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New Mexico wins big at GABF

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2013 was a banner year for New Mexico craft brewers at the Great American Beer Festival.  Six New Mexico breweries captured a record eight medals at this year’s competition, which speaks to the growth and exceptional quality of the craft beer industry in New Mexico. New Mexico doubled the number of medals it received in the past two years (4 in 2011 and 4 in 2012).

New Mexico Brewery Medal Count

GOLD

Coffee Beer: Panama Joe’s Coffee Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co.

American-Style Amber Lager: Rod’s Steam Bitter, Second Street Brewery

SILVER

German-Style Pilsner: Pilsner, Marble Brewery

English-Style Brown Ale: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown, Sierra Blanca Brewery

American-Style Brown Ale: End of the Trail Brown Ale, Blue Corn Brewery

Oatmeal Stout: Gold Medal Stout, Blue Corn Brewery

BRONZE

American-Style India Pale Ale: Project Dank: Operation Pharoah’s Return, La Cumbre Brewing Co.

Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest: Thunder from Dortmunder, Marble Brewery

According to the BA, New Mexico breweries entered 85 beers and won 8 medals, for a ratio of 9.4%. This is the fourth highest ratio of medals to entry by state.  New Mexico also ranked top 4 in the ratio of medals to the number of breweries by state.  Although the number of breweries in New Mexico is relatively small, with 30 currently in operation, the quality of craft on draft and in bottles is remarkable.  Albuquerque breweries are leading the medal count in New Mexico, hinting that Americas most underrated beer city might just be Walter White’s hometown.

– Il Vicino Brewery is New Mexico’s most decorated brewery with 10 medals awarded since 1995.

– Marble Brewery has won 5 medals in just the past three years, and brewed the official Breaking Bad beer.

– La Cumbre has won Gold (2010) & Bronze (2013) in the IPA category, the largest field of entries at GABF.