Brewing Excellence Shines at 2026 World Beer Cup, Marking 30 Years of Global Competition
A total of 353 medals awarded to 273 producers worldwide
PRESS RELEASE by Brewers Association
2026 World Beer Cup Awards —-
Philadelphia, PA. • April 22, 2026—The World Beer Cup® (WBC), the world’s most prestigious beer competition, today celebrated three decades of brewing excellence by awarding 353* medals to breweries and cideries across the globe.
Organized by the Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers—the 2026 World Beer Cup, now in its 30th year, recognized the very best in beer and cider across 118 categories, while continuing to set the global standard for technical excellence, innovation, and creativity rooted in both tradition and progress.
The World Beer Cup is often referred to as the Olympics of beer competition. All photographs provided courtesy of the Brewers Association.
“Thirty years in, the World Beer Cup remains a powerful reflection of how far global brewing has come—and where it’s headed,” said Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director. “Even in a year that challenged beverage alcohol producers to evolve, this year’s winners demonstrated that innovation, precision, and passion for craft are stronger than ever.”
An international panel of 255 judges from 50 countries evaluated 8,166 entries using rigorous, blind-tasting protocols. The 2026 competition brought together 1,644 breweries representing 50 nations, underscoring the event’s role as a truly global benchmark for quality.
The World Beer Cup awards ceremony capped off the Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where between 7-8,000 brewing, fermentation, distilling, and packaging professionals gathered for education, collaboration, and connection across the beverage alcohol industry.
View the Complete List of Winners Here
World Beer Cup Competition Statistics
- 17th competition (skipped 2020; annualized starting 2022)
- Entries: 8166
- Breweries: 1644
- Countries: 50
- Top 5 entering countries: United States, Japan, Canada, China, Brazil
- First-time brewery entries: 295
- Judges: 255
- International judges: 128
- Judge countries: 37
- Judging sessions and days: 14 sessions and 7 days
- Style categories: 113 beer | 5 cider
- Beer styles: 186 (includes all subcategories)
- Avg number of beers in each category: 69
Winners in Top 5 most entered style categories:
1. Category 114: West Coast-Style India Pale Ale, 293 entries
- Gold – Project Alpha 81, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO
- Silver – Mosaic Madness, Crystal Springs Brewing Co., Louisville, CO
- Bronze – Electric Eagle, Firestone Walker Brewing – Propagator Marina del Rey, CA
2. Category 113: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale, 274 entries
- Gold – Because Science, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
- Silver – Bolo Season, Zilker Brewing Co., Austin, TX
- Bronze – Shifted Visions, everywhere, Orange, CA
3. Category 112: Classic India Pale Ale, 205 entries
- Gold – Immutable Dawn, ISM Brewing, Long Beach, CA
- Silver – Hop-Fu!, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA
- Bronze – Shred IPA, Shred Beer Co., Rocklin, CA
4. Category 43: German-Style Pilsner, 201 entries
- Gold – 801 Pilsner, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
- Silver – Southern German Style Pilsener, Craft Beer Base, Osaka, Japan
- Bronze – Pilsner, Hop Dogma Brewing Co., Half Moon Bay, CA
5. Category 45: Munich-Style Helles, 156 entries
- Gold – Wander Back Lager, Wander Back Beerworks, Vineland, NJ
- Silver – Lager, Noble Twist, Saugatuck, MI
- Bronze – Kirkland Signature Helles Lager, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR