Over the weekend, seven Florida breweries took home coveted hardware from the 2018 edition of Denver’s Great American Beer Festival. But the best part about this small-but-mighty list is that three of the Sunshine State winners, chosen by the annual fest-meets-competition’s panel of industry professionals, hail from Tampa Bay.
Trinity’s Escape Brewing Company, Sarasota’s Big Top Brewing Company and Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing are the victorious local beer makers that received gold, silver and bronze medals for excellence in brewing. Earning one of these accolades is no small feat, as the judges are tasked with tasting beers in 102 style categories.
Cigar City snagged two honors: gold for Maduro Brown Ale and silver for Guayabera Citra Pale Ale. Meanwhile, Big Top walked away with bronze for Hawaiian Lion, a toasted coconut and coffee porter, while an American-style wheat called Goofy Footed scored Escape Brewing silver.
Other medals went to Copperpoint Brewing Company in Boynton Beach (gold), Gainesville-based First Magnitude Brewing Co. (gold), and Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach (silver).
Check out the Green American Beer Festival’s full list of winners.
This article appears in Sep 20-27, 2018.
