Two area breweries take home four medals at the U.S. Open Beer Championships

Two local breweries recently medaled in the coveted U.S. Beer Cup. Niwot-born Bootstrap Brewing took home gold for its often awarded Wreak Havoc Imperial Red and a silver for its Chillax Pineapple fruited beer. Gunbarrel's Beyond the Mountain Brewery took home two medals, a silver for its Klaus' Kolsch, and bronze for its Headspin, a New England IPA.

Eleven other Colorado breweries also medaled, including three from Liquid Mechanics in Lafayette. The championship is one of the largest competitions in the country and competition was stiff. Overall, breweries sent 9,000 entries to be judged across 150 categories.

The blind competition is also unique because it allows professionally made beers to be judged alongside winners of the amateur American Homebrewer's Association competition. It also had a charitable element to it, with entry fees from two of this year's categories being donated to help Ukrainians through the Ukrainian Red Cross.