Five Wisconsin beers captured honors at the 2013 edition of the Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver, Colorado over the weekend. This year, New Glarus Brewing captured two medals and Milwaukee's MillerCoors earned three awards that included two for its Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company brands. The 2013 brewing competition drew more than 4,800 beers judged across 138 different styles.
This was the 32nd annual Great American Beer Festival, the largest gathering and competition of its type in the nation. It spans three days of ticketed events and tastings that were attended by more than 49,000 beer enthusiasts.
Wisconsin brewers earned 10 medals in 2012, and the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company was named brewpub group of the year. This year, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery received the top brewpub award; with 38 locations, Rock Bottom brewpubs are found mostly in the West and Midwest, including those in Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis and Des Moines.
Wisconsin's five medal-winning beers in 2013 are:
- Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Gold, German-Style Kölsch: Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler
Silver, American-Style Dark Lager: Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark - MillerCoors
Silver, American-Style Lager or Light Lager: Miller High Life - New Glarus Brewing Company
Gold, Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale: Blackberry Sour Ale
Silver, Fruit Beer: Serendipity
The Great American Beer Festival provides a complete list of winners (PDF).
