(Courtesy New York State Brewers Association)

Now in its ninth year, the New York State Craft Beer Competition is the largest state-level competition in the country and an awesome celebration of the New York State craft beer community.

Sponsored by the New York State Brewers Association, this year’s competition featured 1,320 beer entries from 207 breweries across 32 different style categories.

On March 21 a total of 96 medals were awarded at the Awards Ceremony in Albany, NY, as well as the Governor’s Excelsior Craft Beer Cups and the “Brewery of the Year” awards.

This year’s Governor’s Cup went to Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn, NY) for “Grimm Weisse” which won in the Wheat Beer category.

For the second time in the Competition’s history there was a tie for the “NYS Brewery of the Year Award“. The two winners were Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn, NY) and Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie, NY). Grimm Artisanal Ales was previously named “Brewery of the Year” in 2021, 2022, 2024 and Wayward Lane Brewing in 2023.

(Courtesy New York State Brewers Association)

“It’s incredible to not only see many of the same breweries win medals each year, but it’s a true testament to the quality of the beer in New York State to see so many new breweries win for the first time,” said Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association, which coordinates the competition each year. “It reaffirms the fact that quality continues to be of the highest priority to the brewers in our state.

“From the most well-known breweries to breweries many may have never heard of before today. One thing they all have in common, they are all brewing award winning beer which is some of the best in the country.”

And here (Drum roll please) are all of this year’s big winners….

2025 New York State Craft Beer Competition Medal Winners 

Amber Lager – 56 Entries

• Gold – Pleasantbrau Marzen – Soul Brewing Company LLC
• Silver – 1903 New York Lager – Frog Alley Brewing Co
• Bronze – Veslo – Wayward Lane Brewing

Amber/Red Ale – 61 Entries

• Gold – Genesee Brew House Scotch Ale – Genesee Brew House
• Silver – Opa’s Choice – Mill House Brewing Company
• Bronze – Ol Fox – West Kill Brewing

American DIPA – 21 Entries

• Gold – Saber’s Edge – Pearl Street Grill and Brewery
• Silver – Hopnami – Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.
• Bronze – Pacific Dawn – Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

American IPA – 55 Entries

• Gold – Frisco Kid – Okay Beer Company
• Silver – All or Nothing – Threes Brewing
• Bronze – Cleaver IPA – Brewery at the CIA

American Lager – 42 Entries

• Gold – Well Earned Pilsner – The Bronx Brewery
• Silver – Crispy Boys – Prison City Brewing
• Bronze – Home Slice – Finback Brewery

Barrel Aged (non-Sour) – 43 Entries

• Gold – Quercus Reserve – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Silver – Quad Rainbow – DESTINATION UNKNOWN BEER COMPANY
• Bronze – Barrel Aged Murder – Keuka Brewing Company

Barrel Aged Sour – 16 Entries

• Gold – Barrel 16 – Kingston Standard
• Silver – White Label – Blackberry – Druthers Brewing Company
• Bronze – DHFS: Motueka – Aurora Brewing Co.

Belgian Farmhouse – 19 Entries

• Gold – Saison Blend One – ONCO Fermentations, Inc
• Silver – Castling – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Bronze – Pearly Dewdrops – Grimm Artisanal Ales

Belgian Other (Trappist, Strong) – 44 Entries

• Gold – Savior Vivire 10º – Strangebird
• Silver – Tarrytown Dubbel – Duncan’s Abbey
• Bronze – Soulstice – Soul Brewing Company LLC

​Brown Ale – 23 Entries

• Gold – Mild Return – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB
• Silver – Honey Do List – DESTINATION UNKNOWN BEER COMPANY
• Bronze – K Town Brown – Great Life Brewing

Cream Ale – 39 Entries

• Gold – Dos Ojos – Bright Eye Beer Co.
• Silver – Saint James Brewery Cream Ale – Saint James Brewery
• Bronze – Honey Cream Ale – Birdhouse Brewing Company

Dark Lager – 55 Entries

• Gold – The Phantom – Lower Lake Brewery
• Silver – Soir – Drowned Lands
• Bronze – Crispy Nights – Finback Brewery

Experimental – 17 Entries

• Gold – Carrot Cake – Big Ditch Brewing Company
• Silver – Another Caucasian Gary – Resurgence Brewing Company
• Bronze – Chateau Tropicale – Eli Fish Brewing Company

Experimental IPA – 24 Entries

• Gold – Twilight – Drowned Lands
• Silver – Eleanor – DESTINATION UNKNOWN BEER COMPANY
• Bronze – Quiet Riot – Prison City BrewingField Beer (sour) – 54 Entries

• Gold – Oh My, Apple Pie – Heritage Hill Brewhouse
• Silver – Peach Silhouette – Hudson Valley Brewery
• Bronze – Bro-Mosa – Druthers Brewing Company

Field Beer (non-sour) – 37 Entries

• Gold – Poet Marigold – Union Street Brewing
• Silver – Blood Orange Kolsch – Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co.
• Bronze – Blueberry Lager – Valcour Brewing Company

Golden/Blonde Ale – 38 Entries

• Gold – From the Top Kolsch – Bright Eye Beer Co.
• Silver – Skanny Dipper Blonde Ale – Skaneateles Brewery
• Bronze – OCTO BRAU – KCBC

Hazy DIPA – 50 Entries

• Gold – Enzyme Detonator – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Silver – Cats Are People Too – Finback Brewery
• Bronze – Psychedelic Gardener – Grimm Artisanal Ales

Hazy IPA – 104 Entries

• Gold – Blue Cheese – Other Half
• Silver – Here On Out – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Bronze – Wish I May – Grow Brewing Co.
• Bronze – Green Yield – Drowned Lands

Hazy Pale Ale – 49 Entries

• Gold – Particle – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB
• Silver – Vast Expanse – UNDERGROUND BEER LAB
• Bronze – Cosmic Juice – Great South Bay Brewery

Imperial Stout and Porter – 21 Entries

• Gold – Double Negative – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver – Collusion – Seneca St. Brew Pub
• Bronze – Baltic Porter – Old Klaverack Brewery

Kettle and Simple Sours – 17 Entries

• Gold – Psychokinesis – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver – Leipzig Gose – Big Slide Brewery & Public House
• Bronze – Surf Guitar Gose – Liquid State Brewing Company

Light Lager – Modern & Contemporary – 54 Entries

• Gold – Momo – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Silver – Petrini – Strong Rope Brewery
• Bronze – Knee Deep – Druthers Brewing Company

Light Lager – Traditional – 90 Entries

• Gold – Paradox Helles – Paradox Brewery
• Silver – Montauk Pilsner – Montauk Brewing Co.
• Bronze – Killsner – Kills Boro Brewing Company

Pale Ale – 31 Entries

• Gold – Paleozoic – Gentle Giant Brewing Company
• Silver – Ordinary Brooklyn Bitter – 18th Ward Brewing
• Bronze – Fresh Coast – TALEA Beer

Porter (Non Imperial) – 28 Entries

• Gold – Mudd Brooke Porter – Ausable Brewing Company
• Silver – Burnt Knob Porter – Mountain King Brewing
• Bronze – Visual Sounds – Threes Brewing

Specialty Beers: Light & Amber Ales and Lagers – 33 Entries

• Gold – Burn Ban – West Kill Brewing
• Silver – Pumpkin Cream Ale – Keuka Brewing Company
• Bronze – Genesee Brew House Chocolate Scotch Ale – Genesee Brew House

Specialty Beers: Stouts & Porters – 48 Entries

• Gold – Hunk: Sichuan – Wayward Lane Brewing
• Silver – A Dark Bloom – Grow Brewing Co.
• Bronze – Irish Coffee Stout – New York Beer Project

Stout (Non Imperial) – 40 Entries

• Gold – OMS – Hamburg Brewing Company
• Silver – First in First Stout – Brewery at the CIA
• Bronze – Delightfully Ominous – Riseform Brewing Co.

Strong Ale (non-Belgian) – 33 Entries

• Gold – Bear, Ninja, Cowboy 2024: Lunar Outlaw – Willow Rock Brewing Company
• Silver – Kinsfolk – Drowned Lands
• Bronze – Winter Warmer – Local 315 Brewing Company

Wheat Beer – 36 Entries

• Gold – Weisse – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver – Resurgence White Ale – Resurgence Brewing Company
• Bronze – Gather House – Drowned Lands

Wild and Sour Ale – 26 Entries

• Gold – Trellis – Grimm Artisanal Ales
• Silver – Contour Interval – Wild East Brewing Co.
• Bronze – no award

Best New York Farm Beer (at least 60% NYS Hops & NYS Malt)

Kingston Standard (Kingson, NY) *winner of the 2024 Governor’s Cup! – “Barrel 16” -Category: Barrel Aged Sour

Best Collaboration Beer
Veslo – Amber Lager
Wayward Lane Brewing (Schoharie, NY) & Marlowe Artisanal Ales (Mamaroneck, NY)

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(Congratulations to all of this year’s big winners… Live long and prosper!)