California leads U.S. in World Beer Cup medals
Beers from brewing companies in The Golden State rack up 76 awards at the Olympics of Beer, more than any single state this year
The Brewers Association (BA) announced the winners of the 2025 World Beer Cup during an award ceremony held at the close of the Craft Brewers Conference this past week in Indianapolis, Indiana. Known as the “Olympics of Beer,” the World Beer Cup competition, established by the BA in 1996, remains the pinnacle of brewing achievement and celebrates the art and science of brewing.
This year’s World Beer Cup featured an incredible 8,375 entries from 1,761 breweries and cideries across 49 countries. A total of 349 medals were awarded across 112 beer style categories, including gold, silver, and bronze.
California breweries once again secured the most medals at this year’s World Beer Cup, with an impressive 76 awards in categories like Juicy or Hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, American-Style IPA, Cream Ale, Barrel-Aged Strong Beer and Session IPA. This achievement reinforces the state’s continued leadership and innovation in the craft beer industry, showcasing the exceptional quality and creativity.
The California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) celebrates the outstanding achievements of California breweries, including its member breweries, who took home well-deserved medals at the World Beer Cup.
“We are excited to see the creativity in craft beer coming from across the world, but we are proud to say that California is still the gold standard for craft beer quality and innovation,” said CCBA Executive Director Kelsey McQuaid-Craig. “We saw both longtime and newer breweries getting much deserved recognition from the World Beer Cup. This is a great time to visit craft breweries across the State to taste award-winning beer.”