GABF - 2024 Northwest winners

I find this medal list very puzzling. Many of the winners on this list did not appear at the GABF.

Granted, I haven't been to the GABF in some years, but at least in the past, only breweries that actually poured beer at the GABF could win a medal.

 

Yeah, so I now realize. As it turns out, very few actual medal winners were at the event.

Back in the day, Saturday was always the most popular day because attendees could taste all the medal winners. This year Saturday was arguably the worst day to attend. Very few medal winners were in attendance and quite a few kegs were blown. On a positive note, you could drink Utopias till the cows came home if you wanted to.

 

It was still pretty beer focused. There were very few seltzers and RTDs, and not all that many ciders. Very few attendees were trying or drinking the alcohol free or gluten free stuff.

It was a very bro focused event. Mechanical bull riding, female wrestling, corn hole, karaoke... good times...

 

My thinking as well. Prior to the GABF, I'd had the opportunity to try utopias twice. Now I've had it 5 times (could have had more, but a little bit goes a long way).

What I found interesting about the utopias pouring, is that on Thursday and Friday it wasn't poured until 8:45. So 45 minutes before closing. As you would expect, there were long lines both nights. Yet on Saturday it was available all session.... and almost no one was ordering it. Very puzzling (I thought).