Sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild, “The Best of the West” is a national competition dedicated to a single style of beer: the West Coast IPA. Unlike other competitions, it awards multiple gold and silver medals, recognizing the quality and depth of  the world-class IPAs being produced around the country.

Breweries from 26 states participated in this year’s throwdown, with heavy representation coming from Oregon, California, and Washington. Medal-winning beers came from 11 states in 2026. And Oregon breweries dominated things with 19 awards, followed by California at 17.

According to New School Beer, Moonraker Brewing out of Auburn, California, owned the 2026 competition. For the first time in the history of the event, a single brewery captured both of the top honor.

Now in 4^th year, proceeds from Best of the West competition help support the Oregon Brewers Guild in their ongoing mission of promoting and protecting Oregon beer. On July 31, the 2026 winners announced at the TopWire Hop Project in Woodburn, Oregon.

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

Best of the West Coast 2026 Winning Breweries & Beers

Grand Champion IPA

 Moonraker Brewing / Spinal Sap (CA)

Runner Up Grand Champion IPA

 Moonraker Brewing / Outrigger (CA)

Very Small Brewery Champion IPA

 Alma Mader Brewing / SOMO (MO)

Small Brewery Champion IPA

 Ruse Brewing / Nectar Extracto (OR)

Medium Brewery Champion IPA

 Moonraker Brewing / Wild West (CA)

Large Brewery Champion IPA

 Meanwhile Brewing / Dream Logic (TX)

Regional Brewery Champion IPA

 Breakside Brewery / Gala (OR)

Very Large Brewery Champion IPA

 Deschutes Brewery / West Coast Steeze (OR)

Champion Traditional American IPA

 Masthead Brewing Co. / Masthead IPA (OH)

Champion WC IPA Below 6.7%

 Trap Door Brewing / Trap Door IPA (WA)

Champion WC IPA Above 6.7%

 Moonraker Brewing / Spinal Sap (CA)

Champion International IPA

 Grains of Wrath Brewing / Wastelandia (WA)

Champion Flagship IPA

 Moonraker Brewing / Outrigger (CA)

Champion Oregon Hop IPA

 Fieldwork Brewing Company / Pinch Me, I’m In Medford (CA)

###

Gold Medal

Alma Mader Brewing Canyon Call (MO)

Gold Medal

Breakside Brewery Breakside IPA (OR)

Gold Medal

Brujos Brewing King Chachi (OR)

Gold Medal

Cannonball Creek Brewing Company Mindbender (CO)

Gold Medal

Formula Brewing Formula 33 (WA)

Gold Medal

Grains of Wrath Brewing ? Built for Speed (WA)

Gold Medal

Grains of Wrath Brewing / Blessings of the Highest Order (WA)

Gold Medal

Grand Fir / Pink Sky (OR)

Gold Medal

Great Notion Brewing / Easy Lift (OR)

Gold Medal

Meanwhile Brewing / Secret Beach (TX)

Gold Medal

Riip Beer Co / Chaos Creation (CA)

Gold Medal

Roughtail Brewing Company / Temperance (OK)

Gold Medal

Ruse Brewing / Clock of Grey Hours (OR)

Gold Medal

Sunriver Brewing Company / Always Sunny in Yakima (OR)

Gold Medal

Templin Family Brewing / Ferda (UT)

Gold Medal

Tenma Beer Project / Subvert the Hierarchy (CA)

Gold Medal

Urban Roots Brewing / Like Riding A Bike (CA)

Silver Medal

Alma Mader Brewing / Surcharge (MO)

Silver Medal

Amalgam Brewing / Classic West (CO)

Silver Medal

Bend Brewing / Space Cowboy (OR)

Silver Medal

Bend Brewing / Tropic Pines (OR)

Silver Medal

Berryessa Brewing Co / Separation Anxiety (CA)

Silver Medal

Breakside Brewery / Wanderjack (OR)

Silver Medal

Bridger Brewing / Sneak Route (MT)

Silver Medal

Brothers Cascadia Brewing / Lickity Split (WA)

Silver Medal

Claremont Craft Ales / 14th Anniversary IPA (CA)

Silver Medal

Cloudburst Brewing / Actual Poison (WA)

Silver Medal

Counter Weight Brewing Company / Bright Wave (CT)

Silver Medal

Fieldwork Brewing Company / Westcoast Slang (CA)

Silver Medal

Formula Brewing / Textured Approach (WA)

Silver Medal

Fort George Brewery / 3-Way NZ-Style West Coast IPA (OR)

Silver Medal

Ghost Town Brewing / Vinebreaker (CA)

Silver Medal

Ghost Town Brewing / Wandercrust (CA)

Silver Medal

Great Notion Brewing / Counting Rings (OR)

Silver Medal

Heater Allen / Gold Dot Staggers & Jags Cold IPA (OR)

Silver Medal

Hop Dogma Brewing Company / Sunset Serenade (CA)

Silver Medal

Liquid Mechanics Brewing / Lucid AF (CO)

Silver Medal

Little Beast Brewing / Lion’s Share (OR)

Silver Medal

McFleshman’s Brewing Co. / 547 (WI)

Silver Medal

Meanwhile Brewing / Edible Colors (TX)

Silver Medal

pFriem Family Brewers / Cosmic Guava West Coast IPA (OR)

Silver Medal

Riip Beer Co / Riip’n Greens (CA)

Silver Medal

Riip Beer Co / Danky Doodle Dandy (CA)

Silver Medal

Single Hill Brewing / Eastside (WA)

Silver Medal

Trap Door Brewing / DREAM Jr (WA)

Silver Medal

Uprise Brewing / Ground Loop (WA)

Silver Medal

Varietal Beer Co / Westie Willis (WA)

Silver Medal

Vice Beer Stay / Dursty (WA)

Silver Medal

Von Ebert Brewing Co. / The Heavy Lift IPA (OR)

Silver Medal

Von Ebert Brewing Co. / Tidal Escape IPA (OR)

Silver Medal

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. / Westbound IPA (CO)

###

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

###

Header image courtesy Gemini AI