Colorado breweries don’t just make some of the best beer in the country, they make some of the best beer in the world. That’s according to the 30th annual World Beer Cup, which announced winners Wednesday night during the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia.
Local beer purveyors made an impressive showing, collecting 26 medals this year, including four gold, up from 21 medals in 2025. Winners were selected from a pool of 8,166 beers submitted from breweries in 50 countries from across the globe, according to competition organizers at the Brewers Association.
The winningest local outfit was Denver’s River North Brewery, which scored three medals: gold for Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun in the coffee beer category, silver for Espresso Hello Darkness in the coffee stout or porter category, and silver for Pumpkin Spice J. Marie in the pumpkin/squash/pumpkin spice category.
Several other breweries won two medals including Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. in Golden, Bull & Bush Brewery in Denver, and New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins.
Also of note, Colorado dominated the competition’s most competitive category, West Coast-style IPA. Out of 293 entries, gold was awarded to Westbound & Down Brewing Co. in Lafayette and silver was awarded to Crystal Springs Brewing Co. in Louisville.
While much of the haul was concentrated with companies on the Front Range, Durango’s Ska Brewing and the namesake Telluride Brewing Co. represented the Western Slope with gold and silver medals, respectively. (Coincidentally, those beers are now brewed at the same facility in Durango.)
“Colorado continues to showcase why we are the state of craft beer. Taking both silver and gold in West Coast-Style IPA, the most competitive category in the competition, is a testament to our brewers’ skill and creativity,” Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild, said in a statement. “And with nine beers earning World Beer Cup medals for at least the second time, it’s clear that Colorado doesn’t just make world-class beer — we make it consistently.”
See the list of local World Cup winners below, or visit the for the full list.
World Cup gold medals
Bull & Bush Brewery – Ghoul Fuel, Rum Diaries Edition; Wood- and barrel-aged beer
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Project Alpha 81; West Coast-style India pale ale
River North Brewery – Squirrels Just Want to Have Fun; Coffee beer
Ska Brewing – True Blonde; English-style pale ale
World Cup silver medals
Bull & Bush Brewery – Kauai Pie; Dessert or pastry beer
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. – Mindbender; American-style strong pale ale
Crystal Springs Brewing Co. – Mosaic Madness; West Coast-style India pale ale
Hideaway Park Brewery – Little Mac; Australian-style pale ale
New Belgium Brewing Co. – Trippel; Belgian-style Tripel
New Belgium Brewing Co. – Dominga Grapefruit Paloma; Fruited American-style sour ale
Peculier Ales – Bärenbräu Bock; German-style Bock or Maibock
Odell Brewing Co. – Friek; Fruited American-style sour ale
River North Brewery – Espresso Hello Darkness; Coffee stout or porter
River North Brewery – Pumpkin Spice J. Marie; Pumpkin/squash or pumpkin spice beer
Telluride Brewing Co. – Face Down Brown; American brown ale
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project – Grow Old With You; Barley Wine-style ale
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. (Westbound Mill) – Trade Deficit; Export stout
World Cup bronze medals
12Degree Brewing – Cactus Juice; Berliner-style Weisse
The Empourium Brewing Co. – Animals Strike Curious Poses; Honey beer
Liquid Mechanics Brewing – El Poblano Borracho; Chili beer
Lone Tree Brewing Co. – Mexican Lager; Mexican-style lager
Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería (Parker) – Agua Fresca; Fruit beer
The Post Brewing Co. – East County Fine Malt Liquor; Other strong beer
Ratio Beerworks – Dear You; American-Belgo-style ale
The Sandlot Brewery (Coors Field) – Key Lime Pie in the Ski; Fruit wheat beer
Stodgy Brewing Co. – Gin Barrel Sour Red; American-style sour or wood and barrel aged sour beer
