The Best Beers In America, According To The 2026 Great American Beer Festival
California and Michigan producers earned major recognition at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy and Pleasant Hill alongside Fieldwork of Berkeley delivered strong performances in the competition. Michigan operations Mothfire, Founders, and Bearded Lamb secured gold medals. Meanwhile, Chicago area brewers also registered significant wins at the event. Organizers highlighted the Craft Malt Beer category as a specialty class recognizing top beers utilizing malts from Craft Maltsters Guild member malthouses.
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- ✓ Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy and Pleasant Hill and Fieldwork of Berkeley made impressive showings at the competition.
- ✓ Michigan breweries Mothfire, Founders, and Bearded Lamb won gold medals at the festival.
- ✓ Chicago area brewers went big at the Great American Beer Festival.
- ✓ The 2026 Great American Beer Festival named the top three craft beers that showcased craft malt from Craft Maltsters Guild member malthouses in a specialty category.
What changed
New regional results identify specific gold medal winners in Michigan and strong performances by California and Chicago area producers.
Live updates
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California And Michigan Breweries Score At 2026 Beer Festival
California and Michigan producers earned major recognition at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy and Pleasant Hill alongside Fieldwork of Berkeley delivered strong performances in the competition. Michigan operations Mothfire, Founders, and Bearded Lamb secured gold medals. Meanwhile, Chicago area brewers also registered significant wins at the event. Organizers highlighted the Craft Malt Beer category as a specialty class recognizing top beers utilizing malts from Craft Maltsters Guild member malthouses.
Why it matters
The annual competition in Denver highlights top producers across the country, showcasing regional standouts from the Midwest to the West Coast. Specialty categories such as craft malt entries bring additional focus to ingredient sourcing within the evolving brewing industry. These results add to regional tallies established during the ongoing awards cycle.
What is confirmed
- Morgan Territory Brewing of Tracy and Pleasant Hill and Fieldwork of Berkeley made impressive showings at the competition.
- Michigan breweries Mothfire, Founders, and Bearded Lamb won gold medals at the festival.
- Chicago area brewers went big at the Great American Beer Festival.
- The 2026 Great American Beer Festival named the top three craft beers that showcased craft malt from Craft Maltsters Guild member malthouses in a specialty category.
What to watch next
- Full regional medal breakdowns for California and Illinois producers
- Official complete brewery rankings from the Denver event
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (6)
- www.nytimes.com — The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos
- www.mercurynews.com — California, Bay Area win big at the 2026 Great American Beer ...
- www.wxyz.com — 3 Michigan breweries win gold medals at Great American Beer ...
- www.beeronaut.com — Regional Winners at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival
- radcraftbeer.com — Craft Malt Beer Category Sees Competitive Entries at 2026 ...
- familydestinationsguide.com — This Budget-Friendly Michigan City Lets Gen Z Buy A Home With Just Four Years Of Salary
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Colorado and Washington Lead Medal Counts at 42nd Great American Beer Festival
The 42nd Great American Beer Festival concluded in Denver, Colorado, awarding 336 medals to 243 breweries and cideries. Colorado producers led the winners with 41 medals, while Washington breweries secured 17. Oregon breweries claimed 10% of all medals awarded. Other notable winners include six Ohio breweries that earned nine medals and Local Time Brewing in Holly Springs, North Carolina, which took home a silver medal. The competition took place at a new location in Denver and reflected a changing brewing industry.
Why it matters
The Great American Beer Festival is a premier national competition that identifies the highest quality beers and ciders in the United States. The 2026 event marked the 42nd iteration of the contest. Results are used to benchmark excellence across diverse brewing regions.
What is confirmed
- The 42nd Great American Beer Festival took place in Denver at a new location.
- A total of 243 breweries and cideries won 336 medals.
- Colorado breweries and cideries won 41 medals.
- Washington breweries won 17 medals.
- Oregon breweries earned 10% of all medals.
Still unconfirmed
- Six Ohio breweries won nine medals.
- Local Time Brewing in Holly Springs, North Carolina, won a silver medal.
- A brewery in Cheshire won three medals.
What to watch next
- Publication of the full list of individual beer winners and categories by the Brewers Association
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (32)
- www.forbes.com — Download The Forbes App
- www.bestbuy.com — Best Buy | Official Online Store | Shop Now & Save
- www.bestbuy.com — Best Buy Store Locator: Store Hours, Directions & Events
- dictionary.cambridge.org — BEST | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
- en.wiktionary.org — best - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
- www.yahoo.com — Yahoo
- Forbes — The Best Beers In America, According To The 2026 Great American Beer Festival
- Denver7 — A changing brewing industry mean this year’s Great American Beer Fest has a different look
- newschoolbeer.com — Washington Breweries Win 17 Medals at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival (GABF)
- CBS News — 42nd Great American Beer Festival kicks off in Denver at new location
- Holly Springs Update — Holly Springs’ (NC) Local Time Brewing Wins Silver at Great American Beer Festival
- www.brewersassociation.org — Here Are the Nation’s Best Beers and Ciders of 2026
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