From the inside, out: Notes from the first-ever open-air GABF

GABF took place outdoors for the first time at Levitt Pavilion in South Denver (Photo © Brewers Association).

If there's been one constant ever the past few years at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), it's been change. Put on annually by the Brewers Association, things started to feel different after the pandemic, when the event began getting a little smaller. Then came changes to the way things were organized, the addition of other alcoholic beverages (including liquor) and more. All of it driven in response to how the industry has had to pivot with recent shifts in the market.

This year, though, the most dramatic changes of all were instituted, as the event moved outside for the first time in history. Beer no longer had to share the stage with cocktail/liquor producers, but the number of breweries serving samples dropped dramatically to only 200 - the fewest since I first attended in 1993.

So, what of the new venue - Levitt Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in South Denver? Transportation to and from the park seemed fairly smooth, and while concerns were raised about the potential for bad weather when the location was announced, sunny skies and temperatures upwards of 80 degrees were a constant throughout the weekend.

On the layout, the grounds were cordoned off presumably to allow for plenty of open space to move around. That said, the terrain was uneven and quite elevated in spots, which meant traversing rolling hills as you explored the day's offerings, and then hoping you didn't overindulge to the point where a misstep had you taking a tumble and rolling down a hill yourself.

Many have also mentioned restroom access being at a premium, with lines a bit challenging by the middle of the first day. Additional facilities were added on day two, with lines noticeably shorter at least through the end of the awards ceremony.

Overall, what did I think? The festival is always a fun experience (I've been 17 times now), and I love the great outdoors - weather permitting, but I'd prefer a locale that's a little more navigable, especially considering the primary activity going on. Based on that and the bathroom thing, I found myself missing the friendly confines of the downtown convention center.

As for the breweries and their beers, some of the big names pouring samples included Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker, Russian River, Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, Stone, The Lost Abbey, Three Floyds, WeldWerks and others. North Texas had only one representative on site, that being Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett (and Farmers Branch).

Stylistically, IPAs continued to reign as the primary imbibing option, with roughly 180 variants available to be sampled. Special tappings were still part of the program as well, with Firestone Walker's 30th Anniversary Ale, WeldWerks' Dubai Chocolate Medianoche and Samual Adams' Utopias being among the limited pours.

A few favorites (in case you ever find yourself in the neighborhood of one of the mentioned breweries):

• Captain Doug's Porter and Wee Heavy Wilson from MudHen Brewing Co. of New Jersey.
• Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You Barrel-Aged English Barleywine from Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project of Colorado.
• Drudenhaus Märzen-Style Rauchbier from Counter Weight Brewing Co. of Connecticut.
• Kurt's Mile High Malt Coffee Vienna Lager from Wynkoop Brewing Co. of Colorado.
• Primo Breakfast Stout from Fremont Brewing Co. of Washington.
• Scarlet Reserve American Amber Ale with Cherries and Cocoa from Dogfish Head Brewery of Delaware.
• Smoke & Dagger Black Lager from Jack's Abby Craft Lagers of Massachusetts.

With that, the competition summary follows, along with the regular roundup of taproom visits outside the festival.

Cheers! 

Competition results

North Texas followed up a record haul in 2025 with another strong showing at this year's competition. The region matched its second best ever total with six medals, a number previously attained three different times in the past.

Competition Statistics:

• 7,267 entries sent in from 1,300 breweries and cidermakers residing in 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
• 336 total medals awarded across 112 style categories covering craft beer, cider and hop water.
• Most-entered categories in ranked order: West Coast IPA, Juicy or Hazy IPA, German-Style Maerzen, American IPA, German-Style Pilsener.

All five breweries who brought home medals this year represent repeat winners. In fact, four of the five breweries (False Idol, Flix Mansfield, Maple Branch, Peticolas) went back-to-back after posting wins at GABF last year. Not only that, both Flix Mansfield and Peticolas ran it back and upgraded with a second consecutive medal for The Last Bockbuster and Room for More, respectively, after winning bronze for those beers in 2025.

Also notable, Maple Branch and Peticolas have now been honored five times at GABF over the course of their histories. This ranks second-most among active breweries in North Texas.

Plus, for the first time, the competition committee recognized breweries who were among the final cuts in the five most-entered categories (listed above). Scanning those lists, Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett made the "Final Table" with Aoogah in the German Pilsener category.

Gold

• False Idol Brewing, North Richland Hills: House of Zest - Saison.
• Flix Brewhouse, Mansfield: The Last Bockbuster - Bock.
• Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Fort Worth: Seventh Hill Robust Smoked Porter - Smoke Beer.

Silver

• Maple Branch Craft Brewery with Karl King, Fort Worth: Three Kings Dunkels Bock - Pro-Am.
• Odd Muse Brewing Co., Farmers Branch: Graveyard Ghosts - German-Style Schwarzbier.
• Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas: Room for More - Belgian-Style Abbey Ale.

Representatives from False Idol Brewing, Flix Brewhouse - Mansfield, Maple Branch Craft Brewery,
and Odd Muse Brewing Co. accept their awards (Photos © Brewers Association).

Source: Individual research.

Taproom trips

• Having been to Denver numerous times over the years, I decided to kick-off this edition of taproom trips with a list of favorite haunts focused on traditional styles and with a location in proximity to the immediate downtown area. This is personal preference, mind you, so your mileage may vary.
  
  
• Bierstadt Lagerhaus: traditional German lagers.
• Bruz Beers: traditional Belgian ales.
• Cohesion Brewing: traditional Czech lagers.
• Hogshead Brewery: traditional English cask ales.
• Prost Brewing Co. (five metro locations): traditional German ales.
  
  
• As for other explorations, while I spent a good amount of time at a few of the above favorites this time around, I did get out for a couple of first-time visits in Loveland.
  
  Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project's booth at GABF has always been a must-visit for me because of their range of barrel-aged beers - evidenced again this year with the cognac barrel-aged barleywine listed in the festival favorites up top. In addition to Others in Darkness Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, I picked up Angry Banjo Kentucky Common and Killer Boots Caramel Porter to bring back home. By the way, the Loveland spot sits downtown, while the company has a second location in Fort Collins.
  
  I also dropped by Grimm Brothers Brewing, the attraction there being a number of styles you don't see all that often around the Metroplex. There I enjoyed pours of Snow Drop German Köttbusser (a two-time GABF medal winner) and Big Bad Wolf Sticke Altbier.
  
  Regarding others in the area, Loveland is home to more than a half-dozen breweries and a meadery, so I hope to expand on my experience in the city next time I'm in town.
   

Images from Cohesion Brewing Co., Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project, Bruz Beers,
Hogshead Brewery, and Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

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For more on the 2025 GABF and the historical performance of breweries from North Texas, click the links below:

• Official press release from the Brewers Association, with a summary of 2026 festival statistics.
• Download a complete list of 2026 winners in PDF format.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the World Beer Cup.