Five Arizona breweries took home awards at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. The festival awarded repeat winners Lumberyard Brewing Co., Fate Brewing Co. and Wren House Brewing Co., plus first-time winners Flying Basset Brewing and Basin + Range Brewing.
Here are the five local breweries that together took home six medals in total:
Flying Basset Brewing took home gold for its Citrus Snack in the Contemporary Gose category. The gose ale is made with Himalayan Sea Salt, grapefruit, blood orange and tangerine. The brewery created this ale as a light and refreshing summer drink. Flying Basset unfortunately shut down last Saturday after six years of service in Gilbert. Since its opening in 2018, the brewery has received many awards for their 10 unique brews.
Basin + Range Brewing in Tucson received a silver medal, also in the Contemporary Gose category, for its In Bloom gose made with cactus fruit and fig leaves. The brewery soft launched its opening over the summer and will be offering seasonal brews on tap around Tucson this October.
Lumberyard Brewing Co. was awarded silver in the Extra Special Bitter category for its Railhead Red amber ale. Brewed with crystal and caramel malts, this ale is rich and full-bodied. Lumberyard opened in 1994 under the name Beaver Street Brewery, moving into a permanent location and changing its name in 2010. The company now serves brews and beers at the Flagstaff restaurant.
Fate Brewing Co. received a bronze medal for its Fate Single Hop Sour in the American Sour Ale category. This sour is made with just one hop, making the beer tart and refreshing. The brewery now has three locations across the Valley, serving up brews, cocktails and bar food. Fate has previously won two other medals in other categories at the Great American Beer Festival.
Wren House Brewing Co. took home two medals for its Extra Special Bitter and Juicy or Hazy Imperial IPA. The brewery’s Hooks & Dun bitter received a bronze medal in the Extra Special Bitter category. Notes of caramelized honey and moderate carbonation make this English ale malty and slightly bitter. Blue Quad Roller Skates won bronze for Juicy or Hazy Imperial IPA. This IPA was brewed in collaboration with Yakima Chief and NZ Hops Ltd hops companies. These hops brewed with Mosaic Cryo make for a citrusy and mango-forward IPA. Wren House has three locations in Phoenix, Prescott and Ahwatukee.
