Congratulations to the Texas breweries who brought home 19 medals in the 2023 Great American Beer Festival Competition.
On September 23 the Brewers Association awarded 303 medals to 263 breweries across the country during the 2023 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) awards ceremony in Denver, Colorado. Texas breweries brought home a total of 19 medals, along with a Brewery of the Year award for Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing Company in the 15,001-100,000 bbl group.
“The Great American Beer Festival competition serves as a platform for the finest beers from across the nation to undergo rigorous scrutiny and vie for the title of ‘Best in Class,’” remarked Chris Williams, competition director for the Great American Beer Festival. “The beer community’s unwavering commitment to pushing the frontiers of innovation and quality is truly commendable. The Brewers Association takes great pride in recognizing the achievements of this year’s winners.”
Texas Medal Winners
GOLD
- Second Pitch Beer Co: Hometown Lager (American Amber Lager)
- Longtab Brewing Co: DOL (American-Belgo-Style Ale)
- Bankhead Brewing Co: Hootenanny (Bock)
- Lazarus Brewing Co: Crazy Horse (Bohemian-Style Pilsener)
- Family Business Beer Co: Chilis from the Grave (Chili Beer)
- True Anomaly Brewing Co: Scout (Contemporary American-Style Lager)
- Saint Arnold Brewing Co: Elissa IPA (English Ale)
- Karbach Brewing Co.: Free & Easy Belgian-Style White (Non-Alcohol Beer)*
- Vacancy Brewing: Jet Lag Lager (Other Hoppy Lager)
- Real Ale Brewing Co: Real Heavy (Scotch Ale)
- Lazarus Brewing Co. – Laz 2: Prodigal Pils (German-Style Pilsener)
- Saint Arnold Brewing Co.: Fancy Lawnmower Beer (Golden or Blonde Ale)
SILVER
- Roadmap Brewing Co: Derby Day (Historical Beer)
- True Anomaly Brewing Co: Sea of Waves (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer)
- Windmills Brewery & Restaurant: Black Market Liver (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout)
BRONZE
- Real Ale Brewing Co: Cruzer (German-Style Koelsch)
- Bankhead Brewing Co: Hoofer’s Hef (South German-Style Hefeweizen)
- Hound Song Brewing Co: La Cabrona (Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse)
- Lone Man Mountain Brewing Co: LMM Belgian Amber (Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale)
GABF Competition Statistics
- 37th edition of the GABF competition
- 9,298 beers judged
- 2,033 breweries in the competition from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico
- 250 judges
- 300+ volunteers
- Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 92
- Category with the highest number of entries: 65: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (365)
- 303 total medals awarded
- 263 medal-winning breweries
- 325 first-time GABF entrants
- 16 first-time GABF winners
For more information about the competition, as well as the complete list of medal winners, visit the Great American Beer Festival website.
*This brewery is located in Texas, but does not fall under the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s definition of craft