Utah's 2008 GABF Medalists

Well we made it. After three sessions and hundreds of ounces of beer, our yearly pilgrimage to Beer Mecca has concluded. What did we learn?... Well, no matter how beered-out you may think you are; pouring another fine American craft beer down the ol' pipes brings you right back to square-one. Also, Utah's brewers still know how to represent. Below are this years winners at GABF. All should be available for purchase right now. I recommend getting out sampling these fine brews and congratulate our local brewers for the fine jobs they do. More to come....

2008 GABF

American-Style or Belgian-Style Ale

Bronze-Fifth Element-Squatters Brewing

Category 35: German-Style Schwarzbier

Silver-Cherny Bock-Bohemian Brewing

Category 56: German-Style Altbier

Bronze-All The Way Alt-Desert Edge Brewing

Category 58: German-Style Wheat Ale

Bronze-Wasatch Hefeweizen-Wasatch Brewing

Category 59: Belgian-Style Wit

Silver-Belgian Wit-Red Rock Brewing

Bronze-Squatters Wit-Utah Brewers Coop

Fifth Beer of Xmas: Ayinger Dunkel

The fifth beer of Xmas that my barkeep served to me was Ayinger's Altbairisch Dunkel. Keeping in mind that "cousin love" is bad and that I'd like you to hang in there until day twelve, we'll remain on the path of lower alcohol beers for another day. This beer is pleasant and is sufficiently complex for any beer palate.

Poured a rich reddish-brown color producing a 1/2 inch thick head of rapidly dissipating foam. The aroma is incredible, fresh, dark roasted malts with a hint of cocoa. The taste started with rich roasted malts, hazelnut and a hint of molasses. Hops come next nicely balancing the malt sweetness carrying it through to the end. A subtle sting of espresso in the finish leaves you with the perfect mixture of sweet and bitterness. Don't let the photo fool you this is a creamy, light-medium bodied lager. When they coined the term liquid bread this is the style I'm sure they were referring to.

Drinking Ayinger is a no-brainer. They craft they're beers in the finest of German traditions. This isn't a holiday beer but it serves the season well. It's pleasant and sufficiently complex for any beer palate. ABV 5.0%. Available in Utah year-round.