12 Colorado breweries were awarded 21 medals from the 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship earlier this month in Oxford, Ohio. This year the annual beer competition received over 7000 beers in 130 different styles for judging, with entries coming from throughout the United States and beyond.
Loveland Breweries Win Big
Out of the 21 medals won by Colorado breweries, six were awarded to two breweries in Loveland. Verboten Brewing won three medals, including a Gold in the Barrel-Aged Strong Stout/Porter Speciality category for their beer Barrel-Aged Cake or Death. They also won a pair of silver medals, one for their Somebody to Love Brut IPA, and the other for their Grow Old With You Barrel-Aged Barley Wine. Verboten went 3-for-3 this year, receiving a medal for all three of the entries they submitted.
Crow Hop Brewing in Loveland was also awarded three medals, including one silver and two bronze medals. Their Recess IPA won a silver medal in the English India Pale Ale/IPA category this year. Recess IPA won bronze in the same category last year. They also brought home two new bronze medals for their Kneeknocker Porter and Sleeping Owl Stout. This is the 4th year in a row that Crow Hop Brewing has been awarded a U.S. Open Beer Championship medal.
Colorado Brewery Winners at 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship
Here’s a full run-down of the 21 medals awarded to our hometown breweries at the 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship:
- Bent Barley Brewing (Aurora) won Silver in the Session IPA category for Half Bent
- Bent Barley Brewing (Aurora) won bronze in the American Barley Wine Ale category for Barleywine
- Bootstrap Brewing (Niwot) won silver in the Imperial Red Ale category for Wreak Havoc
- Crow Hop Brewing (Loveland) won silver in the English IPA category for Recess IPA
- Crow Hop Brewing (Loveland) won bronze in the Brown Porter category for Kneeknocker Porter
- Crow Hop Brewing (Loveland) won bronze in the Oatmeal Stout category for Sleeping Owl Stout
- Gilded Goat Brewing (Fort Collins) won gold in the Belgian and French Ale category for Goat de Garde
- Gilded Goat Brewing (Fort Collins) won bronze in the Brut IPA category for Gold Rush
- Good River Beer (Denver) won gold in the American Pale Ale category for Daily Float
- Good River Beer (Denver) won silver in the Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale category for Fu Fighter
- Launch Pad Brewery (Aurora) won silver in the International Style Pale Ale category for Rocket Lab
- Launch Pad Brewery (Aurora) won gold in the Session Beer category for Peacekeeper
- Liquid Mechanics Brewing (Lafayette) won bronze in the Blended Barrel-Aged Beer category for Beast of Bourbon
- Liquid Mechanics Brewing (Lafayette) won gold in the Peanut Butter category for Peanut Butter Porter
- Mash Lab Brewing (Windsor) won bronze in the Bitter category for Automatic Amber
- New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins) won silver in the Hemp Beer category for HPA
- Oskar Blues Brewery (Longmont) won gold in the Belgian Dubbel category for Collabbey Ale
- Red Truck Beer Company (Fort Collins) won gold in the Irish Red Ale category for Irish Red
- Verboten Brewing (Loveland) won silver in the Barrel-Aged Barley Wine category for Grow Old With You
- Verboten Brewing (Loveland) won gold in the Barrel-Aged Strong Stout/Porter Specialty category for Barrel-Aged Cake or Death
- Verboten Brewing (Loveland) won silver in the Brut IPA category for Somebody to Love
Thirsty Monk’s Asheville Location Wins 2 U.S. Open Beer Medals
Although they technically won medals for their Asheville, NC location, we’re still celebrating Thirsty Monk’s two medals in the Belgian and French Ale category. Thirsty Monk, which also has a brewery and taproom in Denver, won a silver medal for Abby Blonde and a bronze medal for Past Life, their Belgian-Style Amber. This is the second consecutive win for Abby Blonde. In 2018, Thirsty Monk Denver won gold for this same beer, while Thirsty Monky Asheville won a 2018 silver for their Screaming Monk Belgian IPA. You can try both of Thirsty Monk’s 2019 medal winners (and much more) at all three of Thirsty Monk’s locations, in Denver, Asheville, and Portland.
More 2019 U.S. Open Beer Championship Winners
This year’s competition featured more style categories than any competition in the world, including a half-dozen new barrel-aged beer categories. This year the competition also added a category for Hemp Beer, featuring beer infused with elements of the cannabis plant. The gold medal winner in the Hemp category was Mango Kush brewed by SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia. Colorado’s own New Belgian Brewing took home silver in this new category, while Uinta Brewing (Utah) and Carolina Bauernhaus Ales (South Carolina) tied for bronze.
In another unique category, Great Raft Brewing (Louisiana) won the Judges Award for Most Creative Name for their beer “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” Colorado’s own Boulder Beer Company made the Most Creative Name list (#2) for their Hazed & Infused Pale Ale.
Finally, taking top honors this year was Sun King Brewing from Indianapolis, Indiana, which was named the Grand National Champion of the U.S. Beer Open. Sun King won a total of three gold and three silver medals in this year’s competition.
To view all the rest of winners, including Top 10 Breweries & all medal winners from 2019 & prior years, or to learn more about the U.S. Open Beer Championship, visit usopenbeer.com.
Congratulations to all the winners! Make sure you seek out these award-winning beers & breweries near you!
