Almost 1,900 entries were received for the Canada Beer Cup, the commercial beer and cider competition organized by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association . The Association boasts a membership of about 700 of the approximately 1,200 breweries in Canada. Although the United States boasts over 9,000 breweries, Canada has more breweries per capita, making it a more competitive environment.

Those almost 1,900 entries were more than were received for the 2025 Canada Beer Cup and the 2024 Canada Beer Cup , bucking a global trend toward fewer entries in brewing competitions.

“We are thrilled entries were up once again,” said Hilary Hoogsteen, Canada Beer Cup competition director for the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, in a telephone interview. “We are one of the only beer competitions globally that is growing.” Hoogsteen noted that entry fees for the competition go to the Association, so breweries entering the competition are supporting the organization that promotes their industry and lobbies on their behalf. Notably, Canada had another national beer competition, the Canadian Brewing Awards , which was not held this year.

Hoogsteen noted that entries in IPA categories remained strong and entries in lager categories grew, mirroring a similar trend at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup . But unique to the competition, the Canada Beer Cup also has a category for Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale. Entries in that category nearly doubled from the year prior, evidencing a growing interest in that beer style among Canadian breweries.

Here are the winners of the 2026 Canada Beer Cup.

Best of Show – Canada Beer Cup

Gold – Twin City Brewing Company Tickity Boo

Silver – Sons of Kent Brewing Co. Mammoth

Bronze – Smithers Brewing Company Let’s Get Ready To Crumble!

Silver – Sea Cider Ginger Perry

Bronze – Wooden Gate Cider Three Spirits

House Ale (LalBrew House Ale)

Gold – Twin City Brewing Company Tickity Boo

Silver – Lone Oak Brewing Company Boat Traffic

Bronze – Lone Oak Brewing Company Gateway

Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale

Gold – Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. Spruce Tip Pale Ale

Silver – Small Gods Brewing Wild Places - Spruce Tip Pale Ale

Bronze – Twin City Brewing Company Spruce Tip Swedish Gymnast

Non Alcoholic Beer (less than 1%)

Gold – Persephone Brewing Company NA Dry Irish Stout

Silver – Siboire Discipline Framboise

Bronze – Better Brother Brewing Co. NA Raspberry Lime Kettle Sour

Gold – Graystone Brewing Graystone Light

Silver – The Establishment Brewing Company Chaise Longue

Bronze – Dageraad Brewing Tous Les Jours

Gold – Four Winds Brewing Co. Four Winds Light

Silver – Neighbourhood Brewing Amigos Crisp Lager

Bronze – Kahnawake Brewing Company Bridge Ultra

Gold – Shaketown Brewing Pre-Prohibition Pilsner

Silver – Two Pillars Brewery Pillar Time Lager

Bronze – Trailway Brewing Company Fetch Lager

Gold – Poco Brothers Brewing Co. Rice Lager

Silver – The Beer Farmers Locals Only Lager

Bronze – The Patch Brewery Laity Lager

Gold – Parallel 49 Brewing Craft Pilsner

Silver – Grand River Brewing Czech Pilsner

Bronze – Quayle’s Brewery Through Elaborate Process

Pale Malty European Lager

Gold – The Beer Farmers Munich Helles

Silver – Smithers Brewing Company Smithersbräu Festbier

Bronze – Flying Monkeys Kryptonite 7.0 Smooth Lager

Gold – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Caddy

Silver – Deadfall Brewing Company Cache Kölsch

Bronze – Dageraad Brewing Rise Up

Gold – Fuggles Beer Co. Pixel Pilsner

Silver – Burdock Brewery Pocket Pilsner

Bronze – Darty Brewing Bravo Pilsner

Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Ocean View

Silver – Last Best Brewing & Distilling New Zealand Pilsner

Bronze – Patina Brewing Co. Italian Pilsner

Gold – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Oktoberfest Märzen-Lager

Silver – Beva Brewing Baja Oscura

Bronze – Gladstone Brewing Co. Gladstone Marzen

Gold – Silversmith Brewing Company The Black Lager

Silver – Bayview Brewing Company Call Of The Loon

Bronze – Trolley 5 (Collaboration with New Level Brewing) Crazy Train

German and American Wheat Beer

Gold – Pile O’ Bones Brewing White IPA

Silver – Silversmith Brewing Company Wheat

Bronze – Mariner Brewing Hefeweizen

Gold – Strange Fellows Brewing Jongleur Wit Beer

Silver – MicroBrasserie Charlevoix Blanche De Charlevoix

Bronze – Microbrasserie La Souche Stadacona

Gold – Two Pillars Brewery Two Pillars Pale

Silver – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Golden Sasquatch

Bronze – Wild Winds Brewery Windflower - Belgian Blond

Gold – Village Green Nelson Table Beer

Silver – Dageraad Brewing Field Theory

Bronze – Serious Brewing Company Cape Sutil Saison

Gold – Dageraad Brewing Antigoon

Silver – Frampton Brasse Nuit D’automne

Bronze – Bent Stick Brewing Co. 2025: A Space Quadyssey

English Bitter and Pale Ale

Gold – Niagara College Teaching Brewery NC Craft Bitter

Silver – Kahnawake Brewing Company Hard Day’s Work

Bronze – Deadfall Brewing Company Best Bitter

Gold – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Canoe Chase IPA

Silver – Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom

Bronze – PEI Brewing Company Gahan 1772

Gold – Rafter R Brewing Company Rafter R English Dark Mild

Silver – Smithers Brewing Company Bootlegger Brown Ale

Bronze – Hoyne Brewing Dark Matter

Gold – Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés Grosse Ile

Silver – Fernie Brewing Co. Ridgewalk Red Ale

Bronze – North Brewing Cole Harbour Red

Gold – Side Quest Brewing Co. Elder Gods

Silver – Parallel 49 Brewing Craft Stout

Bronze – Dusk To Dawn Brewing Co. Lucky Symbol

Gold – Cannery Brewing Company Muse Pale Ale

Silver – Foghorn Brewing Company Bumble

Bronze – Stockyards Brewing Between Jobs Session IPA

Gold – Pistols Brewery Big Hoss

Silver – Driftwood Brewery Driftwood Juicy IPA

Bronze – Powerhouse Brewing Company Generator

Gold – Bogside Brewing Shuckers Select IPA

Silver – Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Grapefruit Kush

Bronze – L’Ironie du 13 Où Est Scott?

Hazy Pale Ale and Session Hazy IPA

Gold – Five Roads Brewing Backseat Driver

Silver – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Night Gallery

Bronze – Foghorn Brewing Company Tabula Rasa

Gold – Trench Brewing & Distilling Wicked River

Silver – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Hi-Fi

Bronze – Microbrasserie Jackalhop (Collaboration with Brewskey) Pentagone

Gold – Rebellion Brewing Co. Zilla Black IPA

Silver – Tool Shed Brewing Company The Rye Who Loved Me

Bronze – Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co. French Bay IPA

Gold – Smithers Brewing Company House Of Commons Canada Common

Silver – Quayle’s Brewery Simcoe Sundown

Bronze – Nokomis Craft Ales Nokomis Pale Ale

Gold – Deadfall Brewing Company Basal Brown Ale

Silver – Troubled Monk Open Road

Bronze – R&B Brewing Raven Cream Ale

American Porter and Stout

Gold – Medicine Hat Brewing Company Gentlemen’s Stout

Silver – Abandoned Rail Brewing Co. Bellhop - Porter

Bronze – Medicine Hat Brewing Company Brick And Mortar Porter

Gold – Polyrhythm Brewing LP Imperial Stout

Silver – Obsolete Brewing Co. Jobsolete - Light Keeper Stout

Bronze – Frampton Brasse Stout Imperial Russe

Gold – Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company Okami Kasu - Japanese Ale

Silver – Schoolhouse Brewery Valedictorian Blonde

Bronze – Polyrhythm Brewing Backbeat Blonde Ale

Gold – Polyrhythm Brewing Pyrophone Quad Hazy IPA

Silver – Vancouver Island Brewing Hermannator Ice Bock

Bronze – Serious Brewing Company (Collaboration with Checkerhead Brewing) Scotland Yard Barleywine

Gold – Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. Fuzzy Peach

Silver – Four Winds Brewing Co. Nectarous Dry-Hopped Sour

Bronze – Nokomis Craft Ales Nokomis Dry Hopped Sour

Gold – Burn Block Social Club Lavender Haze Lavender Guava Sour

Silver – Bent Stick Brewing Co. Cheeks Out

Bronze – BNA Brewing Co. Purple Rain

Gold – Dageraad Brewing Entropy Series No. 17 - Balaton Sour

Silver – Frampton Brasse Rouge Des Appalaches

Bronze – Spark Beer Cloudland

Gold – Noctem Artisans Brasseurs Calaca Citron

Silver – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Margarita Gose

Bronze – Mountainview Brewing Co. Spruced Up Gose

Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Time Spent

Silver – Blindman Brewing Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison

Bronze – Microbrasserie Jackalhop Origine (Style Geuze)

Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Walking On Sunshine

Silver – La Knowlton Co Five Alive Ale De Blé

Bronze – NWT Brewing Co. Make Lemonade

Gold – Smithers Brewing Company Let’s Get Ready To Crumble!

Silver – Patina Brewing Co. Thai Lager

Bronze – Small Gods Brewing The Long Goodbye - Strawberry Hibiscus Sour

Spice, Herb, & Vegetable Beer

Gold – Shaketown Brewing Rusty’s Chamomile Farmhouse Saison

Silver – 70 Acre Brew Co. Park’d

Bronze – Cold Garden Beverage Company Vanilla Cappuccino Porter

Gold – Garrison Brewing Company Spruce Beer

Silver – Frampton Brasse Das Winter Projekt

Bronze – Brauwerk Hoffman Gratzer

Gold – Sons of Kent Brewing Co. Mammoth

Silver – Spark Beer Amiable

Bronze – Trailway Brewing Company Old Glen

Gold – Tofino Oyster Pilsner

Silver – Microbrasserie La Souche Smoothie Beach - Margarita Aux Bleuets

Bronze – Ferme Brasserie Schoune Érabière Blonde

Gold – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Bread Winner

Silver – Port Rexton Brewing Co. Gluten Free Porter

Bronze – Category 12 Brewing Breakthru Mango Guava Sour

Heritage Cider (Traditional & Tannin-Forward Ciders)

Gold – Slaughterhouse Craft Traditional Dry (2024)

Silver – Sea Cider Pippins

Bronze – Double Hill Cidery Double Hill Symphony

Modern Cider (Contemporary & Sessionable Ciders)

Gold – Lonetree Cider Lonetree Authentic Dry Apple Cider

Silver – Wooden Gate Cider Hidden Rose

Bronze – Thornbury Craft Co. Thornbury Premium Apple Cider

Gold – Thornbury Craft Co. Thornbury Wild Blueberry Elderflower Apple Cider

Silver – Atmosphere Cider Company Purple Rain

Bronze – Wooden Gate Cider Union

Gold – Sea Cider Ginger Perry

Silver – Wards Cider Wards Orchard Rosé Cider

Bronze – Spot On Cider So Pitted Crab Apricot Cider

Silver – Slaughterhouse Craft Ice Cider (2023)

Bronze – Crossmount Cider Company Crossmount Prairie Frost Ice Cider

Gold – Wooden Gate Cider Three Spirits

Silver – East Coast Cider Company | Annapolis Brewing Company Tide & Vine Rosé Cider

Bronze – Spot On Cider High Falutin Oak & Vanilla Cider

The Canada Beer Cup also awards medals for packaging design. These awards are judged by a panel of design and marketing judges.

Here are the winners of the 2026 Canada Beer Cup packaging awards.

Gold – Blindman Brewing Lil Buzz

Silver – Curious Creatures Beer Corp. Fish Lift

Bronze – Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company Loose Plans

Gold – Big Rock Brewery Main Lineup

Silver – Brasserie La Fosse Bières Des Grands Espaces

Bronze – Beva Brewing Fruited Saisons Series

Packaging Community Collaboration

Gold – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Cassette

Silver – Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse Lava Bed Red Ale

Bronze – Origin Malting & Brewing Baredown Premium Lager