Capital Brewery is a brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin . Founded on March 14, 1984, by entrepreneur Ed Janus in Madison, Wisconsin , it is now situated in a former egg processing plant. The company first began production in 1986 and now produces over 20,000 barrels of beer annually. It produces 24 distinct beers, of which nine are annuals, five are seasonal, and ten are limited edition. Most are made using the strict Reinheitsgebot guidelines.
6-722: The company's brews have won awards at a number of competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival , and The Great Taste of the Midwest . The brewery was awarded the distinction of Madison's Favorite Local/Regional Beer from 1998 to 2004 in The Capital Times / Wisconsin State Journal Reader's Choice Awards. The company has received over 240 major awards in both domestic and international competitions in over 15 categories, and
12-503: A large outdoor Bier garten (a.k.a. 'Middleton's Backyard') that plays host to events throughout the year. One of the more notable events is Bockfest, held on the last Saturday of February. Bockfest ushers in the annual release of Capital Blonde Doppelbock, Capital's award-winning brew. Blonde Doppelbock was awarded platinum six times in the past ten years at the World Beer Championships. The Capital Brewery Bike Club
18-467: A private event, held the week prior, judges evaluate the beers in the associated competition. They then award medals in over 100 beer style categories. In 2019, the panel consisted of 322 judges from 18 countries, who evaluated over 9,400 beers. There were 800 breweries and 4,000 beers. In 2023, 250 judges from 10 countries evaluated 9,298 entries. There were 263 breweries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic
24-877: The Brewers Association , held in Denver, Colorado . Typically held in late September or early October, the event is currently held at Denver's Colorado Convention Center . Established in 1982, it is the largest ticketed beer festival in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. The GABF was founded by brewer Charlie Papazian , and the first festival was held in conjunction with the American Homebrewers Association 's annual conference in Boulder, Colorado in June 1982, featuring 24 participating breweries, 47 beers, and 800 attendees. In
30-751: The flagship Wisconsin Amber beer has been available in cans since 1997. Capital Brewery was named "America's #1 Rated Brewery" by the Beverage Testing Institute's World Beer Championships in 1998. The brewery was also rated #7 in the world at this time. Capital was named the Grand National Champion in the 2013 US Open Beer Championship , winning six medals. Capital Brewery’s beers are currently distributed in four Midwestern States: Wisconsin , Iowa , Illinois , and Minnesota . Capital Brewery has an indoor Bierstube and
36-487: Was formed in 2009 and currently has over 400 members. The bicycle rides are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from April through October (weather permitting) and start from the Bier garten. 43°05′42″N 89°30′59″W / 43.094868°N 89.516261°W / 43.094868; -89.516261 Great American Beer Festival The Great American Beer Festival ( GABF ) is an annual beer festival hosted by
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