San Diego Craft Breweries Clean Up At 2015 Great American Beer Festival | Local Brewers Bring Home 20 Medals

September 26, 2015

The world's largest beer competition took place in Denver, CO this week and San Diego showed that our city brews some of the best beer on the planet. With over 6,000 beers entered from more than 1,500 breweries, the 2015 Great American Beer Festival today awarded 275 medals to some of the top commercial breweries in the United States, with San Diego brewers bringing home a total of 20 medals, including gold in the most entered category - American-Style India Pale Ale.

Presented by the Brewers Association, the 29th annual Great American Beer Festival surpassed all previous participation records, exceeding last year’s record-setting competition. 242 judges from 15 countries judged more than 6,647 competition beers from 1,552 brewing companies hailing from 50 states plus Washington D.C., who competed for gold, silver and bronze medals in a total of 92 beer categories covering 145 different beer styles (including all subcategories). San Diego brewers received the following awards, bringing home 11 bronze medals, 3 silver and six gold:
  • Very Small Brewing Company of the Year - Rip Current Brewery
  • American-Style India Pale Ale (336 entries) - GOLD - BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. Revolver IPA
  • Imperial India Pale Ale (208 entries) - BRONZE - Breakwater Brewing Co.,Teahupo’o 
  • Session India Pale Ale (161 entries) - GOLD - Societe Brewing Co., The Coachman 
  • American-Belgo-Style Ale - GOLD - Green Flash Brewing Co. Le Freak
  • American-Style Amber/Red Ale - BRONZE - Pizza Port Bressi Ranch Sharkbite Red
  • American-Style Black Ale - SILVER - Karl Strauss Brewing Co. Costa Mesa Singularity (while not technically in San Diego county, we include Karl as a San Diego brewer)
  • Bock - GOLD - Rip Current Brewery Break Line Bock
  • Chili Beer - BRONZE - Ballast Point Pale Ale with Serrano 
  • Coffee Beer - GOLD - New English Brewing Co. Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout
  • Coffee Beer - BRONZE - Pizza Port Ocean Beach Bacon & Eggs
  • Double Red Ale - BRONZE - Pizza Port Solana Beach GRAMBO
  • Export Stout - BRONZE - Pizza Port Carlsbad Z-man Stout
  • French and Belgian Style Saison - BRONZE - URBN St. Brewing Co. Saison
  • International Style Pale Ale - BRONZE - Karl Strauss Brewing Co. La Jolla San Diego-Style IPA
  • Oatmeal Stout - SILVER - South Park Brewing Scripps Pier Stout
  • Other Belgian Style Ale - BRONZE - Stone Brewing Liberty Station Witty Moron
  • Scotch Ale - SILVER - Rip Current Brewery Black Lagoon Scottish Strong
  • Session Beer - BRONZE - Pizza Port Ocean Beach Guillaume
  • South German Style Hefeweizen - BRONZE - Karl Strauss Brewing Windansea Wheat
  • Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer - GOLD - The Lost Abbey Veritas 015
“It’s an honor to have so many of San Diego’s breweries recognized for their efforts at the Great American Beer Festival this year,” says San Diego Brewers Guild president Kevin Hopkins. “This further supports the distinction of our city as a true hub for craft beer innovation.”

California led the country with the largest number of medals won of any other state - 67 medals of 275 total, 65 of those going to craft breweries. San Diego breweries brought home fourteen medals in 2014 and eleven in 2013. Congratulations to all the winners at the GABF, and best of luck to all those aspiring for gold next year! For more information on the Great American Beer Festival, visit greatamericanbeerfestival.com.