This year’s Great American Beer Festival isn’t what anyone wanted it to be. Socially distanced to the point that we were all huddled up on our couches, or seated at our home bars, it went online this year. The awards ceremony is one of the few chances that our breweries get a chance to shout to the world loudly that we are creating some incredible beer in Cincinnati. They take notice – and medals come back.

In fact – 10 of our local breweries have brought home around 27 medals over the years – and a big chunk of those have been in the last few years. I have said it before, but it’s a good time to be a beer drinker in Cincinnati.

Regardless of how… strange… it was having an online only festival this year – it was still fun to watch. I love watching the local spots that we all love get some accolades outside of here, and this was a big one for both spots that won!

If you want to check out a full list of this year’s winners, make sure you head over to the GABF list, there are some other well-deserving winners from Ohio on there! Also… if you want the most complete list of Beer and Brewery awards from Cincinnati, you know that I’ve got you covered over here.

Brink

It seems that you can’t talk about winning awards, or GABF without mentioning Brink Brewing Company in College Hill. They’ve been cranking out award winning beers since they opened their doors, and aren’t showing any sign of slowing up.

This year Moozie, their milk stout, brought home it’s 8th medal – and not only that, but it’s THIRD GABF gold in a row. I’m not making this up – this beer is no freaking joke and has people talking, for sure.

Coming off two years in a row as the small brewery of the year… this brewery is getting ready to kick things into a new gear with a distribution deal with Adena and packaging finally coming soon. Keep watching. This is gonna get fun.

Fretboard

This is the first GABF medal for Blue Ash’s Fretboard Brewing Company, but that doesn’t mean that they are strangers to the spotlight. I think that these folks like winning awards, judging by their trophy case.

Crazy Train is their Belgian Pale Ale and it’s also their most award-winning beer to date with a third of their current medals going to it. This year it took home a silver medal in the Belgian/French Ale category.

I’m so, so happy for both of these breweries, and I can’t tell you enough that if you haven’t been out to see what they’re up to for a while – it’s time. Go.