Winners Announced for North Carolina’s Largest Beer Competition
A record-breaking year for the NC Craft Brewers Cup
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild proudly announces the results of the 2025 NC Brewers Cup competition. Now in its 14th year, this premier competition, supported by Pro Refrigeration, Tryon Distributing, Lowes Foods, and G&A Partners, attracted a record 935 entries from 123 North Carolina’s independent craft breweries, marking it as the Southeast’s largest commercial beer competition.
Organized at Pro Refrigeration, Inc. in Mocksville, NC, and transported by Tryon Distributing, the entries were judged simultaneously at Raleigh Brewing Company in Raleigh and White Labs in Asheville over the weekend of August 23rd-24th. Certified judges from across the Southeast assessed the beers based on the 2025 GABF Beer Style Guidelines.
Awards were given in 36 style-based beer categories, including the distinctive NC Homegrown category, which requires at least 55% of the beer’s dry-weight to be sourced from North Carolina. The largest categories of this year’s competition were:
American-Style IPA with 83 entries
Pale European & International Lager with 66 entries
Juicy/Hazy Style IPA with 63 entries
Click here for a printable PDF of all 2025 NC Brewers Cup medalists.
One brewery will be presented with the NC Brewery of the Year trophy. This coveted trophy is awarded to the brewery that scores the most points overall, based on the number of medals won in the competition. The trophy has resided in Charlotte, NC for the 2 past two years, after Divine Barrel won the honor in 2024 and Pilot Brewing in 2023. This year’s winner will be revealed at the NC Beer Industry Awards Banquet taking place on November 18th, 2025, during the NC Craft Brewers Conference.
Want to try our state’s medal-winning beers? Celebrate NC Beer Month this October by visiting one of North Carolina’s craft brewery taprooms. Throughout NC Beer Month, look for events and happenings that highlight the state’s rich brewing culture and unique taproom experiences.
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