Midwestern brewers are well represented at this year's Great American Beer Festival

This coming September 24th, annual Great American Beer Festival will commence in Denver, Colorado for the 28th time. As in recent years there will be in excess of 450 American breweries serving more than 2,000 different beers.

The craft brewing movement began in the mid-1980’s on the West Coast, and, as fads often do, the beer renaissance soon caught on in the Eastern states as well. Lagging well behind were the somewhat staid and provincial Midwestern states. Proving that this grass roots movement was no fad, however, the Midwest has now become one of the hottest areas of growth in the now 25 year old renaissance.

As such, the Midwest will also be well represented at this year’s GABF, with over 50 small breweries and brewpubs in attendance (not including the Pabst Brewing Company, which is headquartered near Chicago and the Leinenkugel Brewery which is a subsidiary of Miller) from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan alone. (see complete list of Midwestern brewers below)

Attending the GABF is without question, the best opportunity to taste a huge variety of beer styles produced throughout the United States in one space and in a short span of time. It’s also an opportunity to get to know the craft brewers from the Great Lakes region, which is too often better known for its production of cheese, corn, soybeans and cherries.

With more public exposure such as the Great American Beer Festival, craft brewers from the Midwest are sure to receive the overdue praises they deserve.

• America’s Brewing Co. / Walter Payton’s Roundhouse, Aurora, IL
• Arcadia Brewing Co., Battle Creek, MI
• Atwater Brewery, Detroit, MI
• Barley Island Brewing Co., Noblesville, IN
• Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Galesburg, MI
• Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI
• Brugge, Brasserie, Indianapolis, IN
• Capitol Brewery Co., Inc. Middleton, WI
• Cathedral Square Brewery, Smithton, IL
• Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI
• Copper Canyon Brewery, Southfield, MI
• Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Co., Des Moines, IA
• Dells Brewing Co., Wisconsin Dells, WI
• Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI
• Emmet’s Tavern & Brewing Co., West Dundee, IL
• Flossmoor Station Brewery, Flossmoor, IL
• Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, IL
• Goose Island Brewpub, Chicago, IL
• Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., Madison, WI
• Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, MI
• Harrison’s Brewing Co., Orland Park, IL
• Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI
• Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI
• Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI
• Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
• Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
• Metropolitan Brewing, Chicago, IL
• Michigan Brewing Co., Webberville, MI
• New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
• New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, MI
• Northwoods Brewing Corp LLC, Eau Claire, WI
• Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
• Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
• Ram Restaurant & Brewery, Wheeling, IL
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Orland Park, IL
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Lombard, IL
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Warrenville, IL
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Chicago, IL
• Rock Bottom Brewery, West Des Moines, IA
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
• Royal Oak Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
• Shorts Brewing Co., Bellaire, MI
• Sprecher Brewing Co., Glendale, WI
• Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
• Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
• Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI
• Turoni’s Main Street Brewery, Evansville, IN
• Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
• Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
• Water Street Brewery, Milwaukee, WI