Beer Styles

The Great American Beer Festival judges 83 different beer categories based on parameters unique to each beer style.  Judges evaluate the beers in each category based on those parameters and award medals accordingly.  Below is the list of categories being judged at the 2011 GABF.

2011 GABF Style Descriptions

To learn more about beer styles in general, check out the Style Finder at CraftBeer.com.

    Hybrid/Mixed Styles

  1. American-Style Wheat Beer
    1. Subcategory: Light American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast
    2. Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast
  2. American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast
    1. Subcategory: Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast
    2. Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast
  3. Fruit Beer
  4. Fruit Wheat Beer
  5. Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer
    1. Subcategory: Field Beer
    2. Subcategory: Pumpkin Beer
  6. Herb and Spice Beer
  7. Chocolate Beer
  8. Coffee Beer
  9. Specialty Beer
  10. Rye Beer
    1. Subcategory: Rye Ale or Lager with or without Yeast
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Rye Ale with or without Yeast
  11. Specialty Honey Beer
  12. Session Beer
  13. Other Strong Beer
    1. Subcategory: Other Strong Ale or Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Porter
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Wheat Wine Ale
  14. Experimental Beer
    1. Subcategory: Experimental Beer
    2. Subcategory: Fresh Hop Ale
  15. Indigenous Beer
  16. Gluten-Free Beer
  17. American-Belgo-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Pale American-Belgo-Style Ale
    2. Subcategory: Dark American-Belgo-Style Ale
  18. American-Style Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Sour Ale
    2. Subcategory: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale
  19. American-Style Brett Ale
  20. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
    1. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber Beer
    2. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Dark Beer
  21. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
  22. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout
  23. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
    1. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
    2. Subcategory: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
  24. Aged Beer
  25. Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
    1. Subcategory: Unfiltered German-Style Lager
    2. Subcategory: Unfiltered German-Style Ale
  26. Smoke Beer
    1. Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Rauchbier
    2. Subcategory: Smoke Porter
    3. Subcategory: Other Smoke Beer

    27. Lager Beer Styles

  27. American-Style or International-Style Pilsener
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Pilsener
    2. Subcategory: International-Style Pilsener
  28. German-Style Pilsener
  29. Bohemian Style Pilsener
  30. Munich Style Helles
  31. Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest
    1. Subcategory: Dortmunder/European-Style Export
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen
  32. American Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Light (Low Calorie) Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Low-Carbohydrate Light Lager
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Lager
    4. Subcategory: American-Style Premium Lager
  33. American Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale or Lager
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Ice Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Malt Liquor
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Cream Ale or Lager
  34. Vienna Style Lager
  35. German Style Märzen
  36. American Style Amber Lager
    1. Subcategory: American Style Amber Lager
    2. Subcategory: California Common Beer
    3. Subcategory: American–Style Märzen/Oktoberfest
  37. European Style Dunkel
  38. American-Style Dark Lager
  39. German Style Schwarzbier
  40. Bock
    1. Subcategory: Traditional German Style Bock
    2. Subcategory: German Style Heller Bock/Maibock
  41. German Style Doppelbock or Eisbock
    1. Subcategory: German Style Doppelbock
    2. Subcategory: German Style Eisbock
  42. Baltic-Style Porter

    43. Ale Beer Styles

  43. Golden or Blonde Ale
  44. German Style Kölsch
  45. English-Style Summer Ale
  46. Classic English Style Pale Ale
  47. English-Style India Pale Ale
  48. International-Style Pale Ale
  49. American Style Pale Ale
  50. American-Style Strong Pale Ale
  51. American-Style India Pale Ale
  52. Imperial India Pale Ale
  53. American Style Amber/Red Ale
  54. Imperial Red Ale
  55. English Style Mild Ale
    1. Subcategory: English Style Pale Mild Ale
    2. Subcategory: English Style Dark Mild Ale
  56. Ordinary or Special Bitter
    1. Subcategory: Ordinary Bitter
    2. Subcategory: Special Bitter or Best Bitter
  57. Extra Special Bitter
    1. Subcategory: English-Style Extra Special Bitter
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Extra Special Bitter
  58. Scottish Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Scottish Style Light Ale
    2. Subcategory: Scottish Style Heavy Ale
    3. Subcategory: Scottish Style Export Ale
  59. Irish Style Red Ale
  60. English Style Brown Ale
  61. American Style Brown Ale
  62. American-Style Black Ale
  63. German Style Altbier
  64. German-Style Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: Berliner-Style Weisse
    2. Subcategory: Leipzig-Style Gose
  65. South German Style Hefeweizen
  66. German-Style Wheat Ale
    1. Subcategory: South German-Style Kristal Weizen
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Leichtes Weizen
    3. Subcategory: South German-Style Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen
    4. Subcategory: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen
    5. Subcategory: South German-Style Weizenbock
  67. Belgian-Style Witbier
  68. French- and Belgian Style Saison
  69. Belgian and French-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian Style Blonde Ale
    2. Subcategory: Belgian Style Pale Ale
    3. Subcategory: French Style Bière de Garde
    4. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Table Beer
    5. Subcategory: Other Belgian- and French-Style Ale
  70. Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian Style Lambic
    2. Subcategory: Belgian Style Gueuze Lambic
    3. Subcategory: Belgian Style Fruit Lambic
    4. Subcategory: Belgian Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale
    5. Subcategory: Other Belgian Style Sour Ale
  71. Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian Style Dubbel
    2. Subcategory: Belgian Style Tripel
    3. Subcategory: Belgian Style Quadrupel
    4. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
  72. Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian Style Pale Strong Ale
    2. Subcategory: Belgian Style Dark Strong Ale
    3. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale
  73. Brown Porter
  74. Robust Porter
  75. Classic Irish Style Dry Stout
  76. Foreign Style Stout
  77. American-Style Stout
  78. Sweet Stout
  79. Oatmeal Stout
  80. Imperial Stout
    1. Subcategory: British-Style Imperial Stout
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Stout
  81. Scotch Ale
    1. A. Subcategory: Traditional Scotch Ale
    2. Subcategory: Peated Scotch Ale
  82. Old Ale or Strong Ale
    1. Subcategory: Old Ale
    2. Subcategory: Strong Ale
  83. Barley Wine Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: British-Style Barley Wine Ale
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Barley Wine Ale