Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale: This bottled brew from Maine has a wafting blueberry nose and a crisp golden color. The flavor is a nice balance of good blueberry flavor cut by the wheat beer characteristics.

Sweetwater Blue: This light gold draught ale had a thin head and the aroma of blueberries. The blueberry flavor was in the background on this beer, but clearly present throughout.

Unibroue Ephemere: From Quebec, this 5.5 percent alcohol by volume draught delivered an extremely fresh apple crispness in a golden colored package.