Iowa’s craft brewing scene received national recognition at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), where three local breweries and a craft cidery brought home industry medals.
Held in Denver on Oct. 12, the competition, organized by the Brewers Association and American Cider Association, honored the best beers across 175 styles, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top brews.
Judges evaluated over 8,800 entries from breweries in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Taking one of the top prizes was Big Grove Brewery of Iowa City, which was awarded gold in the Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale category for its popular Easy Eddy.
In addition to Big Grove’s big win, several other Iowa establishments received accolades:
- PIVO Brewery from Calmar earned a silver medal for its Decorah Nordic Gruit in the Historical Beer category.
- SingleSpeed Brewing of Waterloo took silver for its Lavender Haze in the Experimental India Pale Ale category.
- Paha Cider Co. in Waverly secured a silver medal for its Cedar Valley Blend in the Tannic Cider category.
“Once again, Iowa breweries are clearly demonstrating that some of the best craft
beverages in the country are brewed in Iowa,” said Iowa Brewers Guild Executive Director, Noreen Otto. “These medals are great news for the breweries and for Iowan’s who get these great businesses in their communities!”
With more than 100 members, the Iowa Brewers Guild represents a thriving craft brewing industry that generated $1.2 billion in economic impact for the state in 2022.
