Several Northern Virginia craft brewers brought home medals from the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, including two gold medals.
The festival and competition, held in Denver, is sponsored by the Brewers Association. This was the 33rd year for the event.
In all, 318 medals were awarded from almost 9,500 entries in 107 beer categories in what the Brewers Association calls the world’s largest commercial beer competition.
Port City Brewing in Alexandria won a gold medal for its German Pilsner in the Kellerbier or Zwickelbier category.
Bear Chase Brewing Co. in Bluemont, Virginia won a gold medal for its Oktoberfest in the German-Style Maerzen category.
Lost Rhino Brewing Co. in Ashburn, Virginia won a silver medal for its Shooter McMinn’s in the Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout category.
A bronze medal went to 6 Bears & A Goat Brewing in Fredericksburg, Virginia for its O’Dark Thirty in the Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout category.
A total of 12 brewers across Virginia won medals this year.
The most-entered beer categories this year were Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale, American-Style India Pale Ale, Fruited American-Style Sour Ale, German-Style Pilsner and Imperial India Pale Ale.
A total of 322 judges from 18 countries decided this year’s winners.