Colorado breweries raked in the hardware at this year’s U.S. Open Beer Championship, collecting 38 medals in style categories from American-style pilsener to imperial porter.
The winners, announced during a live stream Monday night, were selected from a pool of more than 9,000 entries, competition organizers said. In all, Colorado beer makers scored nine gold medals, 18 silver and 11 bronze. That haul surpasses last year’s when local beer makers took home 33 awards.
Denver’s Bull & Bush Brewery made the biggest showing with six medals, including a gold for its imperial pastry stout Kauai Pie. Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project in Loveland and River North Brewery in Denver followed with five medals each. Aurora’s Launch Pad Brewery and Lafayette’s Cellar West Brewery each garnered four.
The U.S. Open Beer Championship allows home brewers to compete with professionals, a rarity among contests. It served Castle Rock resident Christopher Burgess well; he scored gold in the Brut IPA category and was one of just three home brewers to place this year.
See the local U.S. Open Beer Championship winners below and visit the competition website to see the full list of medal-winning beers.
Gold
American fruit beer (tangerine) — Tangerine Yum Yum, Denver Beer Co., Denver
American-style pilsener — Blind Tiger, Denver Beer Co., Denver
Belgian pale ale — Belgian Pale Ale, Cellar West Brewery, Lafayette
Brut IPA — Like Falling Off a Bike, home brewer Christopher Burgess, Castle Rock
English barleywine — Grow Old With You, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland
Imperial pastry stout — Kauai Pie, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver
Imperial porter — Hello Darkness, River North Brewery, Denver
Kentucky Common — Angry Banjo, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland
Sweet stout or cream stout — Wired Greasy Grinder, Knuckle Puck Brewing, Longmont
Silver
American fruit (blueberry) — Blueberry Strudel, Downhill Brewing, Greenwood Village
American fruit (lime) — Cape Canaveral, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora
Barrel-aged English barleywine — Magnificent Desolation (Russell 8 yr), Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora
Belgian and French ale — Junebug, Echo Brewing Co., Erie
Belgian-style fruit beer — Trippy G.O.A.T, LUKI Brewery, Arvada
Chocolate or cocoa beer — Midnight Hike, River North Brewery, Denver
Collaboration beer — Muncherwein, Liquid Mechanics Brewing (Lafayette) and Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project (Loveland)
Collaboration beer (IPA) — West Coast Cartel, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co. (Lafayette) and Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. (Golden)
English dark mild — Squirrels & Scooters, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver
English summer ale — Blotter, Cellar West Brewery, Lafayette
International-style pale ale — Mi Vida, Denver Beer Co., Denver
Non-alcoholic NEIPA — Gruvi NA Juicy IPA, Gruvi, Denver
Oatmeal stout — Pure Imagination, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland
Old/strong ale — Bucket of Bolts, River North Brewery, Denver
Other kettle sours — Sippin’ on Stardust, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora
Spirits barrel-aged beer — Gin Barrel-Aged Stay Classy, Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project, Loveland
Tea beer — Nappy Nap Time, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver
Zwickelbier/Kellerbier — Kneebone, Cellar West Brewery, Lafayette
Bronze
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American barleywine — Soul of Time, River North Brewery, Denver
American fruit (general) — Sour Shakedown Party with Blackberry, Beyond the Mountain Brewing Co., Boulder
American single hop pale ale — Balloon Boys Big Adventure, Downhill Brewing, Greenwood Village
Australian-style pale ale — Polynesian Pale Ale, Cellar West Brewery, Lafayette
Barrel-aged strong beer — Royal Oil, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver
British/Russian imperial stout — Mr. Sandman, River North Brewery, Denver
International-style pale ale — Goldengrass, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden
Rum barrel-aged beer — Ghoul Fuel: Rum Diaries, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver
Specialty pale ale — Purple Cobras, LUKI Brewery, Arvada
Strong bock — Illuminator, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora
Wood/barrel-aged fruit beer — Hucklesherry Hounds, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver