Colorado breweries win 27 medals at World Beer Cup

DENVER — Colorado breweries earned 27 awards at the 2026 World Beer Cup, with 22 breweries recognized, including 19 independent craft brewers, according to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

The international competition, held April 22 in Philadelphia, featured 8,166 beers from 1,644 breweries across 50 countries and was judged by 255 beer experts from 38 countries.

Colorado brewers captured both gold and silver in the West Coast-Style India Pale Ale category, the competition’s largest with 293 entries. Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.‘s Project Alpha 81 won gold, while Crystal Springs Brewing Co.‘s Mosaic Madness took silver.

“Taking both silver and gold in West Coast-Style IPA, the most competitive category in the competition, is a testament to our brewers’ skill,” said Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild.

River North Brewery led Colorado brewers with three awards, marking the second consecutive year it has done so. Several breweries extended multi-year award streaks, and six breweries earned their first World Beer Cup medals.

Gold medal winners:

• River North Brewery: Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun (Coffee Beer)
• Bull & Bush Brewery: Ghoul Fuel-Rum Diaries Edition (Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer)
• Ska Brewing: True Blonde (English-Style Pale Ale)
• Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.: Project Alpha 81 (West Coast-Style India Pale Ale)

Silver medal winners:

• River North Brewery: Pumpkin Spice J. Marie (Pumpkin/Squash or Pumpkin Spice Beer)
• River North Brewery: Espresso Hello Darkness (Coffee Stout or Porter)
• Bull & Bush Brewery: Kauai Pie (Dessert or Pastry Beer)
• Odell Brewing Company: Friek (Fruited American-Style Sour Ale)
• Peculier: Barenbrau Bock (German-Style Bock or Maibock)
• Hideaway Park Brewery: Little Mac (Australian-Style Pale Ale)
• Verboten Brewing: Grow Old With You (Barley Wine-Style Ale)
• Westbound & Down – Westbound Mill: Trade Deficit (Export Stout)
• Telluride Brewing: Face Down Brown (American-Style Brown Ale)
• Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.: Mindbender (American-Style Strong Pale Ale)
• Crystal Springs Brewing Co.: Mosaic Madness (West Coast-Style India Pale Ale)

Bronze medal winners:

• Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria: Agua Fresca (Fruit Beer)
• Liquid Mechanics Brewing Company: El Poblano Borracho (Chili Beer)
• The Empourium Brewing Company: Animals Strikes Curious Poses (Honey Beer)
• The Post Brewing Co.: East County Fine Malt Liquor (Other Strong Beer)
• Ratio Beerworks: Dear You (American-Belgo-Style Ale)
• Stodgy Brewing Company: Gin Barrel Sour Red (American-Style Sour or Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer)
• Lone Tree Brewing Company: Mexican Lager (Mexican-Style Pale Lager)
• 12Degree Brewing: Cactus Juice (Berliner-Style Weisse)