Missouri Shut Out
The Great American Beer Festival wrapped up this weekend in Denver, Colorado on Saturday with the announcement of the medal-winning beers. And for the first time since either 2007* or 1987, depending on how you look at it, there were no winner from Missouri.
* In 2007, the two award-winning beers from Missouri were made by Anheuser-Busch. Take that as you will.
Now, I am not privy to which local breweries attended. And I obviously don’t know which beers they submitted to the competitions, but it’s not a great showing from the Show-Me State.
Kansas Brings Home Three, and Actually, Let’s Give Missouri a Half
Breweries based in Kansas did better. Hopping Gnome Brewing in Wichita brought home a silver in American-style amber ales for their Sepia Amber. Blind Tiger Brewery in Topeka has added a bronze in the Bock category for their eponymous Bock. And finally, Central Standard Brewing, also in Wichita, has a gold award in the historical beer category for Pushing Trees, Norwegian-style raw ale. Central Standard collaborated with Raytown’s Crane Brewing on Pushing Trees, so let’s give Missouri a half of a gold. I guess.
I don’t mean any ill will by the “bad showing” comment. I was both surprised and disappointed by the results of the GABF judging. As I’m sure many of our local craft beer lovers and breweries are.