(Courtesy Colorado Brewers Guild)

Few regions of the US have a brewing legacy as vibrant as Colorado. And on January 2 the Colorado Brewers Guild showcased the state’s best breweries and at the  Colorado Brewers Cup.

The was born directly from the request of Colorado brewers who wanted a competition that truly represents the Centennial State. While Colorado’s breweries often find success on national and international stages, this new tradition offers an inclusive space for all Guild members—whether they are small-batch operations or well-known regional staples—to showcase their work among peers.

The Colorado Brewers Cup winners were selected by a panel of 59 beer judges from seven states evaluating 772 entries from 120 breweries. The Guild awarded 87 medals that were spread amongst 30 different cities in Colorado. Denver collected 16 medals, followed by Aurora, Fort Collins, and Golden with 7 each, and Colorado Springs with 6.

The awards ceremony was held on the final day of the Colorado Craft Brewers Summit at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center in Aurora, Colorado. Brewer participation in this event only includes Colorado Brewers Guild members.

WeldWerks Brewing and Glenwood Canyon Brewing were named brewery of the year for their respective sizes. River North Brewery and Verboten Brewing also made their mark, taking home five medals each.

Colorado Brewers Cup 2026 Award Winners

01 – American Pale Lagers – (# of entries 23)
● Gold: Gold in the Buckle – Verboten North Brewpub, Fort Collins
● Silver: Mexican Lager – Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería, Parker
● Bronze: Louisville Lager – Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Louisville

02 – International Pale Lagers – (31)
● Gold: Mexican Lager – Lone Tree Brewing Co., Lone Tree
● Silver: Hanging Lake – Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs
● Bronze: Lightner Creek Lager – Carver Brewing Co., Durango

03 – Pale Bitter European Lagers (31)
● Gold: Prost Winter Lager – Prost Brewing Co., Northglenn
● Silver: Prost Pilsner – Prost Brewing Co., Northglenn
● Bronze: Pillow Drops – New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden

04 – Hoppy Pale Lagers (38)
● Gold: Wolf of the Woods – Second Dawn Brewing Co., Aurora
● Silver: Xxplosive – Joyride Brewing Co., Edgewater
● Bronze: Dust Up – Cerebral Brewing, Aurora

05 – Pale Malty Lagers (11)
● Gold: Everflow – Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs
● Silver: Colt 121 – Old 121 Brewhouse, Lakewood
● Bronze: Festbier – Bent Barley Brewing Co., Aurora

06 – Amber Lagers (28)
● Gold: King of Luck – Second Dawn Brewing Co., Aurora
● Silver: Amber Lager – Elevation Beer Co., Poncha Springs
● Bronze: Seedstock Bohemian Dunkel – Seedstock Brewery, Denver

07 – Dark Lagers (42)
● Gold: Butt Head Bock – Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs
● Silver: Bärenbräu Bock – Peculier Brewing, Fort Collins
● Bronze: Dark Matter – Soulcraft Brewing, Salida

08 – Pale Malty Ales (33)
● Gold: Rise and Climb – New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden
● Silver: Ice Cutter Kölsch – Joyride Brewing Co., Edgewater
● Bronze: Kingdom Kolsch – Highside Brewing Co., Fairplay

09 – Session & Pale Ales (40)
● Gold: Trump Hands – Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden
● Silver: Inner Light – Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co., Denver
● Bronze: Colorado Pale Ale – Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Lafayette

10 – Standard American-Style IPAs (33)
● Gold: Bout Damn Time IPA – 4 Noses Brewing Co., Denver
● Silver: American Idle – Liquid Mechanics Brewing, Lafayette
● Bronze: Just Logic – Verboten North Brewpub, Fort Collins

11 – West Coast-Style IPAs (38)
● Gold: I Didn’t Hear No Bell – River North Brewery – RiNo, Denver
● Silver: Vapor Cave IPA – Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs
● Bronze: Project Alpha – Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden

12 – Standard International & Experimental IPAs (33)
● Gold: Ultimate Showdown – Cerebral Brewing, Aurora
● Silver: Nuthin’ But a G(uava) Thang – Phantom Canyon Brewing Co.,
Colorado Springs
● Bronze: Colorful Colorado IPA – Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont

13 – Hazy IPAs (38)
● Gold: DDH Hollow Fang – Cerebral Brewing, Aurora
● Silver: Juicy Bits – WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley
● Bronze: Trailhead Fog – Living the Dream Brewing, Highlands Ranch

14 – Strong & Imperial Hoppy Beers (18)
● Gold: JuicyFish – WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley
● Silver: Extra Extra Juicy Bits – WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley
● Bronze: 1000 Barrels Imperial IPA – Strange Craft Beer Co., Denver

15 – Malty North American Beers (30)
● Gold: Midnight Toker – Comrade Brewing Co., Denver
● Silver: Face Down Brown – Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride
● Bronze: Power Brake Black IPA – Mash Mechanix Brewing Co., Colorado
Springs

16 – Classic UK Amber & Brown Ales (27)
● Gold: Young Dukinfield – Salt Road Brewing, Fort Collins
● Silver: Dark Mild – Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., Colorado Springs
● Bronze: Sawtooth – Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont

17 – Stouts (32)
● Gold: Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout – Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs
● Silver: Mr. Sandman – River North Brewery, Denver
● Bronze: Old Doods Stout – Odell Brewing, Fort Collins

18 – Porters (17)
● Gold: Night Laps – Vail Brewing Co., Vail
● Silver: Oba Pot’a – Barrels & Bottles Brewery, Golden
● Bronze: English Porter – Stodgy Brewing Co., Fort Collins

19 – Barleywines & Strong Ales (11)
● Gold: Grow Old With You – Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project, Loveland
● Silver: Mountain Man – Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project, Loveland
● Bronze: Scottish Wildcat – Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co., Castle Rock

20 – Herb, Spice, & Smoked Beers (29)
● Gold: Honey Panda – The Empourium Brewing Co., Denver
● Silver: Bullitt Green Chile – Mash Mechanix Brewing Co., Colorado Springs
● Bronze: Sweater Gang – The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette

21 – Rye & Wheat Beers (18)
● Gold: Dame Blanche – Bruz Beers, Denver
● Silver: Hamer Time – Tres Litros Brewing Co., Salida
● Bronze: Haystack Hefe – Fritz Family Brewers, Niwot

22 – Fruit & Field Beers (26)
● Gold: Blood Orange Kolsch – Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Louisville
● Silver: Luna Lucha – TightKnit Brewing, Evans
● Bronze: Agua Fresca – Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería, Parker

23 – Belgian & French Pale Ales (15)
● Gold: Windfall Saison – Windfall Brewing Co., Westminster
● Silver: Buffalo Blond – Resolute Brewing Co., Centennial
● Bronze: Plezant – Hideaway Park Brewery, Winter Park

24 – Belgian & French Strong Ales (19)
● Gold: Naughty Marilyn – Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Louisville
● Silver: Abbey Quadrupel – Bruz Beers, Denver
● Bronze: Le Bruit du Diable Farmhouse Ale – Strange Craft Beer Co., Denver

25 – Sour, Brett, & Wild Ales (35)
● Gold: Grandma J’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – WeldWerks Brewing Co., Greeley
● Silver: Desert Runner – New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden
● Bronze: Tributary on Cherries – New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden

26 – Coffee Beers (21)
● Gold: Nightmare Fuel – River North Brewery, Denver
● Silver: Golden Roast – Monolith Brewing, Denver
● Bronze: Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun – River North Brewery – RiNo,
Denver

27 – Chocolate & Dessert Beers (16)
● Gold: Others in Darkness: Coconut Vanilla – Verboten Brewing & Barrel
Project, Loveland
● Silver: Candy Cane Imperial Porter – River North Brewery, Denver
● Bronze: Parallel Minds – Cerebral Brewing, Aurora

28 – Wood & Aged Beers (43)
● Gold: Lift Line Barleywine – Highside Brewing Co., Fairplay
● Silver: Rally Round the Family – Liquid Mechanics Brewing, Lafayette
● Bronze: Ember – Hideaway Park Brewery, Winter Park

29 – Experimental & Specialty Beers (15)
● Gold: Camp Zero – 4 Noses Brewing Co., Denver
● Silver: Her Majesty’s Hammer – Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., Colorado
Springs
● Bronze: Isaac’s Big A** Braggot – Mythmaker Brewing, Fort Collins

Brewery of the Year: Small (0-675 barrels) – Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. in
Glenwood Springs, collected:
● Gold: Everflow (Pale Malty Lagers)
● Silver: Vapor Cave IPA (West Coast-Style IPAs)
● Silver: Hanging Lake (International Pale Lagers)

Brewery of the Year: Mid-sized (675+ barrels) – WeldWerks Brewing Co. in
Greeley, collected:
● Gold: JuicyFish (Strong & Imperial Hoppy Beers)
● Gold: Grandma J’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Sour, Brett, & Wild Ales)
● Silver: Extra Extra Juicy Bits

“The level of technical skill and creativity displayed in this year’s entries was world-class,”  CBG Executive Director Shawnee Adelson said. “This competition shows that no matter the size of the brewery, Colorado’s independent brewers are consistently pushing the boundaries of quality.”

“This competition is a testament to the incredible talent and collaborative spirit that makes Colorado the best state for craft beer,” CBG Communications Manager Carrie Wilson added. “Seeing so many breweries come together to celebrate each other’s success is exactly why we started the Brewers Cup.”

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