The Brewers Association hosted the 42nd annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Colorado this past weekend, bringing more than 40,000 fans and selections from more than 500 breweries from across the United States and Puerto Rico to Denver . This year, Forbes It was reported that 9,200 beers and ciders were judged. On Sunday, the Brewers Association announced its list of the best beers of 2024, including the best IPAs. Based on the results, it might be a good time to plan a trip to California.
India Pale Ales account for 46 percent of the craft beer industry's profits. This love was evident in GABF's eight IPA-related categories. Three of these categories (Juicy/Muddy IPA, West Coast IPA, and American Style IPA) were the most-participated beer styles in the competition.
In the Juicy/Turbid IPA category, Hırslı Ales was awarded the first prize with its Professional Human Being. With 7.2 percent ABV, it has a creamy, citrus and tropical-effect body. It doesn't currently have national distribution, so the only place you can check it out is Ambitious Ales' taproom in Long Beach, CA.
But it might be worth making the trek to Long Beach, as the West Coast IPA gold medal winner also hails from the coastal destination. Trademark Brewing's Codebreaker (seven percent ABV) is a vibrant floral option with notes of apricot and pine cone. Codebreaker also doesn't have national distribution, but it can be ordered through Trademark's website and shipped anywhere in California.
As for the American Style IPA, the gold medal for that category went to a beer called Competition, aptly named, from Highland Park Brewery, located in downtown Los Angeles, about an hour's drive from Long Beach. With an ABV of 7.3 percent, Competition is a maltier, hoppy option in the tradition of American IPAs with hints of mango. It can be shipped anywhere in Southern California through Highland Park's website, which is one more reason to plan a trip.
You can check out the full list of winners of the 2024 Great American Beer Awards here.