San Diego Breweries Take 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals at ‘Oscars’ of Craft Beer — Including 2 Bronze from Locals

by Jennifer Vigil/ Times of San Diego / October 15, 2024 Five breweries, representing San Diego County from Oceanside to Imperial Beach, won gold medals at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The local gold medalists are:

• San Marcos’ Craft Coast Beer & Tacos for its Chillzner in the “International-Style Pilsner” category
• Solana Beach’s Culture Brewing Co. for its 3 Citrus Gose in the “Contemporary Gose” category
• Oceanside’s Green Cheek Beer Co. for its Jeff’s Baltic Porter in the “Strong Porter” category
• Imperial Beach’s Pizza Port for its Indie Roo in the “Imperial Stout” category
• Mission Valley’s Puesto Cerveceria for its Puesto Negra in the “International Dark Lager” category.

Gold medals are awarded for a “world-class beer that accurately exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance,” according to the festival. Pizza Port and Athletic Brewing Co. are the only San Diego brewers to win multiple medals. Pizza Port, in addition to its two golds (one was for its San Clemente location), also took home a bronze for its Ocean Beach brewery. Athletic Brewing Co. won a pair of silvers.