Alaskan Brewing Co. wins 4 medals at the Great American Beer Festival

Alaskan Smoked Porter holds title as most award-winning beer in festival’s history

Alaskan Brewing Co. won four medals for quality on Saturday at the 27th annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado. This is the most GABF medals won by Alaskan in a single year, adding to the brewery’s status as the the most award-winning craft brewery in the history of the country’s most prestigious festival.

“We were delighted to receive these awards in the midst of so many other great beers,” said Alaskan Brewmaster Geoff Larson who was attending the festival. A record number of entries, 2,902 beers to be exact, heightened the competition at the 2008 festival. “Winning at the GABF is especially gratifying to all of us on the Alaskan Brew Crew,” Larson said.

Alaskan Smoked Porter won two medals this year solidifying its reign as the festival’s highest award-winner with 18 medals since 1988. The 2006 Smoked Porter took gold in the Aged beer category while the 2007 vintage took silver in the Smoke-Flavored beer category.

Alaskan Summer Ale, which won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup earlier this year, took home its first GABF medal this year with a silver in the Golden or Blonde style ale category.

Finally, judges selected Alaskan Raspberry Wheat as a silver medalist in the Fruit or Vegetable beer category. Alaskan Raspberry Wheat is part of Alaskan Brewing’s “Rough Draft” series available on draft only with limited distribution in Alaska.

This year, 472 breweries from all over the country came together at the premier U.S. brewing industry event to vie for gold, silver and bronze in the more than 75 beer-style categories. 127 professional brewers and industry experts from 11 countries judged the more than 2,900 beers entered in the competition.

“These awards are especially exciting this year because now we are actually distributed here in Colorado,” said Ryan Johnson, Alaskan Brewing sales representative. The brewery began distribution in throughout Colorado in April of this year. “Many of the people that have been following our beer at the festival for the last 20 years were pleased to hear that they wouldn’t have to wait a whole year to enjoy it again.”
According to the festival’s official web site, more than 46,000 beer enthusiasts from Colorado, the United States, and around the world attended this year’s sold-out GABF, which was held at the 188,000 square-foot Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Those attending the three-day festival were offered one ounce samples from largest collection of U.S. beers ever assembled.

“The Great American Beer Festival is the greatest beer event in the world,” says Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian. “It provides liquid proof that the United States is the world’s finest brewing nation, and why American craft beer is in such high demand.”

Two Anchorage breweries also fared well at the GABF. Midnight Sun Brewing Co. from Anchorage took silver in the Belgian or French-Style Ale Category for ‘Pride,’ and Moose’s Tooth Brewing Co. won gold for ‘Darth Delirium’ in the Belgian-style Strong Specialty Ale category.

With the four medals won at this year’s GABF, Alaskan Brewing has collected 23 regional, national and international awards so far in 2008, including four awards from the World Beer Cup, considered the “Olympics of Beer.”

About Alaskan Brewing Co.
Alaskan Brewing Co. has been making award-winning beer in Juneau, Alaska, since 1986. The Alaskan Brew Crew bottles the unique character of the Last Frontier with historic recipes, local ingredients and glacier-fed water. Alaskan Brewing handcrafts Amber, Pale, ESB, Stout, IPA, Smoked Porter, Winter Ale and Summer Ale. Visit www.alaskanbeer.com.