Celebrating⁢ Craft Excellence at‌ the 2024 Great American Beer‌ Festival

The annual Great American Beer Festival, hosted by the Brewers Association—a key advocate for small and ⁤independent breweries—showcases an incredible variety ​of beers from every corner of the United States. The recent festival concluded with an award ceremony on‌ October 12 ‌at Denver Convention‌ Center, where this grand event unfolds each ⁣year.

A Record of Entries and ‍Emerging Trends in⁤ Craft Brewing

This year’s​ competition was robust, featuring around 9,200 different beers ​and ciders submitted for‍ judging from all fifty‌ states as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. According to Chris Williams, director of competitions for the Brewers Association, while this number was⁤ consistent​ with last year’s entries, it shows a slight​ decline from a peak exceeding 10,000 entries in‌ 2022—a trend that reflects ⁤a broader stagnation within the craft beer⁢ sector.

Despite IPAs maintaining their dominance among submitted categories yet again this⁤ year—the most prevalent being various IPA styles—there remains significant growth in appeal toward craft lagers. Notably absent from that group is any other ale‍ type⁤ within this select top ten list besides‌ Fruited American Sour.

The ‌Logistics Behind‍ Judging Overwhelming Entries

“Managing about 5,000 volunteer hours is essential just to receive and meticulously sort through these beers,” commented ‍Williams during our⁤ conversation over the phone. Each participating brewery sends ⁢numerous⁣ cans or bottles per entry to ensure thorough​ evaluation across multiple judging rounds conducted by 285 esteemed judges ‌nationwide—resulting in nearly 60,000 individual containers handled through the entire ‍process.

A Glimpse ⁢Into Award-Winning Brews⁣ of 2024