Drama Queen earns top honors in Wood and Barrel Aged Beer category.

Denver, Colo. (October 10, 2016) – Denver Beer Co. claimed a gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition for Drama Queen, a hallmark of Denver Beer Co.’s barrel aging program. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest national beer competition that recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States. The top three winners in the competition’s 96 beer categories were announced October 8 at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.  

“We made the decision in 2015 to invest a lot of time and energy into our barrel aging program and have been producing some great beers over the past year and a half.  Drama Queen has always been a big hit in the taproom but we knew we could make that beer better.  After several versions we settled on something that we were happy with.  We are thrilled to receive top honors in this very competitive category at GABF,” said Jason Buehler, Head Brewer for Denver Beer Co.

Drama Queen is highlighted by a wide range of fruity flavors and aromas.  Notes of plum, raspberry, pear, and peach are derived from aging in a mix of French Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec oak barrels. The base Saison was made with wheat and malted barley and fermented with a blend of yeasts to achieve a dry base beer and complementary aromas to balance the sweet fruit flavors and oaky undertones provided from barrel aging.  Denver Beer Co. will release Drama Queen as a limited edition bomber in early November, 2016.  Multiple barrel aged beers are scheduled for limited edition bomber releases in 2017 from Denver Beer Co.

The 2016 gold medal is the third GABF medal for Denver Beer Co. who won a bronze for Graham Cracker Porter in 2011 and bronze for King Ink in 2015.  Denver Beer Co. also won gold at the 2016 World Beer Cup with a gold medal for their Red Rye IPA, Summit Sunrise.  The 2016 GABF competition winners were selected by an international panel of 264 expert judges from the record number of 7,227 entries, plus 88 Pro-Am entries, received from 1,752 U.S. breweries.

“The innovation, creativity and flavor of American beers was well showcased at this year’s Great American Beer Festival,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “This was the most competitive competition to date, with a record number of entries. Congratulations to all the winners who truly demonstrated the best of America’s beer culture.”

For more GABF competition information, including the 2016 winners list and photos, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.  For more information on Denver Beer Co. visit www.denverbeerco.com or on Facebook @DenverBeerCo.

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About Denver Beer Co.

The idea behind Denver Beer Co is simple. Good beer is best enjoyed with friends, fresh air, and a bit of adventurous spirit to sharpen the palate. Our craft brewery specializes in artisan and seasonal varieties of premium ales and lagers made from the best ingredients around. Brewed with traditional methods and innovative spirit, our beer is always fresh and flavorful. We believe life and beer should be fun. www.denverbeerco.com