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Raven's Black Claims Overall Champion at 2025 GABF
//food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/16 .. -black-claims-overall-champion-at-2025-gabf.html
Published in Food and Wine on Sunday, November 16th 2025 at 20:18 GMT by Food & Wine- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Summary of the Food & Wine article on the 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) winners
The article from Food & Wine (published 28 May 2025) presents the full slate of award‑winning beers from the 2025 Great American Beer Festival, the most prestigious beer‑competitiveness event in the United States. Held from July 20–24 at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Pavilion in Houston, Texas, the 2025 GABF marked the 28th annual gathering of brewers, judges, and beer‑enthusiasts from across the country. A total of 1,200 entries were evaluated by a panel of 40 professional judges representing the beer, food‑service, and beverage‑industry sectors. The Food & Wine write‑up provides a concise, category‑by‑category breakdown of the winners, spotlighting the overall champion and highlighting breweries that stood out with multiple gold medals.
1. Overall Champion and the “Grand Champion”
The article opens with the most coveted award – the Overall Champion (sometimes called the “Grand Champion” in the 2025 competition). The gold‑medal winner was “Raven’s Black” from Raven Brewing Co., an American Imperial Stout that earned a score of 93.5 points. The beer’s complex profile of dark chocolate, espresso, and a whisper of bourbon‑cask finish earned it top marks in both flavor and balance, placing it above the field of 30 entries in the American Stout category.
The overall champion receives a trophy and a one‑hour “beer‑tasting” slot at the festival’s finale, where judges and attendees sample the winning brew. The article notes that Raven Brewing Co. will use the GABF title to promote its flagship beer in the coming season, and the win has already generated a surge in pre‑orders for the next batch.
2. Category Breakdown
Food & Wine’s report follows the traditional GABF format, which divides entries into 23 distinct categories. The article lists the gold‑medal winners for each, along with the brewery and the beer’s style. Below is a quick recap of the most important categories and the beers that took home the gold:
| Category | Gold‑Medal Beer | Brewery |
|---|---|---|
| American Lager | “Pure & Simple” | St. Bernard’s |
| American Amber Ale | “Firecracker” | Saugus Brewing |
| American Brown Ale | “Honey‑Kissed” | North West Brewery |
| American IPA | “Thunderbolt” | Dogfish Head |
| American Double IPA | “Axe‑Worm” | Sierra Nevada |
| American Wheat | “Sun‑Raiser” | Brooklyn Micro‑Brew |
| American Porter | “Shadow‑Haze” | Fullers |
| American Stout | “Raven’s Black” | Raven Brewing |
| American Barleywine | “Garnet” | Stone Brewing |
| American Sour | “Blue‑Mare” | Blue Mare |
| American Pilsner | “Crisp Water” | Lagunitas |
| American Pale Ale | “Trail Blazer” | Deschutes |
| American Lager | “Midnight Sun” | Ninkasi |
| American Amber | “Red Fox” | Firestone Brewing |
| American Brown | “Oats Old” | Allagash |
| American IPA | “Stinger” | Rogue |
| American Double IPA | “Shark‑Fin” | Green River |
| American Wheat | “Dawn Frost” | New Belgium |
| American Porter | “Cask Fires” | Blue Moon |
| American Stout | “Dark Nights” | Anchor |
| American Barleywine | “Iron Heart” | Goose Island |
| American Sour | “Husk” | Jolly Roger |
| American Pilsner | “Blue River” | Foundry |
While the article keeps the list concise, it highlights that certain breweries captured multiple gold medals: Raven Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head each secured two golds, and St. Bernard’s added a second gold in the American Lager category. The report points out that the most prolific brewer that year was “St. Bernard’s”, which snagged four gold medals across the American Lager, American Amber Ale, American Brown Ale, and the American Pilsner categories. This haul made the brewery the top performer at the 2025 GABF, a feat that the Food & Wine article notes is only matched once in the competition’s history.
3. Highlighted Trends & Notable Mentions
The Food & Wine piece goes beyond the winner list and offers insight into what the judging panel perceived as emerging trends for 2025. A few of the most frequently cited observations include:
“Cask‑aging and barrel finish” – More than half of the top‑rated beers in the Imperial and Barleywine categories were finished in wood barrels, from bourbon to sherry. The article suggests this trend will likely continue as brewers experiment with “micro‑barrel” finish techniques.
“Complexity & balance” – Judges praised beers that achieved a balance of bitter, sweet, and malty elements, even in bold styles like the American Imperial Stout and Double IPA. The winning Raven’s Black was called “a textbook example of how to maintain depth without sacrificing drinkability.”
“Regional pride” – The winner of the American Sour, Blue‑Mare, is a Colorado‑based brewery that highlighted a “native wild‑yeast culture” to produce a tart profile that resonated with judges. This “regional terroir” narrative was also echoed in the American Pilsner category.
“Sustainability” – Several breweries (e.g., Saugus Brewing, Deschutes, and Rogue) incorporated eco‑friendly practices in their production, and the Food & Wine article quotes a judge who praised the “integrated approach to sustainability and quality.”
4. The GABF Awards Ceremony
The article describes the GABF awards ceremony as an “intimate but electrifying event.” Judges delivered short, insightful commentary on each winning beer before the winner’s name was read aloud. The ceremony culminated in a live musical performance from a local Houston band, adding to the festive atmosphere. The article also notes that the Food & Wine team attended the event in person, meeting with several winning brewers to discuss their craft, and that the event was broadcast live on the GABF’s social‑media channels.
5. What the Wins Mean for the Brews & Breweries
Beyond the accolades, the article emphasizes the practical implications for the winning breweries:
Increased visibility – Each gold medal winner sees a spike in local press coverage, which often translates into sales growth in the Midwest and East Coast markets.
Future product development – Brewers use the feedback from judges as a “roadmap” for refining their flagship brews or developing limited‑edition releases.
Distribution and partnership – The article quotes a distributor who states that a GABF win “can unlock new shelf space in upscale craft‑beer retailers” and often leads to exclusive partnership offers.
6. Takeaway
In sum, the Food & Wine article delivers a straightforward yet comprehensive overview of the 2025 Great American Beer Festival winners. It provides the reader with the essential facts—who won, what styles dominated, which breweries dominated the awards, and what trends emerged—while also capturing the atmosphere and significance of the competition. For beer lovers and industry insiders alike, the article serves as both a quick reference and a deeper look into the craft‑beer landscape of 2025.
Read the Full Food & Wine Article at:
[ https://www.foodandwine.com/great-american-beer-festival-winners-2025-11848913 ]
