For the first time, three Colorado breweries win brewery of the year prizes

By the Thirst Team

Breweries and cideries across Colorado will have more bling in their tasting rooms after winning big today at the Great American Beer Festival.

A record three Colorado breweries were named brewery of the year, a category that is split into a variety of brewery sizes. The medals included 17 golds, the most for Colorado since 2018, according to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Brewery of the Year Winners

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co (501-1,000 barrels)

River North Brewery (1,000-2,000 barrels)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (5,001-15,000 barrels)

Gold Medal Winners

Aspen Brewing Co. - Casa Bonita (Mexican-Style Pale Lager)

Diebolt Brewing - Vladislav (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout)

Fritz Family Brewers/Christopher Owens - Christopher’s Bier (Pro-Am)

Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. - Festbier (Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest)

Haykin Family Cider - Calville Blanc d’Hiver Ice Cider (Experimental, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider)

Haykin Family Cider - Mountain Rose (Single Varietal Cider)

Left Hand Brewing Co. - Breakfast in Brussels (Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine)

New Belgium Brewing Co. - 1554 (Historical Beer)

Oskar Blues Brewery - Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale (English Ale)

Prost Brewing Co., Prost Vienna Lager (Vienna-Style Lager)

Prost Brewing Co., Prost Schwarzbier (German-Style Schwarzbier)

River North Brewery - Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun (Coffee Beer)

River North Brewery - River North White (Belgian-Style of French-Style Specialty Ale)

Steamworks Brewing Co. - Backside Stout (Oatmeal Stout)

The Sandlot Brewery At Coors Field - Key Lime Pie in the Sky (Fruit Wheat Beer)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. - Westbound Italian Pils (Italian-Style Pilsener)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. - Parallel Pale (American-Style Pale Ale)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. - How the West Was One: Mosaic (West Coast-Style India Pale Ale)

Silver Medal Winners

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. - Mindbender (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)

Cerebral Brewing, Aurora Arts - Neon Lite (American-Style Light Lager)

Denver Beer Co. Canworks - NA Tangerine Cream (Specialty Non-Alcohol Beer)

Our Mutual Friend Brewing - Time’s Arrow (American-Style India Pale Ale)

Snow Capped Cider - Plum & Lemongrass (Botanical or Spiced Cider)

Snow Capped Cider - Gravenstien (Single Varietal Cider)

The Empourium Brewing Company - Animals Strike Curious Poses (Honey beer)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill - Scenic Route (Session India Pale Ale)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill - Infinity Pils (Hoppy Lager)

Bronze Medal Winners

Avery Brewing Co. - NaughTea (Experimental Beer)

Banded Oak Brewing Company - Manny’s Way Mexican Lager (Contemporary American-Style Lager)

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. - Trump Hands (Session India Pale Ale)

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. - Deer Pallet (International-Style Pale Ale)

Haykin Family Cider - Santiam Cherry Apples in Garryana Oak (Experimental, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider)

Haykin Family Cider - Niedzwetzkyana (Single Varietal Cider)

Joyride Brewing Co. - Black Razz Blonde (American Fruit Beer)

Long Table Brewhouse - Thinking of You (Brett Beer)

New Terrain Brewing Company - Suntrip (Belgian-Style Witbier)

Ratio Beerworks - Dear You (American-Belgo-Style Ale)

Snow Capped Cider - Kingston Black (Tannic Cider)

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. - Westbound IPA (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)

Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. - Moroccan Christmas (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer)