Ten GABF medals for Chicagoland brewers in 2022 doesn’t quite approach last year’s record-breaking haul of 16, but we can still boast a new award-winning hazy beer and one of the best breweries in the country.
Respectively, we have two very small, very new breweries to thank for that: Ravinia Brewing has one of the best juicy pale ales in America, and Double Clutch in Evanston is apparently killing it in German styles since they brought home two medals for a couple Helles-style beers, earning them a Brewery of the Year nod (in the 0-250bbls category).
This follows a year where Short Fuse earned a similar award last year (though at a larger size). We also see back-to-back wins awarded to DESTIHL, Pollyanna, and Alarmist, whose lager program has to be acknowledged alongside their award-winning hazies: their light lager has taken a medal two years running. It’s always nice to see Haymarket back in the winner’s circle as well after taking last year off.
Other GABF 2022 Midwestern Takeaways:
It’s a good year to be a Midwestern lover of German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock styles (there’s a few of us, I think?): Two of the medal winners came from here.
Wisconsin generally trends low in medal recipients, so four medals for the state this year isn’t too surprising (it’s up from last year, actually), but Michigan returning just two medal-winning beers (even though both were gold!) is a bit of a shock after last year’s seven-medal haul.
All of this year’s winners are here. Here’s a look at how the Midwestern medals from GABF 2022 were distributed.
Illinois: 10 Medals
- Gold: Maplewood Brewing “Fat Pug” (Oatmeal Stout)
- Silver: Double Clutch Brewing Co. “Helles Lager”, “Helles Rauchbier” (Munich-Style Helles and Smoke Beer); DESTIHL “Dosvidanya Mexican Chocolate” (Chili Beer); Haymarket “Oscar’s Pardon” (American Belgo-Style Ale); On Tour Brewing “Lightning Will” (American Pilsener)
- Bronze: Alarmist “Midwest Royalty” (America-Style Lager); Elmhurst Brewing “Amberama” (American Amber Lager); Pollyanna Brewing “The Full Lemonty” (Golden or Blonde Ale); Ravinia Brewing Co. “Diversey Station” (Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale)
Scott Frank of Double Clutch Brewing Co. also won “0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year.”
Indiana: 7 Medals
- Gold: Guggman Haus Brewing Co. “Winners Milk Jug” (Sweet Stout or Cream Stout)
- Silver: Black Dog Brewing Co. “Saison” (Brett Beer); Sun King Indianapolis “Soul Shakedown Party” (Experimental Wood-Aged Beer)
- Bronze: Danny Boy Beer Works “Danny Brau” (German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock); Flix Brewhouse – Carmel “Inside the Moon” (Stout); Hop River Brewing Co. “Every Hop is Sacred” (English Mild or Bitter); Taxman Brewing “La Maison” (American-Belgo-Style Ale)
Michigan: 2 Medals
- Gold: The Royal Oak Brewery “Northern Kolsch” (German-Style Koelsch); Territorial Brewing Co. “Berry Berry Quite Contrary” (Fruit Beer)
Minnesota: 7 Medals
- Gold: Bent Paddle Brewing Co. “Bent Paddle Dunkel Lager” (German Dark Lager); Insight Brewing “Avant” (Other Hoppy Lager); Forgotten Star Brewing Co. “Dark Skies” (Other Strong Beer); Ursa Minor Brewing “Equanimity” (Irish-Style Red Ale)
- Silver: Forgotten Star Brewing Co. “Bonspiel Bock” (Bock); Pantown Brewing Co. “Drop Forge Milk Stout” (Sweet Stout or Milk Stout); Wooden Hill Brewing Co. “Kold Shoulder” (German-Style Koelsch)
Ohio: 10 Medals
- Gold: Big Ash Brewing “Symphony” (Vienna-Style Lager); Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams Brewing Co. “Just the Haze” (NA Beer); Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon “Alpenglow” (German Wheat Ale); Little Fish Brewing Co. “Apple Brandy Barrel Maker of Things” (Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Ale); MadTree Brewing Co. “Happy Amber” (Extra Special Bitter)
- Silver: Brink Brewing “Zoomie” (Coffee Stout or Porter); Platform Beer Co. – Phunkenship “Second Hand Lions” (Belgian Fruit Beer); Platform Beer Co. – Production Facility “New Cleveland” (International Style Pale Ale); Sonder Brewing “Kato” (Coffee Beer)
- Bronze: Fat Head’s Brewery “Bone Head” (Strong Red Ale)
Wisconsin: 4 Medals
- Gold: Working Draft Beer Co. “Klosterade” (German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock)
- Silver: n/a
- Bronze: Giant Jones Brewing Co. “Doppelsticke Altbier” (Other Strong Beer); Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. – Downtown “Great Dane Oktoberfest” (German-Style Marzen); MobCraft Beer “Low pFunk” (American Sour Ale)
All of the GABF 2022 medal winners are here. You can find our previous recaps below:
