The GABF Pro-Am

This year's GABF marks the first of what will hopefully be many Pro-Am competitions. Commercial craft breweries from around the nation have paired with award winning homebrewers to scale their recipes up to commercial quantities. These entries will be available for tasting at the GABF, and there is a special best of show style judging that will take place on Saturday afternoon. The competition is intended to increase the bond between craft brewers and homebrewers. The craft breweries were allowed to select a best of show recipe from an AHA sanctioned homebrew contest held between January 2005 and June 2006. According to the latest issue of Zymurgy magazine there are around 30 entries. One of them is mine. I entered two of my favorite brews in a contest at an AHA membership rally at Odell Brewing in Ft. Collins Colorado. Both placed in the top eight, and my Whale Tail Pale Ale took best of show. This was amazing to me as this was my first competition. Another member of my homebrew club, Rick Bobbitt, took third place with his Black Hole Porter. I'll be writing about my experience brewing my recipe on the Odell 5 barrel system in the next few days. Needless to say it was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to the GABF for a whole new reason this year.