Krispy King Lager Competition Returns to Barrels & Bottles in Golden October 9

"Abby and Zach George and Barrels & Bottles have really taken the baton and run with this event," says Chris Munda, head brewer at Barrels & Bottles in Golden, which will host the Krispy King Lager Competition for the third time on Wednesday, October 9, from 3 to 7 p.m. "This has been a passion project of mine for probably six, seven years, and it [didn't happen] until I started working at Barrels."

This is the first time the lager-focused event is being held during GABF. While the very first Krispy King had twenty breweries competing to crown the best lager, all from Colorado, the third edition will host 35 breweries, including some heavy hitters from outside of the state. "We want to have interest from all around the country," says Munda.

Barrels purchased kegs from every brewery (entry to the contest was free) and will be offering those beers on draft to the public for purchase at its Golden brewery. That headlines the public component of this beer competition, making it feel like a mini lager festival, albeit one where you can pick and choose which beers you want to try and pay à la carte.

The brewery brought on additional sponsors this year to help with the cost of running a larger event. Those include Hop Head Farms, On Tap Credit Union, Inland Island Yeast Labs, Rahr-Brewers Supply Group and Grandstand Merchandise.

In addition to the 35 draft beers available to attendees, Trinity Cigar's mobile lounge will be on hand, as well as the Boss Battle Arcade Bus with free arcade games. TATtered-N-Torn will allow patrons to make their own trucker hats, and Kneadful Rings will have lager doughnuts for sale.

There will also be a live music component, with Andy Eppler playing from 3 to 5 p.m. and A-Mac & the Height playing from 5 to 7 p.m.
Two small buses that hold approximately fifteen people each will loop from the Denver Convention Center to Barrels & Bottles between 3 and 7 p.m.

Munda compares the event to a brewery holding a big anniversary party. Two tap trailers were rented in order to pour so many beers.

Krispy King comes at the perfect time, as craft lager has continued to boom across America. In prior decades, lagers were often an afterthought, or associated with non-craft beer drinkers and some industry workers. However, the wide category has blown up in recent years. More and more breweries are taking lager beer seriously, and customers are helping drive higher demand. "We're happy to see the interest in the industry kind of coming back toward lager," says Munda. "We're excited for where [this event] is going, but also a little nervous."

At 6 p.m., the winners of the event's competition componentwill be announced. The beers are being judged by Bierstadt owners Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye, who have judged this competition every year, along with a different third judge every year. The third judge for 2024 is Jamie Williams, formerly of Inland Island Yeast and Co-Brew.

"We're judging it to style," says Munda. "If someone enters a Helles lager, it's going to be judged as a Helles lager." He explains that an added feature of the competition is the drinkability. "How crispy it is," he says. "How likely are you to have more than one of these compared to other beers?"

The inaugural winner in 2022 was Westside Pils from OCC Brewing of Colorado Springs. Last year, the now-shuttered, California-based BAGBY Brewing won for No Hype Helles. This year's lineup of breweries vying for the crown includes big names from out of state, such as Enegren Brewing, Chuckanut Brewery, Green Bench Brewing, Jack's Abby Craft Lagers, Wren House Brewing, Wayfinder Beer, Russian River Brewing, Melvin Brewing, Live Oak Brewing and pFriem Family Brewers alongside a fantastic assortment of Colorado breweries.

Munda is already thinking ahead, too. He and the Georges understand that the event may eventually outgrow Barrels. "I think Alpha King caps out at 140 entries," says Munda, referring to the annual IPA competition held in Denver during GABF — the original inspiration for Krispy King. "That's our first step — how can we get to [140]? Logistically, we'd have to figure it out, but it would be cool to take this to the next level and [find out] who can make the best crispy boi in the country."

This event has been something of a dream for Munda, who is excited to see it gain steam. "We make all kinds of beers, but since I've been [at Bottles] almost three years now, we've really shifted to a lager-focused brewery," he says. "We try to have five lagers on at a time, if not more. It's our passion, our love; it's what we like."

Krispy King Lager Competition, 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, October, 9, Barrels & Bottles, 1055 Orchard Street in Golden, free, krispykinglager.com.