2025 Great American Beer Festival Recap
The 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) was a much-needed celebration for an industry that’s feeling the effects of an uncertain economy and a dip in alcohol consumption. While the festival has shrunk considerably since 2020, it still brings together hundreds of breweries from across the country in one location — a beer-drinker’s paradise. You can enjoy tried-and-true sips from craft beer pioneers and walk two steps over for a taste from a brewery you might have never heard of. Additionally, it often serves as a barometer of what to expect in the year to come in beer. Here’s what I noticed, along with my favorite beers of the night:
#1: Fresh Hops Galore
My first beer of the night was the Fresh Hop Centennial IPA from Deschutes and I kept going for fresh hop/wet hop beers the rest of the night because now is the season for them. When hops are harvested, there’s a wonderful window of time when brewers can go straight to the source and acquire fresh hops to be added to their beers as is. That means when you drink a fresh hop beer, you’re enjoying the freshest expression of hop character you can possibly get. All of the ones I tried were good, but I especially enjoyed Fresh Hop King Crispy (Pilsner) from Deschutes, Northern Hemisphere Harvest (IPA) from Sierra Nevada, The Speed of Now (IPA) from Radiant and Fresh Drops (IPA) from Pinthouse.
#2: Florals and Botanicals
This year, I tried more honey and botanical beers than I ever remember seeing at GABF. Early on, I had Bee Humble from Odell Brewing’s Five Points location. It had a deep orange blossom honey flavor without being too sweet. My favorite beer of the night was Shades of Purple from Breakside Brewery, a summer ale brewed with Citra hops and Oregon Lavender. The combination of the floral lavender, citrusy hops and malt sweetness created a refreshing, elegant beer that I’m still thinking about. It was fantastic.
#3: Historical Styles
In contrast to the breweries that are constantly adding new ingredients or mashing up (pun intended) different styles in an attempt to innovate, there are a handful of breweries that are instead revisiting history. While these beers are definitely not new in a historical sense, they are new to many beer drinkers, which makes them exciting, especially when they’re executed well. Cohesion Brewing is doing an incredible job of this with their range of Czech lagers that are brewed and served with care and precision. At GABF, they served Tmavé, a delicious dark lager that I look forward to trying again in their taproom. Yards Brewing from Philadelphia served an English Mild Ale that was excellent and a welcome taste in a sea of sours and IPAs.
#4: Colorado FTW
24 Colorado breweries collected 36 awards at GABF in 2025, including 16 gold medals, the most since 2018. Three local breweries were awarded Brewery of the Year honors within their production levels (all of them favorites of mine — Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., River North Brewery and Westbound & Down Brewing Co.). That is a massive achievement and a reminder that Colorado remains a powerhouse in the craft beer industry. It’s a great place to live, especially if you enjoy world-class beer.
Cheers, and remember to try new beers, ask lots of questions and support your local breweries!
