Bear Republic Brewing Company® claimed a gold and bronze medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival®(GABF) competition, receiving their twentieth and twenty-first medals overall. 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 each category were announced October 4 at the Great American Beer Festival® awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.
For the first time in the company's history, Bear Republic won the Pro-Am Competition, bringing home a gold medal for Bonnie Prince Charlie's Scottish 80 Shilling with AHA Member Michael Kelly, up against 89 other entries.
Kelly states, "Bear Republic Brewing Company "rocks"! My full appreciation and sincere thanks go out to all their brewing staff. Every amateur brewer's dream is to brew one of his or her recipes on a commercial system. Mine came true. The thrill of being on the big stage and winning gold at the GABF – words can't describe the feeling! Thank you Team Bear – you made me one of the team for a day."
Brewmaster/COO Richard "Ricardo" Norgrove adds, "I am stoked that we have won two years in a row for a Scottish-style beer."
To add to the excitement, up against 46 other entries in the Bohemian-Style Pilsener category, Bear Republic's brew team took home a bronze medal for Double Aught™.
Bear Republic was one of 16 Northern California breweries to win a medal, and one of two in Sonoma County. Locally, Russian River Brewing Company took home two medals. These breweries solidify the strength of brewers in wine country and continually put Sonoma County on the map.
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| Photo © 2014 Jason E. Kaplan |
About Bonnie Prince Charlie's Scottish 80 Shilling
Description: Brewed in collaboration with award winning home brewer Mike Kelly, this ale was inspired by the lower alcohol ales of Scotland. This beer is named for Charles Edward Stuart, who led the rising of 1745 against the English at the battle of Culloden Moor. His soldiers, who were mostly Scots from the Highland Clans, called him "Bonnie Prince Charlie", because of his young handsome appearance. This ale has a clean finish with the balance towards malt, with a mineral yeast character faintly reminiscent of peat smoke, and mild hop flavor derived from East Kent Goldings.
Pairing Suggestions: Savory Dishes, Seafood, Roasted Meats, Brie Cheese
Availability: Specialty Kegs
Hops: East Kent Goldings
ABV: 5.2% – IBUs: 30 – Scottish Ale
About Double Aught™
Description: In the late 1800s, American brewing pioneers made a pilsener to be proud of. It was brewed with 100 percent barley malt and hopped with noble hop varieties for a rich, smooth, and crisp taste. This is our version, brewed with Pilsener and Vienna malt, Hallertauer hops, and our house lager yeast.
Pairing Suggestions: Spicy Foods, Traditional German Fare, Poultry, Beef, Pork, Seafood, Havarti and Jack cheeses
Availability: Specialty Kegs
Hops: Hallertauer
ABV: 5.0% – IBUs: 15 – Bohemian Pilsener
Bonnie Prince Charlie's Scottish 80 Shilling and Double Aught™ are available on tap now at our Healdsburg brewpub while supplies last.
You can read more about Bear Republic and our wins at GABF® in the Press Democrat by clicking here.
The 2014 Great American Beer Festival® winners were selected by an international panel of 222 beer experts from 10 countries. A record number of5,507 commercial entries and 89 Pro-Am entries were received from more than 1,300 breweries. "The Great American Beer Festival® is the premier beer competition for the American beer industry," says Nancy Johnson, Festival Director. The 2014 Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition awarded 268 medals to some of the best commercial breweries in the United States, including GABF® Pro-Am medals. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF® is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and a symbol of brewing excellence.
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For images and additional information about Bear Republic and the story behind these beers, please contact Kate Gratto-Bachman at (707) 894-2722 ext. 300 orkate@bearrepublic.com.
Bear Republic® develops hand-crafted ales and lagers brewed and aged using the traditional "art" of the masters. All ingredients are hand selected for each batch. Bear Republic works hard to foster a sense of loyalty and tradition from eras gone by.
