Bay Area triumphs at the Great American Beer Festival — and odd judging experiences.
This year’s Great American Beer Festival, held Oct. 16-17, was a virtual celebration with brewmaster sessions and beer talks all done online. But the awards went on as always, albeit in a greatly modified way, and when all was said and done, 11 Bay Area breweries took home gold, silver and bronze awards.
In a normal year, the festival brings about 250 American and international judges to Denver for three days of tastings. This year, the judging was staggered and stretched out over 17 days — I judged for the last six — with 115 judges, most of them from the West Coast and none, naturally, from overseas. And the actual judging was done near Boulder inside a warehouse, not a conference hall, with doors left open so air could circulate.
Instead of six or seven judges seated at each table, there were four or five at each — and each “table” was three conferencetables long. One-way paths were marked on the floor with arrows and our groups were rarely shuffled. Normally, judging is a fairly sociable experience, with participants rotating among groups. In 2020, of course, it was safer to mix as little as possible and remain in our small pods, wearing both shields and masks.
We removed the masks only to taste more than 8,800 beers entered by 1,720 breweries, but left the shields firmly in place. The 2020 festival was a very different experience, but in the end 272 medals were awarded in 91 beer categories.
Once again, California won the most medals of any state, taking home 63 awards. Colorado was next with 26, followed by Oregon with 22. The Bay Area haul included Martinez’s Del Cielo Brewing Co., which won two awards, including a gold medal for its Guava Dreams in the fruited American-style sour ale category. Other Bay Area breweries with gold medals include Concord’s Epidemic Ales for its Lager at World’s End and San Jose’s Clandestine Brewing Co. for Agent Provocateur, a doppelbock.
Del Cielo took home a silver medal for its Yerba Buena, a fruited gose inspired by a mojito cocktail. Silver medals were also awarded to Santa Rosa’s Seismic Brewing for its Seismic Tremor lager, Monterey’s Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey for its Haole Punch gose and Alvarado’s Salinas brewery, which won a silver medal for its Double Cone imperial IPA and a bronze for its Mai Tai pale ale.
Other Bay Area bronze medal winners included Half Moon Bay’s Hop Dogma Brewing for its Venti Is Large coffee stout, Soquel’s Discretion Brewing for its Uncle Dave’s Rye IPA and Danville Brewing for its Hello, Sabro! Pilsner. Find the full list at www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
A Tri-valley trail
More than 17 breweries, alehouses and taprooms in Danville, Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton have just launched a TriValley Beer Trail. Sign up for a free mobile passport, then use it to check in when you visit to score discounts and prizes.
Among the nine breweries participating: Rivers End Brewing (10% discount on merchandise), Eight Bridges Brewing
(buy one beer, get the second for a nickel), Altamont Beer Works ($2 flight discount), Shadow Puppet Brewing ($2 flight discount), Homegrown Hops (tasting flight) and more.
Check in at 10 stops on the beer trail to earn a prize. Check in at all 17 and you’ll get a 64-ounce Tri-valley Beer Trail growler. And just signing up for the passport puts your name in a drawing to win free beer for a year delivered to your door. Find details at visittrivalley.com/beertrail.
New sips
Holiday seasonals are starting to appear on store shelves right about … now. The new Anchor Christmas Ale — personal favorite — should be out in early November. Each year’s version is different from the last, but it’s always my go-to beer for Thanksgiving dinner. And Firestone Walker Brewing Co. has released a new seasonal called Chocolate Cherry Stout, brewed with cocoa nibs and cherries for a smooth, velvety taste. Pair it with holiday cookies or pour some over ice cream to create a beer float.
Cider fan? Petaluma’s Ethic Ciders has just released its first canned cider, the seasonal Scarlett, made with heirloom apples from Sebastopol, fresh raspberries and blackberries. And Windsor’s Tilted Shed Ciderworks has canned two appropriately named ciders for our current mood: Good Luck To Us All and Hang in There.