The Best Beers in America, According to the 2026 Great American Beer Festival

 The Best Beers in America, According to the 2026 Great American Beer Festival

## The Winners, The Surprises, and The Beers You Actually Need to Hunt Down

Let me tell you something that every American beer lover needs to hear.

**The Great American Beer Festival just crowned its champions for 2026. And the results tell a story that goes way beyond hops and barley.**

This year’s competition was the largest commercial beer competition in the United States—**7,267 entries from 1,300 breweries across 49 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico**. Over three days, **225 expert judges** tasted their way through the lineup, handing out **336 medals** to **243 breweries and cideries** .

**The awards ceremony took place on October 11, 2026, at Levitt Pavilion in Denver**—the first time the festival moved outdoors in its 44-year history .

But here’s what makes this year different: **The competition added new categories**—Rice Lager, Hop Water, Craft Malt Beer, and expanded gluten-free classifications—reflecting how American brewing is evolving beyond the classics .

**And the winners?** Some are repeat champions. Some are first-time medalists. And some are breweries you’ve probably never heard of—but should.

---

## The Big Winners: Breweries of the Year

### The Champion Brewers by Size

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Who won Brewery of the Year?*

The Great American Beer Festival names champions based on production size, ensuring small breweries compete against peers, not giants. Here are the 2026 champions :

**Mieza Blendery** (Alexandria, Virginia) — **0–250 Barrels**

**UPP Liquids** (Bend, Oregon) — **251–500 Barrels**

**Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.** (Golden, Colorado) — **501–1,000 Barrels**

**Craft Coast** (Oceanside, California) — **1,001–2,000 Barrels**

**Morgan Territory Brewing** (Tracy, California) — **2,001–5,000 Barrels**

**Fieldwork Brewing Company** (Berkeley, California) — **5,001–15,000 Barrels**

**Breakside Brewery & Taproom** (Milwaukie, Oregon) — **15,001–100,000 Barrels**

**Goose Island Beer Co.** (Chicago) — **Over 100,000 Barrels**

**Snow Capped Cider** (Austin, Colorado) — **Cidermaker of the Year**

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Who won the most medals?*

**Breakside Brewery & Taproom** led the pack with **six medals**. **Goose Island** and **UPP Liquids** each brought home **four medals**. **Snow Capped Cider** and **Gowan’s Heirloom Cider** each secured **five medals** .

**Cannonball Creek Brewing** won its size category for the **second year in a row**—a remarkable achievement in a field of nearly 90 entries for its gold-medal pale ale .

---

## The Most Competitive Categories: Where the Best Beers Battled

### West Coast IPA: The Thunderdome

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Which category had the most entries?*

**West Coast-Style India Pale Ale** drew **277 entries**—the largest field of the competition .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *Before & After Science* — **Human People Beer** (Seattle, WA)

- **SILVER:** *Born Hoppy* — **TapRoom Beer Co.** (San Diego, CA)

- **BRONZE:** *Mosaic + Krush Cryo West Coast IPA* — **pFriem Family Brewers** (Hood River, OR) 

**Frequently Asked Question:** *What about Hazy IPA?*

**Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale** drew **260 entries**—the second-largest category .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *Because Science* — **Bend Brewing Co.** (Bend, OR)

- **SILVER:** *Icy Fog* — **McMenamins Breweries** (Portland, OR)

- **BRONZE:** *The Goat* — **New York Beer Project – Beer Lodge** (Orchard Park, NY) 

### German-Style Maerzen: The Oktoberfest Battle

**184 entries** competed in the Maerzen category—the beer style most associated with Oktoberfest .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *Altstadt Oktoberfest* — **Altstadt Brewery** (Fredericksburg, TX)

- **SILVER:** *Oktoberfest* — **Bingo Beer Co.** (Richmond, VA)

- **BRONZE:** *Oktoberfestfest* — **MainStage Brewing Co.** (Boulder, CO) 

### German-Style Pilsener: The Precision Test

**161 entries** competed in this category, which demands flawless execution .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *Altstadt Pils* — **Altstadt Brewery** (Fredericksburg, TX)

- **SILVER:** *Templin Family Fass Bier* — **Templin Family Brewing** (Salt Lake City, UT)

- **BRONZE:** *Pazifik Coast Highway* — **Beachwood Brewing** (Huntington Beach, CA) 

---

## The New Categories: Where American Beer Is Heading

### Rice Lager: The Crisp Revolution

**Frequently Asked Question:** *What is Rice Lager and why did it get its own category?*

**Rice Lager** is a crisp, clean style that uses rice as an adjunct grain. It’s light, refreshing, and increasingly popular with drinkers seeking something lighter than traditional craft styles .

**The winner:**

- **GOLD:** *Oni Giri* — **Masthead Brewing Co.** (Cleveland, OH) 

### Hop Water: The Alcohol-Free Wave

**Hop Water** is a non-alcoholic beverage made with hops—no malt, no fermentation. It’s catching on with drinkers who want hop flavor without the alcohol .

**The winner:**

- **GOLD:** *Day Money* — **Fieldwork Brewing Co.** (Berkeley, CA) 

### Craft Malt Beer: The One-Time Category

**Craft Malt Beer** was a special one-time category celebrating beers made with craft malt—a nod to the growing movement of small-scale maltsters .

**The winner:**

- **GOLD:** *Jacob Mack Mild Ale* — **Dostal Alley Brewpub & Casino** (Central City, CO) 

---

## The Standout Breweries: Who You Should Be Drinking

### Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. (Golden, CO)

**Frequently Asked Question:** *What makes Cannonball Creek special?*

**Three medals. Two years as Brewery of the Year. And a gold in one of the most competitive categories.**

Cannonball Creek won **gold for Mindbender in American-Style Strong Pale Ale** (89 entries), **silver for Featherweight in American Pale Ale**, and **bronze for Trump Hands in Session IPA** .

**Why it matters:** The brewery’s lineup is built almost entirely around hops. Beating 88 other beers in a narrow style category is a different achievement from winning a category of a dozen—and it puts Cannonball Creek ahead of other breweries with similar medal counts .

### Breakside Brewery & Taproom (Milwaukie, OR)

**Frequently Asked Question:** *How many medals did Breakside win?*

**Six medals—the most of any brewery** .

**The highlights:**

- **GOLD:** *Breakside IPA* — American IPA (165 entries)

- **GOLD:** *Summer Classic* — West Coast Pilsener

- **GOLD:** *Hello My Alien* — International-Style Pale Ale

- **SILVER:** *Lunch Break ISA* — International-Style Pale Ale

- **BRONZE:** *Breakside The Sublime* — International-Style Pilsener

- **BRONZE:** *Wanderjack* — Hoppy Lager 

**Breakside also won Brewery of the Year** in the 15,001–100,000 barrel category .

### UPP Liquids (Bend, OR)

**Frequently Asked Question:** *What is UPP Liquids?*

A small brewery that won **Brewery of the Year** in the 251–500 barrel category and brought home **four medals**, including two golds .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *Buzz Box* — Honey Beer

- **GOLD:** *Flower Child* — Gose

- **GOLD:** *Upp Yours* — Field Beer

- **SILVER:** *German Sparkle Party Zwei* — Berliner-style Weisse 

### Snow Capped Cider (Austin, CO)

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Who won Cidermaker of the Year?*

**Snow Capped Cider**—with **five medals** and the top honor in its category .

**The winners:**

- **GOLD:** *The Russets* — No/Low Tannin Cider

- **GOLD:** *Kingston Black 26* — Tannic Cider

- **SILVER:** *Harrison Reserve* — No/Low Tannin Cider

- **SILVER:** *LUCY Ice Cider* — Experimental, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider

- **BRONZE:** *Spiced* — Botanical or Spiced Cider 

---

## The Regional Roundup: Who Won Where

### Colorado: 41 Medals

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Which state dominated the competition?*

**Colorado—the host state—won 41 medals** .

**The standouts:**

- **Cannonball Creek Brewing** (3 medals, Brewery of the Year)

- **Snow Capped Cider** (5 medals, Cidermaker of the Year)

- **Haykin Family Cider** (2 medals)

- **Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co.** (2 medals, including gold for *Sereno Moreno* in Mexican-Style Pale Lager)

- **Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project** (2 medals, including gold for *Grow Old With You* in Barley Wine)

- **The Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field** (gold for *Calamansi Wheat*)

- **The Empourium Brewing Company** (gold for *Honey Panda*)

- **Bierstadt Lagerhaus** (gold for *Infinite Hotel* collaboration with Wayfinder Beer)

- **Bull & Bush Brewery** (gold for *Pineapple 3 Way*) 

### Oregon: 34 Medals

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Which state had the most medals?*

**Oregon won 34 medals and two Brewery of the Year awards** .

**The standouts:**

- **Breakside Brewery** (6 medals, Brewery of the Year)

- **UPP Liquids** (4 medals, Brewery of the Year)

- **Deschutes Brewery** (2 golds)

- **Bend Brewing Co.** (gold for *Because Science* in Juicy/Hazy IPA)

- **pFriem Family Brewers** (gold for Italian Pilsner, bronze for West Coast IPA)

- **Alesong Brewing** (gold for *Biere de Noel* in Herb and Spice Beer)

- **Zoiglhaus Brewing** (gold for South German-Style Wheat Beer)

- **Oregon City Brewing** (gold for Berliner-style Weisse) 

### Washington: 17 Medals

**The standouts:**

- **Human People Beer** (gold for *Before & After Science* in West Coast IPA)

- **Grains of Wrath Brewing** (2 golds, 1 silver)

- **Kulshan Brewing Co.** (bronze for Coffee Beer)

- **Beach Cat Brewing** (gold for Rye Beer) 

### Ohio: 9 Medals

**Frequently Asked Question:** *Did any Ohio breweries win?*

**Yes—six Ohio breweries won nine medals** .

**The standouts:**

- **Masthead Brewing Co.** (2 golds: *Oni Giri* for Rice Lager, *Shower Beer* for American Lager)

- **Fat Head’s Brewery** (silver for *8th Anniversary Lager*)

- **Great Lakes Brewing Co.** (silver for *Dort Light*)

- **Third Eye Brewing** (3 medals)

- **Akronym Brewing** (gold for *Road Pop*)

- **Ghost Tree Brewing** (gold for *Féileadh Mòr*) 

### Iowa: 4 Medals

**The winners:**

- **Titonka Brewing Company** (gold for *Buffalo Creek Brown* in American Brown Ale)

- **Big Grove Brewery** (silver for *Zero Eddy* in Hoppy Non-Alcohol Beer)

- **Field Day Brewing Co.** (silver for *Czech Amber*, bronze for *Czech Dark*) 

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is the Great American Beer Festival?**

A: The largest commercial beer competition in the United States, hosted annually by the Brewers Association since 1982. The 2026 competition judged **7,267 entries** from **1,300 breweries and cideries** across 49 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico .

**Q: When and where were the 2026 winners announced?**

A: The awards ceremony took place on **October 11, 2026**, at **Levitt Pavilion in Denver**—the first outdoor festival in GABF history .

**Q: Who won Brewery of the Year?**

A: **Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.** (Golden, CO) won for the 501–1,000 barrel category—its second consecutive year. Other champions include **Breakside Brewery**, **Goose Island**, and **Snow Capped Cider** (Cidermaker of the Year) .

**Q: Which brewery won the most medals?**

A: **Breakside Brewery & Taproom** won **six medals**. **Snow Capped Cider** and **Gowan’s Heirloom Cider** each won **five medals**. **Goose Island** and **UPP Liquids** won **four each** .

**Q: What new categories were added in 2026?**

A: **Rice Lager**, **Hop Water**, **Craft Malt Beer** (one-time), and expanded gluten-free categories .

**Q: What was the most competitive category?**

A: **West Coast-Style India Pale Ale** with **277 entries**. **Juicy or Hazy IPA** followed with **260 entries** .

**Q: What is the best beer in America?**

A: GABF doesn’t crown a single “best beer.” It awards gold, silver, and bronze in **105 style categories**. The gold medalists represent the best in each style .

---

## Conclusion: The State of American Beer in 2026

Let me bring this home.

**The Great American Beer Festival isn’t just a competition. It’s a snapshot of where American brewing is heading.**

**The classics still matter.** West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, German Pilsener, and Maerzen drew the largest fields. These are the styles that built craft beer, and they’re still where the fiercest competition happens.

**But the future is expanding.** Rice Lager. Hop Water. Craft Malt Beer. Gluten-Free. These new categories reflect a drinking public that wants more options—lighter, alcohol-free, inclusive, and experimental.

**And the winners?** Some are household names like **Goose Island** and **Deschutes**. Others are small operations like **UPP Liquids** and **Mieza Blendery** that beat the odds.

**For American beer lovers:** The best beers in the country aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They’re the ones that won blind tastings against the toughest competition in the world. **Cannonball Creek’s Mindbender. Breakside IPA. Altstadt Pils. Sereno Moreno. Cloud Gazer Oktoberfest.**

**These are the beers worth hunting down.**

**The 2026 Great American Beer Festival didn’t just crown winners. It showed us where American beer is going—and the future looks bright, diverse, and delicious.**

---

## Disclaimer

**This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute beverage, dietary, or investment advice.**

The views expressed here are based on publicly available information from the Brewers Association, the Great American Beer Festival, and media reports as of October 11-12, 2026. Beer and cider availability varies by region and season. Medal-winning beers may not be distributed nationally.

**Consuming alcohol carries health risks. Please drink responsibly and in moderation. Must be 21+ to consume alcohol in the United States.**