2026 Oregon Beer Awards Winners & Recap

The 11th annual Oregon Beer Awards winners were announced last night at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon revealing the creme of the crop in one of the best brewing regions in the world. As usual the 2026 Oregon Beer Awards are a highly competitive and meticulously judged event that attracts national attention in both quality of judges and in inspiring other state-wide competitions.

By the numbers:

972 entries from 104 breweries across the state (983 beers were registered; 972 were received and judged. This is for both the main comp and Fresh Hop last Oct)
89 judges (main comp only)
130 flights over 6 days (main comp only)
9 categories will be judged in 3 rounds; 20 categories will be judged in 2 rounds
If you consolidate categories into broader families, some interesting numbers emerge:
- IPA and All Hoppy Ales - 353 entries (average category size: 39)
- Classic Pub Styles (UK, North American, Red Beers, Dark Hoppy, Golden) - 181 entries (average size: 30)
- Lagers - 215 entries (average size: 41)
- Sour/Mixed Ferm - 48 entries (average size: 24)
- Adjunct Specialty Beers - 123 entries (average size: 31)
- Barrel Aged Strong Beers - 46 entries (average size: 23)
Median category size: 30
Average (mean) category size: 34

Interesting Facts:

Tonya Cornett becmes the first brewermaster to win Brewery of the Year for two different companies (10 Barrel in 2023 and UPP in 2026).
UPP and Wayfinder are both 1st time Brewery of the Year winners
More breweries dominating certain categories than ever before: UPP, Public Coast, pFriem, Alesong, Breakside, Monkless all won 2/3 or 3/3 medals in a single category.
In that same vein, 6 breweries (Bend, Breakside, pFriem, Sunriver, UPP, Wayfinder) all won multiple golds. I think that is a record for most number of "multi-gold" breweries in a single year
Breakside's 3 medals in Barrel-Aged Stout is only the second category sweep in OBA history (Great Notion swept IPA in 2024
The best 'beyond beer' in the state is all coming from Clatsop county -- all 3 winners in this category came from a single city!
pFriem Pilsner wins its 5th gold medal in 7 years (plus a silver in 2025...so 6/7 years winning)
Wayfinder Secret Secret wins gold for the 3rd consecutive year in Dark German + European Lager. Also has won multiple GABF and WBC medals in that time
Ruse Lava Lamp Potluck impressively wins a repeat medal (Gold in 2025, Silver 2026) in West Coast IPA-- the most competitive category
35 different brewing companies won medals this year -- consistent with historic OBA results
8.9% of beers entered won medals
Most medaled breweries: #1 Breakside x 10 medals (5 gold, 3 silver 2 bronze). #2 most medaled brewery: pFriem x 6 medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
Breweries winning 5 medals: UPP, ColdFire, Deschutes, Sunriver
Breweries winning 4 medals: Ruse
Breweries winning 3 medals: Alesong, Grand Fir, Stormbreaker, Bend Brewing, Wayfinder, Von Ebert

2026 Oregon Beer Awards Winners:

American Sour Beers

🥇GOLD - UPP Liquids Flower Child

🥈SILVER - ColdFire Brewing LIVE

🥉BRONZE - UPP Liquids Moments Made

Barrel Aged Stouts

🥇GOLD - Breakside Brewery Learning from Las Vegas

🥈SILVER - Breakside Brewery La Maison du Bang!

🥉BRONZE - Breakside Brewery Sted Sarandos

Beyond Beer, Hop Water, and Other Specialty Beverages

🥇GOLD - Fort George Brewery Früt Lüp - Yuzu

🥈SILVER - Public Coast Brewing Co. Lord Citra Hop Tea

🥉BRONZE - Public Coast Brewing Co. BB Seltzer

Classic UK and North American Styles

🥇GOLD - Worthy Brewing Before the Break

🥈SILVER - Hetty Alice Brewing Company Rewind IPA

🥉BRONZE - TPK Brewing Co Bard's Tale Pale Ale

Experimental and Historical Beers

🥇GOLD - Terranaut Beer Pudsy

🥈SILVER - Von Ebert Brewing Rauch Marzen

🥉BRONZE - ColdFire Brewing The Sparrow And The Crow

Flavored Beers

🥇GOLD - Breakside Brewery White Tea Lager

🥈SILVER - Wayfinder Beer Omen

🥉BRONZE - Sunriver Brewing Co. Cocoa Cow

Fruit Beers

🥇GOLD - McMenamins Old Saint Francis School Pistol Peach

🥈SILVER - Sunriver Brewing Company Wood Series: Hawaiian-Styled Imperial Stout

🥉BRONZE - Von Ebert Brewing Drink Me Potion

Hoppy Lagers

🥇GOLD - pFriem Family Brewers French Pils

🥈SILVER - Grand Fir Brewing Cold Cutz

🥉BRONZE - ColdFire Brewing Italian Pilsner

Imperial India Pale Ale

🥇GOLD - Breakside Brewery Thrasher Double IPA

🥈SILVER - Block 15 Brewing Co. Sticky Hands

🥉BRONZE - Great Notion Brewing Super Ripe

International Lagers

🥇GOLD - Santiam Brewing JFK Domestic Beer

🥈SILVER - Ruse Brewing Voyage to the Moon

🥉BRONZE - StormBreaker Brewing Permission To Land

Strong Beers

🥇GOLD - Wayfinder Beer Sparkling Lager

🥈SILVER - Deschutes Brewery Co-Munichator

🥉BRONZE - UPP Liquids Reduction Ratio

West Coast IPA

🥇GOLD - Grand Fir Brewing Ponga

🥈SILVER - Ruse Brewing Lava Lamp Potluck

🥉BRONZE - Breakside Brewery Cowboys & Poets

Fresh Hop Hazy Pale Ales and India Pale Ales

🥇GOLD - Bend Brewing Co. Keyboard Warrier

🥈SILVER - Von Ebert Brewing Fresh Hop Sector 7 - Perrault Farms Krush

🥉BRONZE - StormBreaker Brewing Set Freshies to Haze

Fresh Hop Pale Ales and India Pale Ales

🥇GOLD - Breakside Brewery Fresh Hop Bayside IPA

🥈SILVER - Grand Fir Brewing Queens of the Cone Age

🥉BRONZE - Sunriver Brewing Co. Fresh Hop Rippin

Other Fresh Hop Beers

🥇GOLD - Ruse Brewing Red Rain

🥈SILVER - Deschutes Brewery Fresh Hop King Crispy

🥉BRONZE - Bend Brewing Co. FH Oregon Summer Ale

Pilsner

🥇GOLD - pFriem Family Brewers Pilsner

🥈SILVER - pFriem Family Brewers Czech Lager

🥉BRONZE - Hetty Alice Brewing Co. Pilsner

Golden, Blonde, and Other Light Ales

🥇GOLD - Breakside Brewery Double Hockey Sticks

🥈SILVER - Terranaut Beer Smooth Music

🥉BRONZE - UPP Liquids Pre-Glow

Light German and European Lagers

🥇GOLD - pFriem Family Brewers Lager

🥈SILVER - Van Henion Brewing Van Henion Leichtbier

🥉BRONZE - Heater Allen Brewing Heater Allen 10° Pils

Dark German and European Lagers

🥇GOLD - Wayfinder Beer Secret Secret

🥈SILVER - Deschutes Brewery Miniature Donkey Dunkel

🥉BRONZE - Deschutes Brewery Count Crispy

Stout and Porter

🥇GOLD - UPP Liquids Pinball Wizard

🥈SILVER - Binary Brewing Control-Alt-Delete

🥉BRONZE - Pelican Brewing Co. Tsunami Stout

Belgian, German Wheat, and Traditional Brett Beers

🥇GOLD - Zoiglhaus Brewing Co. Zoigl-Weiss

🥈SILVER - Monkless Belgian Ales Dubbel or Nothing

🥉BRONZE - Monkless Belgian Ales Meet Your Maker

Red Beers

🥇GOLD - Ancestry Brewing Co. Irish Red

🥈SILVER - Pelican Brewing Co. MacPelican's Scottish Style Ale

🥉BRONZE - StormBreaker Brewing Mississippi Red

Sessionable Hoppy Beers

🥇GOLD - Sunriver Brewing Co. Rippin

🥈SILVER - Breakside Brewery Hello My Alien

🥉BRONZE - Kings & Daughters Brewery Upstream

American IPA

🥇GOLD - pFriem Family Brewers IPA

🥈SILVER - Living Haus Beer Marley

🥉BRONZE - ColdFire Brewing The Henry IPA

Hazy or Juicy IPA

🥇GOLD - Bend Brewing Co. Because Science

🥈SILVER - Great Notion Brewing Serious Robot

🥉BRONZE - Ruse Brewing High on Fire

Dark Hoppy Beers

🥇GOLD - Sunriver Brewing Co. Not Tomorrow Yet

🥈SILVER - Fort George Brewery Cavatica Stout

🥉BRONZE - Deschutes Brewery Midnight Shenanigans

Barrel-Aged Beers

🥇GOLD - Alesong Brewing and Blending Maestro

🥈SILVER - Breakside Brewery Bellwether

🥉BRONZE - Alesong Brewing and Blending Old Fashioned

Mixed Culture Beers

🥇GOLD - ColdFire Brewing Elisabeth

🥈SILVER - Oregon City Brewing Coming to Fruition: Cherry

🥉BRONZE - Alesong Brewing and Blending Blossom

Collaboration Beers

🥇GOLD - Little Beast Brewing Uncharted Territory

🥈SILVER - Funky Fauna Artisan Ales Rad Luck

🥉BRONZE - pFriem Family Brewers pFriem + Westbound & Down West Coast IPA

Brewery of the Year

Total Point Score is raw value of medals (number of entries in the category x gold (6), silver (5), or bronze (4)) BOTY score is total point score divided by number of entries from the brewery.

Large - Breakside Brewery

Medium - Wayfinder Beer

Small - UPP Liquids

OBA ACADEMY WINNERS

Hall of Fame

Jerry Fechter

Best New Brewery

UPP Liquids

Runner-Up: Tiny Giants Brewing

Best New Beer Destination

Kings & Daughters Brewing's The Walled Garden

Runner-Up: ColdFire Brewing Public House

Best Beer Bar or Taphouse

The Beermongers

Runner-Up: Bridge & Tunnel

Best Bottleshop

Belmont Station

Runner-Up: The Bier Stein

Best Brewpub Experience

Fort George Brewing

Runner-Up: Grand Fir Brewing

Craft Advocate of the Year

Sean Campbell (The Beermongers)

Runner-Up: Thomas Shellhammer (Oregon State University)

Regional Brewing Companies of the Year

North Coast