Sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild, “The Best of the West” is a national competition dedicated to a single style of beer: the West Coast IPA. Unlike other competitions, it awards multiple gold and silver medals, recognizing the quality and depth of the world-class IPAs being produced around the country.
Breweries from 26 states participated in this year’s throwdown, with heavy representation coming from Oregon, California, and Washington. Medal-winning beers came from 11 states in 2026. And Oregon breweries dominated things with 19 awards, followed by California at 17.
According to New School Beer, Moonraker Brewing out of Auburn, California, owned the 2026 competition. For the first time in the history of the event, a single brewery captured both of the top honor…