Colorado brewers win 36 awards at Great American Beer Festival

DENVER — Colorado breweries dominated at the Great American Beer Festival competition, with 24 breweries collecting a total of 36 awards among 108 beer styles at the Colorado Convention Center.

The competition drew 8,300 entries from 1,550 breweries and cidermakers across the United States, with 250 judges evaluating entries over seven days.

Colorado collected 16 gold medals, the most since 2018, and claimed three brewery of the year awards for the first time in the state’s brewing history.

“It was a great showing for Colorado’s craft breweries at the GABF awards ceremony,” said Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild. “With three brewery of the year awards and 16 gold medals, Colorado craft breweries continue to prove that they consistently brew some of the best beers in the country.”

Westbound and Down took home seven awards, including brewery of the year, tying the record for most awards in a single GABF for a Colorado brewery. The brewery has collected 13 awards in the last three years across 11 categories.

Cannonball Creek extended its medal streak to 13 years and took home a brewery of the year award for the first time. River North Brewery won its second brewery of the year award this year, the first being at the Colorado Brewers Cup in January.

River North’s “Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun” won gold for the second year in a row in the coffee beer category. Joyride’s Black Razz Blonde medaled for the second time in the American fruit beer category.

Four Colorado breweries have medaled four years in a row: New Terrain Brewing Company, River North Brewery, Westbound & Down Brewing Co. and Left Hand Brewing Company.

Produced by the Brewers Association, GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition. Its medals are globally acknowledged as an emblem of brewing excellence and among the most sought-after accolades within the brewing community.

According to the Brewers Association, Colorado is ranked fourth in the nation for the most number of craft breweries at 456 and had a $2.496 billion economic impact in 2024.

The brewery of the year awards went to Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. (501-1,000 barrels), River North Brewery (1,000-2,000 barrels) and Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Westbound Mill (5,001-15,000 barrels).

Gold medal winners included River North Brewery for Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun, Diebolt Brewing for Vladislav, Aspen Brewing Co. for Casa Bonita, Oskar Blues Brewery for Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale and Left Hand Brewing Co. for Breakfast in Brussels.

For the full list of 2025 GABF medalists, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.