New Jersey may have only had 16 entries at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, but the state took home three medals, two of which were gold. Somerdale’s Flying Fish Brewery scored a gold medal for Hopfish and a silver medal for Redfish, and Kane Brewing from Monmouth County won gold for A Night to End All Dawns in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category.

Overall, the Brewers Association awarded 268 medals in 90 categories at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. This year, total entries reached 5,507, an increase of about 16%. It took 222 judges from 10 countries to choose the winners. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.

For 12 years running now, the most-entered category is and was again American-Style India Pale Ale (IPA), which had 279 different brews vying for a medal. This year’s second-most popular category was the broad Herb and Spice Beer (150 entries), followed by the American-Style Pale Ale (145 entries). Breweries continue to step up their game, which was proven by a four-way tie between 10 Barrel Brewing, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Devil’s Backbone, and Left Hand Brewing for most medals won (each taking home three).

Interestingly, there were two categories in which not all medals were awarded: no gold in Golden or Blonde Ale and no silver given in English-Style Brown Ale.

Photo © Brewers Association