Jamie Bogner

For Denver’s Our Mutual Friend, subtle tweaks and improvements over years of brewing have brought their hoppy beers into medal-winning form, but the big and brash flavors in their smoked beers showcase their penchant for dramatic statements.

Just how much farmland does it take to grow the hops in that case of hazy IPA? Here’s some quick math to see just how many acres it takes to produce our beloved beers.

The serial collaborator from Oceanside, California, discusses the techniques he’s honed to build balanced flavor with energy and flair in intensely adjunct-forward beers.

There wasn’t any one moment when David Walker knew that the brewery he founded with his brother-in-law was going to be successful. Instead, they’ve laid layer atop layer over 25 years to add reach while improving quality.

For Chris Lohring, founder of Notch Brewing in Massachusetts, there is real beauty to be found in beers that follow known traditions while offering character that makes them uniquely loveable.

Florida is known for flavor, and Orlando’s Broken Strings hits it right in that sweet spot. Yet founder and brewer Charles Frizzell doesn’t take a cynical approach—every beer is brewed to wow, from pastry stout and “soda sour” to triple-decocted Kölsch.

It’s hard enough to win a GABF medal in an IPA category. In 2021, North Park Beer won two—one hazy, one West Coast. Founder Kelsey McNair discusses their dogged approach to improvement and new techniques to maximize the flavor and impact of hops.

The cofounder and editorial director of Craft Beer & Brewing shares his standout beers and trends noted from another challenging year.

The Oslo-based author and researcher of heirloom yeasts and traditional brewing techniques talks about game-changing kveik, lost farmhouse beer styles, and more.

Poland’s Browar Pinta established a reputation for risk-taking in craft styles, focusing on hop-forward IPAs and extending that creative approach to everything from dry-hopped Baltic porter to barrel-aged big beers.