2025 Washington Beer Awards, Winners Announced

Last night, Washington state’s brewing industry gathered in SeaTac for the presentation of the 2025 Washington Beer Awards. The annual awards ceremony is part of the Washington Craft Beer Summit, a trade show and educational conference that brings together brewers from across the state. I share the medal winners below. 

The competition was held with the endorsement of the Washington Brewers Guild to celebrate Washington’s vibrant brewing culture and recognize excellence in the craft. The usual caveats apply. The judges can only evaluate beers submitted to the competition. To quote Wayne Gretzky, “You can’t score if you don’t shoot.” 

All of Washington’s craft breweries were invited to submit entries. 155 Washington breweries submitted 1,095 beers to the competition. A panel of trained beer judges evaluated the beers blindly using the Brewers Association Style Guidelines. The judges awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in 67 style categories (including two cider categories and one seltzer category). 

Four special awards were presented to breweries that won numerous medals in many categories.  With six medals, Garden Path Fermentation won as the Very Small Brewery of the Year.  Four Generals Brewing won on the strength of its victory in a two-way tie with two gold medals to become this year’s small brewery of the year. Grains of Wrath Brewing repeated as the Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year category with an astounding seven medals. Stoup Brewing-Ballard won the Large Brewery of the Year with two golds, one silver, and two bronzes.

The 2025 winners are listed below. Note that the fresh hop beer winners were announced previously. Also, you can see the 2024 results here.

Washington Beer Awards 2025 Winners

The “brewery of the year” awards are determined by a few factors, like total medal count and the strength of the competition in the categories in which the medals were awarded. They are divided into sizes based on barrel-per-year production.

• Very Small Brewery of the Year: Garden Path Fermentation 
• Small Brewery of the Year: Four Generals Brewing 
• Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year: Grains of Wrath Brewing 
• Large Brewery of the Year: Stoup Brewing – Ballard 

Munich-Style Helles:

• Gold: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Helles Lager
• Silver: Larrabee Lager Company – Original
• Bronze: Formula Brewing – Chasing Time

German-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Stoup Brewing Ballard – German Pilsner
• Silver: Larrabee Lager Company – Northtown
• Bronze: Recluse Brew Works, LLC – Hinterlands

Other Light German Style Lagers:

• Gold: Recluse Brew Works, LLC – RBW Export
• Silver: Seapine Brewing – Light Lager
• Bronze: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Kulshan Oktoberfest

Bohemian-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Project 9 Brewing – Noble Crown
• Silver: Vice Beer – Millie
• Bronze: Lumberbeard Brewing – LGR SZN

Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lagers:

• Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Sunnyland – Kulshan Especial
• Silver: Here Today Brewery & Kitchen – MILPA Especial
• Bronze: Uprise Brewing Co – Mexican Lager

International-Style Pilseners:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Icicle Premium Pilsner
• Silver: Here Today Brewery & Kitchen – Lightning Harp
• Bronze: Wheelie Pop Brewing – Namazu Japanese Rice Lager

Other International Light Lagers:

• Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Akoya Rice Lager
• Silver: Recluse Brew Works, LLC – Cellar Dweller
• Bronze: 210 Brewing Co. – Los Vientos

Vienna-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Company  – Costa Humeda
• Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Selecta
• Bronze: Beach Cat Brewing – Northpaw – Bim-Bam

German-Style Maerzens:

• Gold: Obec Brewing – Marzen
• Silver: Garland Brew Werks – Oktoberfest
• Bronze: Farmstrong Brewing Co. – Farmtoberfest

European-Style Dark Lager:

• Gold: Varietal Beer Company – Truth Prevails
• Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company – Czech-Style Dark Lager
• Bronze: Vice Beer – Don’t Sweat The Czechnique

Other European Amber & Dark Beers:

• Gold: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Schwarzbier
• Silver: Chuckanut Brewery – Chuckanut Dunkel Lager
• Bronze: The Good Society – Schwarzier

American-Style Light Lagers:

• Gold: Sound2Summit Brewery – Boat Beer
• Silver: Beach Cat Brewing – Southpaw – Cats Blue Ribbon (CBR)
• Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Heathen Light

American-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Ilk Beer – Villarreal
• Silver: Western Red Brewing – Little Tugger Lager
• Bronze: Haas Innovations Brewing LLC. – Brice Lager

Contemporary American-Style Lager:

• Gold: Reuben’s Brews – Seattle Sports Beer
• Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Say Less
• Bronze: Georgetown Brewing – Tavern Beer

American-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Reuben’s Brews – Pilsner
• Silver: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Bellevue 1882 Lager
• Bronze: Stoup Brewing Ballard – Cervecita

Contemporary American-Style Pilsners:

• Gold: Everybody’s Brewing – Citra Pilsner
• Silver: Wet Coast Brewing Company  – Harbor Light
• Bronze: Hellbent Brewing Company – Northwest Pilsner

Hoppy Lagers:

• Gold: Trap Door Brewing – Day Beer
• Silver: Grains Of Wrath – Rancho Cowabunga
• Bronze: Black Raven Brewing – Alpha Bird

Other American-Style Lagers:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath – Production – Gerstenwolf
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Black Heart
• Bronze: Mac & Jacks Brewery Inc. – Amber Lager

Strong Lagers:

• Gold: Victor 23 – Coconspirator
• Silver: Figurehead Brewing Company – St. Charlie
• Bronze: Salish Sea Brewing – Dunkels Bock

German-Style Kölsches:

• Gold: Sound2Summit Brewery – Kiteboard Kolsch
• Silver: U-Neek / Crucible Brewing Company – Cold Quench
• Bronze: Victor 23 – Cooper Vane

German-Style Altbier:

• Gold: Four Generals Brewing – Altbier
• Silver: Resonate Brewery – Lithium
• Bronze: Bainbridge Brewing – Arrow Point Amber

German-Style Wheat Beers:

• Gold: Brick West Brewing Co. – Big Heart
• Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – K2 – Kulshan Hefeweizen
• Bronze: Larrabee Lager Company – White Duck

Rye and American Wheat Beers:

• Gold: Triplehorn Brewing Company – Raise Your Horns Ryebock
• Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Rock N Brown
• Bronze: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Be Happy

Golden or Blonde Ales:

• Gold: Logan Brewing Company – Easy Mode
• Silver: Ram Restaurant And Brewery – Hometown Blonde
• Bronze: ValHoll Brewing – Golden Warrior

Bitters:

• Gold: Logan Brewing Company – Tower Defense
• Silver: White Bluffs Brewing – Blackthorne Pride
• Bronze: Rainy Daze Brewing – Test Drive Amber

English Ales:

• Gold: Fortside Brewing Company – Couve A’licious
• Silver: North Fork Brewery – Spotted Owl
• Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing – Burien – B-Town Brown

Irish-Style Red Ales:

• Gold: Heathen Brewing – Arson Amber
• Silver: Mighty Pine Brewing – Partly Claddagh
• Bronze: Western Red Brewing – Mainline Red

Scottish Ales:

• Gold: Moment Brewing – Scottish Wee Heavy
• Silver: In The Shadow Brewing – Welle Wee Heavy
• Bronze: Bellevue Brewing Co. – Wee Swallie

Cream Ales:

• Gold: Distant West – Oro Grande
• Silver: Old Stove Brewing – Mira Aqui
• Bronze: Lucky Envelope Brewing – Gulf Of Mexico

International & Australasian Ales:

• Gold: Formula Brewing – Don’t Yuck My Yum
• Silver: Grains Of Wrath – Wastelandia IPA
• Bronze: Uprise Brewing Co – Daisy Chain

Brown Porters:

• Gold: Postdoc Brewing – English Porter
• Silver: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery – Phinneywood Porter
• Bronze: Anacortes Brewery – March Point Porter

Robust Porters:

• Gold: Port Townsend Brewing Co. – Port Townsend Porter
• Silver: Stoup Brewing Ballard – Stoup Robust Porter
• Bronze: Georgetown Brewing – 9 Pound Porter

American-Style Stout:

• Gold: Flying Lion Brewing – Rye Stout
• Silver: Top Rung Brewing Company  – My Dog Scout Stout
• Bronze: Old Stove Brewing – Dark Passage

British and Irish Stouts:

• Gold: Barrel Mountain Brewing – Starway
• Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Night King
• Bronze: Dick’s Brewing Co. – Cream Stout

American-Style Pale Ales:

• Gold: Georgetown Brewing – Johnny Utah
• Silver: Brothers Cascadia Brewing – Grain To Glass
• Bronze: Stoup Brewing Ballard – Mosaic Pale

Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales:

• Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – Strata Hazy Pale
• Silver: Fortside Brewing Company – Orange Whip
• Bronze: Matchless Brewing – Pickup Pale

American-Style Strong Pale Ales:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath – Panopticon IPA
• Silver: Georgetown Brewing – Dalton
• Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company – Eastside

Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ales:

• Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – City Lies In Dust
• Silver: Wander Brewing – Mosaic Single EyePA
• Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company – Sightglass

American-Style Amber/Red Ales:

• Gold: ValHoll Brewing – Valkyrie Red
• Silver: ELK POND Craft Ales – 1848
• Bronze: E9 Brewing Co – Rowdy And Dick Amber Ale

American-Style Brown & Black Ales:

• Gold: Wet Coast Brewing Company  – Scofflaw CDA
• Silver: Steam Donkey Brewing Co. – Death Proof
• Bronze: Aslan Brewing – Bham Brown

American-Style India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Stoup Brewing Ballard – Please & Thank You IPA
• Silver: Hellbent Brewing Company – Dog Party IPA
• Bronze: Formula Brewing – Gesture To The Sky

West Coast-Style India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Grains Of Wrath – Deadlights
• Silver: Loowit Brewing Company – Warlock
• Bronze: Chainline Brewing Company – Smash IPA

Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Everybody’s Brewing – Stir It Up Hazy IPA
• Silver: Uprise Brewing Co – Color TV
• Bronze: Single Hill Brewing Company – Groundswell

Imperial or Double India Pale Ales:

• Gold: Trap Door Brewing – Juiced Up
• Silver: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Fractal Sunset
• Bronze: Grains Of Wrath – Punchface Champion

American-Style Strong Ales:

• Gold: Ten Pin Brewing – Black Eyed Katy
• Silver: Big Time Brewery – Scarlet Fire IPA
• Bronze: Grains Of Wrath – Geezers Paradox

Belgian & Belgian-Inspired Ales:

• Gold: Garden Path Fermentation – (This Is A) Crush Story.
• Silver: Garden Path Fermentation – The Easygoing Drink.
• Bronze: The Good Society – First To Fall

Belgian Tripels:

• Gold: Perihelion Brewery – Quasar
• Silver: Wander Brewing – Tripel
• Bronze: North 47 Brewing Co – Kingslayer

Other Belgian Strong & Abbey Ales:

• Gold: Flying Lion Brewing – Velvet Uppercut Belgian Strong
• Silver: Obec Brewing – Notorious BSG
• Bronze: Terramar Brewstillery  – 2025 Space Quadyssey

Belgian & French Farmhouse Ales:

• Gold: Garden Path Fermentation – The Garden Paths Led To Flowered.
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing – LE Saison
• Bronze: Hat Trick Brewing – It’s About Thyme

Brett Beers:

• Gold: Bizarre Brewing – Ghosts Of Goslar – Plum/Cherry 2024
• Silver: Garden Path Fermentation – The Twisted Branch Out.
• Bronze: Formula Brewing – Twitchy Cheeks

German Style Sour Beers:

• Gold: Terramar Brewstillery  – Octopus Garden Gose
• Silver: Aslan Brewing – Disco Lemonade
• Bronze: Ghost Runners Brewery – Chasing Fluffy Pink Unicorns

American-Style Sour Ales:

• Gold: The Good Society – Calamansi Golden Sour
• Silver: Black Raven Brewing – Blueberry Lemon Sour
• Bronze: Logan Brewing Company – Double Hearts

Belgian Sour and Wild Ales:

• Gold: Elliott Bay Brewing – Lake City – DeRode Duivels
• Silver: Garden Path Fermentation – The Spontaneous Ferment: 5-Year Blend On Raspberries & Blue Haskap
• Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing – Lake City – Sour Gold

Fruit Beers:

• Gold: Garland Brew Werks – Pokey Prickly Pear Lager
• Silver: SnoTown Brewery  – Razzberry Blonde
• Bronze: Distant West – Peach Blonde

Fruit Wheat Beers:

• Gold: Ten Pin Brewing – Groove Pineapple Wheat Ale
• Silver: Resonate Brewery – Hysberia
• Bronze: Varietal Beer Company – Sunflight

Spiced, Field & Herb Beers:

• Gold: Four Eyed Guys Brewing – Cucumber Cream Ale
• Silver: Reuben’s Brews – Autumn Harvest
• Bronze: Stemma Brewing – Conditus

Pastry Stouts, Coffee & Chocolate Beers:

• Gold: Rainy Daze Brewing – Mind Funk
• Silver: Terramar Brewstillery  – Coffee Porter
• Bronze: Barley POP! Brewing – Friend In Me

Experimental Beers:

• Gold: Rainy Daze Brewing – Mr. Mustachio
• Silver: Well 80 Brewing Company – Muffin Man’s Beach Break
• Bronze: Volition Brewing Co – Vampire Beach Party

Specialty & Historical Beers:

• Gold: Four Generals Brewing – Rauch Helles
• Silver: Hat Trick Brewing – Grod Grog
• Bronze: Western Red Brewing – Loggers Home Brew

Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stouts:

• Gold: Bainbridge Brewing – 2024 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
• Silver: Single Hill Brewing Company – Overstory Rye Reserve ’24
• Bronze: Old Stove Brewing – Gardens – QUIET EON 2023

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:

• Gold: Urban Family Brewing Co – Rum Dawn
• Silver: Dru Bru LLC – Paloma Sour
• Bronze: Garden Path Fermentation – The Spontaneous Ferment: 5-Year Blend On Tayberries.

Other Wood & Barrel Aged Beers:

• Gold: North Fork Brewery – Batch 96
• Silver: Halcyon Brewing – No. 100! BA
• Bronze: Big Block Brewing – Rattle Skull

Seltzers:

• Gold: Ashtown Brewing – Green Jacket
• Silver: Watts Brewing Company – Grapefruit
• Bronze: Ladd & Lass Brewing – Boba Buddies

Fruited Ciders:

• Gold: Terramar Brewstillery  – Harvest Cider
• Silver: Heathen Brewing – Peachy Keen
• Bronze: Heathen Brewing – Mango Magic

Other Ciders:

• Gold: Heathen Brewing – Apple Crisp
• Silver: Mela Cider – Pumpkin Spice Hard Cider
• Bronze: Mela Cider – Hard Apple Cider

Pro-Am:

• Gold: Logan Brewing Company and Homebrewers Paul Bekkers and Tristan McCoy – Portal To Helles
• Silver: Ladd & Lass Brewing and Homebrewer Tarn Allen – Snow & Fire
• Bronze: Reuben’s Brews Taproom and Homebrewer Kris Haskins – Dunkle Vision

Collaboration Beers:

• Gold: Wander Brewing and Otherlands Beer – Terre Du Soleil
• Silver: Lucky Envelope Brewing, Kyle Jungck and Georgetown Brewing Company – Black Heart Dark Lager
• Bronze: Victor 23 and Irrelevant Beer – Forever Alt