On Saturday, October 7, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant earned their 47th medal at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), extending their record-setting consecutive winning streak to 21 years, the longest by an independent craft brewery in GABF history. Founders Kevin Finn, Mark Edelson and Kevin Davies are proud to congratulate their talented team of brewers as Iron Hill looks to expand into more markets in 2018 and beyond.
Iron Hill won two silver medals: for their Russian Imperial Stout, in the Imperial Stout category, and for their Solzhenitzen, in the aged beer category. Both were brewed at their Media, PA location.
Iron Hill’s 21-year winning streak is the longest by any independent craft brewer, and represents an unprecedented history of excellence. In addition to their success at GABF, Iron Hill has long been recognized as an innovator in the hospitality industry; they have earned the coveted “World Champion Brewpub” title at the World Beer Cup (WBC) three times and “Brewpub of the Year” title at GABF once. In addition to their staggering series of GABF wins, they have collected another 30 medals at the WBC.
To put Iron Hill’s remarkable achievement in perspective, consider the ever-changing landscape of the craft beer industry in the United States: in 1997, the first year Iron Hill participated at GABF, there were only 1,700 total beers entered in the competition, from just 400 breweries nationwide in only 50 categories. In 2017, an estimated 7,923 total beers were submitted and judged at GABF, from 2,217 breweries across 13 countries in 98 categories – an astronomical jump that further proves Iron Hill’s dedication to brewing the highest quality beer.
“Our established history of earning national awards for our beers, along with our many repeat wins, is a testament to the exceptional quality and consistency of our beers,” says Iron Hill’s Director of Brewing Operations Mark Edelson. “Each of our 12 locations is led by their own individual head brewer, producing world-class beer day in and day out. We’re proud to congratulate them as they carry on our winning ways.”
Iron Hill has earned 47 medals in 21 consecutive years at GABF. Their most award-winning beers include:
- Russian Imperial Stout, a full-bodied stout that starts with a complex, malt-y sweet, high-roasted character, balanced with the use of citrus-y American hops
- 2003 GABF gold; 2006 GABF gold; 2006 WBC bronze; 2010 GABF gold; 2010 WBC gold; 2011 GABF silver; 2012 WBC gold; 2012 GABF bronze; 2013 GABF silver; 2014 WBC gold; 2015 GABF silver; 2016 WBC silver; 2017 GABF Silver
- Bedotter, a traditional Belgian-style golden ale with complex aroma and notes of plum, spice and banana, with refreshing balanced bitterness
- 2002-2004 GABF bronzes, 2014 GABF silver; 2016 WBC gold
- The Cannibal, a golden Belgian-style ale with complex flavors and a dry finish accented by a nose of tropical fruit and dry spice
- 2005 GABF gold; 2006 WBC silver; 2015 GABF silver
- Lambic du Hill, a traditional, unfiltered Belgian-style lambic made with wild yeast and bacteria and aged in oak barrels for two years for aromas of banana, oak, and hay and a nutty flavor with refreshing sourness
- 2003 GABF gold; 2008 GABF gold; 2010 WBC bronze
About Iron Hill…Founded by home brewers Kevin Finn and Mark Edelson and restaurateur Kevin Davies in Newark, DE in 1996, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has blossomed from one restaurant and brewery to 12 locations across the mid-Atlantic region, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. Each brewpub has their own craft kitchen and scratch brewery, allowing individual chefs and brewers the creativity to pair the freshest ingredients with the highest quality grains and hops. For 21 years, Iron Hill has held beer at the heart of everything they do, and their passion has been roundly rewarded: their beers have won 47 medals from the Great American Beer Festival and another 30 medals at the World Beer Cup.
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