For the third year in a row, Barrels and Bottles Brewery in Golden, Colorado, hosted the Krispy King Lager Competition in advance of the Great American Beer Festival. This year — for the first time — they crowned a Krispy Queen.

The competition took place on Wednesday, Oct. 9, just ahead of the Great American Beer Festival. The Krispy King competition is becoming a magnet for brewers from across the nation to showcase their light-bodied, pale-colored and enjoyably crispy lagers to the craft beer community.

Growth of the Krispy

This year featured a record-high 35 entries from breweries including local favorites Cannonball Creek, Wibby Brewing and Seedstock Brewery. It also included nationally-respected competitors like Russian River Brewing, Live Oak Brewing and pFriem Family Brewers.

Expert brewers judged the beers, looking for the crispiest of the crispy. The early-morning first round focused on whether the beers adhered to their style profile. Subsequent rounds advanced beers based on a simple question — “Do I want to drink another?”

Krispy Queen is Crowned

So who took the crown? For the first time the competition celebrated a Krispy Queen. Wayfinder Hell Lagerbier, brewed by head brewer Natalie Rose Baldwin, took top honors. While the Portland, Oregon, winner couldn’t be in attendance, Ashleigh Carter from Denver’s Bierstadt Lagerhaus streamed the ceremony. Barrels and Bottles co-owner Abby George promised to send the coveted royal crown and regalia.

Austin, Texas, Live Oak Brewing Pre-War Pilsner took second and Seattle’s Formula Brewing Chasing Automobiles Helles came in a strong third. Local favorite Seedstock Brewing of Denver placed fourth, continuing its success on the heels of a 2023 Great American Beer Festival gold medal for its Marzen. The judges noted that it was challenging to select a handful of winners from an exceptionally strong field of entries.

A Community Event

Barrels and Bottles worked with the 35 competitors to offer their entries for sampling throughout the event. While this no doubt set up some heated discussions about the merits of various brews, one of the Barrels and Bottles team’s goals was simply to bring the craft beer community together for some fun and bonding.

“I think it was amazing! I was shocked by a few of the breweries that I’d never met, and it was just fun to sit down and talk to our friends,” George said. “It was fun to relate to people who know the industry.”

Attendees included some of the most recognized brewers from Colorado and across the U.S. Head brewer Chris Munda described Krispy King as, “a never ending search for excellence through crisp, delicious, palatable brew whilst celebrating togetherness.”

Thanks to some great fall weather and Barrrels and Bottles’ expansive patio in Colorado’s foothills, industry giants and average craft beer lovers enjoyed an unparalleled afternoon sampling some of the crispiest lagers on the planet. With this much love, Barrels and Bottles is already planning for Krispy King 2025 and beyond.

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