We’ve made mention of it numerous times – awards season is in full swing. Not for Hollywood’s glitterati and the hard-working behind-the-scenes who pack in for a pre-ceremony lunch the night before the awards shows. It’s awards season for the brewing industry.
In the six weeks, we’ve relayed results from the European Beer Challenge, San Diego Beer News Awards, San Diego County Fair Craft Brew Competition (SDCFCBC), World Beer Cup and Brewers Cup of California competitions. And, believe it or not, we’re not done. Today, we are sharing the beers and breweries with local ties which placed in the 2026 California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition.
Held in Sacramento each year, this competition is Golden State capital’s equivalent of the San Diego County Fair’s professional-brewing contest. This year’s edition included 431 registered participants, judges and stewards, and a considerably lower number of entries in the 2026 SDCFCBC’s (565). The number of local beers that medaled in Sacramento was also significantly less, with San Diego-brewed ales and lagers earning just four medals, along with three from the San Clemente brewpub operated by Carlsbad-based beer biz Pizza Port Brewing.
University Heights brewpub Kairoa Brewing earned the county’s lone gold with its Boots & Stubbies, a schwarzbier (black lager) that topped the German Dark Lagers category. Meanwhile, Hodad’s Brewing’s much-awarded Throwback Brown earned silver in the American Amber & Brown Ales category, while Escondido-based Barley & Sword Brewing and Pizza Port’s Imperial Beach brewpub nabbed bronzes in the Historical Beers and Imperial Stout categories, respectively. Pizza Port San Clemente’s medals were in British Strong Ales (gold), Wild / Sour Ales (silver) and Coffee Beer (bronze).
The competition’s biggest winners were Sacramento’s own Urban Roots Brewing, which was named Brewery of the Year. Malibu Brewing won Best of Show for its Hatch Green Chili Lager, while Morgan Territory accomplished an impressive feat by sweeping the entire European Strong category.
It wasn’t a particularly impressive outcome for San Diego brewing companies, but fret not, local beer fanatics. With so many professional brewing competitions taking place within such a small window of time, it stands to reason that one taking place nearly 600 miles away would not garner as many entries from San Diego operations as the local or even Los Angeles fair. The results of the latter’s brewing competition will be released later this month, but first we’ll give you the skinny on the 2026 America’s Finest City Homebrewing Competition. Check back tomorrow for that.
The following is a complete list of the local winners from the 2026 California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition…
GOLD (2)
British Strong Ales: Way Heavy, Pizza Port Brewing (San Clemente) *
German Dark Lagers: Boots & Stubbies, Kairoa Brewing (University Heights)
SILVER (2)
American Amber & Brown Ales: Throwback Brown, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
Wild / Sour Ales: Margie’s Mangos, Pizza Port Brewing (San Clemente) *
BRONZE (3)
Coffee Beer: Dusk Til Dawn, Pizza Port Brewing (San Clemente) *
Historical Beers: Sawmill Steam, Barley & Sword Brewing (Escondido)
Imperial Stout: Indie Roo, Pizza Port Brewing (Imperial Beach)
* Beer was brewed at an out-of-county location operated by a San Diego-based brewing company