It’s mid-September, so if you have been following this column during the last three years, you know that means Great American Beer Festival is upon us.

Last year, I traveled with fellow beer writer friend Nkosi White, of Chicago Beer Geeks, to see this festival myself. It’s simply overwhelming with awesome beer, awesome people and just some solid good time vibes.

I met up with our own BrickStone Brewers throughout the fest and shared some beers, and can’t wait to go back. I’m in the middle of writing my thesis now, so that won’t work and this would be the year to go as well because Great American Beer Festival finally will render its judgment on the haze craze that has taken over the American craft beer scene.

This was big news over the summer that has been a long time coming. I covered this development earlier this year which served as a sort of debut for me in this column.

We are living in the dawn of a new day when brewers like BrickStone Brewery are producing head-turning cans of these beers, as well as Hop Butcher finally making it this far south. Hubbard’s Cave Brewing is making the trek as well. I was just at Paul’s Place the other night sipping Toppling Goliath’s Golden Nugget hazy IPA, thoroughly enjoying watching some friends shoot pool for their league play. Hazy beers are here, and I’m satisfied with how far Kankakee County has come in this regard.

According to the Rosen Group, there have been a massive wave of entries for the three new categories they finally created to judge this very new and very diverse beer style: Juicy or Hazy IPA, Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale, Juicy or Hazy Double IPA.

Last year when Hailstorm Brewing in Tinley Park took gold medal in the IPA category with their flagship Prairie Madness IPA, there were over 400 entries for that category which made it the largest submission field in the 36-year history of the GABF.

This year the hazy or juicy IPA category looks to top that number in its first year with 414 entries. GABF asks that breweries don’t disclose which beers they have submitted to the festival, but I can think of a bunch that are definitely coming out of Chicago that I would not be surprised if Chicagoland medals in this category.

In addition, Hazy or Juicy Pale Ale totaled 131 entries, and Hazy or Juicy Double IPA racked up 161 entries. I’m personally surprised that the DIPA category has less entries than the IPA because it seems every hazy beer I have is over 7.5 percent ABV, which would put it close to that category.

It has been a long time coming for GABF and the Brewers Association to include the hazy IPA into their beer styles guidelines. The Alchemist beer outfit out of Stowe, Vt., is widely recognized as the originator of this beer fascination back in 2006.

Its flagship Heady Topper has been on the “whalez” (hard to get and highly sought-after beers traded and shipped all over the country) list for a long time. I heard about the New England Style IPA from beer buzz around this beer and others like Tree House Brewing, out of Charlton, Mass., and Trillium Brewing, out of Canton, Mass., who have pushed this style to the highest of heights of hype in the craft beer game.

POPULAR STYLE

There are plenty of breweries sprinkled around the country that specialize in this style that command a decent following and high prices in the trade and ship market. Locally, people want to get their hands on the latest hazy beers from Hop Butcher for the World, Mikerphone Brewing, and Saint Errant Brewing.

Surrounding states brewing efforts that command this same type of attention are outfits like Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, Mich., 450 North Brewing out of Columbus, Ind., and Toppling Goliath Brewing, of Decorah, Iowa. The Midwest has some serious players in this game, and once they are in blind tasting against the likes of Monkish Brewing of Torrance, Calif., Modern Times Brewing, of San Diego, or the aforementioned Boston-area breweries — anything can happen.

I put this out on the Daily Journal’s website at the end of August when tickets went on sale, but it’s worth mentioning again. Half Acre Beer Company, one of the oldest craft breweries in Chicago, is throwing its inaugural Far and Away Invitational (tickets for this event are $80 at the time they went on sale, if in some sort of fluke they are still available when this piece runs — here is the link: half-acre-beer-company.ticketleap.com/far-away-2018/) whose breweries participants list made me audibly gasp as I read the first tweet about it.

This festival is going to be up to its ankles in hazy IPAs from the luminaries like: Aslin Brewing (N.C.), Burial Brewing (N.C.), Green Cheek Brewing (Calif.), Monkish Brewing (Calif.), Modern Times Brewing (Calif.), Other Half Brewing (N.Y.), The Veil Brewing (Colo.), and Weldwerks Brewing (Colo.).

A note about the Beer(s) of the Week, in their descriptions I listed which category these beers would qualify as if they were submitted to GABF. I didn’t verify if these beers were submitted to the competition with the breweries, which leads me to this note that it’s discouraged to release which beers have been submitted to the competition ahead of time.

I mentioned the category to give you a general idea of what to expect in the competition this year.

BEERS OF THE WEEK

Dank Meme from Triptych Brewing

ABV: 5%

IBUs: 45

Style: Category 60: Hazy or Juicy Pale Ale

Notes: “Brewed as a love letter to the trendsetters out on the east coast, Dank Meme is golden colored pale ale, 45 IBUs and 5% alcohol by volume. This beer is me not caring about clarity or aesthetics, in fact not a single fining was given to this beer. We hopped this beer like a boss, Azacca, El Dorado and plenty of Citra in the finish are sure to make you say, ‘O rly? Me Gusta!’” According to the brewery.

Where to Buy: You can find this one at Liquor World in Kankakee in 16 oz 4 pack cans for $11.99.

Going Hazy! from BrickStone Brewing

ABV: 7%

IBUs: 10

Style: Category 63: Hazy or Juicy India Pale Ale

Notes: “Going Hazy! Is a deliciously double dry hopped Hazy IPA and part of our Haz’D Up Series. Brewed with Huell Melon, Citra, and Galaxy Hops that give it mass amounts of juicy goodness that is sure to make your taste buds go hazy!” According to the brewery.

Where to Buy: Cans of BrickStone Haz’d Up Series beers are flying fast from the last two drops, so you are going to have to keep your eyes open for this one, you can get this at the brewpub in 16 oz for $6, growlers are $6 off on Sundays so bring some to impress your friends. You can also find it in cans at Liquor World in Kankakee in 12 oz 6 pack cans for $15.99.

Chilln’ Out Maxin’ from Hop Butcher for the World

ABV: 7.5%

IBUs: N/A

Style: Category 65: Hazy or Juicy Double India Pale Ale

Notes: “Double India Pale Ale hopped with Vic Secret, Motueka and Simcoe. Hazy Brew” According to the brewery.

Where to Buy: You can find this one at Liquor World in Kankakee in 16 oz 4 packs for $14.99.