(LONGMONT, CO) OCTOBER 14, 2025 — Oskar Blues Brewery earned a gold medal for Dale’s Pale Ale at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition, hosted and presented by the Brewers Association®. Dale’s Pale Ale was recognized in the English Ale beer-style category with aromas of strong, dank piney hops. It is beloved for its bitter, caramel malty flavor with a piney citrus hop body shining through.
In the 2025 competition, beers and ciders spanning 108 beer categories and six cider categories were judged by panels of professional judges. Winning a coveted Great American Beer Festival competition medal signifies global recognition for brewing excellence, acknowledging the quality and style accuracy of the beer or cider.
Dale’s Pale Ale is the first in the Dale’s family, which debuted in 1999 and became the first craft beer in America that was commercially canned in 2002. Additional offerings in the line-up include Dale’s Light Lager and Double Dales IPA, which entered the market in 2023. The brewery introduced Easy IPA and Designated Dales NA Pils in Fall 2024 and the newest release, American IPA, launched earlier this month.
“Twenty-three years ago, Oskar Blues Brewery made the impossible and improbable decision to try to shove that hoppy pale ale into a can. At the time, it was absolutely unheard of to taste a real, highly crafted beer full of hops from an aluminum can,” said Aaron Baker, Brand Director, Oskar Blues Brewery. “The revolution had started. In all likelihood, Dale’s Pale Ale was one of the very first beers submitted to the GABF competition in a can. Now, more than 75% of packaged craft beer sold is from a can. We were first in the can and now we’re in first place for taste. Congratulations to the entire brewing team for this well-earned recognition of Dale’s Pale Ale as one of the best damn beers out there!”
This year’s results revealed 273 breweries and cideries earned 347 medals. The Great American Beer Festival panel of judges evaluated noteworthy brews and ciders across 108 beer categories, six cider categories, and the Pro-Am and Collaboration competitions.
“The Great American Beer Festival competition is the ultimate proving ground, recognizing the absolute best in innovation and craftsmanship from brewers all over the country. Earning a medal here, whether it’s gold, silver, or bronze, is an incredible, career-defining achievement that signifies a brew’s excellence against the most rigorous standards in the industry,” remarked Chris Williams, competition director for the Brewers Association. “The Brewers Association proudly celebrates the accomplishments of every single medal winner.”
The awards ceremony, live-streamed on The Brewing Network on Saturday, October 11, 2025, was held in the festival hall at the Colorado Convention Center as part of the Great American Beer Festival before Saturday’s session. For more information on the Great American Beer Festival competition, including a complete 2025 winners list and photos, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.
Dale’s Pale Ale is available across the United States in 6-packs, 19.2 oz single-serve cans, 15-packs. 15-pack variety packs and on draft. As the official beer of USA Curling, Dale’s Pale Ale is offered along with the full Dale’s lineup at curling clubs throughout the U.S. and key curling events throughout the remainder of 2025 and into the 2026 season, timed to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. For more information, including where to purchase Dale’s Pale Ale and the rest of the Oskar Blues lineup, visit https://oskarblues.com/dales/ and follow along on Instagram, @drinkdales.
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About Oskar Blues Brewery
Founded by Dale Katechis in 1997 in Lyons, Colorado, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft-beer-in-a-can apocalypse with their hand-canned flagship brew, Dale’s Pale Ale. Today, Oskar Blues operates breweries in Colorado and North Carolina, and Dale’s Pale continues to be its bestselling craft can six-pack. Oskar Blues is available in the US and many countries around the globe. Oskar Blues is part of Monster Brewing Company, formerly CANarchy, a total beverage company committed to producing superior quality and great tasting beverages that satisfy any occasion.
About Monster Brewing Company
Monster Brewing Company, formerly known as CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, was founded in 2015 as a disruptive collective of craft breweries. Among its current portfolio of beer brands are Jai Alai® IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale®, Dallas Blonde®, and Wild Basin® hard seltzers, among others. The company recently added flavored malt beverages –namely, The Beast Unleashed™ and Nasty Beast™ Hard Tea—to its portfolio. The company also distributes Monster Tour Water, still and sparkling water beverages, and Revitalyte, a rapid hydration drink. For more information, visit https://www.canarchy.beer/ and https://beastunleashed.com/.
