Von Ebert, Alesong Brewing, & 2 Towns Cider celebrate big GABF wins

At last Saturday’s 2025 Great American Beer Festival the breweries and cideries of Oregon were celebrated with 30 awards, including 29 medals and a brewery of the year accolade. With 29 out of 347 medals awarded, Oregon ranked with the third most of any state behind only California and Colorado.

“Oregon is a proud craft brewing state and we have the accolades to prove we’re among the top in the world,” said Sam Pecoraro, President of the Oregon Brewers Guild and brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing, who won two gold medals this year. “Oregon breweries are facing major challenges with slumping sales and record closures. So please, seek out these award winners and help toast to keeping these breweries alive so they can win even more awards next year.”

Oregon’s more than 300 breweries help create 46,700 jobs, $2.8 billion in wages and $8.9 billion in economic activity for the state each year. Oregon ranks 7th in craft breweries per capita and has a rich history as a pioneering state of craft beer.

Alesong Brewing & Blending was recognized in the Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour beer-style category for its Mezcla, a tart farmhouse ale aged for over a year in añejo tequila barrels to add the smoky earthiness familiar to lovers of the Mexican spirit. With the help of the Xicha Brewing kitchen team, Alesong conditioned the blend on fire-roasted pineapple and morita chili peppers to find that perfect balance of sweet and spicy. 

This award marks the 10th consecutive year that Alesong has won a medal at the Great American Beer Festival®, following last year’s recognition as Brewery of the Year in its size category.

“It’s awesome that we’ve been able to win medals at the Great American Beer Festival for ten years in a row, and it’s even more special this year that we won with a beer made with our friends at Xicha Brewing,” said Brian Coombs, Director of Operations and Co-Founder of Alesong Brewing & Blending. “It’s such an honor to be recognized at this level, and it encourages our entire team to keep pursuing the highest quality and creativity in what we love to do.”

Von Ebert Brewing won two gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival Awards competing against thousands of other entries from across the U.S. . Von Ebert Brewing won golds in the American Fruit Beer and American-Style Light Lager categories for Drink Me Potion Raspberry Tart Ale and Clubhaus Lager respectively.

“At Von Ebert Brewing, where tradition meets evolution, it’s fitting two of our traditional, core beers offered all year are what prevailed, winning us two gold medals,” said Sam Pecoraro, brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing. “Drink Me Potion Raspberry Tart Ale was one of our first fruited ales celebrating the Pacific Northwest’s bounty and we brewed Clubhaus Lager because we want to create a light lager that wasn’t an afterthought in flavor but instead something approachable and affordable for our customers. Winning the World Beer Cup gold with Clubhaus earlier this year affirmed we reached our goal of evolving an American light lager that stands above the rest.”

Along with the other four core offerings, Drink Me Potion Raspberry Tart Ale and Clubhaus Lager are available all year in 16-ounce four packs, 12-ounce 6-packs and draft at bars, bottleshops and grocery stores in Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado.

2 Towns Ciderhouse is raising a glass after their Anniversary Cider earned a gold and Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp® a bronze, highlighting 2 Towns’ craft from Old World tradition to New World innovation in one of the festival’s most competitive cider categories.

The Corvallis-based cidery took home Gold in the No/Low-Tannin Cider category for its 14th Anniversary Cider, an annual small-batch release crafted from heirloom apple varieties in a traditional style that celebrates the art of classic cider making. 2 Towns also earned Bronze in the Fruited Cider category for Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp®, the newest addition to its celebrated Cosmic Crisp® Imperial lineup, which pairs Northwest huckleberries with Washington-grown Cosmic Crisp® apples.  

“These medals are particularly meaningful because they showcase the depth and diversity of American cider,” explains Aaron Sarnoff-Wood, co-founder and chief sales and marketing officer at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “Our Anniversary Cider is something we pour our hearts into every year—it’s rooted in tradition, while Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp® captures the creative side of what we love to do. Together, they tell the full story of our craft.”