As one would expect, the San Diego County Fair Craft Brew Competition (previously the San Diego International Beer Competition) brings in a large number of entries from brewing companies in its namesake region. Resultantly, local operations tend to rack up scores of medals. Both trends held true for the 2026 competition, which saw San Diego County breweries and brewpubs haul in an impressive 82 medals, including 31 golds (six more than last year’s total for the county) in a field of 58 categories covering different beer and beverage (hard seltzer, cider, mead) categories. Local businesses also amassed 30 silver medals, 21 bronzes and a pair of honorable mentions.
Of the 34 local brewing companies to medal this year, none came close to matching the performance of Carlsbad-based Pizza Port Brewing. Brewers from four of its local brewpubs combined for 15 medals – seven gold, five silver and three bronze. Additionally, Pizza Port Imperial Beach’s Schwarzbier, which came out on top in the Dark Lager category, was named Best of Show, and the company’s Ocean Beach location was named Brewery of the Year behind a five-medal performance that included golds in German-style Weiss Beer, Hefeweizen and International-style Pilsener. Pizza Port Solana Beach earned the most total medals out of its sister brewpubs with six.
Other breweries which fared exceptionally well were El Cajon’s Burning Beard Brewing, which earned six medals, two of which were gold, and swept the entire Belgian Sour Ale category with a trio of barrel-aged beers: In Praise of Flanders, Gueuzapalooza and In Praise of Bacchus. Carlsbad-based Burgeon Beer Co. brought home five medals (two gold), while four apiece went to East Village Brewing (two gold), Alpine’s Mcilhenney Brewing (two gold), Mission Valley’s San Diego Brewing Co. (one gold) and Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (two golds).
In addition to Burning Beard’s single-handed sweep, San Diego County entities combined to box out out-of-towners in nine other categories: Amber & Red Ales, Brown Ale, Dark Lager, Dessert Stout, Fruit Seltzer, German-style Weiss Beer, Hefeweizen, Smoked Beer and International-style Pilsener. Locals not only earned gold, silver and bronze in the latter, but also the category’s lone honorable mention.
The following is a complete list of local winners from this year’s competition…
Champion Brewery Award
Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Best of Show
Dark Lager: Schwarzbier, Pizza Port Brewing (Imperial Beach)
Gold Medals (31)
Amber & Red Ales: Redwood Remedy, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
American-style Amber Lager: Sawmill Steam, Barley & Sword Brewing (Escondido)
American-style Hazy Pale & Hazy Imperial IPA: Hibiscus Haze, Fox Point Brewing (Encinitas)
American-/style India Pale Ale: Treevana, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
American-style Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: Hopduken, BattleMage Brewing (Vista)
Belgian Sour Ale: In Praise of Flanders, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
Belgian-style Pale Strong Ale: Le Village, Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad)
British-style Bitters: Chronic, Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad)
Brown Ale: Stone Lifeblood, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
Chili Beer: Couple’s Therapy, OB Brewery (Ocean Beach)
Coffee Beer: Tweaky Buggah, Kairoa Brewing (University Heights)
Cream & Blonde Ale: Zapo Agave Beer Cream Ale, All Things Agave (Miramar)
Dark Lager: Schwarzbier, Pizza Port Brewing (Imperial Beach)
Dessert Stout: Electroform, The Original 40 Brewing (North Park)
European-style Amber Lager: Ka pala Special, East Village Brewing (East Village)
Fruit Beer: Sun Path Peach, AleSmith Brewing (Miramar)
Fruit Seltzer: Tangelo Seltzer, San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley)
German-style Ale: In Reverse, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
German-style Weiss Beer: Paloma Sour, Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Hefeweizen: Flying Hawaiian, Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Imperial Stout: Postmodern Prometheus: Godfather, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
International-style Pilsener: Baja Malibu, Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Irish-style Red Ale: Beoir Dearg, Barley & Sword Brewing (Escondido)
Light Lager: Lager Del Sur, Mike Hess Brewing (North Park)
New Zealand IPA: Modern Love, TapRoom Beer Co. (North Park)
Porter: Oaty McOatface, East Village Brewing (East Village)
Session Beer: Micro-Fu!, North Park Beer Co. (North Park)
Smoked Beer: Stone Peaty Party, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
West Coast-style India Pale Ale: All Gas, No Brakes, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
Wood & Barrel Aged Beer: Baron’s Best, Night Parade Brewing (Scripps Ranch)
Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout: BBA Molotov Special, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
Silver Medals (30)
Amber & Red Ales: Delmartian Amber, Viewpoint Brewing (Del Mar)
American-style Amber Lager: Puesto Amber, Puesto Cerveceria (Mission Valley)
American-style India Pale Ale: Aurora Hoppyalis, Karl Strauss Brewing (Pacific Beach)
American-style Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale: Muntz, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
American-style Strong Pale Ale: Wizards Wand, Mcilhenney Brewing (Alpine)
Belgian Sour Ale: Gueuzapalooza, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
Bitter: Orkney Ale, Barley & Sword Brewing (Escondido)
Brown Ale: Oscar Wanted a Brown Ale, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
Coffee Beer: Oscar with Coffee, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
Coffee Porter or Stout: The Beer is Dark and Full of Terrors, BattleMage Brewing (Vista)
Dark Lager: Negra, Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch)
Dessert Stout: Postmodern Prometheus: Sidecar, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
English & American-style Pale Ale: Triton, Prohibition Brewing (Vista)
Experimental Beer: Chocolate Macadamia Stout, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
Fruit Seltzer: State Street Seltzer, Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad)
German-style Ale: Dawn Patrol, Dogleg Brewing (Vista)
German-style Weiss Beer: Gale Force, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
Hefeweizen: Abso-hefin’-lutely!, East Village Brewing (East Village)
Imperial Stout: Brew for Ukraine, Kilowatt Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
International-style Pilsener: Tora!, Fall Brewing (Miramar)
Irish-style Red Ale: Red Rattler, Rincon Reservation Road Brewery (Valley Center)
Light Lager: Crone Zone, Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch)
Mexican Light Lager: Invita, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
New Zealand IPA: NZ-Fu!, North Park Beer Co. (North Park)
Session Beer: Guillaume, Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Smoked Beer: Rauch Me, OB Brewery (Ocean Beach)
Specialty Beer: Double Fest, MacDaddy Brewing (Escondido)
Specialty IPA – Cold IPA & Black IPA: Chilly Bin, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
Specialty Stout: Oats, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
Wheat & Field Beer: Broken Chairs with Coconut, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
Bronze Medals (21)
Amber & Red Ales: Summon Ifrit, BattleMage Brewing (Vista)
American Sour Ale or Wood & Barrel Aged Sour: Tart Cherry, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
American-style Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale: COG Bomb, East Village Brewing (East Village)
American-style Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale: Life of Layers, Chula Vista Brewery (Chula Vista)
Belgian Sour Ale: In Praise of Bacchus, Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon)
Belgian-style Dark Ale: Dolphin of the Desert, Julian Beer Co. (Julian)
Bold Stout: Stonewall Stout, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
Brown Ale: Old Town Nut Brown, San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley)
Cream & Blonde Ale: Penny Blonde, Booze Brothers Brewing (Vista)
Dark Lager: Schwarz Board, Fox Point Brewing (Encinitas)
Dessert Stout: San Diego Night Scenes, San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley)
French, Hybrid Belgian & Belgian-style Pale Ale: Stone DayFall, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
Fruit Beer: Stone Notorious P.O.G., Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
Fruit Seltzer: Clear Conditions, Ketch Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
German-style Weiss Beer: Junk In Da Trunkel Dunkel, Pizza Port Brewing (Ocean Beach)
Hefeweizen: Battles for Bavaria, San Diego Brewing Co. (Mission Valley)
Imperial India Pale Ale: Mixed Greens, Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad)
International-style Pilsener: Japanese Lager, Harland Brewing (Scripps Ranch)
Mexican Light Lager: Gringo Loco, Prohibition Brewing (Vista)
Porter: Broken Chairs, Pizza Port Brewing (Solana Beach)
Smoked Beer: One Night in Bamberg, Nickel Beer Co. (Julian)
Honorable Mentions
International-style Pale Ale: Stone Pucks & Pints 8, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station (Point Loma)
International-style Pilsener: Surf Punk, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)