Santa Clara Valley Brewing Wins Bronze Medal at 2019 GABF for Dry Creek Blonde Ale

Congratulations are in order to San Jose’s Santa Clara Valley Brewing for winning the bronze medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival held over the weekend in Denver, Colorado.

Santa Clara Valley Brewing won bronze in the ‘German-Style Koelsch’ category – out of 167 entries – for their Dry Creek Blonde Ale.

The bronze marks the second consecutive year that Santa Clara Valley Brewing has medaled at GABF, having won silver last year in the ‘German-Style Wheat Ale’ category for their Alviso Mills Bavarian-Style Hefeweizen.

Shortly after winning this year, Santa Clara Valley Brewing brewmaster Steve Donohue shared on social media, “Whenever this happens, I’m always amazed. I’m humbled, honored, shocked and absolutely f****ing stoked to win one of these.”

This year’s bronze also marks Steve’s sixth GABF medal. In addition to last year’s medal, he previously won four medals in consecutive years from 2008 to 2011.

Dry Creek Blonde Ale

Dry Creek Blonde Ale is currently on tap at Santa Clara Valley Brewing and available in cans as well. From their website are the notes for this award-winning beer:

Dry Creek Blonde [4.5% ABV, 22 IBUs] is a refreshingly smooth Blonde Ale. Brewed with a lighter body and noble hops, it is aromatic with a clean, crisp finish.

In 1866, the Los Gatos Creek had flooded and a family had dug a drainage ditch to reroute the creek to protect their vineyard. After the waters subsided, the resulting dry creek river bed was created and later became Dry Creek Road.

We carved out some time yesterday to visit Santa Clara Valley Brewing and enjoy a glass of Dry Creek Blonde.

It disappeared in record time – so crisp and refreshing.

Congrats, again, to Santa Clara Valley Brewing!

Cheers! Prost! Gunbae!

~Andy