The best beers in the US revealed for 2022

The best beers and breweries in the US have been revealed in the 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) Competition.

The 2022 GABF Competition, the largest professional beer competition in America, has awarded 300 medals, presented by the Brewers Association (BA), to the best breweries stateside this year.

The awards gave out medals across 98 categories covering 177 different beer styles as well as subcategories and three GABF Collaboration medals along with three GABF Pro-Am medals.

GABF Competition director Chris Williams said: “Each year, the Great American Beer Festival showcases the best of what American brewers have to offer. This year’s competition had 9,904 entries, making it the most competitive to date. Thanks to all the beer festival winners who demonstrated why the United States is the world’s best brewing nation.”

The winning US beers, breweries and brewers for 2022 are as follows:

American Wheat Beer

Gold: White Noise, Überbrew Silver: Sweet As! Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing Co Bronze: Agave Wheat, Breckenridge Brewery

American Fruit Beer

Gold: Berry, Berry, Quite Contrary, Territorial Brewing Co Silver: Black Razz Blonde, Joyride Brewing Co Bronze: Raspberry Fields, Maple Branch Craft Brewery

Fruit Wheat Beer

Gold: Tropical Vibes, Swamp Head Brewery Silver: Bear Bait, Schussboom Brewing Co Bronze: Sunny Little Thing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co

Field Beer

Gold: Coconut Pie Face, Revision Brewing Co, Silver: Calypso, Captain Fatty’s Brewery Bronze: Rachelle, Fair Isle Brewing

Pumpkin Beer

Gold: Night Owl, Elysian Brewing Co Silver: 5 Phantoms, Philipsburg Brewing Co Bronze: Molasses Pumpkin Märzen, Whistle Hop Brewing Co

Chili Beer

Gold: Paloma Persona, Chicago Brewing Co Silver: Dosvidanya Mexican Chocolate, Destihl Brewery Bronze: Fuego Reserva, Cerebral Brewing

Herb and Spice Beer

Gold: Black Pearl, Lazarus Brewing Co Silver: Peach Tea Blonde, Beale’s Bronze: Spruce Tip Pale Ale, Matchwood Brewing Co

Chocolate Beer

Gold: Chocolate Stout, Fort Myers Brewing Co Silver: Devour Imperial Milk Stout: Mexican Chocolate, 3 Nations Brewing Co Bronze: Thiccccest Nibs, Moksa Brewing Co

Coffee Beer

Gold: Cafe Oro, Oro Brewing Co Silver: Kato, Sonder Brewing Bronze: Gusto Crema Coffee Ale, Georgetown Brewing Co

Coffee Stout or Porter

Gold: Super Tonic, Docent Brewing Silver: Zoomie, Brink Brewing Co Bronze: Speargun Coffee Stout, Snake River Brewing Co

Specialty Beer

Gold: Breakside I Purple You, Breakside Brewery Silver: Maple Smoked Maibock, Kilowatt Brewing Bronze: Peanut Butter Porter, Lake Time Brewery

Rye Beers

Gold: Pecan Street Rye Lager, Pecan Street Brewing Silver: Rockin’ Roggen, Twisted Pine Brewing Co Bronze: The Old Man and Death, Mad Fritz

Honey Beer

Gold: Hachimitsu Mai, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery & Public House Silver: The Beeginning, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co Bronze: Happy Days, Malibu Brewing Co

Non-Alcohol Beer

Gold: Just The Haze, Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams Brewing Co Silver: Lemon Radler, Athletic Brewing Co Bronze: Nada IPA, Community Beer Co

Session Beer or Belgian Style Table Beer

Gold: Oblique and Bent, The Big Friendly Silver: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach Bronze: First To Fall, The Good Society

Session India Pale Ale

Gold: The Next Chapter, Original Pattern Brewing Co Silver: The Coachman, Societe Brewing Co Bronze: Tectonic Session IPA, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co

Other Strong Beer

Gold: Dark Skies, Forgotten Star Brewing Co Silver: Hello Darkness, River North Brewery Bronze: Doppelsticke Altbier, Giant Jones Brewing Co

Experimental Beer

Gold: Southern Tee, New Realm Brewing Silver: Edgefield Coolship no. 5, McMenamins Breweries Bronze: Great Wave Sake Lager, MAP Brewing Co

Experimental India Pale Ale

Gold: Polar Bears Toenails, Precarious Beer Project Silver: Vacation Sam Pina Colada IPA, Boston Beer Co Bronze: Slurp, NoDa Brewing Co

Experimental Wood-Aged Beer

Gold: Sugar Moon, Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co Silver: Soul Shakedown Party, Sun King Brewing Bronze: Shere Khan, Olde Hickory Brewery

Historical Beer

Gold: Feniks, Great Notion Brewing Silver: Vitkus #3, Donner Creek Brewing Co Bronze: Churchill Browns, Flashpoint Brewing Co

Gluten-Free Beer

Gold: Alpenglow Hazy IPA, Buck Wild Brewing Silver: BuckWit Belgian, Holidaily Brewing Co Bronze: Gosefish Hibiscus-Cranberry Gose, Ghostfish Brewing Co

American-Belgo-Style Ale

Gold: Bizarro, Protagonist Beer – Southend Brewery Silver: Oscar’s Pardon, Haymarket Beer Co Bronze: La Maison, Taxman Brewing Co

American Sour Ale

Gold: Hot Break, Little Beast Brewing, Silver: Mirage, New Terrain Brewing Co Bronze: Low pHunk, MobCraft Beer

Fruited American Sour Ale

Gold: Razz Sour, Revelation Craft Brewing Co Silver: Sour Guava Tangerine, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co Bronze: Fight The Sour: Blackberry Cobbler, NOBO Brewing Co

Brett Beer

Gold: Trystero, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co Silver: Saison, Black Dog Brewing Co Bronze: Bretta Festbier, Odd Breed Wild Ales

Mixed-Culture Brett Beer

Gold: Farmer’s Reserve Plum, Almanac Beer Co Silver: Biere Ovale, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co Bronze: Oregon Sunrise, Alesong Brewing & Tasting Room

Wood and Barrel Aged Beer

Gold: Barrel-Aged Soft Skills, Jessup Farm Barrel House Silver: Sensationator, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery & Public House Bronze: Hell Raiser Bourbon Barrel Brown, Old 290 Brewery

Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beer

Gold: Flesh to Stone, Bottle Logic Brewing Silver: Ivoire, The Bruery Bronze: 1314, Black Tooth Brewing Co

Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout

Gold: 8th Anniversary Reserve, Grist House Craft Brewery Silver: Barrel Aged Blindfolded Stoutosaurus, de Bine Brewing Co Bronze: Wooden Mayhem, Rock Cut Brewing Co

Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beer

Gold: Apple Brandy Barrel Maker of Things, Little Fish Brewing Co Silver: Genièvre, ColdFire Brewing Co Bronze: Tilling Time, Odd Breed Wild Ales

Fruited Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beer

Gold: Plumonary Groove, Lenny Boy Brewing Co Silver: Intinction – Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Brewing Co Bronze: Peach Afternoon, Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey

Kellerbier or Zwickelbier

Gold: Waxing and Waning, MadeWest Brewing Co Silver: Templin Family Granary KellerBier, Templin Family Brewing Bronze: Keller Pils, Triumph Brewing Co

Smoke Beer

Gold: Smoke Follows Beauty, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant Silver: Helles Rauchbier, Double Clutch Brewing Co Bronze: Dreaming Of Bamberg, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co

Light Lager

Gold: Chuckanut Chuck Light, Chuckanut Brewery Silver: Heights Light Lager, New Magnolia Brewing Co Bronze: Wrath Premium American Lager, Grains of Wrath Brewing

American Style Lager

Gold: Bridge, Deadwords Brewing Co Silver: Mountain Marble, Precarious Beer Project Bronze: Midwest Royalty, Alarmist Brewing

Contemporary American-Style Lager

Gold: Blackberry Smoke Lager, New Realm Brewing Co Silver: Toro y Oso, Xül Beer Co Bronze: Las Vegas Lager, Big Dog’s Brewing Co

American Pilsener

Gold: Classic City Lager, Creature Comforts Brewing Co Silver: Lightning Will, On Tour Brewing Co Bronze: Bullpen, Atlas Brew Works

International Style Pilsener

Gold: Alright, Alright, Alright, Roadmap Brewing Co Silver: Dos Topas, Topa Topa Brewing Co Bronze: Holy Ghost, Laughing Monk Brewing

Australasian, Latin American or Tropical Light Lager

Gold: Mexican Lager, pFriem Family Brewers Silver: Lucha Libre, Flix Brewhouse Bronze: Taco Tuesday, Monday Night Brewing

American Cream Ale

Gold: 1970s Lager, Faction Brewing Silver: Carlos Danger, Bearded Tang Brewing Bronze: Chanclaso, Arrow Lodge Brewing

Other Hoppy Lager

Gold: Avant, Insight Brewing Silver: Crispy Boiz II Men, Brieux Carré Brewing Co Bronze: Day Donkey, Tampa Bay Brewing Co

India Pale Lager

Gold: Cold IPA, Legion Brewing Co Silver: Cave Dweller, Ghost Town Brewing Bronze: DDH Timbo, Highland Park Brewery

American Amber Lager

Gold: Sonidero, Windmills Silver: Seductive Mullet Amber Ale, Goose and the Monkey Brewhouse Bronze: Amberama, Elmhurst Brewing Co

German Style Pilsener

Gold: Industry, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co Silver: Pils, Von Ebert Brewing Bronze: German Pilsner, Shred Monk Brewery and Coffeehouse

Bohemian Style Pilsener

Gold: The People’s Pilsner, Sudwerk Brewing Co Silver: Pohick Bay Pilsener, Fair Winds Brewing Co Bronze: Battlesnakes, Brewery X

Munich Style Helles

Gold: Altstadt Lager, Altstadt Brewery Silver: Helles Lager, Double Clutch Brewing Co Bronze: Roxboro Gold, New Ridge Brewing Co

Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest

Gold: Festbier, Wren House Brewing Co Silver: Franz, Protagonist Beer – Southend Brewery Bronze: Metalmark Marzen, Morgan Territory Brewing

Vienna-Style Lager

Gold: Symphony, Big Ash Brewing Silver: Froh Hund, Secret Trail Brewing Co Bronze: Lore, Gatlin Hall Brewing

German Style Maerzen

Gold: Oktoberfest, Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co Silver: Docktoberfest, Dry Dock Brewing Co Bronze: Great Dane Oktoberfest, Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co

German Dark Lager

Gold: Bent Paddle Dunkel Lager, Bent Paddle Brewing Co Silver: East Bay Nights Black Lager, Oakland United Beerworks Bronze: Schwarzbier, Rainy Daze Brewing Co

International Dark Lager

Gold: El Corn, The Post Brewing Co Silver: Brother-Brother, River Bluff Brewing Bronze: Bowie Bock, Freetail Brewing Co

Bock

Gold: Blind Tiger Bock, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant Silver: Bonspiel Bock, Forgotten Star Brewing Co Bronze: Big Bock Energy, Morgan Territory Brewing

German Style Doppelbock or Eisbock

Gold: Klosterade, Working Draft Beer Co Silver: Execrator, Resolute Brewing Co Bronze: Danny Bräu, Danny Boy Beer Works

Golden or Blonde Ale

Gold: Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing Co Silver: Blonde Ale, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro Bronze: The Full Lemonty, Pollyanna Brewing Co

German Style Koelsch

Gold: Northern Kolsch, The Royal Oak Brewery Silver: Kold Shoulder, Wooden Hill Brewing Co Bronze: Hunting River, Bullfrog Creek Brewing Co

English Ale

Gold: Level Line, Topa Topa Brewing Co Silver: Citronaut, Launch Pad Brewery Bronze: Otter Encounter, Deschutes Brewery – Bend Brewery & Public

House International Style Pale Ale

Gold: Nix, Ogopogo Brewing Silver: New Cleveland, Platform Beer Co Bronze: Pale 586, Faction Brewing

English India Pale Ale or New Zealand India Pale Ale

Gold: NZ-Fu!, North Park Beer Co Silver: Spirit of the West, Westbound & Down Brewing Co Bronze: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co

American Style Pale Ale

Gold: Rippin, Sunriver Brewing Co Silver: Breakside Woodlawn Pale Ale, Breakside Brewery Bronze: Pale From The Crypt, Liquid Gravity Brewing Co

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale

Gold: Luminous Beings, Wye Hill Brewing Silver: Alpenhaze, Icicle Brewing Co Bronze: Diversey Station, Ravinia Brewing Co

American Style Strong Pale Ale

Gold: Mordant, Ghost Town Brewing Silver: Secret Beach, Meanwhile Brewing Co Bronze: Eyes are Mosaic, Casa Agria Specialty Ales

Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale

Gold: Neon Lites, Slice Beer Co Silver: So Into You, Radiant Beer Co Bronze: Green New Zeal, Armistice Brewing Co

American Style India Pale Ale

Gold: More Dodge Less RAM, Comrade Brewing Co Silver: Dankster Squad, Riip Beer Co Bronze: Hop-Fu!, North Park Beer Co

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale

Gold: Anhyzer Kush, Flatland Brewing Co Silver: IPO IPA, White Rock Alehouse & Brewery Bronze: RAD AF, City Barrel Brewing Co

Imperial India Pale Ale

Gold: Nose Goblin, Ghost Town Brewing Silver: Hop Diggity, Mother Earth Brew Co Bronze: Double-Fu!, North Park Beer Co

Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale

Gold: Pillow, Highland Park Brewery Silver: X-Raying Citra, North Park Beer Co Bronze: Citra Soaker, Corn Coast Brewing Co

American Amber/Red Ale

Gold: Argument Starter, Wicked Barley Brewing Co Silver: Railsplitter, Lincoln Beer Co Bronze: Frog King, King’s Court Brewing Co

Strong Red Ale

Gold: My Bloody Nightmare, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co Silver: Local Shred Red, Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill Bronze: Bone Head, Fat Head’s Brewery,

English Mild or Bitter

Gold: Rockhill & Locust, BKS Artisan Ales Silver: Brewer’s Best, Gravity Heights Bronze: Every Hop Is Sacred, Hop River Brewing Co

Extra Special Bitter

Gold: Happy Amber, MadTree Brewing Co Silver: Bitter Soul, Mad Pecker Brewing Co Bronze: Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, Cisco Brewers Portsmouth

Scottish Style Ale

Gold: Magic Swirling Sip, Wild Fields Brewhouse Silver: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co Bronze: Taildragger Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.

Irish Style Red Ale

Gold: Equanimity, Ursa Minor Brewing Silver: Rabbit Head Red, Canyon Creek Brewing Bronze: Red Willie, Tradition Brewing Co

English Style Brown Ale

Gold: Pine Mountain Monolith, Wild Fields Brewhouse Silver: Three Beagles, Bagby Beer Co Bronze: Brown Ale, Lowercase Brewing

American Style Brown Ale

Gold: Three Bridges Brown, Wild Fields Brewhouse Silver: Burnt Mountain Brown, Zion Brewery Bronze: Brown Evolved, COLD Coast Brewing Co

American Black Ale or American Stout

Gold: Hooked On Onyx, Ten Mile Brewing Co Silver: Stone Cimmerian Portal, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station Bronze: Black the Riipper, Riip Beer Co

German Sour Ale

Gold: Gose, Kulshan Brewing Co Silver: Champagne Toast, Wander Brewing Bronze: Riviera, 10 Barrel Brewing Co

Specialty Berliner Style Weisse

Gold: Gindulgence, 10 Barrel Brewing Co Silver: Breakside Passionfruit Sour Ale, Breakside Brewery & Taproom Bronze: Coming to Fruition: Cherry, Oregon City Brewing Co

Contemporary Gose

Gold: Blackberry Gose, Pilot Brewing Silver: POG Gose, COVA Brewing Co Bronze: Ginger Gose, Red Rock Brewing

German Style Altbier

Gold: Lithium, Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria Silver: Control ALT, Devil’s Logic Brewing Bronze: Road Devil Amber, Pecan Street Brewing

German Wheat Ale

Gold: Alpenglow, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon Silver: Kristal Weizen, Bearded Tang Brewing Bronze: Wild Pitch, SandLot Brewery

Belgian Style Ale or French-Style Ale

Gold: Domestique Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing Co Silver: Goin’ Stag, Cabin Boys Brewery Bronze: Cadet, Apogee Brewing Co

Belgian Style Witbier

Gold: White, Allagash Brewing Co Silver: Wit’s End Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern Centreville Bronze: Third Window White, Third Window Brewing Co

Classic Saison

Gold: Wee Nibble, Moonlight Brewing Co Silver: Saison, Baere Brewing Co Bronze: Soigne Saison, Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America

Specialty Saison

Gold: Summer Saison, Third Window Brewing Co Silver: Textured Fabric, The Big Friendly Bronze: Rosemary Sourdough Saison, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co

Belgian Style Sour Ale

Gold: Stay The Funk In, Crooked Stave Silver: Foxy Lady, Silver City Brewery Bronze: Triad, IMBIB Custom Brews

Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale

Gold: Colts Abbey, Source Brewing Silver: Bishop’s Pass Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern Sterling Bronze: St. Vrain, Left Hand Brewing Co

Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Gold: Belgian Dubbel, Skipping Rock Beer Co Silver: Marvella, Red Rock Brewing Bronze: Wild West Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co

Belgian Fruit Beer

Gold: Grandissant – Montmorency Cherry, Rowley Farmhouse Ales Silver: Second Hand Lions, Platform Beer Co Bronze: Atrial Rubicite, Jester King Brewery

Brown Porter

Gold: Transporter, Kulshan Brewing Co Silver: Live! At the RYEman, Orange Hat Brewing Co Bronze: Maduro Brown Ale, Cigar City Brewing

Robust Porter

Gold: Powell Street Porter, Bartlett Hall Silver: Porter, Big Timber Brewing Co Bronze: First of His Name, Edgewise Eight Brewing

Stout

Gold: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks Silver: Big Bison, Thirsty Street Brewing Co Bronze: Inside the Moon, Flix Brewhouse

Sweet Stout or Cream Stout

Gold: Winner’s Milk Jug, Guggman Haus Brewing Co Silver: Drop Forge Milk Stout, Pantown Brewing Co Bronze: Volcano Mudslide, Feather Falls Brewing Co

Oatmeal Stout

Gold: Fat Pug, Maplewood Brewing Co Silver: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co Bronze: Keil’s Oatmeal Stout, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co

Imperial Stout

Gold: Big Deluxe, Ritual Brewing Co Silver: Methuselah, Eureka Brewing Co Bronze: Dark Helmet, Odell Brewing – Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse

Scotch Ale

Gold: Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing Silver: Sons of Scotland, Ex Novo Brewing Co Bronze: Kill or be Kilt, Quarter Celtic Brewpub

Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine

Gold: Three Ryes Men, Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery Silver: Granny’s Tipple, Danville Brewing Co Bronze: Hillcrest, Olde Hickory Brewery

Fresh Hop Beer

Gold: Mistadobalina, Perry Street Brewing Silver: Hyperion, Varietal Beer Co Bronze: Fresh Hop Training Bines, Pinthouse Pizza North

Pro-Am Competition

Gold: Kaltrauch, Confluence Brewing Co. & AHA Members: Randy Daniels & KC McKinney, Des Moines Silver: Sticky Fingers Saison, CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing & AHA Member: Mark Pennick Bronze: Alt Ale, Shoe Tree Brewing Co. & AHA Member: Eric Coffman

Collaboration Competition

Gold: Templin Family Guava Coconut, Templin Family Brewing / Shades Brewing Silver: Chicago Peaks Kölsch, Westbound & Down Brewing Co. / Bierstadt Lagerhaus Bronze: Guns Out For Grain Out, Pizza Port Ocean Beach / Chula Vista Brewery / Karl Strauss / Nickel Beer

2022 Brewery of the year awards:

0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Double Clutch Brewing Co – Scott Frank

251–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: The Big Friendly – Will Quinlin

501–1,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Wild Fields Brewhouse – R2J2 and Kayla Morrow

1,001–2,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant – John Dean & Alvaro Canizales

2,001–5,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: North Park Beer Co – North Park Beer Co Brew Team

5,001–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Ghost Town Brewing – Ghost Town Brewing Team

15,001–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Left Hand Brewing Co – Left Hand Brewing Team

Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year: Precarious Beer Project – Precarious Beer Project Brew Team

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