The 2026 Colorado Brewers Cup, organized by the Colorado Brewers Guild, stands as a premier professional beer competition dedicated to showcasing the exceptional quality and innovation within Colorado’s vibrant craft brewing scene. As the only event of its kind run entirely by the Guild, it brings together member breweries from across the state to compete in a rigorous judging process. This year’s competition highlighted the diversity and creativity of Colorado’s brewers, with entries spanning a wide array of styles from lagers and IPAs to sours and experimental brews.
Held in conjunction with the Colorado Craft Brewers Summit, the 2026 event took place at the Hyatt Regency in Aurora, CO. Key dates included beer judging from January 9th to 11th, followed by the awards ceremony on the evening of January 23rd. Open exclusively to operating Colorado breweries that are Guild members, the competition saw breweries submitting up to 14 beers each at a cost of $55 per entry. Judges evaluated submissions across 29 categories, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals based on criteria such as flavor, aroma, appearance, and adherence to style guidelines. In total, 87 medals were distributed, reflecting the high caliber of participants.
The Colorado Brewers Cup not only recognizes outstanding beers but also honors the broader contributions to the industry. This year, the Ambassador of Craft award went to Tim Myers of Strange Craft Beer Co. in Denver, celebrating his leadership and commitment to the brewing community.
Breweries of the Year
Two breweries were crowned as standouts for their overall performance:
Small Brewery of the Year: Glenwood Canyon Brewpub, located in Glenwood Springs. This accolade recognizes their consistent excellence across multiple entries, including standout wins in categories like International Pale Lagers and West Coast-Style IPAs.
Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year: WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley. Known for their innovative hazy IPAs and sours, they dominated in hop-forward categories and secured multiple medals, underscoring their influence in the craft beer landscape.
These honors highlight the dedication and skill of these breweries in pushing the boundaries of craft brewing.
Highlights from the 2026 Colorado Brewers Cup Medal Winners
The competition featured fierce rivalry across 29 categories, with medals awarded to a diverse group of breweries from cities like Denver, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs. Below is a comprehensive table of all medal winners, organized by category:
American Pale Lagers
GOLD: Gold in the Buckle – Verboten North Brewpub
SILVER: Mexican Lager – Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria
BRONZE: Louisville Lager – Crystal Springs Brewing
International Pale Lagers
GOLD: Mexican Lager – Lone Tree Brewing
SILVER: Hanging Lake – Glenwood Canyon Brewing
BRONZE: Lightner Creek Lager – Carver Brewing
Pale Bitter European Lagers
GOLD: Prost Winter Lager – Prost Brewing
SILVER: Prost Pilsner – Prost Brewing
BRONZE: Pillow Drops – New Terrain Brewing
Hoppy Pale Lagers
GOLD: Wolf of the Woods – Second Dawn Brewing
SILVER: Xxplosive – Joyride Brewing
BRONZE: Dust Up – Cerebral Brewing
Pale Malty Lagers
GOLD: Everflow – Glenwood Canyon Brewpub
SILVER: Colt 121 – Old 121 Brewhouse
BRONZE: Festbier – Bent Barley Brewing
Amber Lagers
GOLD: King of Luck – Second Dawn Brewing
SILVER: Amber Lager – Elevation Beer
BRONZE: Seedstock Bohemian Dunkel – Seedstock Brewery
Dark Lagers
GOLD: Butt Head Bock – Tommyknocker Brewery
SILVER: Bärenbräu Bock – Peculier Brewing
BRONZE: Dark Matter – Soulcraft Brewing
Pale Malty Ales
GOLD: Rise and Climb – New Terrain Brewing
BRONZE: Ice Cutter Kölsch – Joyride Brewing
BRONZE: Kingdom Kolsch – Highside Brewing
Session & Pale Ales
GOLD: Trump Hands – Cannonball Creek Brewing
SILVER: Inner Light – Our Mutual Friend Brewing
BRONZE: Colorado Pale Ale – Westbound & Down Brewing
Standard American-Style IPAs
GOLD: Bout Damn Time IPA – 4 Noses Brewing
SILVER: American Idle – Liquid Mechanics Brewing
BRONZE: Just Logic – Verboten North Brewpub
West Coast-Style IPAs
GOLD: I Didn’t Hear No Bell – River North Brewery
SILVER: Vapor Cave IPA – Glenwood Canyon Brewing
BRONZE: Project Alpha – Cannonball Creek Brewing
Standard International & Experimental IPAs
GOLD: Ultimate Showdown – Cerebral Brewing
SILVER: Nuthin’ But a G(uava) Thang – Phantom Canyon Brewing
BRONZE: Colorful Colorado IPA – Left Hand Brewing
Hazy IPAs
GOLD: DDH Hollow Fang – Cerebral Brewing
SILVER: Juicy Bits – WeldWerks Brewing
BRONZE: Trailhead Fog – Living the Dream Brewing
Strong & Imperial Hoppy Beers
GOLD: JuicyFish – WeldWerks Brewing
SILVER: Extra Extra Juicy Bits – WeldWerks Brewing
BRONZE: 1000 Barrels Imperial IPA – Strange Craft Beer Co
Malty North American Beers
GOLD: Midnight Toker – Comrade Brewing
SILVER: Face Down Brown – Telluride Brewing
BRONZE: Power Brake Black IPA – Mash Mechanix Brewing
Classic UK Amber & Brown Ales
GOLD: Young Dukinfield – Salt Road Brewing
SILVER: Dark Mild – Phantom Canyon Brewing
BRONZE: Sawtooth – Left Hand Brewing
Stouts
GOLD: Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout – Bristol Brewing
SILVER: Mr. Sandman – River North Brewery
BRONZE: Old Doods Stout – Odell Brewing
Porters
GOLD: Night Laps – Vail Brewing
SILVER: Oba Pot’a – Barrels & Bottles Brewery
BRONZE: English Porter – Stodgy Brewing
Barleywines & Strong Ales
GOLD: Grow Old With You – Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project
SILVER: Mountain Man – Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project
BRONZE: Scottish Wildcat – Wild Blue Yonder Brewing
Herb, Spice, & Smoked Beers
GOLD: Honey Panda – The Empourium Brewing
SILVER: Bullitt Green Chile – Mash Mechanix Brewing
BRONZE: Sweater Gang – The Post Brewing
Rye & Wheat Beers
GOLD: Dame Blanche – Bruz Beers
SILVER: Hamer Time – Tres Litros Brewing
BRONZE: Haystack Hefe – Fritz Family Brewers
Fruit & Field Beers
GOLD: Blood Orange Kolsch – Crystal Springs Brewing
SILVER: Luna Lucha – TightKnit Brewing
BRONZE: Agua Fresca – Los Dos Potrillos Cerveceria
Belgian & French Pale Ales
GOLD: Windfall Saison – Windfall Brewing
SILVER: Buffalo Blond – Resolute Brewing
BRONZE: Plezant – Hideaway Park Brewery
Belgian & French Strong Ales
GOLD: Naughty Marilyn – Crystal Springs Brewing
SILVER: Abbey Quadrupel – Bruz Beers
BRONZE: Le Bruit du Diable Farmhouse Ale – Strange Craft Beer Company
Sour, Brett, & Wild Ales
GOLD: Grandma J’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – WeldWerks Brewing
SILVER: Desert Runner – New Terrain Brewing
BRONZE: Tributary on Cherries – New Terrain Brewing
Coffee Beers
GOLD: Nightmare Fuel – River North Brewery
SILVER: Golden Roast – Monolith Brewing
BRONZE: Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun – River North Brewery
Chocolate & Dessert Beers
GOLD: Others in Darkness: Coconut Vanilla – Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project
SILVER: Candy Cane Imperial Porter – River North Brewery
BRONZE: Parallel Minds – Cerebral Brewing
Wood & Aged Beers
GOLD: Lift Line Barleywine – Highside Brewing
SILVER: – Rally Round the Family – Liquid Mechanics Brewing
BRONZE: Ember – Hideaway Park Brewery
Experimental & Specialty Beers
GOLD: Camp Zero – 4 Noses Brewing
SILVER: Her Majesty’s Hammer – Phantom Canyon Brewing
BRONZE: Isaac’s Big A** Braggot – Mythmaker Brewing
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