NC Brewers Cup Competition Results!
North Carolina’s largest beer competition releases results!
2026 marked the 15th anniversary of the NC Brewers Cup competition, administered by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild and sponsored by Pro Refrigeration, Inc., Tryon Distributing, and G&A Partners. This year, 898 entries were submitted from 119 independent North Carolina craft breweries, making this the largest commercial competition in the Southeast. Check out your winners below!
Gold Medalists
"The Great British Beak Off" — King Canary Brewing Company (British Pale & Bitter Ale)
"Skull Cutter" – Ghostface Brewing (Scottish & Irish Beer)
"Simple Jack" – Blackbird Brewery (British-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Weather Re-Porter" – Riverside Rhapsody Beer Company (American-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Float On" — Triple C Brewing Company (American-Style Amber/Red Ale)
"Mile Marker" — Eno River Brewing (Stouts)
"Imperial Stout" — Diatribe Brewing Company (Imperial Stouts & Porters)
"Great Scotch!" – North South Brewing Company (Strong Ale & Imperial IPA)
"Drop Bear Australian Pale Ale" – Happy Valley Filling Station (Session IPA & International Style Pale Ale or IPA)
"Beach Time" – Wilmington Brewing Company (American Pale Ale)
"Wedding Crasher" – Hoptown Brewing Company (American-Style IPA)
"Ramp 72" – 1718 Brewing-Ocracoke (Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale)
"Gulls Gone Wild" – Swells'a Brewing (Juicy or Hazy IPA)
"Hatteras Vice" – Swells'a Brewing (West Coast-Style IPA)
"ALTeration" — Mountain Layers Brewing Company (European Hybrid Styles)
"Green Man White Beard White Ale" — Green Man Brewery (European Wheat (and Related) Beer)
"Table Beer" – The Glass Jug Beer Lab (Belgian Ales)
"New Slang" – Americana Beer Company (Saison)
"Primeval Atom" – The Glass Jug Beer Lab (Belgian Strong Ale / Monastic Ale)
"More than a Pils" — Gilde Brewery (German-Style Pilsener)
"Inczechtorgadget" – Brunswick Beer and Cider (Czech-Style Pale Lager & Italian-Style Pilsener)
"Oktoberfest" – Salty Turtle Beer Company (German-Style Oktoberfest/Festbier)
"Ofest" – Incendiary Brewing Company (German-Style Maerzen)
"Leland Light" — Leland Brewing Co (Light International Lager)
"Fray" — Oaklyn Springs Brewery (Pale European Lager)
"Cloak & Dagger" — Incendiary Brewing Company (Amber European Lager)
"Late Czech Out" – Pilot Brewing Company (Dark European Lager & German-Style Bock)
"Small Fires" – Little Brother Brewing (North American-Style Lager)
"Buck's Frosty Balls" – Buck Bald Brewing (Pilsner-Style & Hoppy Lager)
"She Sells Seashells by the Sea Schwarz" – Brunswick Beer and Cider (North American-Style Amber & Dark Lager)
"User Friendly" – Little Brother Brewing (Other American Pale Lagers & Ales)
"Stella Blue" – Ghost Harbor Brewing Company (Fruit Beer)
"Thanks Ma" – Edge City Brewery (Sour Fruit or Field Beer)
"Cawfee" – Oak City Brewing Company (Coffee Beer)
"Lager for a Sushi Restaurant" – Lenny Boy Brewing Co. (Field & Spiced Beers)
"Gose" – Ponysaurus Brewing Co. (American & European-Style Sour Ales / Brett, Mixed Culture & Wild Ales)
"Bossloper" – Atomic Clock Brewing Company (Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer)
"Dark Rye Lager" – Diatribe Brewing Company (Specialty Beer)
"Talk Derby to Me, Kentucky Common" – Fishtowne Brew House (Historic Beer & Smoke Beer)
"Wobbly Giant" – Hoptown Brewing Company (NC Home-Grown)
Silver Medalists
"Yarnburner" — Neoteric Brewing Company (British Pale & Bitter Ale)
"Dawn of the Red" — Neoteric Brewing Company (Scottish & Irish Beer)
"Black Cat" — Lost Province Brewing Co (British-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Lazy Bird Brown" — Birdsong Brewing Co (American-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Gaelic" — Highland Brewing Company (American-Style Amber/Red Ale)
"Dark and Stormy" — Whalehead Brewery (Stouts)
"Black Forest Admiral" — Tobacco Wood Brewing Company (Imperial Stouts & Porters)
"Pillow Fight" — Lost Province Brewing Co (Strong Ale & Imperial IPA)
"Hop Drop Light" — NoDa Brewing Co. (Session IPA & International Style Pale Ale or IPA)
"3C IPA" — Triple C Brewing Company (American Pale Ale)
"JADE IPA" — Foothills Brewing (American-Style IPA)
"Electric Camino" — Wilmington Brewing Company (Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale)
"Lil' SLURP" — NoDa Brewing Co. (Juicy or Hazy IPA)
"Cold Open" — Edit Beer Co. (West Coast-Style IPA)
"Waterline Kolsch" — Waterline Brewing Co. (European Hybrid Styles)
"Civil Rest" — Little Brother Brewing (European Wheat and Related Beer)
"Small Habit" — Twin Leaf Brewery (Belgian Ales)
"Petite Saison" — Trophy Brewing Company – Maywood (Saison)
"Tripel" — Oak City Brewing Company (Belgian Strong Ale / Monastic Ale)
"Bobby Beer" — Oklawaha Brewing Company (German-Style Pilsener)
"Fire In The Mole" — Mad Mole Brewing LLC (Czech-Style Pale Lager & Italian-Style Pilsener)
"Overlook" — Booneshine Brewing Company (German-Style Oktoberfest/Festbier)
"Morrow Mountain Marzen" — Uwharrie Brewing (German-Style Maerzen)
"Más Elote Mexican Style Lager" — Outer Dunes Brewing Company (Light International Lager)
"Hundert" — The Bier Garden (Pale European Lager)
"Lucky's Lager" — Fullsteam Brewery (Amber European Lager)
"Zuganator" — Seaboard Brewing (Dark European Lager & German-Style Bock)
"Maize Runner" — Salt Face Mule Brewing Company (North American-Style Lager)
"Mosey On Over" — Salt Face Mule Brewing Company (Pilsner-Style & Hoppy Lager)
"La Vida Coastal" — Cape Side Brewing (North American-Style Amber & Dark Lager)
"Sweet Wings" — Hoptown Brewing Company (Other American Pale Lagers & Ales)
"Carolina Quencher" — NoDa Brewing Co. (Fruit Beer)
"Black Hole Blender" — HopFly Brewing Company (Sour Fruit or Field Beer)
"Coffee Stout" — Diatribe Brewing Company (Coffee Beer)
"The Fire Within" — Twin Leaf Brewery (Field & Spiced Beers)
"The Way Life Gose Kettle Sour Ale" — Pitt Street Brewing Co. (American & European-Style Sour Ales / Brett, Mixed Culture & Wild Ales)
"Bluegrass Walker" — Olde Hickory Brewery (Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer)
"Rye Of Passage Barley Wine Ale" — bmc brewing (Specialty Beer)
"Lost In Bavaria" — Lost Province Brewing Co (Historic Beer & Smoke Beer)
"Berry My Troubles in Cheesecake" — Mountain Layers Brewing Company (NC Home-Grown)
Bronze Medalists
"English Dark Mild" — Diatribe Brewing Company (British-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Points North Porter" — Ecusta Brewing Company (American-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"1908 Amber Ale" — Surf City Brewing Company (American-Style Amber/Red Ale)
"Oatmeal Stout" — Mountain Layers Brewing Company (Stouts)
"Vices: Wildflower Honey" — Bright Penny Brewing Company (Imperial Stouts & Porters)
"Forest Hills" — Olde Hickory Brewery (Strong Ale & Imperial IPA)
"She'll Be Right NZ XPA" — Waterline Brewing Co. (Session IPA & International Style Pale Ale or IPA)
"Dead West" — Oklawaha Brewing Company (American Pale Ale)
"Frank the Dank" — Lenny Boy Brewing Co. (American-Style IPA)
"Mist Hopportunity" — Primal Brewery (Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale)
"Supernaut IPA" — Happy Valley Filling Station (Juicy or Hazy IPA)
"Citranova IPA" — Highland Brewing Company (West Coast-Style IPA)
"Kolsch" — Oaklyn Springs Brewery (European Hybrid Styles)
"Baddies In The Bathtub Belgian-Style Wit Ale" — Pitt Street Brewing Co. (European Wheat and Related Beer)
"Jalapeño" — HopFly Brewing Company (Saison)
"Net House" — Fishtowne Brew House (Belgian Strong Ale / Monastic Ale)
"German Pilsner" — Divine Barrel Brewing (German-Style Pilsener)
"Quintessential Gambini" — Town Brewing Co (Czech-Style Pale Lager & Italian-Style Pilsener)
"Dune Bräu Festbier Lager" — Outer Dunes Brewing Company (German-Style Oktoberfest/Festbier)
"Oktoberfest Marzen" — Hoptown Brewing Company (German-Style Maerzen)
"Cerveza" — Flytrap Brewing (Light International Lager)
"Munich Helles" — Whistle Hop Brewing Company (Pale European Lager)
"Bunsen" — The Glass Jug Beer Lab (Amber European Lager)
"Baltic Porter" — Riverside Rhapsody Beer Company (Dark European Lager & German-Style Bock)
"Leisure Suds" — HopFly Brewing Company (North American-Style Lager)
"Forever Thirsty" — Edge City Brewery (Pilsner-Style & Hoppy Lager)
"Bier 4 Dads" — The Bier Garden (North American-Style Amber & Dark Lager)
"Euchre" — Lost Worlds Brewing Company (Other American Pale Lagers & Ales)
"Sky Lime" — Clouds Brewing (Fruit Beer)
"Bluebie McSourface" — North South Brewing Company (Sour Fruit or Field Beer)
"Roasted" — Raleigh Brewing (Coffee Beer)
"Vantablack #3" — Surf City Brewing Company (Field & Spiced Beers)
"Sapling Jack" — Cellarest Beer Project (American & European-Style Sour Ales / Brett, Mixed Culture & Wild Ales)
"Saison Blanc" — Brewery Bhavana (Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer)
"Unspoken Oath" — Black Mountain Brewing and Distilling LLC (Specialty Beer)
"Smokeback Browntain" — Bearded Bee Brewing Company (Historic Beer & Smoke Beer)
"Oaks Lime" — Steel String Brewery (NC Home-Grown)
Honorable Mentions
"Porter's Neck" — Compass Rose Brewery (American-Style Porter & Brown Ales)
"Mongo Imperial Stout" — Ecusta Brewing Company (Imperial Stouts & Porters)
"Shaky Isles" — Americana Beer Company (Session IPA & International Style Pale Ale or IPA)
"False Alarm" — HopFly Brewing Company (American-Style IPA)
"Hazy Pitch IPA" — Hi-Wire Brewing (Juicy or Hazy IPA)
"Earthly Remains" — Trophy Brewing Company – Maywood (Belgian Ales)
"Hell Yes Ma'am" — Raleigh Brewing (Belgian Strong Ale / Monastic Ale)
"Precipitation" — Clouds Brewing (German-Style Pilsener)
"RDM Dortmunder Lager" — Bull City Burger and Brewery (Pale European Lager)
"Northside Black Lager" — Compass Rose Brewery (Dark European Lager & German-Style Bock)
"Uno Más" — Lenny Boy Brewing Co. (North American-Style Lager)
"Breweries Make It Better" — Atomic Clock Brewing Company (Pilsner-Style & Hoppy Lager)
"Maverick's Afterburner" — Tar Banks Brewing Company (North American-Style Amber & Dark Lager)
"Cotton Blonde" — Cabarrus Brewing Company & Towel City Tavern (Other American Pale Lagers & Ales)
"Tie-Dye Sky: POG" — Leland Brewing Co (Sour Fruit or Field Beer)
"Pretentious Coffee Lager" — Wrightsville Beach Brewery (Coffee Beer)
"Heat Seeking Pickle" — Lower Left Brewing Company (Field & Spiced Beers)
"Sisu" — Cellarest Beer Project (American & European-Style Sour Ales / Brett, Mixed Culture & Wild Ales)
"BBA Morningstar" — Oaklyn Springs Brewery (Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer)
"Shuckin' Off" — Surf City Brewing Company (Specialty Beer)
"Pleasing Tony Italian Pilsner" — Little Brother Brewing (Historic Beer & Smoke Beer)

