Staff Report
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. was awarded a bronze medal at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition, the world’s largest commercial beer competition. The GABF, presented by the Brewers Association, recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded on October 5. at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, in 107 beer categories covering 174 different beer styles (including all subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the country.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. was recognized in the English IPA beer-style category for its Hoppy Poppy IPA which is the brewery’s flagship beer and top seller. This is the third year in a row that Hoppy Poppy has brought home a medal for the English IPA category. Figueroa Mountain took home the award for the Santa Barbara County region, while neighboring Ventura County saw a silver medal from MadeWest Brewing Co. for their Madewest Standard blonde ale.
“I am so proud of our brewing team. They consistently put forth award winning products year after year,” said Jaime Dietenhofer Founder/Owner of Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., “It is a testament to the amazing team we have at Figueroa Mountain.”
“To receive an award at this event is one of the greatest honors a brewer can have,” said Kevin Ashford, Creative Director and Head Brewer at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., “We are so happy that Hoppy Poppy is getting recognition as an approachable IPA that stands out amongst its peers.”
In the 33rd edition of the GABF competition, 9,497 entries were submitted to the general competition, along with 113 Pro-Am and 70 Collaboration entries. The beer was made by 2,295 breweries from across the nation, with entries from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Judging took place over the course of three days, with an international panel of 322 judges from 18 countries.
“This year’s GABF competition was the largest and most competitive to date,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “The beers and talent were as impressive as ever, and I’m thrilled to congratulate this year’s winners for their achievements in brewing.”
For more GABF competition information, including the 2019 winners list and photos, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. is an independent craft brewery founded in 2010 by father and son team Jaime and the late Jim Dietenhofer. With a passion for craft beer, they set out to pay homage to the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley with handcrafted beer and hand-drawn label art depicting their beloved local landscape. Figueroa Mountain’s beer can be enjoyed at their six taproom locations and at select craft beer retailers in California. Learn more at www.figmtnbrew.com.
