Craft Lager Festival breaks records, wows crowd with bottom of the barrel brews

The Craft Lager Festival in Manitou Springs is a good mirror of the craft beer industry.  In 2009 craft beer sales grew 10.3% while overall beer sales slumped over 2%.  In the first six months of this year craft beer sales are up a staggering 12% while overall beer sales have continued to drop, as much as 3% by some estimates. 

People are finally digging better beer... and they're showing it.

The crowd at this year's two-day Craft Lager Festival was an estimated 5,000 people. All there to drink lagers. It's the biggest crowd ever, with a number of breweries blowing out their allotted beer supply well before the end of each day's session. In fact, according to organizers, it is now the second largest beer festival in the state of Colorado. It doesn't take a brewing scientist to know who #1 is (it takes place in Denver September 16 - 18). 

Two years ago the festival outgrew its former home in Soda Springs Park and moved to Memorial Park.  Some say it's already outgrown Memorial Park as well. If sales are any indication (online sales were up over 230%, while total sales were up more than 190%) another move seems inevitable.

Each year the CLF earns another notch in the beer belt of festival goers by pulling off one of the coolest and most unique festivals anywhere. 

Here's a list of who won what at the 2010 Craft Lager Festival:

Best of Show
Lagunitas Brewing Co., Czech-style Pilsner

Pilsner
First Place: Lagunitas Brewing Co., Czech-style Pilsner
Second Place: Left Hand Brewing Co., Polestar Pilsner
Third Place: New Belgium Brewing, Blue Paddle

Export/Helles
First Place: Full Sail Brewing Co., Session
Second Place: Del Norte Brewing Co., Mexican-style Orale
Third Place: Rock Bottom - Colorado Springs, 719 Light Lager

Bock
First Place: Tommyknocker Brewing Co., Butthead Bock
Second Place: Pug Ryan’s Brewing Co., Helles Good Beer
Third Place: Breckenridge Brewery, Pandora’s Bock

Strong Lager
First Place: Rockyard Brewing Co., Dutch

Oktoberfest/Vienna/Marzen
First Place: Left Hand Brewing Co., Oktoberfest
Second Place: Dillon Dam, Dam Straight Lager
Third Place: Dillon Dam, Montezuma Marzen

Other Specialty
First Place: Coney Island, Albino Python
Second: None
Third Place: Full Sail Brewing Co., Session Black

As you can see several Colorado breweries came away with medals.  You'll notice that Colorado Springs' very own Jason Leeman (of Rock Bottom Brewing) once again took home a CLF medal, this time third place in the "Export/Helles" category for his 719 Light Lager!   On a side note: if you haven't tried any of the lagers from Coney Island (Shmaltz Brewing), especially the Albino Python - which happens to be my favorite Shmaltz brew - track some down.  In fact, if you think lagers are just bottom of the barrel beers... well, not only are you wrong, but you're really missing out on some exceptional brews.