Virginia Wins Big at the 2024 GABF

~9 Virginia Craft Breweries Take Home Medals~

RICHMOND, VA – Virginia’s craft beer scene continues to shine on the national stage as nine of the Commonwealth’s independent craft breweries earned medals at the prestigious 2024 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado this weekend. Competing against hundreds of breweries from across the country, Virginia’s breweries stood out for their innovation, craftsmanship, and dedication to producing high-quality beer.

The GABF, which is organized annually by the Brewers Association, is one of the largest and most influential beer competitions in the world. This year’s event saw nearly 9,000 beers entered in over 100 different categories, with Virginia’s breweries earning 4 gold, 3 silver, and 6 bronze medals

Virginia’s winning craft breweries and their medal-winning beers include:

Bear Chase Brewing Co. (Bluemont, VA) – Silver Medal for Buttons the Bear, Oatmeal Stout
Bear Chase Brewing Co. (Bluemont, VA) – Bronze Medal for Baltic Porter, Strong Porter
Benchtop Brewing Co. (Norfolk, VA) – Silver Medal for Pilsners are Lagers, Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
Benchtop Brewing Co. (Norfolk, VA) – Bronze Medal for Trash Pandamonium, Strong Red Ale
Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery (Arrington, VA) – Bronze Medal for Wild Pear, Contemporary Gose
Blue Mountain Brewery (Afton, VA) – Gold Medal for Raspberries on Acid, Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern (Centreville, VA) – Gold Medal for Crazy Jackass, Rye Beers
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Richmond, VA) – Bronze Medal for Richmond Lager, Contemporary American-Style Lager
Port City Brewing Co. (Alexandria, VA) – Gold Medal for Port City Porter, Robust Porter
Port City Brewing Co. (Alexandria, VA) – Bronze Medal for Rauchbier, Smoke Beer
South Street Brewery (Charlottesville, VA) – Silver Medal for Barrel-Aged Imperial Satan’s Pony, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop (Richmond, VA) – Gold Medal for Hey Girl, Hey!, American Fruit Beer
Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop with Joel Miller (Richmond, VA) – Bronze Medal for South of Helles, Pro-Am Comp

“We’re proud to see so many of our independent craft breweries recognized on a national level,” said Brett Vassey, President and CEO, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. “This year’s success at the Great American Beer Festival speaks to the creativity, passion, and hard work of our brewers, and their contributions to the Commonwealth’s craft beer culture.”

Virginia is home to over 300 breweries. The diversity and quality of their beer has made Virginia a top destination for beer tourism. To find independent craft breweries to visit in Virginia, go to https://www.virginiacraftbrewers.org/vcbg-brewery-map/. To visit Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gold winning breweries, go to the Virginia Craft Beer Gold Road Beer Trail.

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (VCBG) was formed in December 2010 with the mission to create the best environment in the United States for independent craft beer businesses to manufacture and headquarter their operations. The VCBG organizes craft brewers around four primary focuses: government affairs, marketing & tourism, farm breweries, and quality. The VCBG members also have access to business services focused on training, retaining great talent, reducing operational costs, and maximizing profitability and productivity. The VCBG is an affiliate of the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) and the state affiliate of the Brewers Association.

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