1852 Brew Co.'s "Away Days" won a gold medal as part of the Great American Beer Festival. 1852 Facebook photo

A relative newcomer to the Central Valley craft beer scene showed out in a big way in a national beer competition held over the weekend in Denver, Colorado.

“Away Days,” crafted by 1852 Brew Co. in Visalia, won a gold medal in the “Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale” category of the Great American Beer Festival, the largest beer competition in America.

1852 Brew Co. was one of 263 breweries to win 303 medals at the competition, which drew nearly 9,300 entries from more than 2,000 U.S. breweries. It was the only Central Valley brewery to win a medal.

1852 Brew Co. is the in-house brewer for 1852 Visalia, the indoor soccer complex that opened in Visalia last year. Will Peltzer is the brewmaster. In addition to being a farm manager, Peltzer previously worked as an assistant brewer for Karl Strauss Brewing Co. in San Diego.

In a July 2022 interview with Lifestyle Magazine, Peltzer remarked that “Away Days” often fools drinkers over which ingredients are used.

“Our hazy is very citrusy as well. People always ask what citrus I use in the beer. I don’t use any! But certain hops have relative characteristics to give that citrusy flavor we all enjoy in our brews,” Peltzer said.