Congrats to Flagstaff’s Lumberyard Brewing, which picked up Arizona’s only gold medal at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival in Denver over the weekend.
Lumberyard’s Pinecone Pale Ale took top honors in the American-style pale ale category. But you can’t rush out and try it today; since debuting five years ago, Pinecone has been a summer-only seasonal.
“It’s a hopped-up beer, and as a production brewery we’ve had to carefully manage our hops,” head brewer Gene Almquist says. “But we plan to start offering it three times a year starting next year.”
The brewery also plans to sell the pale ale, along with its pilsner, in cans next year.
To celebrate the brewery’s gold medal, Almquist is brewing a small batch of Pinecone that will available at both brewpubs – Lumberyard and its sibling Beaver Street – in about three weeks.
Asked if he would be sending any kegs down to the Valley, he says, “Now that you mention it, that would be a great idea.”
Four Peaks Brewing brought home a pair of silver medals – for its Hop Knot (American-style pale ale) and flagship Kiltlifter (Scottish-style ale). Both are part of the Tempe brewery’s year-round lineup.
Fate Brewing also earned a silver for its Candy Bar Milk Stout (specialty beer). Unfortunately, it’s currently not on tap at the Scottsdale brewpub.
Thunder Canyon Brewery from Tucson won a bronze medal for its Dark Lightning Milk Stout (sweet/cream stout).
GABF, which features 2,800 beers from 600 breweries, awards medals in 75 style categories. Founded in 1982, it is the largest ticketed beer festival in the U.S.
