The beers your local brewers think are worth putting in front of the best judges in the world are on tap right now.

Last week, the Guild collected entries from dozens of our member breweries.

Those beers are now sitting on a refrigerated truck headed toward Denver, where they’ll eventually go through rounds of blind judging by some of the world’s most accomplished brewers, cicerones, sensory experts, and beer judges.

And this weekend, many of those same beers will be on tap all over the Bay.

The Best Beers Your Local Brewery Can Make

Every year, thousands of breweries from across the country send their best beers to the Great American Beer Festival competition in Colorado. The competition regularly draws entries from more than 1,500 breweries, including nearly all of the most celebrated names in American craft beer.

Panels of highly accomplished beer professionals judge the beers blind, in their respective style categories. Judges aren't looking at the brewery's reputation, the label, or whether a beer happens to be highly rated on Untappd. They're evaluating what's in the glass.

For a brewer, a GABF medal is one of the highest forms of recognition they can receive for their work. The competition is one place where breweries see how their beer stacks up against the best being made anywhere in the country. For many brewers, there's simply no more meaningful piece of hardware to win.

How To Drink These Beers Now

Because breweries know this competition is coming, many will make special batches specifically for GABF. Others will select a recipe they already know performs exceptionally well and send what they consider the best possible version.

Sometimes that means a beer gets brewed with particularly expensive ingredients. It almost always means extra attention is paid to the brewing process, fermentation, conditioning, and packaging of a competition batch. And sometimes it simply means that the brewer has tasted the beer and thought:

Yep, this is the one.

The cans and bottles destined for Denver represent just a tiny fraction of these batches. The rest is likely sitting in a keg or a fridge at your local taproom. Which means that, right now, you have a chance to drink the beers your local brewers are most proud of—before anyone knows whether the judges agree with them.

What To Look For

• Past winners. Start with our recap of our members' 2025 GABF medals, then browse the official GABF winners database, which is filterable by year, brewery, state, and style. Finding a fresh batch of a medal-winning favorite is a great place to start.
• Ask directly. When you walk into a tasting room, don't be afraid to ask: “Were any of these batches submitted for GABF competition?” If the answer is yes, you know you’re drinking a recipe that the brewery has particular confidence in.
• Unfamiliar styles. Competitions like GABF still reward the full spectrum of beer styles—even those underrepresented in today’s market. Brown Ale, Baltic Porter, Bière de Garde, Grodziskie: These beers may not move the needle with respect to a brewery’s bottom line, but they might impress a judge enough to hand over some hardware. If you see them on tap, now is the perfect time to try them.

The fun part of a competition like GABF isn't just finding out who wins. It's getting a glimpse into what thousands of professional brewers around the country think is worth making. The winning beers will get the medals and the headlines in October. But right now, before the judging has even happened, you can taste the contenders.

And you don't have to fly to Denver to do it.

Your local brewery has already done the hard part. So this weekend, go see what they're putting their best foot forward with. Ask what's going to GABF. Try something you've never ordered before. Maybe you'll find a medal winner.

And even if you don't, you'll have had the chance to drink a beer at the exact moment its brewer thought it was good enough to take on the rest of the country.

🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries

🎉 Public Events This Week! See last week's long-form guide to upcoming Oktoberfest events here.

Saturday, 9/12—9th Annual Oktoberfest at Original Pattern!
(Oakland, CA | Noon-7PM)
Every year, OP becomes a Bavarian playground with steins of German-style beer, epic food, polka music, and festive vibes. Early bird bundles are available until August 30th and will include a collectible enamel Original Pattern Oktoberfest Pin!
Packages and More Info –> Oktoberfest in Oakland! - Brew Deck subscribers, check your inbox for an exclusive discount!

📅 Save the Dates

Wednesday, 9/16—Chef's Table at Del Cielo!
(Livermore, CA | 6:30-8:30PM)
Del Cielo presents an exclusive Beer & Food Pairing to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. An intimate, multi-course beer dinner featuring the vibrant flavors and traditions of Mexican cuisine.
Tickets and More Info –> Chef's Table Dinner in Livermore!

Saturday, 9/19—Oktoberfest at Temescal Brewing!
(Oakland, CA | Noon)
Temescal's annual Oktoberfest celebration brings limited German-style lagers, collectible glassware, DJs, and a classic stein-holding competition to Telegraph Avenue.
More Info –> Oktoberfest in Oakland!

Saturday, 9/19—Oktoberfest at San Francisco Brewing!
(San Francisco, CA | Noon)
San Francisco Brewing brings Oktoberfest to Ghirardelli Square with a traditional Bavarian keg tapping, German food specials, custom steins, and live Polka!
Tickets and More Info –> Oktoberfest in SF!

Saturday, 9/19—It's The Malt - Craft Malt Festival at Admiral Maltings!
(Alameda, CA | 1PM-5PM)
Admiral Maltings' third annual celebration of artisan beer, American Single Malt whiskey, floor-malting, and California grown grains.
Tickets and More Info –> It's The Malt 2026!

Saturday, 9/26—Oktoberfest at Epidemic Ales!
(Concord, CA | Noon-10PM)
Epidemic Ales is celebrating with a triple Oktoberfest beer release, a ceremonial keg tapping with the Mayor of Concord, limited-edition 2026 steins, giant turkey legs, German food, and karaoke!
Tickets and More Info –> Oktoberfest in Concord!

Saturday, 9/26—Five-Year Anniversary Party at CUVER Brewing!
(Windsor, CA | Noon-8PM)
Enjoy a Belgian-inspired menu from Lila's Streetside Eats, live music by The Rhythm Drivers Band, and an Anniversary Sale of 20% OFF 2+ PACKS* offered all week long.
More Info –> Anniversary Party in Windsor!

Saturday, 9/26—"Show Us Your Stein!" at Enterprise Brewing!
(San Francisco, CA | 1PM)
Dust off your steins and bring em to Enterprise! Bring your stein, don your hosen, and share your stories. $10 liter fills of Enterprise's own Festbier.

Saturday, 10/3—Oktoberfest Block Party at Fifty Vara Brewing!
(San Francisco, CA| Noon-6PM)
Fifty Vara is shutting down Noriega St. for a big Oktoberfest bash that is the centerpiece of their weekend-long celebration. Expect fresh beer and local food, live music, family entertainment, makers, and neighborhood merchants.

Thursday, 10/8—Geektoberfest at The Tech Interactive Mueseum!
(San Jose, CA| 7-11PM)
Beer meets science at The Tech Interactive's adults-only Tech at Nite: Geektoberfest. Several Bay Area Brewers Guild member breweries will be pouring as part of the celebration, which includes not only a bunch of delicious local beer, but also access to all of the museum's incredible programming!
Tickets and More Info –> Geektoberfest in San Jose