Fegley's Brew Works Wins Double at 2009 GABF

Continuing our winning streak, we helped put Pennsylvania in Top-5 brewing states!

Allentown, PA
September 26th, 2009
Results are in from the world’s largest and most popular beer competition in the world – the 2009 Great American Beer Festival – and Fegley’s Allentown & Bethlehem Brew Works have won awards in two categories. Brewmaster Beau Baden produced the 2009 vintage of the Brew Works annual holiday ale, Rude Elf’s Reserve, which received the Bronze Medal in the “Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer” category. He also recreated the Bagpiper’s Scotch Ale (which won the 2008 GABF Bronze), and this year’s production of that seasonal brought home the Silver Medal.

Great American Beer Festival medals are among the most coveted by brewers regardless of commercial size. It was a 1985 GABF gold medal that Jim Koch and the Boston Beer Company used to take Samuel Adams Boston Lager on it’s historic rise out of New England and around the globe. In its first two and a half years of operation, Fegley’s Allentown Brew Works has now won medals three years in a row (the 2007 Gold Medal in the Pro-Am category, the 2008 Bronze, and this years double prize). Baden also won for Bethlehem Brew Works in 2006 with a GABF Bronze for Berliner Weisse.

“Beer geeks notice when you keep on winning,” said a beaming Beau Baden. He had just received news from the Denver festival where 132 judges evaluated 3,308 beers to pick the best entries of 78 beer style categories, and was proud that the Fegley’s Brew Works continues its streak of wins. The company overall has medaled in every major competition entered over the past four years.

“We never entered the Rude Elf’s [Reserve] before because it’s a holiday beer and the cutoff time for entry was too early,” said Brew Works owner Jeff Fegley, “but because we’re bottling this year we already had samples aging and ready to go. And it won!” The two Brew Works GABF medals helped put Pennsylvania in the top five medal winning states at the festival. Top states to win medals this year were CO (45), CA (39), OR (22), WA (13), PA (12).

The Silver Medal Bagpiper’s Scotch Ale is currently on tap at all three Brew Works locations: in Bethlehem at 569 Main; in Allentown at 812 Hamilton; and at the new Brew Works on the Green at 3400 Tilghman (at the Allentown Municipal Golf Course).

The Bronze Medal Rude Elf’s Reserve will be available on tap in November to the public in a few weeks, as well as in bottles suitable for Christmas gifts. The bottles of the holiday ale will be at the restaurants and select distributors in the Lehigh Valley.
Brew Works Winners
Rude Elf’s Reserve
1.095 O.G., 10.5% ABV
GABF Bronze 2009 (Category: 5 Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer)
World Beer Championships Silver 2002

Belgian style holiday beer brewed with dark Belgian candi sugar and special spices. A spicy aroma and flavor with a sweet maltiness.

Bagpiper’s Scotch Ale
1.084 O.G., 8.5% ABV
GABF Silver 2009 (Category: 76 Scotch Ale)
GABF Bronze 2008

Strong, malty, full bodied ale. Dark red in color, with flavors of caramel and smoked & roasted malts.
2009 GABF Top Medal Winning States

State
# of Medals Won
% of Total Medals Awarded
Total # of Entries
% of Entries in the Competition

Colorado
45
19%
459
14%

California
39
16%
594
18%

Oregon
22
9%
172
5%

Washington
13
5%
162
5%

Pennsylvania
12
5%
126
4%

Michigan
9
4%
138
4%

New York
8
3%
117
4%

Virginia
8
3%
58
2%

Illinois
7
3%
93
3%

Maryland
7
3%
63
2%

Pennsylvania 2009 GABF Medal Winners

Brewery
Beer
State
Medals
Category

Erie Brewing Co
Railbender Ale
PA
Gold
Scottish Style Ale

Fegley’s Allentown & Bethlehem Brew Works
BagPiper’s Scotch Ale
PA
Silver
Scotch Ale

Fegley’s Allentown & Bethlehem Brew Works
Rude Elf’s Reserve
PA
Bronze
Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer

McKenzie Brew House
Saison Vautour
PA
Gold
French- and Belgian Style Saison

Nodding Head Brewing Co.
George’s Fault
PA
Silver
Specialty Honey Beer

Nodding Head Brewing Co.
Phruit Phunk
PA
Bronze
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer

Stoudt Brewing Co.
Stoudts Kolsch
PA
Bronze
German Style Kölsch

Triumph Brewing Co. of New Hope
Hefeweizen
PA
Gold
German-Style Wheat Ale

Triumph Brewing Co. of Philadelphia
KinderPils
PA
Gold
Session Beer

Troegs Brewing Co.
Troegenator
PA
Gold
Bock

Troegs Brewing Co.
Troegs Dead Reckoning
PA
Silver
American-Style Stout

Troegs Brewing Co.
Troegs Sunshine Pils
PA
Bronze
German-Style Pilsener

2009 GABF Quick Stats

49,000 Attendees (includes brewers, volunteers, and tick holders)
3,308 Beers in the GABF Competition
3,000 Volunteers
2,100 Beers served in the hall
495 Breweries in the competition
457 Breweries in the festival hall
132 Judges from 10 countries
78 Categories judged + Pro-Am category
72 Beers entered into the Pro-Am Competition
51 Breweries attending for the first time

Press Contact
For more information or to schedule photos or interviews contact –

Michael Fegley
Marketing and Public Relations
Allentown and Bethlehem Brew Works
812 W. Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
610.433.7777 x26
mike@thebrewworks.com