Beer Festival Awards 336 Medals, Moves Outdoors

The 2026 Great American Beer Festival awarded 336 medals after judging 7,267 beer and cider entries from 1,300 breweries and cideries across the country and its territories; fewer than 5% of entries earned medals. Vermont’s von Trapp Brewing won two gold medals for its Pilsner Bohemian Style Lager and Dunkel Dark Lager, while Colorado breweries and cideries earned 41 medals, including 16 golds. Arizona producers won eight medals, led by Phoenix’s Wren House Brewing with two golds, and Ohio breweries earned nine medals, including three for Third Eye Brewing. South Carolina’s Model A Brewing Co. won bronze for Amber Hearth in the Wood and Barrel Aged Beer category, and Charlotte’s Armored Cow Brewing won gold and bronze while Gilde Brewery took two bronze medals. The festival moved outdoors to a new venue in Denver.