The Big Winners at One of the Biggest Beer Competitions
The Brewers Cup of California is the largest statewide craft beer competition in California. Winners of the 2026 judging were announced last weekend. The annual event is hosted by the Sacramento Area Brewers Guild, in partnership with the other brewers’ guilds from across the state. Because that state has so many breweries, the annual competition is one of the largest beer-judging events in the nation. I share the winners below.
The Brewer of the Year Award went to Morgan Territory Brewing in Tracy, California. One of that brewery’s beers also earned the Best of Show honor. In a craft beer world that is still dominated by IPAs and other hoppy creations, it is a bit surprising that the Best of Show title was awarded to a beer that is very much not an IPA: Heller Bock, “Lock’d, Bock’d And Ready To Rock.” German-style Heller Bock (official category name), maibock, whatever the bock you decide to call it, is a decidedly malt-forward style of beer.
For this year’s Brewers Cup of California, the crew of over 60 judges evaluated over 1,300 beers submitted by 203 craft breweries and awarded medals in 73 style categories. For comparison sake, at the most recent Washington Beer Awards, the judges evaluated about 1,100 beers submitted by roughly 150 breweries. Note that California is home to 900-and-something breweries, while Washington is home to 400-and-something breweries.
Like the Washington Beer Awards and the Oregon Beer Awards, many of the winning beers at the Brewers Cup of California are not available out of state. It’s part of craft beer’s charm: it is still a mostly local thing. However, it doesn’t hurt to know who the hotshot brewers are in California. Who knows, sometimes those breweries and their beers might make an appearance around here.
A couple of notes. First, the Second, this year’s awards honored a California craft beer legend: Mark Ruedrich, the co-founder and original brewmaster of North Coast Brewing Company, which opened in 1988 in the historic town of Fort Bragg.
The Winners
Below, I share the medal winners in some of the categories. These are the categories that I think interest the most people. I do not share the exhaustive list; you can see it here.
Lagers, Pilsners, Etc
American Amber Lagers
- Gold: Big Rock Amber Lager, Malibu Brewing Company, Malibu, CA
- Silver: CDMX Noches, Coachella Valley Brewing Co., Coachella Valley, CA
- Bronze: Chismosa, Old Caz Beer, CA
American Amber/Red Ale
- Gold: Singing Coyote, Mountain Rambler Brewery, Bishop, CA
- Silver: Redwood Remedy, Burgeon Beer Company, Carlsbad, CA
- Bronze: Rednado, Solano Brewing Company, CA
American Dark Lager
- Gold: Puesto Negra, Puesto Cerveceria, CA
- Silver: Ominous, Two Ravens Brewery, CA
- Bronze: Buko Black, Old Caz Beer, CA
Bohemian Pilsener
- Gold: Pils Nye The Barley Guy, Solano Brewing Company, CA
- Silver: Crispy Crusher, Cooperage Brewing, CA
- Bronze: Czech Please, Hodad’s Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
American Lagers
- Gold: Soaring Eagle, Feather Falls Brewing Company, Oroville, CA
- Silver: Catorce, 14 Cannons, CA
- Bronze: Home Run Jack, 14 Cannons, CA
American Light Lagers
- Gold: Normcore, Burning Beard Brewing, El Cajon, CA
- Silver: All Season Light, All Season Brewing, CA
- Bronze: Dunnies Light, Dunloe Brewing, CA
American India Pale Lager
- Gold: Clownfish Mafia, Movement Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA
- Silver: Party Animals, Arts District Brewing Company, Los Angeles, CA
- Bronze: Clawburst, Unsung Brewing Company, CA
American Pilseners
- Gold: Hydro Thunder, Arts District Brewing Company, Los Angeles, CA
- Silver: Hamburghini, ISM Brewing, Long Beach, CA
- Bronze: Bada Bing!, Far Field Beer Company, CA
International Lagers
- Gold: Mexican Lager, High-Hand Brewing Co., Loomis, CA
- Silver: Quiero Maiz, Brown Soul Brewing Co., CA
- Bronze: The Outlaw, Sutter Buttes Brewing Co., Yuba City, CA
International Pilsener
- Gold: Shatterlight, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA
- Silver: Oroveza, Feather Falls Brewing Company, Oroville, CA
- Bronze: Holy Ghost, Laughing Monk Brewing, San Francisco, CA
Vienna Lager
- Gold: Vienna Calling, Hermosa Brewing Co., Hermosa Beach, CA
- Silver: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA
- Bronze: Grazias Especial, Mike Hess Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Kölsch-Style Ales
- Gold: Party Eyes Kolsch, BrewBilt Brewing, CA
- Silver: Kolsch, Sonoma Springs Brewing Company, CA
- Bronze: Colonia Kölsch-Style Ale, Cerveceria Del Pueblo, CA
IPA, Pale Ale, Hazy
American Pale Ales
- Gold: Somewhere Golden, Institution Ale Co., Camarillo, CA
- Silver: Treevana, Burgeon Beer Company, Carlsbad, CA
- Bronze: On The Radar, Distant Brewing, CA
American/West Coast IPAs — 114 Entries
- Gold: Tropidank, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
- Silver: Scottie Rippen, Solano Brewing Company, CA
- Bronze: Sunday Best, Laughing Monk Brewing, San Francisco, CA
Session India Pale Ale
- Gold: (No medal awarded)
- Silver: No Doy, True Symmetry Brewing Co., CA
- Bronze: Light Track Session Hazy IPA, Track 424 Brewery, CA
Imperial or Double IPA
- Gold: Chux, Danville Brewing Company, Danville, CA
- Silver: Without Question, Hop Dogma Brewing Company, Half Moon Bay, CA
- Bronze: Sirens, Burnin Daylight Brewing, CA
International Pale Ales
- Gold: Lolly Trolly, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
- Silver: Mosaic IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
- Bronze: Kombi Ride, Burgeon Beer Company, Carlsbad, CA
Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double IPA
- Gold: Witch Hunt, Shadow Grove Brewing, CA
- Silver: Lake Daze Hazy, Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company, Lake Arrowhead, CA
- Bronze: Citra Powered Jetpack, Barebottle Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale — 62 Entries
- Gold: Zeta Function, Moksa Brewing Company, Rocklin, CA
- Silver: Juice Demon, Absolution Brewing Co., Torrance, CA
- Bronze: Cosmonautilus, Knee Deep Brewing, Lincoln, CA
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales
- Gold: Mask Of The Phantasm, Absolution Brewing Co., Torrance, CA
- Silver: Food Fight, Common Space Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
- Bronze: Dreaming Out Loud, Sonoma Springs Brewing Company, CA
New Zealand IPA
- Gold: Batman Rapids, Ambitious Ales, CA
- Silver: Green Arrow Fellowship, Fieldwork Brewing Company, Berkeley, CA
- Bronze: Hamilton, Movement Brewing Co., Sacramento, CA
Other Styles
Porters
- Gold: Old Busted Tooth, GreyWolf Brewing Co., CA
- Silver: Peaklet, Mountain Rambler Brewery, Bishop, CA
- Bronze: Ossuary, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA
English Pale/Bitter/IPA
- Gold: Brighton ESB, Bravery Brewing, CA
- Silver: Pinnacles Pale Ale, Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company, Lake Arrowhead, CA
- Bronze: Mosaic, Institution Ale Co., Camarillo, CA
English Stouts
- Gold: Volcano Mudslide, Feather Falls Brewing Company, Oroville, CA
- Silver: Pace Car, AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
- Bronze: Night Maker, Fieldwork Brewing Company, Berkeley, CA
Imperial Porter/Stout
- Gold: Angry Mama Bear, Feather Falls Brewing Company, Oroville, CA
- Silver: Nine Rhelms, Two Ravens Brewery, CA
- Bronze: Tank Farm, Five Point Five Brewing Co., CA
Low/No Alcohol Beers
- Gold: Clever Kiwi, Burgeon Beer Company, Carlsbad, CA
- Silver: Light, Fieldwork Brewing Company, Berkeley, CA
- Bronze: Dark Mast, Pond Farm Brewing Co., CA
The above is not the complete list of winners. You can see that list here.
