The 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held in Denver, Colorado, marked its 40th anniversary as the nation’s premier beer competition and festival. Organized by the Brewers Association, the event celebrated the finest craft breweries in the United States, with the Brewery of the Year awards recognizing excellence across various production size categories. These awards, determined by points from medals won (gold: 6 points, silver: 5 points, bronze: 4 points), highlighted breweries that demonstrated consistent quality and innovation in their craft.
The 2022 GABF competition was the most competitive to date, with 9,904 entries from 2,154 breweries judged across 98 beer categories and 177 styles, including Collaboration and Pro-Am competitions. A panel of 235 beer experts from seven countries evaluated the entries over nine days, awarding 300 medals to 268 breweries. The Brewery of the Year awards were given in seven categories based on brewery size (measured by annual barrel production) and one for brewery groups, reflecting the diversity of the U.S. craft beer industry.
2022 U.S. Great American Beer Festival Brewery Winners
0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Prairie Malt
Double Clutch Brewing Co. – Evanston, IL
Scott Frank
251–500 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
The Big Friendly – Oklahoma City, OK
Will Quinlin
501–1,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Fermentis
Wild Fields Brewhouse – Atascadero, CA
R2J2 and Kayla Morrow
1,001–2,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by ABS Commercial
Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant – Topeka KS
John Dean & Alvaro Canizales
2,001–5,000 Barrels Brewer and Brewery of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group
North Park Beer Co – San Diego, CA
North Park Beer Co Brew Team
5,001–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Country Malt Group
Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland, CA
Ghost Town Brewing Team
15,001–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
Left Hand Brewing Co – Longmont, CO
Left Hand Brewing Team
Brewery Group Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Live Oak Bank
Precarious Beer Project – Williamsburg, VA
Precarious Beer Project Brew Team
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