The 2025 Minnesota Brewers Cup Award Winners

(Photo courtesy Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild)

Minnesota has a vibrant craft beer scene that deserves national attention. On April 11 the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild celebrated the best beers of the year and we’ve all the big winners for you.

This year’s Brewers Cup Competition evaluated  nearly 450 beers from over 90 Minnesota breweries and brewpubs.

Submissions in 22 style categories were blind-tasted by 38 beer judges and the top three awarded. Guild members also voted for Best Member Volunteer, Outstanding Allied Trade Member, Best Collaboration Beer and Most Innovative Brewery this year.

“The competition continues to be one of the most impactful experiences we can offer brewers,” says Jess Talley, executive director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “Participants receive valuable feedback from a panel of impartial judges, making the MN Brewers Cup an incredible opportunity to learn what it takes to brew high-quality beer.”

Minnetonka, Minnesota’s Boom Island Brewing took Best in Show for its Punkin Pie followed by Luce Line Brewing’s Maibock and Spilled Grain Brewhouse’s Bearded Man Old Ale.

And here are all of this year’s big winners…

2025 MN Brewers Cup Award Winners

Specialty Beers

• 1st Place: Brühaven, Over The Line
• 2nd Place: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Wild Brunette
• 3rd Place: Waldmann Brewery, Rauchbier

Wood-Aged Beers

• 1st Place: Canal Park Brewing Co., Night Trekker Baltic Porter – Barrel Aged
• 2nd Place: Locale Brewing Co., 2024 Anniversary
• 3rd Place: Lupulin Brewing Company, Night Witch 2024

Spice, Herb, & Vegetable Beers

• 1st Place: Boom Island Brewing Company, Punkin Pie
• 2nd Place: Thousand Lakes Brewing Company, Give’er The Beans
• 3rd Place: Venn Brewing Company, Choconut

Fruit & Spice Beers

• 1st Place: Blackstack Brewing, Uncut Jams
• 2nd Place: Thousand Lakes Brewing Company, Sassy Redhead
• 3rd Place: Uncommon Loon Brewing Company, Force of Nurture

Wild, Sour, & Funky Ales

• 1st Place: Bad Weather Brewing Company, Winter’s Night
• 2nd Place: Locale Brewing Co., Many Moons
• 3rd Place: Pryes Brewing Company, Idyll Forest – Soiree

Strong Beers

• 1st Place: Spilled Grain Brewhouse, Bearded Man Old Ale
• 2nd Place: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Doppelbock
• 3rd Place: Sleepy Eye Brewing Company, Five

Belgian & Monastic Ales

• 1st Place: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub
• 2nd Place: Forgotten Star Brewing Co., Tripels Is Best
• 3rd Place: Saint Paul Brewing, Dubbel Agent

American Amber, Brown & Pale Ales

• 1st Place: Klockow Brewing Company, Bhk
• 2nd Place: Nouvelle Brewing, Lucky Rooster
• 3rd Place: Omni Brewing Company, Lake Day

Stouts

• 1st Place: Sunken Ship Brewing Company, Aran Sweater
• 2nd Place: Brau Brothers Brewing Co, Moojoos Oatmeal Milk Stout
• 3rd Place: Thousand Lakes Brewing Company

English Brown Ales & Porters

• 1st Place: Back Channel Brewing, Jug
• 2nd Place: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Shire Mild
• 3rd Place: Bucks Mill Brewing, Mill Pond Porter

English, Scottish, & Irish Ales

• 1st Place: Sunken Ship Brewing Company, The Old Crown
• 2nd Place: Bent Paddle Brewing Company, 14
• 3rd Place: Padraigs Brewing, Red Chimney Irish Red Ale

Double & Specialty IPAs

• 1st Place: Falling Knife Brewing Company, Cosmic Trailblazer
• 2nd Place: Modist Brewing Co, Dreamyard
• 3rd Place: Montgomery Brewing, Haze Against the MacHine

Hazy IPAs

• 1st Place: Lupulin Brewing Company, Boss Battle
• 2nd Place: Blackstack Brewing, Local 755
• 3rd Place: Headflyer Brewing, It Was All a Dream – Juicy

American IPAs

• 1st Place: Wooden Ship Brewing Company, Pattern of Pieces
• 2nd Place: Lake Monster Brewing, Depth Charge Juicy Ipa
• 3rd Place: Nine Mile Brewing Co., Standard Operating Westy

German Ales

• 1st Place: Utepils Brewing, Ewald the Golden
• 2nd Place: Blacklist Brewing Co., Royal Hefe
• 3rd Place: Bucks Mill Brewing, Kolsch Style Ale

German & Nz Pils & Export Lagers

• 1st Place: Lupulin Brewing Company, Dortmunder
• 2nd Place: Arbeiter Brewing Company, Haha Pils
• 3rd Place: Schells Brewery, Notorious Pils

Czech Lagers

• 1st Place: Back Channel Brewing, Jagr
• 2nd Place: Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Dark Czech Lager
• 3rd Place: Unmapped Brewing Company, Purgatory Pilsner

Dark Lagers

• 1st Place: Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Midnight Elf
• 2nd Place: Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, Eagle 5
• 3rd Place: Schells Brewery, Bock

Amber Lagers

• 1st Place: Schells Brewery, Firebrick
• 2nd Place: Klockow Brewing Company, Laundry’s Lager
• 3rd Place: Bucks Mill Brewing, Polar Lager

German & International Pale Lagers

• 1st Place: Luce Line Brewing, Maibock
• 2nd Place: Fulton Brewing, Chill City
• 3rd Place: Utepils Brewing, Helles

American Blonde, Wheat, & Cream Ales

• 1st Place: Shakopee Brew Hall, Cinco De Shako
• 2nd Place: Excelsior Brewing Co, Big Island Blonde Ale
• 3rd Place: Uncommon Loon Brewing Company, Speckled Loon Cream Ale

American Lagers

• 1st Place: Wooden Hill Brewing Company, Hill Style
• 2nd Place: Elm Creek Brewing, Elm Creek Light
• 3rd Place: Back Channel Brewing, Lake Maker

Member-Voted Awards

• Best Member Volunteer – Ashley Hauf, MNCBG Board President
• Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Event Volunteer of the Year – Jeff & Tatiana Allen
• Outstanding Allied Trade Member – RahrBSG
• Best Collaboration Beer – Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative & Wild State Cider “Apple Pie Blonde Ale
• Most Innovative Brewery – Arbeiter Brewing Company

Best in Show

1st Place: Surly Brewing Co, Axe Man IPA
2nd Place: Arbeiter Brewing Company, Tokki
3rd Place: Summit Brewing Company, Sága Imperial IPA

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Congratulations to all this year’s winners…Live long and prosper!