Krispy King Lager Competition Returns To Barrels & Bottles Brewery During 2025 Great American Beer Festival

GOLDEN, Colorado— One of the, if not the, most sought-after lager competitions is back for the fourth year at Barrels & Bottles Brewery. The Krispy King Lager Competition is slated for October 8, the Wednesday before the 2025 Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) begins, from 2 to 8pm at 1055 Orchard Street.

This year’s Krispy King Lager Competition is bigger and better than ever before, with 45 breweries from across the country serving their best expressions of crispy, light-hued, quaffable lager. Returning judges Ashleigh Carter & Bill Eye from Bierstadt Lagerhaus will determine the best five beers, and declare the 2025 Krispy King (or Queen). Winners will be announced at 6pm.

The breweries pouring this year include Barrels & Bottles Brewery, Beachwood Brewing, Benchtop Brewing Company, Black Tooth Brewing Company, Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Breakside Brewery, By All Means Brewing, Call to Arms Brewing Company, Cannonball Creek Brewing, Casey Brewing & Blending, Chuckanut Brewery, Cloudburst Brewing, Danico Brewing Company, Downhill Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing, Elevation Beer Company, Enegren Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Formula Brewing, Fritz Family Brewers, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company, Heater AllenBrewing Gold Dot Beer, Helper Beer, Hideaway Park Brewery, Jack’s Abby Craft Lager, Joyride Brewing Company, Kansas City Bier Company, Launch Pad Brewery, Live Oak Brewing Company, Los Dos Potrillos Cevercería, New Terrain Brewing Co., Odell Brewing Five Points Brewhouse, pFriem Family Brewers, Russian River Brewing Company, Seedstock Brewery, Storm Peak Brewing, Strange Craft Beer Company, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., The Empourium Brewing Company, Varietal Beer Co., Wayfinder Beer, Westbound & Down Brewing Company, Wibby Brewing, Wren House Brewing Company, and Zwei Brewing Co.

For the first time in 2025, Barrels & Bottles will feature a special lager made with ingredients from Krispy King’s generous sponsors: Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., Propagate Labs, and Hopsteiner. The beer will be available exclusively in the event’s VIP area. 

This regal GABF pre-game will also feature large format games; the Trinity Cigar Mobile Lounge; a make your own trucker hat setup with TATtered-N-Torn; lager donuts from Kneadful Rings; and oysters shucked on-site and lobster rolls from Shuck Brothers. The stage will feature live music from MC Andy Eppler from 2 to 3:30pm; the Jockey Box Band from 3:30 to 5pm; and Matt Wetherbee & the GnarBillys from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

Additionally, the Barrels & Bottles Brewery kitchen will be open with food specials, and there will also be wine and cocktails on tap.

Two small buses will be looping from the Denver Convention Center to Barrels & Bottles Brewery during this event. Guests are encouraged to travel safely via RTD Train Rail Station, Uber or Lyft, or designated drivers. 
The Krispy King Lager Competition is open to the public and free to attend. 
Media inquiring about Krispy King can contact Emily Hutto at [email protected].

ABOUT BARRELS & BOTTLES BREWERY

Barrels & Bottles Brewery was formed in Abby and Zach George’s mind many years before they opened their first location in 2013. They met overseas and both found a passion for great people, food and drinks. Nowadays you can find them at their Camp George West location, either pouring you a beer, serving you food and or enjoying a pint with friends and neighbors. Learn more at barrelsbottles.com.