18 Washington breweries win awards at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival

The 2021 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) concluded last week in Denver, and Washington breweries got big nods from the judges this year. With nearly 10,000 beers from over 2,000 American breweries entered, the festival is the country's largest beer competition and widely regarded as the most prestigious.

"Despite being forced to cancel the festival portion of GABF, our brewing community rallied together to make this year’s GABF competition one for the books — our largest competition judged to date," said GABF Competition Director Chris Swersey in a news release.

And the Evergreen State was represented among the competition. The state's breweries took home a total of 22 medals, including seven gold medals, making Washington the second most-awarded state behind California this year. And it could rake in even more, with judging for fresh hop beers set to occur next month.

In addition to the medals, two Evergreen State breweries were also given special honors. Seattle's Cloudburst Brewing — which opened its second outpost in Ballard last fall — was named Brewery and Brewer of the Year. Pamela Brulotte of Leavenworth's Icicle Brewing was also honored with the 2021 F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award for championing small and independent breweries.

With fresh hop beer releases and Oktoberfest right around the corner, keep reading for a look at which Washington breweries won big at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival.

Stoup Brewing

This Seattle favorite scored two silver medals for their Stoup NW Red Ale and Mosaic Pale Ale. Their new taproom in Kenmore, which opened earlier this year, also serves up bites form local chef Jason Stoneburner. The brewery is now focusing on their lineup of fresh hop releases, which will include over six beers currently being brewed.

Cloudburst Brewing

Along with being named Brewery and Brewer of the Year in the in the 1,001 – 2,000 total barrels brewed category, Cloudburst also managed to take home a gold medal for their Entschuldigung! Keller Munich Helles and silver for their Happy Little Clouds Pilsner. Both brews would make excellent additions to any Oktoberfest bash this year.

Grains of Wrath Brewing

This brewery in Camas, which only opened in 2018, was also one of the newcomers that scored big at this year's competition with a gold medal win for their Frost Hammer Munich-Style Helles and bronze for their Ticklish Warrior IPA. Unlike other IPAs that have high alcohol by volume (ABV) measures, this session IPA is only 4.7% ABV and low on bitterness, making it much more palatable.

Kulshan Brewing Company

For the second year in a row, this Bellingham brewery earned the bronze medal for its easy-sipping Munich-Style Helles, making it the perfect Bavarian-lager to fill up your stein to celebrate Oktoberfest this year.

Departing from just hoppy IPAs and adjunct-filled stouts, the brewery also took home the silver medal in the German Sour Ale category for their refreshingly-tart Gose which has just a hint of sea salt for salinity.

The Good Society

Last year, this West Seattle brewery was practically unheard of. Although their taproom opened just a month before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they still managed to take home the title of best small brewpub and a gold medal for their Belgian-Style Ale at last year's awards.

Their First to Fall Belgian-Style Ale won gold again this year, showing that this up-and-coming brewery with a philanthropic slant is one to watch.

Chuckanut Brewery

With Oktoberfest festivities right around the corner, Chuckanut managed to snag the gold medal in the German-style Kolsch category. While the brewery won't be holding their annual bash due to COVID-19 concerns, they will be giving discounts to people wearing lederhosen or dirndl and dishing out Bavarian bites.

Reuben’s Brews

One of the most popular Seattle breweries, Reuben's Brews brought home the bronze medal for their easy-sipping Lilywhite Witbier. While it is no longer on tap, cans of their award-winning wit are still available for purchase at their Ballard taproom.

With judging for fresh hop beers still ahead, this hop-focused brewery might just manage to score another medal by the end of the festival. 

Chainline Brewing Company

Polaris hops and Bohemian malts are the main ingredients in Chainline's Polaris Pilsner, giving the brew a unique, slightly minty taste and light body. This Kirkland-based brewery was awarded the silver medal for their efforts in this classic style.

Lowercase Brewing

South Seattle was well-represented in the competition this year with Lowercase Brewing taking home the silver medal for their English-Style Brown Ale. The Georgetown brewery has a focus on malt-forward beers, making this award winner perfect for those who want to change things up from the usual IPA.

Mirage Beer Company

Seattle's farmhouse-focused Mirage Beer, which made its debut in 2017, scored a silver medal for their Versatile Solutions for Modern Living Field Beer. The beer is exclusive to the brewery's bottle club, which still has openings for membership for next year's releases.

Aslan Brewing Company

Managing to beat out their neighbors at Kulshan, this Bellingham brewery took home the prestigious gold medal for their German Sour Ale named Disco Lemonade. One of their seasonal beers, you can snag a spiced-up version brewed with habanero peppers and strawberries at their Seattle taproom.

Ghostfish Brewing Company

As Seattle's stapled gluten-free brewer, it's only right that Ghostfish scored gold for their Watchstander Stout in the gluten-free category. Earlier in the year, the same beer won bronze at New York International Beer Competition, making it a standout among their lineup of brews. 

San Juan Island Brewing Company

San Juan County also had winners this year, with this Friday Harbor brewery earning bronze for The Late Boat Czech-Style Dark Lager. The brewery opened in 2017, giving the San Juan Islands their own craft beer scene.

Varietal Beer Company

Representing the eastern side of the state, this Sunnyside brewery took home silver for their Sup Cuz IPA in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category. The hazy beer with a refreshing apricot aroma is now back on tap at the brewery as the team celebrates its victory.

Fremont Brewing

Just in time for the cold, gray months of Seattle winter, the team at Fremont Brewing managed to win the silver medal for their Brew 4000 Barrel-Aged Barleywine. Released last year to mark their 4000th brew, the heavy-hitting beer is loaded with flavor of toffee, vanilla, oak and bourbon from extensive barrel aging.

The brewery is currently gearing up for this season's fresh hop releases, and just released the first beer in its Field to Ferment series.

Silver City Brewery

Just behind Fremont, this Bremerton brewery won bronze for their Old Scrooge Christmas Ale. The beer has become the brewery's most decorated brew, racking up a total of seven GABF awards over the years. The brewery, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year amid the height of the pandemic, is now setting out to release its fresh hop beers.

Elysian Brewing

Love it or loathe it, pumpkin beer is often considered a polarizing style among beer lovers. But Elysian has always done the style well, infusing its cozy brews will all of the spice of the season, earning them the gold medal for their Night Owl Pumpkin Ale.

After being forced to cancel last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the brewery will again be hosting their 17th annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival on Oct. 1-2 for those looking to try this slice of liquid pumpkin pie.

Loowit Brewing Company

This year's Washington winners seemed to be heavy on light and sour beers, which is why Loowit's bronze medal for their Grimlock Robust Porter was especially exciting. To celebrate the victory, the pub in downtown Vancouver is offering Happy Hour pints of the porter all week long.