The 2026 “Best of Craft Beer” Winners Are In—And the West Coast Owns It

American Craft Beer|April 17th, 2026|

One of the country’s fastest-growing beer competitions wrapped up quietly—but decisively—over the weekend in Sunriver, Oregon. And if this year’s results are any indication, West Coast brewers are still setting the pace.

The 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards drew more than 1,500 entries from breweries around the world, all judged over April 12–13 by a panel of 58 professional brewers and industry experts. The privately run competition, now gaining serious traction, handed out 153 medals across 51 style categories, offering a broad snapshot of where craft beer stands right now.

Big Winners: Breweries to Watch

Three breweries rose above the pack to take top honors in their respective size categories:

Large Brewery of the Year: Breakside Brewery & Taproom (Milwaukie, OR)
Mid-Size Brewery of the Year: Logboat Brewing (Columbia, MO)
Small Brewery of the Year: Fruition Brewing (Watsonville, CA)

Each has built a strong reputation in its region, but these awards reinforce their standing on a much larger stage.

West Coast Leads the Medal Count

Of the 153 medals awarded, breweries from California, Oregon, and Washington claimed a striking 95—underscoring the region’s continued influence on American craft beer trends, particularly in hop-forward styles.

Among the standout gold medalists:

IPA: No Nonsense — Boneyard Beer (Bend, OR)
Hazy/Juicy IPA: Snow Cone — Single Hill Brewing (Yakima, WA)
Czech Pilsner: 12° Pils — Ferment Brewing Company (Hood River, OR)
Amber Lager: Reformation Oktoberfest — Reformation Brewery (Canton, GA)
German Pilsner: Progenitor — Geisthaus Brewing Co. (Sacramento, CA)
Non-Alcoholic Hop-Forward: Freewave Hazy IPA — Athletic Brewing Company (Milford, CT)

The range of winners—from classic European styles to non-alcoholic IPAs—reflects an evolving craft beer landscape, even as it leans on tradition.

The 2025 “Best Of Craft Beer” Award Winners

Medal	Award Category	Brewery	Beer Name	City	State
Gold	Amber Lagers	Loose Screw Beer Co.	City of Dreams	Meridian	ID
Silver	Amber Lagers	Coattails Brewing	Czech Amber	Newberg	OR
Gold	American & Smoothie Sour Beers	Flix Brewhouse	Big Peach Theory	Round Rock	TX
Silver	American & Smoothie Sour Beers	Alvarado Street Brewery	Howzit Punch	Salinas	CA
Bronze	American & Smoothie Sour Beers	Terranaut Beer	Karo Ya Maro	Bend	OR
Gold	American Wheat Beers	Sunriver Brewing	Fuzztail	Sunriver	OR
Silver	American Wheat Beers	Dragoon Brewing	Dragoon American Wheat	Tucson	AZ
Bronze	American Wheat Beers	Danville Brewing	Hartz Wheat	Danville	CA
Gold	Belgian Ales	Lost Cabin Beer Co.	Table Beer	Rapid City	SD
Silver	Belgian Ales	Figurehead Brewing	Bowsprit Blond	Seattle	WA
Bronze	Belgian Ales	Figurehead Brewing	Black Ball Dubbel	Seattle	WA
Gold	Bocks	Formula Brewing	Tiger Mountain	Issaquah	WA
Silver	Bocks	Talyard Brewing	Decorator	Sugar Land	TX
Bronze	Bocks	Del Cielo Brewing	Chivo Loco	Martinez	CA
Gold	Cascadian Dark Ale	Dirigible Brewing	Black Iron Furnace	Littleton	MA
Silver	Cascadian Dark Ale	Marto Brewing	Fear of the Dark	Sioux City	IA
Bronze	Cascadian Dark Ale	Lost Cabin Beer Co.	Buzzard’s Roost	Rapid City	SD
Gold	Classic and Specialty Saisons & Farmhouse Beers	Sunriver Brewing	Chateau de Villandry	Sunriver	OR
Silver	Classic and Specialty Saisons & Farmhouse Beers	White Bluffs Brewing	Biere de Garde	Richland	WA
Bronze	Classic and Specialty Saisons & Farmhouse Beers	Funky Fauna Artisan Ales	Quiet Folk	Bend	OR
Gold	Coffee Beers	Terranaut Beer	Bucky	Bend	OR
Silver	Coffee Beers	Pond Farm Brewing	Wrong Side of the Bed	San Rafael	CA
Bronze	Coffee Beers	Soulmate Brewing	Coffee Imperial Stout	Morrisville	VT
Gold	Collaboration Beers	Funky Fauna Artisan Ales	Rad Luck	Bend	OR
Silver	Collaboration Beers	Single Hill Brewing	Smoke Break	Yakima	WA
Bronze	Collaboration Beers	Migration Brewing Company	Hellaversary	Portland	OR
Gold	Czech Pilsner	Ferment Brewing	12° Pils	Hood River	OR
Silver	Czech Pilsner	Ladd & Lass Brewing	12 Degree of Pils	Seattle	WA
Bronze	Czech Pilsner	Grand Junction Brewing	7th Inning Stretch	Westfield	IN
Gold	Dark Lagers	Recluse Brew Works	Mexican-Style Dark Lager	Washougal	WA
Silver	Dark Lagers	Resolute Brewing	Myopic Void	Centennial	CO
Bronze	Dark Lagers	Geisthaus Brewing	Decrepify	Sacramento	CA
Gold	English & Scottish Ales	Logboat Brewing	Mamoot	Columbia	MO
Silver	English & Scottish Ales	Flix Brewhouse	Kilt and Dagger	Carmel	IN
Bronze	English & Scottish Ales	Barley and Sword Brewing	Orkney Ale	San Diego	CA
Gold	Experimental Beers & Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beers Under 8%	Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House	Dill Pickle Sour	Bend	OR
Silver	Experimental Beers & Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beers Under 8%	Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House	Sensationator	Portland	OR
Bronze	Experimental Beers & Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beers Under 8%	Deschutes Brewery	Here We Come A Wassailing	Bend	OR
Gold	Experimental Hop-Forward Beers & Other IPAs	Fruition Brewing	Yuzu Haze	Watsonville	CA
Silver	Experimental Hop-Forward Beers & Other IPAs	The Southern Growl Beer Co.	Southern Sanctum	Greer	SC
Bronze	Experimental Hop-Forward Beers & Other IPAs	Pinnacle Brewing	Surveillance Pigeon	Scottsdale	AZ
Gold	Flavored Beers	Sacred Waters Brewing	Lil’ Salmon Fire	Kalispell	MT
Silver	Flavored Beers	Sunriver Brewing	Cocoa Cow	Sunriver	OR
Bronze	Flavored Beers	Breakside Brewery & Taproom	Breakside White Tea Lager	Milwaukie	OR
Gold	Fruit & Field Beers	OHSO Brewery – WH	Boom Dynamite	Phoenix	AZ
Silver	Fruit & Field Beers	Samuel Adams Brewery	Summer Ale	Boston	MA
Bronze	Fruit & Field Beers	Maple Branch Craft Brewery	Raspberry Fields	Fort Worth	TX
Gold	German Pilsner	Geisthaus Brewing	Progenitor	Sacramento	CA
Silver	German Pilsner	Discretion Brewing	Shimmer Pils	Soquel	CA
Bronze	German Pilsner	Del Cielo Brewing	Sirena del Rhein	Martinez	CA
Gold	German Sour Beers	UPP Liquids	Saxony Sundial	Bend	OR
Silver	German Sour Beers	Terramar Brewing	Octopus Garden Gose	Edison	WA
Bronze	German Sour Beers	Flix Brewhouse	Low Tide	Carmel	IN
Gold	German Wheat Beers	Buck Bald Brewing	TNR	Murphy	NC
Silver	German Wheat Beers	Twin Oast Brewing	Oasteweizen Hefeweizen	Port Clinton	OH
Bronze	German Wheat Beers	Holy City Brewing	Washout Wheat	North Charleston	SC
Gold	Golden & Blonde Ales	Marto Brewing	American Girl	Sioux City	IA
Silver	Golden & Blonde Ales	Terramar Brewing	Old Number Six	Edison	WA
Bronze	Golden & Blonde Ales	Danville Brewing	925 Blonde	Danville	CA
Gold	Hazy and Juicy Imperial IPA	Lumberbeard	Dreams Get Brewed	Spokane	WA
Silver	Hazy and Juicy Imperial IPA	Knotted Root Brewing	Vapor Clouds	Nederland	CO
Bronze	Hazy and Juicy Imperial IPA	Schussboom Brewing	I Chit You Not	Reno	NV
Gold	Hazy and Juicy IPA	Single Hill Brewing	Snow Cone	Yakima	WA
Silver	Hazy and Juicy IPA	Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House	Hop Krush	Bend	OR
Bronze	Hazy and Juicy IPA	Varietal Beer Co.	Sup Cuz	Sunnyside	WA
Gold	Hazy and Juicy Pale Ale	Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House	Haze of Spring	Portland	OR
Silver	Hazy and Juicy Pale Ale	Flix Brewhouse	Nebulas	Des Moines	IA
Bronze	Hazy and Juicy Pale Ale	MachineHead Brewing	Vaporized	Clovis	CA
Gold	Hop Waters	Fort George Brewery – Kingpin	FrüT LüP	Astoria	OR
Silver	Hop Waters	Fort George Brewery – Kingpin	LüP	Astoria	OR
Bronze	Hop Waters	Flying Lion Brewing	H20 Yeah	Seattle	WA
Gold	Hop-Forward Lagers	McMenamins Old Saint Francis School	Into The Hollow	Bend	OR
Silver	Hop-Forward Lagers	Ambitious Ales	Gandalf the Crisp	Long Beach	CA
Bronze	Hop-Forward Lagers	True North Ale Co.	Gran Paradiso	Ipswich	MA
Gold	Hop-Forward Session Beers	True North Ale Co.	North Shore Session	Ipswich	MA
Silver	Hop-Forward Session Beers	Berryessa Brewing	Mini Separation Anxiety	Winters	CA
Bronze	Hop-Forward Session Beers	Full Fledged Brewing	Floyd The Barbarian	Council Bluffs	IA
Gold	Imperial IPA	Burgeon Beer Co.	Mixed Greens	Carlsbad	CA
Silver	Imperial IPA	Movement Brewing Co.	Angry Eagle	Rancho Cordova	CA
Bronze	Imperial IPA	McMenamins Old Saint Francis School	Respect Your Elder	Bend	OR
Gold	Imperial Porters & Brown Ales	Pond Farm Brewing	Lucy	San Rafael	CA
Silver	Imperial Porters & Brown Ales	Little Brother Brewing	The Gatekeeper Porter	Kernersville	NC
Bronze	Imperial Porters & Brown Ales	Old Route 69 Brewery	Night Moves Baltic Porter	Ada	OH
Gold	Imperial Stouts	Victor 23 Craft Brewery	Dark Shades	Vancouver	WA
Silver	Imperial Stouts	Threshold Brewing & Blending	Casmir the Great	Portland	OR
Bronze	Imperial Stouts	Primal Brewery	Corruption By Proxy	Belmont	NC
Gold	IPA	Boneyard Beer	No Nonsense	Bend	OR
Silver	IPA	Uprise Brewing	High Vis	Spokane	WA
Bronze	IPA	Del Cielo Brewing	No Ice Required	Martinez	CA
Gold	Kölsch	Dru Bru	Kölsch	Cle Elum	WA
Silver	Kölsch	Loowit Brewing	Corsair Kolsch	Vancouver	WA
Bronze	Kölsch	Sound to Summit Brewing	Kiteboard Kolsch	Snohomish	WA
Gold	Light Lagers	Icicle Brewing	Akoya Japanese-Style Rice Lager	Leavenworth	WA
Silver	Light Lagers	Logboat Brewing	Lite Logger	Columbia	MO
Bronze	Light Lagers	Blewett Brewing	Buck LIght	Leavenworth	WA
Gold	Mixed-Culture Beers	Formula Brewing	Don’t Just Talk	Issaquah	WA
Silver	Mixed-Culture Beers	Funky Fauna Artisan Ales	Dueling Cats	Bend	OR