Colorado has long been regarded as one of the country’s premier craft beer leaders both from a quality and quantity perspective. Home to the fifth most breweries per capita, birthplace to legendary industry pioneers like New Belgium, Odell, Oskar Blues, Avery, Left Hand, Great Divide, and more, and perennial top three in total medals earned each year at GABF and World Beer Cup competitions, Colorado’s craft breweries landscape easily stands toe-to-toe among the best in the country.

And while Colorado’s breweries consistently rank among the best of the best, at the national level there hasn’t been a consistent competition to showcase the Centennial state’s top producers until now.

Friday marked the debut of the Colorado Brewers Cup hosted and produced by the Colorado Brewers Guild showcasing the exceptional quality of craft beer among its member breweries. This debut Colorado Brewers Cup award winners were announced on the final day of the Colorado Craft Brewers Summit at the Hyatt Regency in Aurora, CO. This year’s award winners were selected by a panel of 58 beer judges from six states that judged beer for 26 award categories. In total, the competition drew 650 entries from 134 craft breweries spanning the entire state resulting in 78 medalists.

 

“The Colorado Brewers Guild was founded in 1995 by a group of passionate individuals who saw the potential of working together. Oregon had just started a Guild to collectively promote their craft breweries and Colorado brewery owners were looking to do the same thing. They quickly realized that agreeing on a marketing strategy wasn’t easy, however, they found that they could agree on being active at the state capitol to protect the interests of small breweries,” says CBG Executive Director Shawnee Adelson. “Shortly after they decided to create an association, a bill was introduced that would have put restrictions on the brewpub license. These dedicated individuals jumped right in and negotiated privileges that brewpub licenses still have today. This set the stage for the direction of the Guild and as we enter the 30th anniversary, we want to acknowledge their foresight and dedication to helping create the State of Craft Beer!”

• Gold: Cerveceria Colorado (Denver) – Venga
• Silver: Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (Idaho Springs) – Landing Gear Pils
• Bronze: Ratio Beerworks (Denver) – Cityscapes

• Gold: New Image Brewing Co. (Wheat Ridge) – Classic Pilsner
• Silver: Hideaway Park Brewery (Winter Park) – Dortmunder
• Bronze: Seedstock Brewing Co. (Denver) – Seedstock German Pilsner

• Gold: Hideaway Park Brewery (Winter Park) – Publik Skool Pilsner
• Silver: Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (Idaho Springs) – Infinity Pils
• Bronze: WestFax Brewing Co. (Lakewood) – Pillieve

• Gold: Westbound & Down Mill (Lafayette) – The Coloradan
• Silver: Bristol Brewing Co. (Colorado Springs) – Beehive Honey Wheat
• Bronze: LUKI Brewery (Arvada) – Tuba Cheer

• Gold: New Terrain Brewing Co. (Golden) – Rise and Climb
• Silver: Liquid Mechanics Brewing (Lafayette) – Kölsch
• Bronze: Joyride Brewing Co. (Edgewater) – Ice Cutter Kölsch

• Gold: Fritz Family Brewers (Niwot) – The Boss
• Silver: Carver Brewing Co. (Durango) – Lightner Creek Lager
• Bronze: Resolute Brewing Co. (Centennial) – Front Porch

• Gold: Eagle River Brewing (Eagle) – ERB Octoberfest
• Silver: Eagle River Brewing (Eagle) – Free Stone Lager
• Bronze: Seedstock Brewing Co. (Denver) – Seedstock Bohemian Dunkel

• Gold: Wibby Brewing (Longmont)- Moondoor Dunkel
• Silver: Seedstock Brewing Co. (Denver)- Seedstock Roggen Schwarzbier
• Bronze: Fritz Family Brewers (Niwot) – Niwot After Dark

• Gold: Elevation Beer Co. (Poncha Springs) – Coconut Oil Man
• Silver: Strange Brewing Co. (Denver) – Cherry Kriek
• Bronze: Avant Garde Aleworks (Estes Park)- Harvest Saison

• Gold: Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. (Golden) – Featherweight
• Silver: Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. (Golden) – Trump Hands
• Bronze: Comrade Brewing Co. (Denver) – Honeyman 64

• Gold: Amalgam Brewing(Denver) – Modern West
• Silver: Westbound & Down Mill (Lafayette) – Westbound Select
• Bronze: Westbound & Down Mill (Lafayette) – Westbound IPA

• Gold: Silver: Westbound & Down Mill (Lafayette) – Spirit of the West
• Silver: Second Dawn (Aurora) – Tree Run
• Bronze: Cerebral Brewing – Aurora Arts (Aurora) – Gasoline Rainbows

• Gold: Living the Dream Brewing Co. (Highlands Ranch) – Trailhead Fog
• Silver: Beyond The Mountain Brewing (Boulder) – I Wish You More
• Bronze: Aspen Brewing Co. (Aspen) – Excess In Moderation

• Gold: Station 26 Brewing Co. (Denver) – 11th Anniversary Double IPA
• Silver: Cerebral Brewing – Aurora Arts (Aurora) – Cheat Code
• Bronze: Odell Brewing Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse (Denver) – Cloudship

• Gold: Telluride Brewing Co. (Telluride) – Face Down Brown
• Silver: Carver Brewing Co. (Durango) – Old Oak Amber Ale
• Bronze: Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) – 90 Shilling

• Gold: Stodgy Brewing Co. (Fort Collins) – Scottish Ale
• Silver: Bristol Brewing Co. (Colorado Springs) – Draft Project London Brown
• Bronze: Carver Brewing Co. (Durango) – Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale

• Gold: Banded Oak Brewing (Denver) – Paramount Porter
• Silver: Stodgy Brewing Co. (Fort Collins) – English Porter
• Bronze: Bent Barley Brewing Co. (Aurora) – Dry Irish Stout

• Gold: River North Brewery (Denver) – Mr. Sandman
• Silver: Verboten Brewing (Loveland) – Grow Old With You
• Bronze: River North Brewery (Denver) – Hello Darkness

• Gold: Liquid Mechanics Brewing (Lafayette) – El Poblano Borracho
• Silver: Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmont) – Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout
• Bronze: Incantation Brewing (Aurora) – Signals

• Gold: LUKI Brewery (Arvada) – Dunk On Em
• Silver: Tres Litros Beer Co. (Salida) – Hamer Time
• Bronze: New Terrain Brewing Co. (Golden) – Suntrip

• Gold: River North Brewery (Denver) – River North White
• Silver: Elevation Beer Co. (Poncha Springs) – Apis IV
• Bronze: Windfall Brewing Co. (Westminster) – Windfall Saison

• Gold: Bruz Beers (Denver) – Ghost in the Wood
• Silver: Diebolt Brewing Co. (Denver) – David Frambowie
• Bronze: Berkeley Alley Beer Co (Arvada) – Pistachio Lemon Meringue

• Gold: River North Brewery (Denver) – Nightmare Fuel
• Silver: Verboten Brewing (Loveland) – Others in Darkness: Irish Coffee
• Bronze: 300 Suns Brewing (Longmont)- Psychotic Balaclava Horchata Stout

• Gold: Crooked Stave Brewing Co. (Denver) – Spon
• Silver: Cellar West Brewery (Lafayette) – Green Spur
• Bronze: Primitive Beer (Lafayette) – Stable Of Stars

• Gold: Launch Pad Brewery (Aurora) – Magnificent Desolation (Russell 8 Year)
• Silver: Cerebral Brewing – Aurora Arts (Aurora) – Here Be Monsters
• Bronze: Locavore Beer Works (Littleton) – Black Pearl 4×3

• • Gold: The Post Brewing Co. (Lafayette) – East County Fine Malt Liquor
  • Silver: Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales (Longmont) – Cinnamon Roll Blonde Ale
  • Bronze: Wonderland Brewing Co. (Broomfield) – Oily Oaf

Brewery of the Year: Small (0-600 barrels) – Carver Brewing Co. in Durango, which opened in 1983, collected three Colorado Brewers Cup medals (two silver medals, one for the Pale Malty European Lagers category and another for the Malty North American Beers category, and a bronze medal for the Classic UK Amber & Brown Ales category)

Brewery of the Year: Mid-sized (600+ barrels) – River North Brewery in Denver collected four Colorado Brewers Cup medals (Gold and Bronze in the Strong Classic UK & North American Ales category, as well as Gold medals in the Belgian and French Ale category and Coffee, Chocolate, & Dessert Beers category)

Top medals awarded were spread across 28 different cities throughout Colorado with Denver totaling the most at 18 medals, followed by Lafayette with nine, and Aurora with seven.

Westbound & Down Brewing Company was the most awarded brewery with six total medals (two for its Idaho Springs location and four for its Lafayette location); Westbound, who also owns Aspen Brewing Co., also earned a bronze medal for Aspen Brewing’s Excess in Moderation.

Additionally, River North Brewery notched four medals, and Carver Brewing, Cerebral Brewing, and Seedstock Brewery each collected three medals.

Other trends of note, Cannonball Creek Brewing continued its impressive competition win streak earning a gold for Featherweight and a silver for Trump Hands in the Session & Pale Ales category. And Incantation Brewing, which announced its upcoming closure just a day earlier garnered a bronze medal in the Herb, Spice, & Smoked Beers category.

---

Can't visit the site everyday like us? Bummer! No worries, we've got you covered. Submit your email below to receive our monthlyish newsletter on reviews, tours, events and more!

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human: