American craft brewers shone brightly on the world stage this fall with an impressive haul of medals at two prestigious international beer competitions: Brussels Beer Challenge and European Beer Star.
Each year, the Brewers Association’s (BA) Export Development Program (EDP) supports a wide range of market development initiatives for American craft brewers, including trade shows, festivals, missions, seminars, and media outreach. EDP members receive financial support for entry fees and shipment logistics to select international beer competitions—an essential platform for boosting the visibility of U.S. craft beer and opening doors to distribution opportunities in key global markets.
European Beer Star
Held annually in Nuremberg, the European Beer Star returned in August for its 22nd edition, celebrating authentic, high-quality beers rooted in traditional European brewing techniques. The competition received 2,202 entries judged by 145 judges from 35 countries.
American craft brewers secured 19 medals, five gold, three silver, and nine bronze.
| Brewery | Beer | Category | Award | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty Fifty Brewing Co. | Tahoe Pilz | Bohemian-Style Pale Lager | Silver | ||
| pFriem Family Brewers | Mexican Lager | International-Style Lager | Gold | ||
| Icicle Brewing Company | Icicle Premium Pilsner | International-Style Lager | Silver | ||
| Quarter Celtic Brewpub | A Clean Pair of Schwarz | German-Style Schwarzbier | Bronze | ||
| Monkless Belgian Ales | Four Devils | Belgian-Style Strong Blond Ale | Gold | ||
| Taxman Brewing Company | Deduction | Belgian-Style Dubbel | Bronze | ||
| Fifty Fifty Brewing Co. | C.A.P.A. | Pale Ale | Gold | ||
| Firestone Walker Brewing Company | Firestone IPA | Pale Ale | Bronze | ||
| Destihl Brewery | Deadhead IPA | India Pale Ale | Silver | ||
| Hodad’s Brewing Company | Turtle Town | Hazy India Pale Ale | Gold | ||
| No-Li Brewhouse | Spartan Squatch | Imperial India Pale Ale | Bronze | ||
| Firestone Walker Brewing Company | Double Barrel Ale | English-Style Bitter | Gold | ||
| Olde Hickory Brewery | Forest Hills | English-Style Strong Ale | Gold | ||
| Olde Hickory Brewery | Irish Walker | English-Style Strong Ale | Bronze | ||
| Urban Roots Brewing | No Tricks | Stout | Gold | ||
| River North Brewery | Nightmare Fuel | Flavoured Or Pastry Stout | Bronze | ||
| River North Brewery | Mr. Sandman | Imperial Stout | Bronze | ||
| 49th State Brewing | SmĹŤk | Franconian-Style Smoke Beer | Bronze | ||
| North Coast Brewing Co., Inc. | Laguna Baja | Vienna Stlye Lager | Bronze |
Brussels Beer Challenge
The 14th edition of the Brussels Beer Challenge was held in Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, in early November 2025. Over three days, 1,701 beers from 36 countries were evaluated by a panel of 78 international judges. The beers were categorized by origin, specificity, and style, ensuring a comprehensive and fair judging process.
American craft breweries performed strongly in the competition, winning a total of 28 medals (up from 19 in 2024), including six gold, eight silver, and 14 bronze. Special mention goes to Firestone Walker Brewing Co. for Union Jack, which was awarded the title of Best American Beer in the competition.
| Brewery | Beer | Category | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxman Brewing Company | Deduction | Dark Ale : Abbey Style Dubbel | Bronze |
| The Virginia Beer Company | Trail Magic | Dark Ale : Brown Ale | Silver |
| River North Brewery | Midnight Hike | Flavoured beer : Chocolate | Bronze |
| River North Brewery | Nightmare Fuel | Flavoured beer : Coffee | Bronze |
| Diatribe Brewing Company | Hazelnut Imperial Stout | Flavoured beer : Field beer | Bronze |
| Trademark Brewing | A La Playa | Flavoured beer : Fruit Beer | Silver |
| River North Brewery | Honey Kölsch | Flavoured beer : Honey Beer | Bronze |
| Alesong Brewing and Blending | Showstopper ’25 | Flavoured beer : Imperial Stout Barrel- or Wood Aged | Bronze |
| Pfriem Family Brewers | Fruited Spontanée | Flavoured beer : Old style Fruit-Lambic | Silver |
| Quarter Celtic Brewpub | A Clean Pair of Schwarz | Lager : Dark/Dunkel | Bronze |
| Heater Allen Brewing | Gold Dot Export Lager | Lager : German-Style Märzen | Silver |
| The Virginia Beer Company | Oktoberfest | Lager : German-Style Märzen | Bronze |
| Pfriem Family Brewers | Lager | Lager : Helles | Gold |
| Heater Allen Brewing | Gold Dot Helles | Lager : Helles | Bronze |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Pivo | Lager : Italian Style Pilsner | Gold |
| Pfriem Family Brewers | Pale | Pale&Amber Ale : American Pale Ale | Silver |
| Night Shift Brewing | Whirlpool | Pale&Amber Ale : American Pale Ale | Bronze |
| Revision Brewing Company | Looking Down On You – Hazy DIPA | Pale&Amber Ale : Double IPA | Bronze |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Union Jack | Pale&Amber Ale : English IPA | Gold |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Double Barrel Ale | Pale&Amber Ale : Light Bitter/Bitter/Best Bitter/ESB | Silver |
| Wren House Brewing | Spellbinder | Pale&Amber Ale : New England IPA | Bronze |
| Night Shift Brewing | Santilli | Pale&Amber Ale : Pacific IPA | Silver |
| Pfriem Family Brewers | West Coast IPA | Pale&Amber Ale : Pacific IPA | Bronze |
| Monkless Belgian Ales | The FNG | Pale&Amber Ale : Strong Amber | Gold |
| The Monk’s Cellar | Diabolique | Pale&Amber Ale : Strong Blonde | Gold |
| New Glarus Brewing Company | Champ du Blanc | Speciality Beer : Other Sour Ale | Gold |
| StillFire Brewing | Hoochie Momma | Stout/ Porter : Export Stout | Bronze |
| AleSmith Brewing Company | Speedway Stout | Stout/ Porter : Russian Imperial Stout | Silver |
Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, said: “Year after year, American craft brewers excel on the world stage, winning top honors at prestigious European beer competitions. Such success creates a point of difference and drives awareness, helping to develop distribution opportunities in global export markets. This year’s impressive medal haul is a true reflection of the skill and creativity of American craft brewers, the world-class quality of their beers, and their innovative, boundary-pushing approach to brewing. I couldn’t be prouder of every one of them.”
Congratulations to all the winners!
The work of the Export Development Program is made possible by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture. The BA is committed to increasing trade relationships, enhancing media visibility, and raising consumer awareness of American craft beer internationally via festival participation, trade conferences, retail promotions, media campaigns, and international beer competitions.
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