The 6 Best, Up-And-Coming Beer Brands We Saw At The Great American Beer Festival

By: Fred HartWhat happens when you check out some 800 breweries with over 3,800 beers in one day? Well, we found out the hard way when we attended The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) this past weekend in Denver, Colorado, on the hunt for the best “undiscovered” beer branding and packaging.As we walked (and later stumbled) through the show, we saw plenty of Dieline familiars – from national craft players like Ballast Point and Dogfish Head – to young guns like Magnolia, Noble Rey and Bayou Teche. However, we were after the up-and-comers, the companies flying just under the national radar that deserve a little more of the spotlight.They say the more you drink, the better-looking things get. No doubt the same holds true for packaging, but even while sober, these six brands shined the brightest.

Southerleigh

Wiseacre

Two Roads

The Tank

Rhinegeist

Hopfly

Fred Hart

Fred Hart is a Partner and Creative Director at Interact Boulder – a spirited branding agency obsessed with the food and beverage industry that's fueled by a steady, 24-hour diet of tastemakers, entrepreneurs, grocery stores, farmers markets, restaurants and more.