The 2026 Great American Beer Festival results are now official, and this year’s list has a few curveballs. The Brewers Association announced the winners on Sunday, October 11, after judges evaluated thousands of entries in Denver.
New categories changed the shape of the results
This year’s competition did not just reward familiar IPA and stout favorites. According to the Great American Beer Festival announcement, 2026 added categories including rice lager, hop water, a one-time craft malt category, two new specialty beer subcategories, and three standalone gluten-free style categories.
That matters because category changes can open the door for breweries that do not fit the old center of craft beer. The Brewers Association said 225 judges reviewed 7,267 beer and cider entries over three days, including 54 collaboration submissions and 30 Pro-Am entries. In all, 243 breweries and cideries won 336 medals.
Some of the most eye-catching first-time category winners came from styles that still feel niche to many drinkers. Masthead Brewing Co. of Cleveland, Ohio won gold in Rice Lager for Oni Giri. Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan won gold in Hop Water for Hoppy Mood. In the gluten-free field, The Well In Wellington of Wellington, Colorado won gold in Classic Gluten-Free Ale or Lager for Altbier, while Armored Cow Brewing Co. of Charlotte, North Carolina took gold in Hoppy Gluten-Free Beer for Hell Yeah…