The World Beer Cup touts itself as the “most prestigious beer competition in the world” — a claim that would be easy to dismiss were it not run by the Brewers Association.
Founded in 2005, the organization is the literal authority in defining terms like “craft beer,” and its style guidelines are largely seen as the gold standard in determining what separates a Hazy IPA vs an American-Style IPA.
So what happens when said organization collects over 250 judges from around the world, all guided by the single mission of tasting as much beer as possible?
Well, for lack of a better way to put it: only the most prestigious beer competition on the planet.
The Brewers Association regulates terms like “Brewers Association “craft,” as well as the nuances of hundreds of a beer styles.Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
According to Chris Williams, the director of the World Beer Cup, “evaluating beer happens on many levels. On a professional level, beer evaluation is a form of peer review. The results are public, so consumers can learn what beers meet a high level of quality and what beers exemplify certain styles as interpreted by the judges.”
The 2025 winners
For the 2025 World Beer Cup, which culminated at an awards ceremony in Las Vegas on May 1, tasting took place over 14 sessions across an entire week.
There were 8,375 entries total, with 265 judges hailing from over 37 countries. Only 349 beers took home prizes — less than five percent of the total pool.
See below for the top beers in the most popular categories, or check out the official website for the full list of winners.
Less than five percent of the total entries actually won a medal. Some breweries took home multiple.Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
Best Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
Gold: Shifted Visions, Everywhere, Orange, CA
Silver: How To Make Friends, Hana Koa Brewing Co., Honolulu, HI
Bronze: Riverside NEIPA, Guggman Haus Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Kinabik Pilsner, Snake Lake Brewing Co., Sylvan Lake, Canada
Bronze: Planks, MadeWest Brewing Co., Ventura, CA
Best Hoppy Lager
Gold: Cold IPA, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR
Silver: Super Smash, Unsung Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
Bronze: Krispi Kiwi, Far Field Beer Co., Lawndale, CA
The best brewery?
Breakside Brewery, an Oregon-based operation with multiple location across the state, took home the most medals at the competition.
Sweeping various ale categories, it won gold in Australian-Style Pale Ale, American-Style Black Ale and American-Belgo-Style Ale, with a silver and bronze in American-Style Pale Ale and American-Style India Pale Ale, respectively.
Gold (Australian-Style Pale Ale): Hello My Alien
Gold (American-Style Black Ale): Cheat Codes
Gold (American-Belgo-Style Ale): Spring Day
Silver (American-Style Pale Ale): Woodlawn Pale Ale
Bronze (American-Style India Pale Ale): Breakside IPA
Notably, California’s Ghost Town Brewing won medals across a wide range of styles — including American-Style Strong Pale Ale, Robust Porter and New Zealand-Style IPA — while Sierra Nevada conquered both the Hoppy Non-Alcohol Beer and Extra Special Bitter, showing expertise in categories both new and old.
Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Hazy IPA (right) won gold in one of three NA categories.Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
Styles are in flux. Always
Beer styles are a constant work in progress, so it’s common to see fluctuations from year to year when it comes to entries in particular ones.
That said, 2025 brought several key changes to the competition — and not all of them rosy.
As was the case in 2024, the Juicy or Hazy IPA category received the most entries of all, however, it also saw the biggest decline in participation year over year. It was followed by German-Style Pilsener and Herb and Spice Beer.
Have hazy beers gone flat? Maybe: the category saw the biggest decline in entires compared to 2024.Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol
On the other hand, Barrel-Aged Sour Beer saw the largest influx of new entries, while non-alcoholic beer showed its maturity and newfound growth.
Last year, the World Beer Cup judged 140 entries within a general NA category. This year, not only did the total number of beers increase but the breadth did, too; there are now three subcategories under a larger umbrella: Classic, Hoppy and Specialty.
If anything, this year’s competition underscores two general truths about the industry:
The first is that beer is largely subjective and always changing. Secondly, some suds simply do taste better than the rest.
About the Author:
Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.
