White Labs and GABF 2006

ABOVE: White Labs people (including Chris White, second from left, and JoAnne Carilli-Stevenson, fifth from left) and brewer friends take part in the Great American Beer Festival 2006.

Congratulations to all winners at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.  About 57 percent of all medal winners were White Labs customers, including 65 percent of craft brewer award winners. White Labs customers won all the awards in 15 categories. 

The following is courtesy of the Brewers Association.

Brewers and beer lovers at the 25th Great American Beer Festival in Denver waited anxiously to hear the names of the medal winners as they were announced to a capacity crowd at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony in Denver, Colo.

This year’s big winners were:

Large Brewery Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Beer Institute Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL. Brewer: Bob Newman

Mid-Size Brewery Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by HopUnion CBS, LLC New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI. Brewer: Daniel J. Carey

Small Brewery Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA. Brewer: Richard G. Norgrove

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Brewery Supply Group Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR. Brewer: Darron R. S. Welch

Small Brewpub Company and Small Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL. Brewer: Matt Van Wyk

California was the top medal winning state with 11 gold, 15 silver, and 13 bronze for a total of 39. Colorado was second with 10 gold and a total of 28 medals.

Competition entries came from 450 breweries, with a total of 2402 beers being judged.

New Glarus Brewing Co. were also winners of the 2005 Mid-Size Brewery Company and won two golds in for the same beers as 2006.

Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer: 2006 Gold, 2005 Gold: Cherry Stout Fruit and Vegetable Beer 2006 Gold, 2005 Gold: Belgian Red

New Glarus Brewing Co. also won the 2003 Small Brewery of the Year.

Pelican Pub & Brewery won Small Brewpub of the Year in 2005. This year due to growth in their production they qualify for large brewpub category.

Scottish-Style Ale 2006 Silver, 2005 Silver: MacPelican's Scottish Style Ale American-Style Brown Ale 2006 Gold, 2005 Silver: Doryman's Dark Ale Golden or Blonde Ale 2006 Gold, 2005 Gold: Kiwanda Cream Ale

Great American Beer Festival 2006 Statistics:

· 384 Breweries on the festival floor

· Over 1,650 Beers on the festival floor

· 450 Breweries participated in the competition

· 2,402 Beers judged in the competition (2,335 in 2005)

· 69 Categories were judged

· 104 Judges from 9 countries

· Avg. number of competition beers entered in each category: 35

· American Style India Pale Ale Category had the highest number of entries: 94

· 203 medals awarded