Georgia Breweries Hope To Medal At Great American Beer Festival

GEORGIA — Some of Georgia’s favorite brewers are competing this week at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. At the Thursday-Saturday event, they’ll be competing for gold, silver or bronze medals and the coveted “Brewer of the Year” title.

Now in its 40th year, the festival will feature more than 2,000 beers from 500 breweries. Among them are the following Georgia breweries:

• Eagle Creek Brewing Company, of Statesboro, which has entered its adaptation IPA, Georgia Tea Party, low country pale ale, River Street praline brown ale and Spot Tail blond ale.

• Monday Night Brewing, of Atlanta, which has entered its Falling Star, Hop Hut, Imaginary Grace, Space Lettuce and Tie XI.

• Tucker Brewing Company, of Tucker, which has entered its Skips Imperial Berliner Weisse, TKR PIlsner, Tucker Lager and Tucktoberfest.

Last year, Tucker Brewing Company brought home a gold medal for its Tucker Lager.

Hosted by the Brewers Association, the trade organization representing more than 5,600 small and independent American craft brewers, the festival is once again an in-person event at the Colorado Convention Center after two years of a pandemic-imposed hiatus.

The festival’s craft beer and food pairing event, PAIRED, is back with the in-person event. It pairs 25 chefs and 25 breweries collaborating on a tasting menu. Georgia is represented by Southern Philosophy Brewing Company, of Bainbridge, will be paired with Chef Paul Reilly, of Denver, Colorado, to match Hazy IPA with gold beets, raspberry, quark cheese and rye cracker. The duo will also pair German-style marzen with duck bourbon sausage, pickled mustard seed and roasted apple puree.

The craft beer festival, considered a beer lover’s bucket-list item, has grown exponentially over its 40-year history. Just 24 brewers brought 47 beers to the first Great American Beer Festival in 1982.

If you love beer and happen to be in or traveling to the Denver area, check for ticket availability.