(Photo © Brewers Association)

A win at the Great American Beer Festival competition is a BIG deal. Taking a gold, silver or bronze medal in any one of this year’s beer categories can put a new brewery on the map and reaffirm the brewing skills of industry leaders that sometimes get overlooked.

The 2025 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition awarded 347 medals to the best commercial breweries and cideries in the US. Presented annually by the national craft beer trade organization, the Brewers Association, it remains the nation’s largest professional beer competition and the premier symbol of brewing excellence.

Year after year, the Great American Beer Festival sets the bar for American brewing (and for the second year in a row, cidermaking). The 2025 competition was no exception,” said Chris Williams, competition director for the Brewers Association.

Over seven days and three judging phases, 250 expert judges evaluated 8,315 beer and cider entries—including 68 Collaboration and 40 Pro-Am submissions—from breweries spanning all 50 states and Washington, DC. And this year at the Denver-based competition, 273 breweries and cideries were awarded 326* medals.

The Great American Beer Festival judge panel evaluated serious brews and ciders across 102 beer categories (including 170 subcategories), five new cider categories. And expanding on last year’s cider categories, the 2025 competition featured a special, one-time-only Vera Hop category.

The awards ceremony was held at the Bellco Theatre in Denver during the 41th anniversary Great American Beer Festival over the weekend

And here (drum roll please) is a COMPLETE list of this year’s winners…

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“With 347 winners this year, these medals honor the talent, dedication, and creativity of our nation’s brewers and cidermakers. Congratulations to all 2025 GABF medalists!” Williams added.  “You should be proud to know that you’re taking home one of the most competitive accolades in the world!”

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