5 PA breweries win awards in international World Beer Cup 2026. Here’s how well they did
Five Pennsylvania breweries were recognized in an April contest sometimes described as “the Olympics of beer.” The breweries, based in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Williamsport, were among 1,600 competitors for 118 award categories.
Judges of the World Beer Cup, this year held in Philadelphia, awarded gold, silver and bronze awards for each category during a two-hour ceremony.
Pennsylvania’s gold winners were Pittsburgh’s Cinderlands Beer Co. and Philadelphia’s Attic Brewing Co. and New Ridge Brewing Co. Cinderlands Beer Co. won gold in German-style altbier for its Allegheny Altbier, Attic Brewing Co. in international dark lager for its Common Nightjar and New Ridge Brewing Co. in American-style amber lager for its Just Like Himmel.
New Trail Brewing Co. of Williamsport was the commonwealth’s lone silver recipient. It got silver in the contemporary American-style lager category for its Crisp.
Bronze winners were New Trail Brewing Co., New Ridge Brewing Co. and Pittsburgh’s Hazel Grove Brewing. New Trail Brewing Co. earned its bronze in the pumpkin/squash or pumpkin spice beer category for its Barrel Aged Double Zombies, New Ridge Brewing Co. in the brown porter category for its London Porter and Hazel Grove Brewing in the Scottish-style ale category for its Isle of Pitt.
Winners are selected through a rather intensive tasting process that analyzes “appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, taste and flavor, technical quality, and fidelity to style,” according to the Brewers Association. Gold “exemplifies” the style of beer, silver is close to it, while bronze allows for slight variations and “minor defects.”
All told, there were 118 categories of beer and cider for which awards were given out. Judges from around the world tasted over 8,000 entries.
The World Beer Cup, in its 30th year, is organized by the Brewers Association, an industry trade group.
