Grand Teton Sweetgrass IPA Wins The Gold!
GRAND TETON BREWING COMPANY WINS GOLD AT THE GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL!
VICTOR, ID – Grand Teton Brewing Company, known throughout the West for their exceptional microbrews, has won yet another gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Sweetgrass IPA won its first GABF gold medal against 107 other entries in the American Pale Ale category, one of the most popular styles in competition.
Originally brewed in 2002, Sweetgrass IPA quickly became the brewery favorite. Even though this beer has a significant following, it has never before medaled in a major competition. Beer judges have loved and praised the Sweetgrass IPA for its aroma, balance and flavor, but have stated it is not hoppy enough when entered in IPA competitions. When previously entered in pale ale categories, it was considered too hoppy. As the pale ale style has evolved over the last few years to more hoppy brews, Sweetgrass IPA was due to find its place on the podium.
Denver’s annual Great American Beer Festival remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world with 3,308 entries this year. The competition attracted 132 international beer judges from ten countries. Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 78 beer categories, establishing the best examples of each style in the U.S.
Sweetgrass IPA is crisp and fragrant with a generous, yet smooth hop character. The sweet bouquet and spicy flavor come from the combination of five hops and Idaho grown barley. Bottle conditioned with 58 IBUs and 6.5% ABV, it is a durable beer with a long shelf life. Sweetgrass IPA is available in 6 packs and kegs.
Grand Teton Brewing Company was founded in 1988 as the first modern “micro” brewery in the state of Wyoming. Today, Grand Teton Brewing Company is in the top 100 craft breweries in North America. Premium microbrews include the 5X gold-medal-winning Bitch Creek ESB, Sweetgrass IPA, Workhorse Wheat and the favorites of the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Old Faithful Ale (pale golden), Au Naturale (organic blonde ale) and Teton Ale (amber). From their production facility in Victor, Idaho, Grand Teton Brewing Company beers are handcrafted from only the finest ingredients, including locally grown grains and pure Teton mountain spring water. GTBC is a green company utilizing bio-diesel and feeding local farmer’s cattle with spent grain from the brew house. Discriminating beer drinkers can find their favorite GTBC brews on tap and in bottles throughout Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, New York and Missouri.
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September 30, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
No defrauding of the customer here, my guess is they entered it in both categories because it straddled the line between a pale ale and an IPA. Here are the BJCP guidelines on AIPA, http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style14.php#1b. They fit into those guidelines so they could easily consider it an IPA but they may have felt that it had a chance at the Pale Ale side as well because in hoppy beers sometimes the bigger ones win out.
Just playing the judging system, not playing the customer.
September 30, 2009 @ 10:53 am
Isn’t it Great that a beer that is Called Sweetgrass IPA wins in the pale ale category tells me that its not an IPA at all, and should be called Sweetgrass PALE ale
go figure I see that this happens all the time if you call a beer something its not then all you are doing is defrauding the consumer not promoting good craft beer growth