Colorado Brewers Collect 36 Awards at Great American Beer Festival® Competition

24 Colorado breweries earned hardware at the awards ceremony on Oct. 11

DENVER, Colorado (Oct. 11, 2025) — The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) would like to congratulate the 24 Colorado breweries that collected a total of 36 awards among 108 beer styles at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition at the Colorado Convention Center earlier today. The GABF competition drew 8,300 entries from 1,550 breweries and cidermakers across the United States—and 250 judges across seven days of judging. Note: these counts include the Pro-Am Competition and Brewery of the Year awards but do not include the cider awards.

Produced by the Brewers Association (BA), GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition. Its medals are globally acknowledged as an emblem of brewing excellence and among the most sought-after accolades within the brewing community.

According to the BA, Colorado is ranked fourth in the nation for the most number of craft breweries (456) and had a $2,496 million economic impact in 2024.

“It was a great showing for Colorado’s craft breweries at the GABF awards ceremony. With three brewery of the year awards and 16 gold medals, Colorado craft breweries continue to prove that they consistently brew some of the best beers in the country,” says CBG Executive Director Shawnee Adelson. “The diversity of styles shows that breweries in Colorado can make exceptional beer for all types of palates.” 

Notable trends:
Colorado collected 16 gold medals, the most since 2018 (17)
Colorado had an astounding three brewery of the year winners—the first time that three Colorado craft breweries have won brewery of the year.

Cannonball Creek pushed their medal streak to 13 years and took home a brewery of the year award for the first time. Trump Hands won its third GABF medal in the Session India Pale Ale category

Westbound and Down took home an impressive seven awards (including brewery of the year). This ties the record for most awards in a single GABF for a Colorado brewery (Rock Bottom in 2010 and the Sandlot Brewery in 2005)
Westbound & Down has collected 13 awards in the last three years across 11 categories (including brewery of the year).

New Terrain Brewing Company, River North Brewery, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Company have all medaled four years in a row

Joyride’s Black Razz Blonde medals for the second time in the American Fruit Beer category
River North’s “Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun” wins Gold for the second year in a row in the Coffee Beer category
River North Brewery won a second Brewery of the Year award this year, the first being at the Colorado Brewers Cup in January


2025 Colorado Craft Brewery Winners:

Brewery of the Year (501-1,000 barrels): Cannonball Creek Brewing Co
Brewery of the Year (1,000-2,000 barrels): River North Brewery
Brewery of the Year (5,001-15,000 barrels): Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Westbound Mill


Gold Medal Winners:

Fritz Family Brewers/Christopher Owens – Christopher’s Bier (Pro-Am)
River North Brewery – Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun (Coffee Beer)
Diebolt Brewing – Vladislav (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout)
Aspen Brewing Co. – Casa Bonita (Mexican-Style Pale Lager) – new category
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill – Westbound Italian Pils (Italian-Style Pilsener)
Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. – Festbier (Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest)
Prost Brewing Co., Northglenn – Prost Vienna Lager (Vienna-Style Lager)
Prost Brewing Co., Northglenn – Prost Schwarzbier (German-Style Schwarzbier)
Oskar Blues Brewery – Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale (English Ale)
River North Brewery – River North White (Belgian-Style of French-Style Specialty Ale)
Steamworks Brewing Co. – Backside Stout (Oatmeal Stout)
Left Hand Brewing Co. – Breakfast in Brussels (Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine)
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill – Parallel Pale (American-Style Pale Ale)
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. – How the West Was One: Mosaic (West Coast-Style India Pale Ale)

Silver Medal Winners:


The Empourium Brewing Company – Animals Strike Curious Poses (Honey beer)
Denver Beer Co. Canworks – NA Tangerine Cream (Specialty Non-Alcohol Beer)
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill – Scenic Route (Session India Pale Ale)
Cerebral Brewing, Aurora Arts – Neon Lite (American-Style Light Lager)
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill – Infinity Pils (Hoppy Lager)
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Mindbender (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)
Our Mutual Friend Brewing – Time’s Arrow (American-Style India Pale Ale)

Bronze Medal Winners:

Joyride Brewing Co. – Black Razz Blonde (American Fruit Beer)
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Trump Hands (Session India Pale Ale)
Ratio Beerworks – Dear You (American-Belgo-Style Ale)
Long Table Brewhouse – Thinking of You (Brett Beer)
Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. – Moroccan Christmas (Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer)
Banded Oak Brewing Company – Manny’s Way Mexican Lager (Contemporary American-Style Lager)
New Terrain Brewing Company – Suntrip (Belgian-Style Witbier)
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Deer Pallet (International-Style Pale Ale)
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. Westbound Mill – Westbound IPA (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)

“We encourage everyone to get out and support their favorite local breweries—whether you’re raising a glass at your favorite spot or celebrating Colorado’s great craft beer scene with a new GABF award-winner!,” says Adelson.


For the full list of 2025 GABF medalists, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.



###



About the Colorado Brewers Guild: The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) is a nonprofit trade association with the mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. The majority of the state’s 400+ licensed breweries are members. See a list of events that support membership, learn how to become a member, and more at coloradobeer.org.