Arizona brewers win big at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival

Arizona beer makers won big at the Great American Beer Festival awards on Sunday in Denver. Seven Arizona brewers took home eight medals, making it one of the state’s best showings in the history of the awards, which are among the most coveted in the craft beverage world. 

In 2025, seven Arizona breweries netted seven medals, including Six Byrd Cider Co., which earned the state’s first in a cider category. Last year was a return to form for Arizona brewers after they were shut out in 2024. 

The state’s breweries last snagged eight medals in 2019, and Arizona brewers peaked in 1998, earning nine medals.

This year, 7,267 beers and ciders were entered into the competition, representing beverages made in 49 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The Brewers Association awarded 336 medals to 243 breweries and cidermakers at the 40th edition of the awards.

“The submissions from this year’s competition continue to reflect just how far American brewing and cidermaking have come,” Chris Williams, the competition director for the Brewers Association, said in a press release. “The overarching quality presented by so many of the contenders underlines how intensive the judging process is and how competitively these contenders rise to the occasion with entries that pushed each category forward. GABF remains one of the most competitive stages in craft beer, and these winners represent the very best our industry has to offer.”

The massive tasting event and awards looked a little different this year. Breweries and cideries from around the country gathered at Levitt Pavilion Denver to pour their brews outside. Here’s who heard their brewery’s name called on Sunday.

The Valley’s winning beers and brewers:

Wren House Brewing Co.
Gold medal for Dortmunder or German-Style Festbier: Festbier
Gold medal for Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer: Marzen (Whiskey Barrel Aged)
Multiple locations
Wren House earned two top spots at the awards. The brewer stood out in the festbier category, one of the most-entered fields. The Phoenix brewer’s take on a seasonal session festbier medaled before, winning gold in 2022. The brewer also earned a gold medal for the whiskey barrel-aged version of its classic malty Märzen. 

Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.
Gold for Experimental Beer: Dill You Take Me Higher?
15651 W. Roosevelt St., Goodyear
One of the Valley’s most-awarded breweries kept its winning streak at the GABF awards going with a gold for its experimental tart, salty dill pickle sour.

Fate Brewing Co.
Bronze for International-Style Amber Lager: Pueblo Vienna Lager
Multiple locations
The Scottsdale-based brewery earned its fourth GABF medal on Sunday for its Pueblo Vienna Lager, a copper-colored Mexican-style Vienna lager brewed with corn. 

12 West Brewing Co.
Bronze for Contemporary American Lager: Zona
3000 E. Ray Road, Building 6, #110, Gilbert
The Gilbert brewer’s core light pilsner picked up a new piece of hardware. Zona also earned a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2024.

Barrio Brewing Co.
Bronze for Porter or Stout: Nolan’s Porter
Multiple locations
Barrio Brewing is based in Tucson but has Valley locations at Phoenix Deer Valley and Mesa Gateway airports. Nolan’s Porter features roasted malt flavor and a hint of chocolate. This award-winning mainstay brew last earned a Gold medal at this year’s World Beer Cup.

These 2 Arizona brewers also took home hardware:

Rickety Cricket Brewing
Silver: Barley Wine or Wheat Wine: Barrel Aged Bee’s Knees 2025
532 E. Beale St., Kingman

Corbett Brewing Co.
Silver for Smoke Beer: Cypress Pils
309 E. Seventh St., Tucson

See the full list of winners here.