Which Minnesota Breweries Won at the Great American Beer Festival?

12 medals, 11 breweries, Minnesota’s best performance ever

Wow. Minnesota just doubled last year’s performance at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. Last year, Minnesota breweries won six medals. This weekend in Denver, they took home 12 medals, including four gold medals. Steel Toe Brewing in St. Louis Park took two medals: a gold for Dissent (a dark ale) and a silver for Provider (Unflitered Summer Ale). I must say I’m impressed to see Lakes & Legends in the gold category—I’ve always liked the team here but the beer has been very uneven for me. But I loved their St. Apple Malted Cider at the State Fair, and to see them winning in the field beer category is quite an endorsement of their growth: Cool for the Summer is a saison, with cucumber from White Bear Lake and mint. Cool indeed.

I am 0 percent surprised to see Bent Paddle, Steel Toe, and Summit in the gold category as well—all of those breweries are putting out top-notch stuff. How about Annandale’s Spilled Grain getting a medal for its 11 percent ABV False Hope Wheat Wine? This beer has already won some awards at 2018 craft beer competitions.

Minnesota Gold Medals:

  • Bent Paddle Brewing Co.: “Saison” — Classic Saison category
  • Lakes & Legends Brewing Co.: “Cool for the Summer” — Field Beer category
  • Steel Toe Brewing: “Dissent” — Export Stout category
  • Summit Brewing Co.: “Keller Pils” — Kellerbier or Zwickelbier category

Minnesota Silver Medals:

  • Eastlake Craft Brewery: “Kirby Pucker No. 21” — Fruited American-Style Sour Ale category
  • Insight Brewing Co.: “Sunken City” — Specialty Saison category
  • Spilled Grain Brewhouse: “False Hope” — Other Strong Beer category
  • Steel Toe Brewing: “Provider” — English-Style Summer Ale category

Minnesota Bronze Medals:

  • The Freehouse: “No. 3 Brown” — English-Style Brown Ale category
  • Modist Brewing Co.: “First Call” — Coffee Beer category
  • Tin Whiskers Brewing: “Wheatstone Bridge” — Herb and Spice Beer category
  • Utepils Brewing Co.: “Alt 1848” — German-Style Altbier category