Dozens of California breweries are recognized worldwide, and some of their products are the best in the world.
The 2025 World Beer Cup, an international contest organized by the Association of Nonprofits, took place in Indianapolis for the past week.
This year’s contest, which is billed as the “Olympics of Beer,” took place over 14 sessions over seven days with 256 judges from 37 different countries. The winners were announced on May 1st.
“The World Beer Cup Competition continues to showcase the global industry’s dedication to innovative craftsmanship, diverse flavors and technical excellence,” said Chris Williams, director of the World Beer Cup Competition.
In total, 83,715 beers from 1,761 breweries and cider entered the World Beer Cup for consideration. The breweries come from various corners of the earth and represent 49 countries.
The winners will celebrate at the 2025 World Beer Cup held in Indianapolis on May 1, 2025.
At the end of the judging period, 349 awards were awarded to beers in each category, with three beers awarded for each category with awards of bronze, silver and gold.
Among them, six breweries in the Greater Los Angeles area, three in Orange and three in Los Angeles County, won prestigious Gold Awards for beer.
Anaheim-based Golden Road Brewing won with a mango kart in the fruit-weet beer category, but fellow Anaheim Brewery Brewery X won gold for a super slap in the American style Indian Pale Ale category. Orange’s Everywhere Brewery was awarded gold for a shifted vision of the juicy or blurred Indian pale ale category.
The Golden Road Brewing team in Anaheim is posing after receiving the gold distinction at the 2025 World Beer Cup held in Indianapolis on May 1, 2025 (Golden Road Brewing)
From Los Angeles, Arts District Brewing Co. has won the highest honors from the roofs of the international pale ale category. Claremont Craft Ales won gold in the experimental Indian Pale Ale category of beer, Pepper & Peaches. And San Fernando Brewing Co. won gold for Dr. Sleep in the wood and barrel aged beer category.
Of the hundreds of beers to receive the award, 76 are brewed in California, representing 55 unique breweries.
A complete list of California breweries to win the award, along with their respective categories, can be found below.
American Bergo Style Ale
Bronze – Last Choice of Fieldwork Brewing Co. – Berkeley
American style amber lager
Bronze – Chismosa, Old Kazu Beer – Ronat Park
American Style Amber/Red Ale
Gold – Coyote Song, Mountain Rambler Brewery – Bishop Silver – Matador Red, 818 Brewery – Canoga Park
American Style Black Ale or American Style Stout
Bronze – Blackside Snap, RIIP Beer Co. – Huntington Beach
American Style Cream Ale
Gold – Bold Rush, Drake’s Brewing Co. – San Leandro Silver – Modified Lager, 21st Revised – San Leandro
American style Indian pale ale
Gold – Super Slap, Brewery X – Anaheim Silver – Party Crusher, Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach
American style rugger
Bronze – Home Run Jack, 14 Cannon – Westlake Village
American style pale ale
Gold – Necrocat, Ghost Town Brewing – Auckland Bronze – Made West Pale, Mad West Brewing – Ventura
American Style Pilsenar
Bronze – Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse – Auburn
American Style Sour Ale
Gold – Housit Punch, Alvarado Street Brewery – Salinas Bronze – Tropic Desserts and Other Brother Beer – Seaside
A strong pale ale with an American style
Gold – Mordant, Ghost Town Brewing – Auckland Bronze – Gold Label Maitai PA, Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill – Montrei
A pale ale in Australia
Silver – XPA, Craft Coast – San Marcos Bronze – Serenity, How about original pattern brewing – Auckland
Barley wine style ale
Bronze – Lower Des Boom, 21st revision – San Leandro
Belgian fruit beer
Bronze – Funky Peach, Beachwood Brendery – Huntington Beach
Belgian Style Blonde Ale
Bronze – President 2025, Absolution Brewing Co. – Torrance
Belgian style quadruples
Silver – Bartlett Hall – Trace in San Francisco
Belgian style sour ale
Bronze – Funky, Beachwood Blendary – Huntington Beach
Belgian style strong blonde ale
Silver – Dam Acid, Riverbrewing, Russia – Windsor
Brett beer
Silver – Pier Saison, Firestone Walker Brewing – Pasolo Bull
British Empire Stout
Bronze – Ravens Revenge, Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach
Chilean beer
Gold – Pyro Prost, Hop Dogma – Half Moon Bay
Classic Irish style dry stout
Bronze – Lucky 4 Leaf, Danville Brewing Inc. – Danville
Classic Saison
Silver – Plow & Hello, ISM Brewing – Long Beach
Coffee stout or porter
Gold – Midnight Sea, Morgan Territory Brewing – Tracey Silver – Dawn Till Dorn, Pizza Port San Clemente – San Clemente
Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout
Bronze – Happy Almonds, Moxaburiing – Rocklin
Dortmunder/Export or German Style Oktoberfest
Gold – Cushman, Morgan Territory Brewing – Tracy
English ale
Gold – Union Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – Paso Robles
English style brown ale
Silver – Oscar wanted Brown Ale, Pizza Port Solana Beach – Solana Beach
Experimental beer
Silver – Big trouble at Little Tokyo, Angel City Brewery – Los Angeles
Experimental Indian Pale Ale
Gold – Pepper & Peach, Claremont Craft Ale – Claremont
Special bitterness
Gold – Pale Ale, Sierra Neva Wing – Chico
Fruit wheat beer
Gold – Mango Kart, Golden Road Brewing Anaheim – Anaheim
Fruit cider
Bronze – Guava Hard Cider, Coronado Brewing – San Diego
German Style Koelsch
Silver – Monger’s Choice, Don’t Brewing – San Juan Capistrano
German-style Maelzen or Franconian Lotvia
Silver – Red Vespa, Unsung Brewing Co. – Tustin
German style pilsener
Bronze – Planks, Madewest Brewing Co. – Ventura
German style schwarzvia
Silver – Schwarzvia, Pizza Port Imperial Beach – Imperial Beach
gose
Bronze – SMBW Basil Lemon Grassgow, Santa Monica Brew Works – Santa Monica
Herbs and spice beer
Silver – Burma Ale, Alameda Wing – Alameda
Honey beer
Silver – Miss Beave, Moonraker Brewing – Cameron Park
Hoppy lager
Silver – Super Smash, Unsung Brewing Co. – Tustin Bronze – Krispi Kiwi, Far Field Beer Co. – Lawndale
Hoppy non-alcoholic beer
Gold – Trail Pass Hazy IPA, Sierra Neva Wing Inc. – Chico
Imperial Indian Pale Ale
Silver – Fall in, Madewest Brewing Co. – Ventura Bronze – House of Fu! , North Park Beer Co. – San Diego
International pale ale
Gold – Through the Roof, Arts District Brewing Inc. – Los Angeles
International style rugger
Gold – Yamagata, original pattern brewing – Auckland Silver – Otaku Hyper Dry, Gamecraft brewing – Laguna Hills
Italian style pilsenar
Gold – STS PILS, Riverbrewing, Russia – Windsor Silver – Hambargini, ISM Brewing – Long Beach Bronze – Pivo, Firestonewalker Brewing – Pasolobull
Juicy or hazy Imperial Indian Pale Ale
Gold – Juice Master, Shred Beer Co., Ltd. – Rocklin Silver – Juice not included, Alvarado Street Brewery – Salinas
Juicy or hazy Indian Pale Ale
Gold – A vision that shifts everywhere – Orange
Juicy or hazy pale ale
Bronze – Hop Maggie, Danville Brewing Inc. – Danville
Juicy or hazy strong pale ale
Bronze – Madewest Brewing Co. – Ventura
New Zealand Style Indian Pale Ale
Gold – Reverse Reverse, Ghost Town Brewing – Auckland Bronze – Modern Love, Taproom Beer Inc. – San Diego
Other strong beers
Gold – Imperial Dark Must, Pond Farm Brewing Inc. – San Rafael
A robust porter
Gold – Ghost, Ghost Town Brewing – Auckland Bronze – Plimp Hanger Porter, Tustin Brewing – Tustin
Session India Pale Ale
Gold – Micro Blaster, Shred Beer Inc. – Rocklin Silver – Large Prices, Don’t Brewing – San Juan Capistrano
South German style Dunkel weizen
Bronze – DA Tlankel Dunkel Junk, Pizza Port Ocean Beach – San Diego
Strong red ale
Silver – Side Hiking, Karn River Brewing Inc. – Kernville Bronze – Imperial Red, Truck 7 Brewing Inc. – Sacramento
West Coast Style Indian Pale Ale
Silver – Whirlpool of Confusion, Ghost Town Brewing – Absorbing Cracks by Auckland
Wood and barrel aged beer
Gold – Dr. Sleep, San Fernando Brewing Co. – San Fernando
“This 2025 winners roster represents the pinnacle of craft brewing and cider, indicating what is possible through dedication and passion,” Williams said. “They once again set the standard for excellence in their craft, stimulate innovation and help promote healthy competition within the industry.”
The 2025 World Beer Cup came in 16th place in the history of the competition. The international event was established in 1996 and was held every two years until 2022 adopted the annual format.
The full list of recipients of this year can be found here.
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