The awards for the Great American Beer Festival competition winners were announced this past weekend—there was no actual festival, due to the pandemic, but judging still took place, and the results encompass a wide swath of breweries across the country. Oregon brought home 15 medals this year, and three of those landed in Central Oregon:

• Deschutes Brewery won silver in the Other Strong Beer category for Dee Wright Imperial Brown, brewed at the Bend Public House. The beer is listed on Untappd as “Bold structure with impressive notes of hazelnut and toast, balancing hop character” with 8% ABV and 35 IBUs. It’s not currently on tap but with a GABF win it would be nice to see it enter semi-regular rotation
• Three Creeks Brewing won gold in Session Beer for Stonefly Session Ale. It’s not the first time Stonefly has medaled at GABF; in 2017 and 2018, it earned bronze in the same category; it’s a good beer. It’s 4.8% ABV and 24 IBUs.
• Worthy Brewing won silver in the Australian Pale Ale category for Strata IPA. It’s also not the first win for this beer, which medaled (silver) in 2018 in the same category. It’s 6.5% ABV and 60 IBUs, leaning heavily on (you guessed it) Strata hops.

Big congratulations are due all around, and to all the winners beyond the region as well. There were 9,680 entries from 2,192 breweries this year, the largest number to date, so earning medals (much less repeating) is no mean feat. Go browse through this year’s winners list and find some winning beer near you!