Tickity Boo, a British-style pale ale from Twin City Brewing of Port Alberni, British Columbia, has been named the best beer in Canada.
Courtesy of Canadian Craft Brewers Association
Almost 1,900 entries were received for the Canada Beer Cup, the commercial beer and cider competition organized by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association. The Association boasts a membership of about 700 of the approximately 1,200 breweries in Canada. Although the United States boasts over 9,000 breweries, Canada has more breweries per capita, making it a more competitive environment.
Those almost 1,900 entries were more than were received for the 2025 Canada Beer Cup and the 2024 Canada Beer Cup, bucking a global trend toward fewer entries in brewing competitions.
“We are thrilled entries were up once again,” said Hilary Hoogsteen, Canada Beer Cup competition director for the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, in a telephone interview. “We are one of the only beer competitions globally that is growing.” Hoogsteen noted that entry fees for the competition go to the Association, so breweries entering the competition are supporting the organization that promotes their industry and lobbies on their behalf. Notably, Canada had another national beer competition, the Canadian Brewing Awards, which was not held this year.
Hoogsteen noted that entries in IPA categories remained strong and entries in lager categories grew, mirroring a similar trend at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. But unique to the competition, the Canada Beer Cup also has a category for Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale. Entries in that category nearly doubled from the year prior, evidencing a growing interest in that beer style among Canadian breweries.
Here are the winners of the 2026 Canada Beer Cup.
Best of Show – Canada Beer Cup
Gold – Twin City Brewing Company Tickity Boo
Silver – Sons of Kent Brewing Co. Mammoth
Bronze – Smithers Brewing Company Let’s Get Ready To Crumble!
Cider Best of Show
Gold – Sea Cider Pomona
Silver – Sea Cider Ginger Perry
Bronze – Wooden Gate Cider Three Spirits
House Ale (LalBrew House Ale)
Gold – Twin City Brewing Company Tickity Boo
Silver – Lone Oak Brewing Company Boat Traffic
Bronze – Lone Oak Brewing Company Gateway
Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale
Gold – Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. Spruce Tip Pale Ale
Silver – Small Gods Brewing Wild Places – Spruce Tip Pale Ale
Bronze – Twin City Brewing Company Spruce Tip Swedish Gymnast
Non Alcoholic Beer (less than 1%)
Gold – Persephone Brewing Company NA Dry Irish Stout
Silver – Siboire Discipline Framboise
Bronze – Better Brother Brewing Co. NA Raspberry Lime Kettle Sour
Low ABV Beer (1.0%-3.6%)
Gold – Graystone Brewing Graystone Light
Silver – The Establishment Brewing Company Chaise Longue
Bronze – Dageraad Brewing Tous Les Jours
American Light Lager
Gold – Four Winds Brewing Co. Four Winds Light
Silver – Neighbourhood Brewing Amigos Crisp Lager
Bronze – Kahnawake Brewing Company Bridge Ultra
American Lager
Gold – Shaketown Brewing Pre-Prohibition Pilsner
Silver – Two Pillars Brewery Pillar Time Lager
Bronze – Trailway Brewing Company Fetch Lager
International Pale Lager
Gold – Poco Brothers Brewing Co. Rice Lager
Silver – The Beer Farmers Locals Only Lager
Bronze – The Patch Brewery Laity Lager
Czech Pilsner
Gold – Parallel 49 Brewing Craft Pilsner
Silver – Grand River Brewing Czech Pilsner
Bronze – Quayle’s Brewery Through Elaborate Process
Pale Malty European Lager
Gold – The Beer Farmers Munich Helles
Silver – Smithers Brewing Company Smithersbräu Festbier
Bronze – Flying Monkeys Kryptonite 7.0 Smooth Lager
Kölsch
Gold – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Caddy
Silver – Deadfall Brewing Company Cache Kölsch
Bronze – Dageraad Brewing Rise Up
German Pilsner
Gold – Fuggles Beer Co. Pixel Pilsner
Silver – Burdock Brewery Pocket Pilsner
Bronze – Darty Brewing Bravo Pilsner
Hop-Forward Lager
Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Ocean View
Silver – Last Best Brewing & Distilling New Zealand Pilsner
Bronze – Patina Brewing Co. Italian Pilsner
European Amber Beer
Gold – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Oktoberfest Märzen-Lager
Silver – Beva Brewing Baja Oscura
Bronze – Gladstone Brewing Co. Gladstone Marzen
European Dark Lager
Gold – Silversmith Brewing Company The Black Lager
Silver – Bayview Brewing Company Call Of The Loon
Bronze – Trolley 5 (Collaboration with New Level Brewing) Crazy Train
German and American Wheat Beer
Gold – Pile O’ Bones Brewing White IPA
Silver – Silversmith Brewing Company Wheat
Bronze – Mariner Brewing Hefeweizen
Belgian Witbier
Gold – Strange Fellows Brewing Jongleur Wit Beer
Silver – MicroBrasserie Charlevoix Blanche De Charlevoix
Bronze – Microbrasserie La Souche Stadacona
Belgian and French Ale
Gold – Two Pillars Brewery Two Pillars Pale
Silver – Saint Andrews Brewing Company Golden Sasquatch
Bronze – Wild Winds Brewery Windflower – Belgian Blond
Saison and Grisette
Gold – Village Green Nelson Table Beer
Silver – Dageraad Brewing Field Theory
Bronze – Serious Brewing Company Cape Sutil Saison
Belgian Strong Ale
Gold – Dageraad Brewing Antigoon
Silver – Frampton Brasse Nuit D’automne
Bronze – Bent Stick Brewing Co. 2025: A Space Quadyssey
English Bitter and Pale Ale
Gold – Niagara College Teaching Brewery NC Craft Bitter
Silver – Kahnawake Brewing Company Hard Day’s Work
Bronze – Deadfall Brewing Company Best Bitter
English IPA
Gold – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Canoe Chase IPA
Silver – Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom
Bronze – PEI Brewing Company Gahan 1772
Brown British Ale
Gold – Rafter R Brewing Company Rafter R English Dark Mild
Silver – Smithers Brewing Company Bootlegger Brown Ale
Bronze – Hoyne Brewing Dark Matter
Irish and Scottish Ale
Gold – Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés Grosse Ile
Silver – Fernie Brewing Co. Ridgewalk Red Ale
Bronze – North Brewing Cole Harbour Red
UK Porter and Stout
Gold – Side Quest Brewing Co. Elder Gods
Silver – Parallel 49 Brewing Craft Stout
Bronze – Dusk To Dawn Brewing Co. Lucky Symbol
Contemporary Pale Ale
Gold – Cannery Brewing Company Muse Pale Ale
Silver – Foghorn Brewing Company Bumble
Bronze – Stockyards Brewing Between Jobs Session IPA
Contemporary IPA
Gold – Pistols Brewery Big Hoss
Silver – Driftwood Brewery Driftwood Juicy IPA
Bronze – Powerhouse Brewing Company Generator
West Coast IPA
Gold – Bogside Brewing Shuckers Select IPA
Silver – Steel & Oak Brewing Co. Grapefruit Kush
Bronze – L’Ironie du 13 Où Est Scott?
Hazy Pale Ale and Session Hazy IPA
Gold – Five Roads Brewing Backseat Driver
Silver – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Night Gallery
Bronze – Foghorn Brewing Company Tabula Rasa
Hazy IPA
Gold – Trench Brewing & Distilling Wicked River
Silver – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Hi-Fi
Bronze – Microbrasserie Jackalhop (Collaboration with Brewskey) Pentagone
Specialty IPA
Gold – Rebellion Brewing Co. Zilla Black IPA
Silver – Tool Shed Brewing Company The Rye Who Loved Me
Bronze – Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co. French Bay IPA
American Amber Beer
Gold – Smithers Brewing Company House Of Commons Canada Common
Silver – Quayle’s Brewery Simcoe Sundown
Bronze – Nokomis Craft Ales Nokomis Pale Ale
American Brown Ale
Gold – Deadfall Brewing Company Basal Brown Ale
Silver – Troubled Monk Open Road
Bronze – R&B Brewing Raven Cream Ale
American Porter and Stout
Gold – Medicine Hat Brewing Company Gentlemen’s Stout
Silver – Abandoned Rail Brewing Co. Bellhop – Porter
Bronze – Medicine Hat Brewing Company Brick And Mortar Porter
Imperial Stout
Gold – Polyrhythm Brewing LP Imperial Stout
Silver – Obsolete Brewing Co. Jobsolete – Light Keeper Stout
Bronze – Frampton Brasse Stout Imperial Russe
Golden Ale
Gold – Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company Okami Kasu – Japanese Ale
Silver – Schoolhouse Brewery Valedictorian Blonde
Bronze – Polyrhythm Brewing Backbeat Blonde Ale
Strong Ale
Gold – Polyrhythm Brewing Pyrophone Quad Hazy IPA
Silver – Vancouver Island Brewing Hermannator Ice Bock
Bronze – Serious Brewing Company (Collaboration with Checkerhead Brewing) Scotland Yard Barleywine
Contemporary Sour Ale
Gold – Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. Fuzzy Peach
Silver – Four Winds Brewing Co. Nectarous Dry-Hopped Sour
Bronze – Nokomis Craft Ales Nokomis Dry Hopped Sour
Fruited Sour Ale
Gold – Burn Block Social Club Lavender Haze Lavender Guava Sour
Silver – Bent Stick Brewing Co. Cheeks Out
Bronze – BNA Brewing Co. Purple Rain
European Sour Ale
Gold – Dageraad Brewing Entropy Series No. 17 – Balaton Sour
Silver – Frampton Brasse Rouge Des Appalaches
Bronze – Spark Beer Cloudland
Gose
Gold – Noctem Artisans Brasseurs Calaca Citron
Silver – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Margarita Gose
Bronze – Mountainview Brewing Co. Spruced Up Gose
Mixed Fermentation Ale
Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Time Spent
Silver – Blindman Brewing Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison
Bronze – Microbrasserie Jackalhop Origine (Style Geuze)
Fruit Beer
Gold – The Establishment Brewing Company Walking On Sunshine
Silver – La Knowlton Co Five Alive Ale De Blé
Bronze – NWT Brewing Co. Make Lemonade
Specialty Fruit Beer
Gold – Smithers Brewing Company Let’s Get Ready To Crumble!
Silver – Patina Brewing Co. Thai Lager
Bronze – Small Gods Brewing The Long Goodbye – Strawberry Hibiscus Sour
Spice, Herb, & Vegetable Beer
Gold – Shaketown Brewing Rusty’s Chamomile Farmhouse Saison
Silver – 70 Acre Brew Co. Park’d
Bronze – Cold Garden Beverage Company Vanilla Cappuccino Porter
Smoke & Historical Beer
Gold – Garrison Brewing Company Spruce Beer
Silver – Frampton Brasse Das Winter Projekt
Bronze – Brauwerk Hoffman Gratzer
Wood-Aged Beer
Gold – Sons of Kent Brewing Co. Mammoth
Silver – Spark Beer Amiable
Bronze – Trailway Brewing Company Old Glen
Experimental Beer
Gold – Tofino Oyster Pilsner
Silver – Microbrasserie La Souche Smoothie Beach – Margarita Aux Bleuets
Bronze – Ferme Brasserie Schoune Érabière Blonde
Gluten Free Beer
Gold – Smugglers Trail Caskworks Bread Winner
Silver – Port Rexton Brewing Co. Gluten Free Porter
Bronze – Category 12 Brewing Breakthru Mango Guava Sour
Heritage Cider (Traditional & Tannin-Forward Ciders)
Gold – Slaughterhouse Craft Traditional Dry (2024)
Silver – Sea Cider Pippins
Bronze – Double Hill Cidery Double Hill Symphony
Modern Cider (Contemporary & Sessionable Ciders)
Gold – Lonetree Cider Lonetree Authentic Dry Apple Cider
Silver – Wooden Gate Cider Hidden Rose
Bronze – Thornbury Craft Co. Thornbury Premium Apple Cider
Fruited Cider, and Perry
Gold – Thornbury Craft Co. Thornbury Wild Blueberry Elderflower Apple Cider
Silver – Atmosphere Cider Company Purple Rain
Bronze – Wooden Gate Cider Union
Spiced & Specialty Cider
Gold – Sea Cider Ginger Perry
Silver – Wards Cider Wards Orchard Rosé Cider
Bronze – Spot On Cider So Pitted Crab Apricot Cider
Ice & Fortified Cider
Gold – Sea Cider Pomona
Silver – Slaughterhouse Craft Ice Cider (2023)
Bronze – Crossmount Cider Company Crossmount Prairie Frost Ice Cider
Barrel-Aged or Specialty
Gold – Wooden Gate Cider Three Spirits
Silver – East Coast Cider Company | Annapolis Brewing Company Tide & Vine Rosé Cider
Bronze – Spot On Cider High Falutin Oak & Vanilla Cider
Packaging Awards
The Canada Beer Cup also awards medals for packaging design. These awards are judged by a panel of design and marketing judges.
Here are the winners of the 2026 Canada Beer Cup packaging awards.
Packaging Single
Gold – Blindman Brewing Lil Buzz
Silver – Curious Creatures Beer Corp. Fish Lift
Bronze – Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company Loose Plans
Packaging Series
Gold – Big Rock Brewery Main Lineup
Silver – Brasserie La Fosse Bières Des Grands Espaces
Bronze – Beva Brewing Fruited Saisons Series
Packaging Community Collaboration
Gold – Eighty-Eight Brewing Company Cassette
Silver – Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse Lava Bed Red Ale
Bronze – Origin Malting & Brewing Baredown Premium Lager
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