Several Minnesota Craft Brewers took part in the largest American craft beer competition last weekend in Denver, CO. Local brewers did well with 6 medals coming home to Minnesota. Great American Beer Festival awards are coveted by beer makers across the country. There was more than 1,500 breweries competing for prizes. Over 6,500 beers were judges across 92 distinct categories.
“These honors reinforce that Minnesota brewers create exceptional craft beers,” says Dan Schwarz, President of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “We are proud of our Guild members for representing the strong state of craft beer in Minnesota at this prestigious competition.”
Steel Toe Brewing GABF Gold Medal Photo Credit: Dan Kearney
This weekend, brewers from around the country gathered for the annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. Put on by the Brewers Association, the GABF is among the largest in the world. More than 700 breweries poured 1oz samples of 3,500 beers from all over the America to about 49,000 attendees. One of the highlights of the weekend long madness is the beer competition. The competition is comprised of brewing industry professionals evaluating approximately 5,700 entries from over 1,300 breweries, in 90 unique beer categories.
Six Minnesota brewers were awarded medals during the brewing competition award ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota was well represented, bringing home two more awards than in 2013, and 3 three more than in 2012. Gold medals went to Badger Hill Brewing for White IPA in the American-Belgo category, and Steel Toe Brewing for Wee Heavy in the Scotch Ale Category. Indeed Brewing took home a silver for Mexican Honey in the Specialty Honey Beer Category. Summit Brewing won Bronze for Extra Pale Ale (EPA) in the Classic English-Style Pale Ale. Arguably the king of barrel aging beer in Minnesota, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery was awarded Bronze for Buffalo Bock, a Weizenbock aged in Buffalo Trace Barrels, among the the Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer. Rounding out the Minnesota winners list is relative newcomers, Bent Paddle Brewing. The Duluth brewery captured a Bronze with 14° ESB in the Extra Special Bitter category.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Buffalo Bock paired with cherry tart Photo Credit: Andrew Schmitt
Award Criteria
A world-class beer that accurately exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance.
An excellent beer that may vary slightly from style parameters while maintaining close adherence to the style and displaying excellent taste, aroma and appearance.
A fine example of the style that may vary slightly from style parameters and/or have minor deviations in taste, aroma or appearance.
It is that time of year. No, not the holidays, big beer season. That time of year when Minnesotans look for a beer with a little extra warming factor to help us fight the cold weather. Just in time to get you through the next cold snap Steel Toe Brewing’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale returns next week.
This copper colored beer showcases the the maltier, sweeter side beer. The side of beer that often gets ignored in favor the latest IPA with experimental hops from Yakima, New Zealand, or Parts Unknown.
The Scotch Ale will be tapped in the Steel Toe Brewing taproom on Friday, Dec 20th, for $5/10oz pour. There will be a bottle release at noon the following day on Saturday, Dec 21st. At $10/750 you can afford to grab a couple and stash some in the cellar for a vertical tasting sometime down the line. I know am.
Steel Toe Brewer Jason Schoneman is done (pretty much) putting his taproom together. A man that truly does it all, Jason had a vision of what he wanted his taproom to be and created it with his own two hands.
The new taproom spans the length of the brewery’s front room. The walls are slate gray. The bar and counters are stained hardwood trimmed with dark steel. The taps hang from the ceiling and and there is a plasma tv behind the bar.
“It is a little dark,” says Jason, “but I like it that way.”
The taproom will be open at 3pm on Saturday. Stop in and them break it in proper. Just be sure to get there early, it will definitely be crowded.
