True Blonde, the first Ska Brewing beer ever, still winning awards 30 years later
After recognition among the 15 Years of Good Food Awards Finalists, Ska Brewing True Blonde Ale was named a Good Food Awards winner by the Good Food Foundation late last month.
DURANGO, CO— Talk about tried and true— Ska Brewing’s longest standing and most decorated beer, True Blonde Ale, has done it again. After recognition among the 15 Years of Good Food Awards Finalists, this time-honored and beloved honey ale was named a Good Food Awards winner by the Good Food Foundation late last month.
True Blonde Ale joins a select group of 55 winners across 18 categories who have demonstrated enduring excellence in taste, craftsmanship, and ethical production. For fifteen years now, the Good Food Awards have been celebrating food (and beer!) that is both delicious and responsibly produced. This year, the Good Food Foundation collected ballots to determine more than 8,000 finalists from the public in support of their favorite producers who had previously won Good Food Awards.
True Blonde Ale is a crisp, medium-bodied blonde ale that is crafted with honey from Durango’s specialty honey producer, Honeyville. It’s a true staple in the American craft brewing community that’s been around since 1995. It’s available across Ska’s national distribution footprint, and of course at the brewery’s World Headquarters in Durango.
True Blonde Ale is a five-time Great American Beer Festival® winner and a two-time World Beer Cup® awards winner. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, and the L.A. International Beer Competition. 2025 marks True Blonde Ale’s second win in the Good Food Awards. The first was in 2019.
"I still remember that first True Blonde. It was the very first beer we ever brewed back when we first opened 30 years ago, and the first two kegs were served at the Telluride Brewer’s Festival— now known as Blues & Brews," regales Dave Thibodeau, President and Co-Founder at Ska Brewing. "It's a huge source of pride for us that our first beer is still our most recognized."
Media interested in learning more about Ska Brewing’s achievements for True Blonde Ale can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Founded in the spirit of punk rock and a little bit of ska, Ska Brewing has been challenging the status quo and brewing beers that refuse to conform since 1995. From the iconic Mexican Logger to the rebellious Modus Hoperandi IPA, Ska Brewing is dedicated to crafting unforgettable beers and beverages that are as unique as the people who drink them. For more information, samples, or just to chat about how great peaches are, contact Ska Brewing at info@skabrewing.com or visit our website at www.skabrewing.com.
Smoothie-Inspired Pink Vapor Stew By Ska Brewing Named 2023 Good Food Award Finalist
Ska Brewing Pink Vapor Stew was named one of 32 finalists in the beer category of the 2023 Good Food Awards.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA– Ska Brewing Pink Vapor Stew was named one of 32 finalists in the beer category of the 2023 Good Food Awards this week.
Now in its twelfth year, The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsible. This prestigious awards program was established by the Good Food Foundation 501 (c) 3, formerly known as Seedling Projects, in collaboration with a broad community of food crafters, grocers, chefs, food writers, activists and passionate food-lovers.
Pink Vapor Stew is a beer inspired by good food– good smoothies to be specific. The recipe for this sour beer, brewed with beets, carrots, apples, and ginger, was crafted to mimic the flavors in Co-Founder and CEO Dave Thibodeau’s morning juice routine. “The ingredients we choose for all of our drinks matter,” he says. “The Good Food recognition for Pink Vapor Stew affirms our dedication to quality sourcing.”
Pink Vapor Stew won another Good Food Award in 2021, and receives frequent praise from esteemed beer and food media. Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine’s editors, who scored it a 91 in a blind tasting, say “an outrageously magenta color sets up wild expectations. The flavor is equal parts earthy, sweet, and acidic, with a balanced sourness that highlights the fruitier elements without seeming cliché. A subtle spice underpins it, offering structure but no bitterness.”
This 2023 announcement marks Pink Vapor Stew’s second Good Food Awards finalist distinction, and Ska’s third overall. True Blonde Ale was a finalist in 2019.
Weighing in at 5% ABV and boasting a tropical medley of flavors balanced by Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops, Pink Vapor Stew is available in 12oz. 6-packs across Ska’s 11-state distribution footprint, and overseas in select places too.
Media inquiring about Ska Brewing or their Good Food Awards history can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
Ska Brewing Is A 2019 Good Food Awards Winner
Ska Brewing was among 21 finalists in the Good Food Awards beer category.
True Blonde at Honeyville in Durango
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Ska Brewing True Blonde was recognized as a winner at the 2019 Good Food Awards this evening at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center.
Ska Brewing’s Sales & Marketing Director received the award on the brewery’s behalf. “We appreciate that the Good Food Awards supports collaborative products like our True Blonde Ale,” she says. “It’s an honor to say that the beer spoke for itself in the blind tasting.”
Ska’s True Blonde is one of its oldest and most decorated beer recipes. It’s a crisp, medium-bodied blonde ale that is crafted with honey from Durango’s specialty honey producer, Honeyville. True Blonde has been the recipient of four Great American Beer Festival® medals and two World Beer Cup® awards. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, the LA County Fair, the European Beer Star awards, the Australian International Beer Awards, and the L.A. International Beer Competition.
2019 marks the ninth year for the Good Food Awards, which include 16 categories his year. Ska Brewing was among 21 finalists in the beer category.
For more information about Ska Brewing or True Blonde Ale, or to schedule an interview with Kristen Muraro who received the award on behalf of the brewery, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.
ABOUT GOOD FOOD AWARDS
The Good Food Awards (GFA) celebrate exceptional American craft food and drink producers who create distinctive, handcrafted, and sustainable products. The GFA brings together thought leaders from every sector of the food industry to choose the most delicious products from all regions of the country in a blind tasting. Products are evaluated by region, allowing the GFA to showcase the rich variety of terroirs of the nation’s food culture, elevating craft producers with the ultimate aim of stimulating local food economies. After the tasting, high-scoring producers are closely vetted for compliance with GFA requirements for sustainable production practices. Winners and runners-up are evaluated by the Good Food Foundation and announced each January at the Awards Ceremony. Learn more at goodfoodfdn.org.
Ska Brewing True Blonde Named 2019 Good Food Awards Finalist
Ska’s True Blonde is one of its oldest and most decorated beer recipes.
DURANGO, CO— In November, Ska Brewing’s True Blonde, the brewery’s most decorated beer, was named a finalist for the 2019 Good Food Awards.
2019 marks the ninth year for the Good Food Awards. This platform recognizes to tasty, authentic and responsible food producers in 16 categories: beer, spirits, cider, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, fish, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks and elixirs. This year’s competition saw 2035 entries. Ska True Blonde Ale is one of 21 of finalists in the Good Food Awards beer category, and the only brewery in the finalist list from Colorado.
Ska’s True Blonde is one of its oldest and most decorated beer recipes. It’s a crisp, medium-bodied blonde ale that is crafted with honey from Durango’s specialty honey producer, Honeyville. True Blonde has been the recipient of four Great American Beer Festival® medals and two World Beer Cup® awards. It has also been recognized at the Colorado State Fair, the LA County Fair, the European Beer Star awards, the Australian International Beer Awards, and the L.A. International Beer Competition.
The 2019 Good Food Awards winners will be announced on Friday, January 11, 2019, at a 1,000 person gala in the historic San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, followed by two days of celebration including the public Good Food Awards Marketplace
For more information about Ska Brewing’s True Blonde Ale, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com. For more information about the Good Food Awards, contact Katherine Harris at katherine@goodfoodfdn.org.
ABOUT SKA BREWING
Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans including Modus Hoperandi, Mexican Logger, Euphoria and Pinstripe. For information (a lot of it), music, and a good time, visit skabrewing.com.
ABOUT GOOD FOOD AWARDS
The Good Food Awards (GFA) celebrate exceptional American craft food and drink producers who create distinctive, handcrafted, and sustainable products. The GFA brings together thought leaders from every sector of the food industry to choose the most delicious products from all regions of the country in a blind tasting. Products are evaluated by region, allowing the GFA to showcase the rich variety of terroirs of the nation’s food culture, elevating craft producers with the ultimate aim of stimulating local food economies. After the tasting, high-scoring producers are closely vetted for compliance with GFA requirements for sustainable production practices. Winners and runners-up are evaluated by the Good Food Foundation and announced each January at the Awards Ceremony. Learn more at goodfoodfdn.org.