BABG Dominates GABF 2026! Two Brewery of the Year Awards. One Remarkably Deep Beer Region
The Bay Area’s GABF results are another reminder that this region’s brewing excellence deserves a much bigger place in the national conversation.
At the 2026 Great American Beer Festival, Morgan Territory Brewing and Fieldwork Brewing Company were each named Brewery of the Year in their respective production categories. Morgan Territory took the honors among breweries producing 2,001–5,000 barrels annually, while Fieldwork won in the 5,001–15,000-barrel category.
And they weren’t alone. The results revealed another remarkable showing for the breweries across our region, with Guild members earning medals across a wide range of styles and production categories.
The scale of that achievement is worth putting in perspective. The BABG’s territory is home to about 3% of the U.S. population. In 2026, our breweries took home about 8% of the medals at the Great American Beer Festival. And two of the eight breweries taking home Brewery of the Year honors are BABG members. That’s an outsized share of the nation’s brewing excellence, and it deserves more attention.
Two Brewery of the Year awards and 20 member medals
Morgan Territory earned four medals, while Fieldwork took home three, along with their BotY recognition. Barebottle Brewing followed last year's double-gold performance by winning three medals, including a gold this year, and Hop Dogma continued their remarkable run with two more GABF medals.
Across the region, 12 BABG members brought home 20 GABF medals in 2026:
Gold
- Morgan Territory Brewing — Fire Exit, Chili Beer
- Morgan Territory Brewing — Raven’s Home, Imperial Stout
- Fieldwork Brewing Company — Day Money, Specialty Non-Alcohol Beer
- Barebottle Brewing Co. — Power Plants, Imperial India Pale Ale
- Bartlett Hall — Powell Street Porter, Robust Porter
- Discretion Brewing — Uncle Dave’s IPA, English-Style ESB or IPA
Silver
- Hop Dogma Brewing Co. — Pyro’s Prost, Chili Beer
- Fieldwork Brewing Company — High & Fine, Hoppy Lager
- Fieldwork Brewing Company — Rough & Tumble, Bock
- Otherwise Brewing — Cactus Kiss, Specialty Gluten-Free Beer
- Alvarado Street Brewery — Froth Water, Hop Water
Bronze
- Morgan Territory Brewing — Snap Shot, American Cream Ale
- Morgan Territory Brewing — Old Diablo, Barley Wine or Wheat Wine
- Hop Dogma Brewing Co. — Admiral Chiperton Sausageton III, Craft Malt Beer
- Barebottle Brewing Co. — Club Haus, American-Style Light Lager
- Barebottle Brewing Co. — Potion Crusher, New Zealand-Style India Pale Ale
- Del Cielo Brewing Co. — Guava Dreams, Berliner-Style Weisse
- Drake’s Brewing Company/Bear Republic — Bold Rush, Golden or Blonde Ale
- Original Pattern Brewing Co. — How’s The Serenity, International-Style Pale Ale
- San Francisco Brewing Co. — Ghirardelli Chocolate Stout, Chocolate Beer
Congratulations to every Guild member who represented Bay Area beer on the national stage.
These medals weren’t concentrated in a single style. They included chili beer, non-alcoholic beer, robust porter, imperial stout, bock, hoppy lager, gluten-free beer, Berliner-style weisse, and multiple IPA categories. A great brewing region isn’t defined only by its ability to make one fashionable style particularly well. It’s defined by talent across the board.
For the complete results, explore the official 2026 Great American Beer Festival winners list.
The IPA final tables tell an even bigger story
The medal count is only part of the picture. The final-table results in the two of the most competitive IPA categories further prove how deep this region is when it comes to beer quality.
The American India Pale Ale category drew 165 entries. Seven of the top 15 beers came from breweries in the triangle connecting Monterey, Windsor, and Auburn:
- Single Cone — Alvarado Street Brewery
- Gold Digger — Auburn Alehouse
- Inhume — Ghost Town Brewing
- Boardwalk Dreamin’ — Humble Sea Brewing Co.
- Rivalry One — Movement Brewing
- Subliminal Gold — Sonoma Springs Brewing Co.
- Rock Me All Mosaic — Urban Roots Brewing
That’s nearly half of the top 15 coming from Northern CA.
The Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale category was even larger, with 260 entries. Three of the top nine beers came from Bay Area breweries:
- Juicy Couture — Barebottle Brewing Co.
- Gloomfang — Ghost Town Brewing
- Free Craigs — Old Caz Beer
These results tell a complementary story. Consider what it takes to stand out on the national stage:
Brewery of the Year: 1,300 breweries entered GABF competition this year. Just eight were named Brewery of the Year winners across the various production-volume categories. Two were BABG member breweries.
American IPA: Of 165 entries in one of craft beer’s most competitive categories, only 15 reached the final table. Seven came from Northern California.
Juicy/Hazy IPA: In a category drawing 260 entries, just nine beers made the final table. Three of those nine came from the Bay Area.
That’s not just a strong showing in one competition or one style. It shows extraordinary depth across our region’s brewing community.
Oakland, Stand Up!
The Alpha King Challenge, presented annually by leading hop supplier Yakima Chief, crowns a winner each year during GABF. Since its inception in 1999, Alpha King has become synonymous with the absolute best in hop-driven American beer.
This year, Oakland’s Ghost Town Brewing won silver, while their neighbors, Cellarmaker and Original Pattern, also made the list of 24 nationally recognized breweries. In other words, 1/8th of the country’s top IPA brewers are concentrated in one Bay Area town.
That’s a striking concentration of brewing talent, and it should be part of how Oakland tells its story to residents and visitors.
Excellence is an ecosystem
None of this argues that every Bay Area brewery wins medals, or that competitions tell us everything worth knowing about a beer. They don’t. Judging has limits, and a medal is only one measure of a brewery’s work.
But repeated results across different competitions do tell us something. They show a region with unusual depth, where different breweries can compete successfully in different styles, where the same names keep popping up in competition after competition, and where new recognition continues to prove that Bay Area beer deserves mention among the very best in the world.
That kind of ecosystem doesn’t happen by accident. It grows through skilled brewers, devoted supporters, strong local communities, independent businesses willing to take creative risks, and the organizations that help those businesses connect with one another and reach new audiences.
The Bay Area Brewers Guild exists in part to make that ecosystem more visible and more resilient. Our job is not simply to share an impressive medal count. It’s to help more people understand what those results reveal about the region, and to make sure the people who live here, visit here, and cover the industry recognize the extraordinary brewing scene in their own backyard.
The Bay Area isn’t just producing a few exceptional beers. It’s home to an exceptional beer culture that delivers year after year, across styles and breweries, with a depth few regions can match.
🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries
Friday, 10/16 —Paints, Pots, Pints with Ruth Bancroft Garden at Headlands WC!
(Walnut Creek, CA | 2-3 PM)
Enjoy a pumpkin-themed painting event on Friday, October 16th at Walnut Creek from 2- 3 PM.
Tickets & More Info –> Pumpkin Painting in Walnut Creek!
Friday, 10/16 —Louder and Prouder Drag Show at Del Cielo!
(Livermore, CA | 6-9 PM)
Join Del Cielo at their Livermore Taproom to kick off Pride weekend with drag, music, cold beer & plenty of fabulous energy. Hosted by Bella Aldama. Featuring Amoura Teese + Delilah Befierce. DJ Valmonster as MC
Free RSVP & More Info –> Drinks and Drag at Del Cielo in Livermore!
Saturday, 10/17 —Cosmic Rays Experimental Film Festival at Shapeshifters Cinema and Brewery!
(Oakland, CA | 7-9 PM)
Filmmakers and educators Sabine Gruffat and Bill Brown founded the Cosmic Rays Experimental Film Festival in 2017 to showcase non-commercial short films, live-cinema, and new media projects.
Tickets & More Info –> Experimental Film Festival in Oakland!
Tuesday, 10/20 —Paints, Pots, Pints with Ruth Bancroft Garden at Headlands Westbrae Biergarten!
(Berkeley, CA | 5-6 PM)
Enjoy a pumpkin-themed painting event on Tuesday, October 20th from 5- 6 PM.
Tickets & More Info –> Pumpkin Painting in Berkeley!
📅 Save the Dates
Thursday, 10/22 —Trivia with Lindsay Wildlife at Headlands Westbrae Biergarten!
(Berkeley, CA | 4-6 PM)
Free Trivia Night with Headlands' 1% for the Planet partner Lindsay Wildlife. The winning team will receive a free year membership to the Lindsay Wildlife Experience!
More Info –> Wildlife Trivia in Berkeley!
Thursday, 10/22 —Vital Signs Film Series Welcomes A.S. Hamrah at Shapeshifters Cinema and Brewery!
(Oakland, CA | 7-9 PM)
A special screening, discussion, book-signing, merciless report on a film industry in self-imposed crisis, and several glimmers of cinephilic hope. Hamrah's most recent book is "Last Week in End Times Cinema."
Tickets & More Info –> Film Screening and Book Signing in Oakland!
Saturday, 12/12—3rd Annual Holiday Market at CUVER Brewing!
(Windsor, CA | 3 - 7 PM)
Free, family-friendly, and outdoor, explore this showcase of local craftsmen, artists, makers, and non-profits from across Sonoma County! Featuring a live brewing demo, fresh flowers, hot & cold foods, activities for all ages, local gift shopping, CUVER beers for Adults 21+, and more.