2015  Beers of the Year Winners

Great American Beer Festival 2015  Champion Breweries:

Mid-Size Brewpub and Mid-Size Brewpub Brewer of the Year:
TAPS Fish House & Brewery Corona, CA

Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: 
Rip Current Brewery San Marcos, CA

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: 
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year:
Pabst Brewing Company  Los Angeles, CA

 

 

Judging specifications: Five different three-hour judging sessions take place over the three-day period. Judges evaluate beers in their specific area of expertise. They never judge their own product(s) or any product in which they financial and economic interests.

Great American Beer Festival 2015 Medal Beer Name Brewery City State Category Year

GOLD  - California (23)

 A world-class beer that accurately exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance.

• GOLD:  Big Deluxe Ritual Brewing Co. Redlands, CA
  Category: Aged Beer 2015
• GOLD:  Le Freak Green Flash Brewing Co. San Diego, CA
  Category: American-Belgo-Style Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Rainier Lager Pabst Brewing Co. Los Angeles, CA
  Category: American-Style Cream Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Lagerithm Bottle Logic Brewing Anaheim, CA
  Category: American-Style Dark Lager 2015
• GOLD:  Revolver IPA BNS Brewing & Distilling Co. Santee, CA
  Category: American-Style India Pale Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Monterey St. Pale Ale Central Coast Brewing Co. San Luis Obispo, CA American-Style Pale Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Cobaltic Porter Bottle Logic Brewing Anaheim, CA
  Category: Baltic-Style Porter 2015
• GOLD:  Fat Hog Ritual Brewing Co. Redlands, CA
  Category: Barley Wine-Style Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Break Line Bock Rip Current Brewery San Marcos, CA
  Category: Bock 2015
• GOLD:  The Velvet Hog TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Corona Corona, CA
  Category: Chocolate Beer 2015
• GOLD:  Mr. Kite's Pale Ale Social Kitchen & Brewery San Francisco, CA
  Category: Classic English-Style Pale Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Stearns Stout Figueroa Mountain Brewing - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
  Category: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout 2015
• GOLD:  Zumbar Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout New English Brewing Co. San Diego, CA
  Category: Coffee Beer 2015
• GOLD:  Mystery Airship Imperial Chocolate Porter New Helvetia Brewing Co. Sacramento, CA
  Category: Experimental Beer 2015
• GOLD:  Pivo Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA
  Category: German-Style Pilsener 2015
• GOLD:  Mai Tai P.A. Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill Monterey, CA
  Category: International-Style Pale Ale 2015
• GOLD:  TAPS Irish Red TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Corona Corona, CA
  Category: Irish-Style Red Ale 2015
• GOLD:  STS Pils Russian River Brewing Co. Santa Rosa, CA
  Category: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier 2015
• GOLD:  Bucket Seat Blonde Garage Brewing Co. & Pizzeria Temecula, CA
  Category: Munich-Style Helles 2015
• GOLD:  MacPelican's Wee Heavy Ale Pelican Pub & Brewery Pacific City OR Scotch Ale 2015
• GOLD:  Veritas 015 The Lost Abbey San Marcos, CA
  Category: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer 2015
• GOLD:  The Coachman Societe Brewing Co. San Diego, CA
  Category: Session India Pale Ale 2015
• GOLD:  DBA (Double Barrel Ale) Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA
  Category: Ordinary or Special Bitter 2015

SILVER - California (19)

An excellent beer that may vary slightly from style parameters while maintaining close adherence to the style and displaying excellent taste, aroma and appearance.

• SILVER:   Singularity Karl Strauss Brewing Co. - Costa Mesa Costa Mesa, CA
  Category: American-Style Black Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Olympia Pabst Brewing Co. Los Angeles, CA
  Category: American-Style Cream Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Lighter Than I Look Figueroa Mountain Brewing - Arroyo Grande Arroyo Grande, CA
  Category: American-Style Dark Lager 2015
• SILVER:   Hoppy Palm Track 7 Brewing Co. - Natomas Sacramento, CA
  Category: American-Style Pale Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Ensorcelled The Rare Barrel Berkeley, CA
  Category: American-Style Sour Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Kumquat Saison Smog City Brewing Torrance, CA
  Category: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer 2015
• SILVER:   Feral One Firestone Walker Barrelworks Buellton, CA
  Category: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Peter Brown Tribute Ale Bear Republic Brewing Co. - Factory 5 Cloverdale, CA
  Category: Brown Porter 2015
• SILVER:   Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout Moylan's Brewery & Restaurant Novato, CA
  Category: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout 2015
• SILVER:   Mocha Machine Beachwood BBQ & Brewing Long Beach, CA
  Category: Coffee Beer 2015
• SILVER:   Boxcar Blonde Ale Heroes Restaurant and Brewery Riverside, CA
  Category: Golden or Blonde Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Toaster Pastry 21st Amendment Brewery San Leandro, CA
  Category: Double Red Ale 2015
• SILVER:   Summer Porter Fort Point Beer Co. San Francisco, CA
  Category: English-Style Mild Ale 2015
• SILVER:   El Toro Coco Chocolate Stout El Toro Brewing Co. Morgan Hill, CA
  Category: Chocolate Beer 2015
• SILVER:   TAPS Kellerbier TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Brea Brea, CA
  Category: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier 2015
• SILVER:   Scripps Pier Stout South Park Brewing San Diego, CA
  Category: San Diego, CA
  Category: Oatmeal Stout 2015
• SILVER:   Humboldt Brownie Mad River Brewing Co. Blue Lake, CA
  Category: Other Strong Beer 2015
• SILVER:   Black Lagoon Scottish Strong Rip Current Brewery San Marcos, CA
  Category: Scotch Ale 2015
• SILVER:   MCA 21st Amendment Brewery Cafe San Francisco, CA
  Category: Session Beer 2015

BRONZE - California (24)

A fine example of the style that may vary slightly from style parameters and/or have minor deviations in taste, aroma or appearance.

• BRONZE:  Old Diablo Morgan Territory Brewing Tracy, CA
  Category: Aged Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  St. Florian's Brewery California Common St. Florian's Brewery Windsor, CA
  Category: American-Style Amber Lager 2015
• BRONZE:  Sharkbite Red Pizza Port Bressi Ranch Carlsbad, CA
  Category: American-Style Amber/Red Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Restraint Institution Ale Co. Camarillo, CA
  Category: American-Style Brown Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Nuff Dale Bros Brewery Upland, CA
  Category: American-Style Cream Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Amend This! TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Brea Brea, CA
  Category: American-Style or International-Style Pilsener 2015
• BRONZE:  Apropos of Nothing The Rare Barrel Berkeley, CA
  Category: American-Style Sour Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Viejo Rojo Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. - Truckee Truckee, CA
  Category: Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Ballast Point Pale Ale with Serrano Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits - Scripps Ranch San Diego, CA
  Category: Chili Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  Bacon and Eggs Pizza Port Ocean Beach San Diego, CA
  Category: Coffee Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  GRAMBO Pizza Port Solana Beach Solana Beach, CA
  Category: Double Red Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Hammersmith IPA Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA
  Category: English-Style India Pale Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Z-man Stout Pizza Port Carlsbad Carlsbad, CA
  Category: Export Stout 2015
• BRONZE:  Saison URBN St. Brewing Co. El Cajon, CA
  Category: French- and Belgian-Style Saison 2015
• BRONZE:  Spring Fever FiftyFifty Brewing Co. Truckee, CA
  Category: Honey Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  Monkey Business New Bohemia Brewing Co. Santa Cruz, CA
  Category: German-Style Wheat Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Teahupo'o Breakwater Brewing Co. Oceanside, CA
  Category: Imperial India Pale Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  San Diego-Style IPA Karl Strauss Brewing Co. - La Jolla La Jolla, CA
  Category: International-Style Pale Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Witty Moron Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Liberty Station San Diego, CA Other Belgian-Style Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager Headlands Brewing Co. Mill Valley, CA
  Category: Rye Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  Guillaume Pizza Port Ocean Beach San Diego, CA
  Category: Session Beer 2015
• BRONZE:  Nose Candy Noble Ale Works Anaheim, CA
  Category: Session India Pale Ale 2015
• BRONZE:  Windansea Wheat Karl Strauss Brewing Co. San Diego, CA
  Category: South German-Style Hefeweizen 2015
• BRONZE:  Sour Opal Firestone Walker Barrelworks Buellton, CA
  Category: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer 2015