Friday Froth: Two Great American Beer Fest Medals for Connecticut Breweries

Two Connecticut breweries scarcely 6 miles apart sent entries cross-country to be judged at this year's Great American Beer Festival, with Counter Weight Brewing Company of Hamden, and East Rock Brewing Company of New Haven bringing gold and silver medals back to the Constitution State. The Great American Beer Festival invites industry professionals from around the world to sit together in small groups and, without knowing the brand name, taste beers and bestow awards of international significance. After drawing a crowd of over 60,000 and over 2,300 breweries to Denver last year, the 2020 awards were announced virtually this month.

Counter Weight's ribbon was draped over their Fest Bier, taking home the gold over 89 other challengers in the Dortmunder or German-style Oktoberfest category. Fest Bier, still available in cans now, is a classical Oktoberfest lager which looks and drinks a little lighter than many offerings in the category and is probably most similar to Paulaner as an old-world counterpart. The brewery is most recognizable at bars (remember them?) and package stores for its outstanding Headway IPA, but I've always made an effort to drink every lager they make. In an American beer culture seemingly covered by the murk-shroud of yeast slurries and artificial hazing agents, beers like Counter Weight's Ein Helles and Sunday Gravy Pilsner feel like rising above pollution for a breath of mountain air.

The GABF's criteria name gold medalists "world-class beer," and Counter Weight bested exceptional beers from Bootlegger's Brewery (Fullerton, CA), and Quarter Celtic Brewpub (Albuquerque, NM) in the category.

Head southbound from the patio at Counter Weight, and you'll be on your way to East Rock brewing, at the foot of the famous formation. The brewery sticks to German-inspired, all lager recipes. I was lucky enough to check out East Rock early in their establishment back in January of '19. I flow to this brewery in New Haven like water flows downhill, and never miss ordering a pint of their Vienna Lager, winner of a GABF silver medal in a category of 109 entries from around the country. East Rock was bracketed by Port City Brewing (bronze, Alexandria, VA), and Lost Rhino Brewing (gold, Ashburn, VA). When I reviewed Vienna Lager in 2019, I said "too much of a good thing in this case is almost enough," in reference to the generous pours in appropriate glassware in the tasting room (they also have an outdoor deck), and 16.9oz bottles available to go.

Add these medals to the growing dragon's hoard recently won by CTbeer, as Counter Weight joins New England Brewing Co. of nearby Woodbridge (Schnitzengiggles, 2019) as a gold medal winner in the Oktoberfest category, Tribus of Milford winning gold at GABF in the Juicy/Hazy IPA category in 2019 for Gulp, and Aspetuck Brew Lab in Bridgeport earing bronze in the Classic Saison category for Grey Matter. East Rock joins Stony Creek Brewery, which snagged bronze medals for Stony Joe and Dock Time Vienna lager in 2017. It was a great year for #CTbeer at the GABF in 2017, as Back East's Porter won gold over 56 other entrants, and Half Full of Stamford found another bronze hanging on their Bright Ale in the Summer Ale category.

Even in tough times, Connecticut continues to brew some of the best beer in the world. Lucky us, we get to drink it.

Congratulatons, all, and see you out there.