The 42st edition of the Great American Beer Festival took place in Denver this past weekend.
This year, 273 breweries and cideries earned 326 medals. The Great American Beer Festival judge panel evaluated noteworthy brews and ciders across 102 beer categories (including 170 subcategories), five new cider categories, and the Pro-Am and Collaboration competitions. Some 285 beer experts who evaluated 8,836 commercial beer entries, 233 commercial cider entries, 95 Collaboration entries, and 52 Pro-Am entries. Judging occurred in three phases over seven days and included brewery entries from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico
Below are the medal winners from Illinois and neighboring states. You can see the full list of winners here.
| Brewer | City | Beer Name | Style | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILLINOIS | ||||
| Cruz Blanca Brewery | Chicago | Wild Honey | Specialty Saison | Bronze |
| Double Clutch Brewing Co.. | Evanston | Altbier | German-Style Altbier | Silver |
| Greenstar Brewing | Chicago | Bateman Bier | American Amber Lager | Gold |
| Hopewell Brewing Co.. | Chicago | Tankbeer | Kellerbier or Zwickelbier | Bronze |
| Moody Tongue Brewing Co.. | Chicago | Cassis | Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer | Bronze |
| More Brewing Co.. | Huntley | Barrel Aged Dopplebock | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer | Bronze |
| Piece Brewery | Chicago | Door Code | German-Style Pilsener | Silver |
| Pollyanna Brewing Co.. | Lemont | Lexical Gap | American-Style India Pale Ale | Bronze |
| Werk Force Brewing Co.. | Plainfield | Humongous Sleepy Chungus Bear | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout | Silver |
| INDIANA | ||||
| Bier Brewery and Taproom | Indianapolis | Roggenschnizzle | Rye Beers | Silver |
| Field Artisan Brewing | Westfield | Dill Pickle | Herb and Spice Beer | Bronze |
| The Tap Brewery | Bloomington | Kill the Lights | Imperial Stout | Silver |
| Odd Side Ales | Grand Haven | Bourbon Maple Wishes and Pecan Dreams | Experimental Beer | Silver |
| Silver Harbor Brewing Co. | Saint Joseph | Wobbly Traveler | Scotch Ale | Gold |
| WISCONSIN | ||||
| Octopi Brewing / Untitled Art | Waunakee | Non-Alcoholic Oktoberfest | Amber to Dark Non-Alcohol Beer | Silver |
| Oliphant Brewing | Somerset | Brown Ale | English-Style Brown Ale | Bronze |
| Third Space Brewing | Milwaukee | Pretty Good | American Amber/Red Ale | Gold |
| Third Space Brewing | Milwaukee | Cucumber Lime Blonde | Field Beer | Silver |
| Vintage Brewing Co. | Madison | Scaredy Cat | Oatmeal Stout | Gold |
| IOWA | ||||
| Big Grove Brewery & Taproom | Iowa City | Easy Eddy | Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale | Gold |
| Paha Cider Co. | Waverly | Cedar Valley Blend | Tannic Cider | Silver |
| PIVO Brewery | Calmar | Decorah Nordic Gruit | Historical Beer | Silver |
| SingleSpeed Brewing | Waterloo | Lavender Haze | Experimental India Pale Ale | Silver |
| MISSOURI | ||||
| Alma Mader Brewing | Kansas City | Pacific Portal | West Coast IPA | Silver |
| Piney River Brewing Co. | Bucyrus | Old Tom Porter | Brown Porter | Bronze |
| River Bluff Brewing | Saint Joseph | Yankee Doodle Shandy | Fruit Wheat Beer | Gold |
Collaboration Competition: Silver medal for Stupid Sticky Fingers. A collaboration between Werk Force Brewing Co. and Rocky Reef Brewing Co. of Woodfuff, WI.
