October 16, 2020, was a hell of a day for Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Brewing Company. Within hours of each other, two of the country’s top beer competitions awarded gold medals to Burke-Gilman for double IPAs—the Alpha King Challenge gave its top honor to Fresh Hopotheosis while the Great American Beer Festival awarded gold to the hazy Hopsplainer.
Suddenly, Burke-Gilman became the most celebrated brewery you’ve never heard of.
“Even conversations in the Seattle media about who has the best IPA frequently leave us out,” says Kenneth Trease, cofounder and director of brewing operations. “But we’re right here. We just won Alpha King.”