Bay Area Breweries Shine at the 2026 World Beer Cup with Multiple Awards Bay Area breweries secured a dozen awards, including five gold medals, at the 2026 World Beer Cup in Philadelphia. The competition, organized by the Brewers Association, saw participation from 1,644 breweries across 50 nations, with 8,166 beers and ciders competing in 118 categories. U.S. breweries dominated the leaderboard, with California leading the pack with 68 medals. The story behind the gold-winning In Tasty We Trust beer, created in honor of a beloved local homebrewer, adds a heartwarming touch to the event. Brewmaster Matt Sager of Danville Brewing Company, along with his wife Amanda Ashton-Sager, proudly accepted a gold medal at the 2026 World Beer Cup in Philadelphia for their American-Style Strong Pale Ale, In Tasty We Trust. The prestigious event, organized by the Brewers Association, saw participation from 1,644 breweries across 50 nations, with 8,166 beers and ciders competing in 118 categories. Over the course of seven days, a panel of 255 judges, including 128 from 36 countries outside the U.S., meticulously evaluated each entry, ultimately awarding 353 medals to 273 breweries and cideries.Despite a slight decrease in entries compared to previous years, the competition remained the largest of its kind globally, making a medal win a significant achievement for any brewery, regardless of size. Bay Area breweries shone brightly, securing a dozen awards, including five gold medals.Among the standout winners was Morgan Territory Brewing, which continued its winning streak by taking home gold for Lock’d, Bock’d, & Ready to Rock in the German-Style Bock or Maibock category and silver for Snap Shot in the American-Style Cream Ale category. Their brewmaster, Craig Cauwels, has now earned a medal in four of the last five years.Other notable winners included Half Moon Bay Brewing, which won silver for Pyros Prost, a chili beer, and bronze for its German-style pilsner, Pilsner. Meanwhile, Cellarmaker Brewing secured two bronze medals for Sunset Sessions in the International Pale Ale category and Power Plants in the Imperial India Pale Ale category. The competition also saw a shift in the most popular category, with West Coast-Style IPA drawing 293 entries, surpassing the usual frontrunner, Juicy or Hazy IPA.Other top categories included Classic IPA, German-Style Pilsener, and Munich-Style Helles. In terms of country rankings, U.S. breweries dominated the leaderboard with 292 medals, including 100 gold. Canada and Japan tied for second place, followed by Germany and Brazil in third. Brazil and Argentina rounded out the top five, with Belgium, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Peru completing the top 10.Within the U.S., California led the pack with 68 medals, more than double the haul of the next closest state, Oregon. Colorado, Washington, and Ohio followed closely behind. The story behind In Tasty We Trust is particularly heartwarming. The beer was created in honor of Mike McDole, a well-known local homebrewer whose nickname was Tasty.Although McDole passed away in 2020, his legacy lives on through this award-winning brew. The Hop Grenade, a beer bar in Concord, commissioned Danville brewmaster Matt Sager to create a beer for Tasty Day, an annual celebration of McDole. Sager collaborated with Wynn Whisenhunt from Emeryville’s Perennial Artisan Ales to craft In Tasty We Trust, a beer they believed Tasty would have loved.After tweaking the recipe slightly, Sager and his assistant brewer, Seb Broemel, entered it into the competition, ultimately winning gold. This year’s World Beer Cup not only celebrated the craft of brewing but also highlighted the global diversity and innovation within the industry. From traditional styles to experimental brews, the competition showcased the best that the world of beer has to offer