Last Friday, we gathered in Denver to add to the excitement of craft beer’s most celebrated gathering, The Great American Beer Festival (GABF), by announcing three beers crowned winners of the 2014 Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest.

Jim toasted three homebrewers who will join the ranks of creative and talented Longshot American Homebrew Contest Winners of the past. The contest began in 1996 as a way for Jim to recognize and honor American homebrewers who continue to push the boundaries of what beer can be, just as he did 30 years ago in his kitchen as he homebrewed the first batches of Boston Lager.

Over the past 30 years, craft beer has been on the rise and we don’t see any signs of slowing down anytime soon. We can attribute this in large part to homebrewers like those who enter our LongShot contest each year and craft brewers who are resilient and always looking to push the boundaries of brewing and introduce new styles of craft beer.

This year’s winning beers are:

Greg Rasmussen’s Robust Porter: A traditional robust porter, California resident Greg Rasmussen’s Robust Porter is sweet and roasted with cocoa, coffee, toffee and slight vanilla notes from the varieties of malt used. Rich with malt flavor, the beer is complemented by slight citrus and earthy notes from US and UK hops.

Matthew Knott’s Classic Rauchbier: Recognized for its traditional smoky, slightly savory malt sweetness and roastiness is Smithtown, New York resident Matthew Knott’s Classic Rauchbier. The smoky flavors are balanced by a light toffee malt character and slight citrus from the hops. The brew finishes with a lingering smokiness, sweetness and subtle hop flavor.

John Marra’s Dunkelweiss: Representing the Samuel Adams employees with a winning homebrew is Brooklyn, New York Brewery Representative John Marra’s Dunkelweiss. This beer is brewed with traditional Bavarian yeast that contributes to the complex aromas and flavors. The aroma is characterized with notes of tropical fruits and clove. Malted wheat contributes to a bright and clean cereal note, which complements the spicy flavors of clove, nutmeg, banana and a slight sweetness.

This year’s winners present three unique and distinct brews that will be made available nationwide next spring as part of the 2015 Samuel Adams LongShot variety six-pack. We can’t wait for you to try their special brews and look forward to sharing more of their homebrewing stories in the upcoming months.

Congratulations to our three winners and thank you to everyone who entered their homebrews! It is because of their innovative spirits that craft beer is growing and more alive than ever.