LONDON — The 2026 World Beer Awards has named its top beers across 11 major categories, honoring breweries from nine countries and underlining how far the center of brewing excellence has expanded beyond the traditional powerhouses of Europe and North America.
England, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany and Moldova were among the countries represented among the highest-ranking winners. The awards covered categories including dark beer, flavored beer, IPA, lager, pale beer, sour beer, stout and porter, wheat beer, low-alcohol beer, specialty beer and mid-strength beer.
Among the leading winners were Harvey’s Lewes Castle Brown Ale of England, named World’s Best Dark Beer; Landel Atrás do Bloco of Brazil, named World’s Best IPA; Bavik Super Pils of Belgium, named World’s Best Lager; and Fulu Fresh Beer German Wheat Beer of China, named World’s Best Wheat Beer.forbes+1
The results also highlighted the growing strength of brewers in markets not always associated with global beer awards. Brazil took the overall IPA prize and collected several top IPA honors. Moldova won the stout and porter category. China secured the wheat-beer crown, while Canadian breweries appeared among category leaders in flavored beer and lager.
The World Beer Awards evaluates beers in recognized international styles. Judges conduct blind tastings, first selecting country winners and then identifying global winners by category. The competition does not name a single overall “best beer in the world”; instead, it recognizes category champions.
For breweries, the awards offer more than a trophy. They can create export opportunities, attract distributors, support marketing campaigns and help small producers compete in crowded domestic markets.
The 11 World’s Best winners
The 2026 awards named 11 top beers across the competition’s major categories.
| Category | World’s Best winner | Brewery | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Beer | Lewes Castle Brown Ale | Harvey’s Brewery | England |
| Flavored Beer | Le Coq – Brassin Spécial | Le Trou du Diable | Canada |
| IPA | Atrás do Bloco | Landel | Brazil |
| Lager | Super Pils | Bavik | Belgium |
| Mid-Strength Beer | Pitch Black | Twice Brewed | England |
| No & Low Alcohol Beer | [Category winner reported in award results] | — | — |
| Pale Beer | [Category winner reported in award results] | — | — |
| Sour & Wild Beer | [Category winner reported in award results] | — | — |
| Specialty Beer | [Category winner reported in award results] | — | — |
| Stout & Porter | Keller Holz Imperial Stout | Keller Holz | Moldova |
| Wheat Beer | German Wheat Beer | Fulu Fresh Beer | China |
The World Beer Awards recognizes category winners rather than selecting one universal overall champion. The results released publicly identify 11 top category winners.
The results show the range of the global beer market in 2026. Traditional English ales, Belgian pilsners, Brazilian IPAs, Chinese wheat beers and Moldovan imperial stouts all earned the competition’s highest designation.
That diversity reflects a broader change in brewing. Beer styles that once belonged closely to particular national traditions are now being interpreted and refined around the world.
A German-style wheat beer can win in China. An American-style IPA can win in Japan. A pale ale may draw on English brewing history while being produced in Canada, Brazil or South Korea.
The question is no longer whether a brewery comes from a historic beer nation. It is whether the beer delivers balance, character, technical quality and a distinctive sense of style.
England’s strong showing
England had one of the most notable performances in the 2026 competition.
Harvey’s Lewes Castle Brown Ale was named World’s Best Dark Beer and World’s Best English Style Brown Ale. The beer, produced by Harvey’s Brewery in Lewes, East Sussex, received two gold medals in the competition.
Harvey’s is one of Britain’s oldest independent breweries, and its recognition reinforces the continuing appeal of traditional British styles at a time when many beer drinkers are focused on hazy IPAs, pastry stouts and heavily fruited sour beers.
Brown ale is a style often overshadowed by more fashionable categories. It can range from lightly sweet and nutty to richer, roasted and chocolate-forward. A winning example needs balance: enough malt depth to create character, but not so much sweetness or heaviness that drinkability suffers.
Harvey’s also collected several other major awards.
Its Old Ale was named World’s Best Mild Ale, Sussex Stronghold won World’s Best Pale Barley Wine and Sweet Sussex Stout was named World’s Best Sweet Stout.
The brewery also secured UK winner status and gold medals for Sisters, Ouse Booze, Star of Eastbourne, Imperial Extra Double Stout and Prince of Denmark.
The haul is commercially significant. In a market where independent breweries compete against multinational brands and a growing number of local craft producers, awards can help reinforce a brewery’s reputation for consistency and quality.
Another English winner, Twice Brewed’s Pitch Black, was named World’s Best Mid-Strength Beer.
Mid-strength beers provide consumers a balance between flavor and sessionability and are generally characterized by a moderate alcohol concentration. Their growth reflects changing demand among drinkers who want lower-alcohol options without sacrificing complexity.
Brazil claims the IPA crown
Brazil was one of the biggest stories of the 2026 awards.
Landel’s Atrás do Bloco was named World’s Best IPA, winning the Milkshake IPA/New England IPA category.
The award is notable because the IPA category is among the most competitive and commercially influential in modern craft beer.
India pale ales originated in Britain but became a defining style of the U.S. craft-beer movement, especially in its American, West Coast and New England forms. In 2026, however, no American brewery won a World’s Best IPA category title.
Instead, the top IPA awards went to breweries in Brazil, Japan, Germany, Canada and China.
Landel’s Atrás do Bloco represents the modern New England or milkshake IPA tradition: typically hazy in appearance, fruit-forward in aroma, smooth in texture and lower in perceived bitterness than older West Coast-style IPAs.
Brazilian breweries won three of the seven World’s Best IPA titles.
Therezópolis Jade was named World’s Best English Style IPA, while Cervejaria Unika’s Orange Kush won World’s Best Specialty IPA.
The remaining category winners included:
- Derailleur Brew Works WC IPA of Japan, named World’s Best American Style IPA.
- Camba Bavaria Black Shark of Germany, named World’s Best Black IPA.
- Archibald Double IPA of Canada, named World’s Best Double IPA.
- RichKat Craft Brewing Rebound of China, named World’s Best Session IPA.
The results show how IPA has become a truly global language of brewing.
For years, American brewers shaped the style through aggressive hopping, citrus and tropical fruit flavors, and a culture of experimentation. Now, brewers around the world are adapting those techniques to local ingredients, climates and consumer preferences.
The irony of a Japanese brewery winning World’s Best American Style IPA is not a contradiction. It is evidence that beer styles now travel more easily than ever.
Belgium remains a lager leader
Belgium’s Bavik Super Pils was named World’s Best Lager, reinforcing the country’s enduring reputation for brewing precision and flavor.
Belgium is widely known for Trappist ales, saisons, lambics and strong specialty beers. But the award for Super Pils highlights the country’s ability to excel in a style that can be deceptively difficult to produce.
A pale lager often has nowhere to hide flaws. It requires clean fermentation, balanced bitterness, fresh ingredients and careful control of carbonation and body. A beer can be simple in appearance and still demand exceptional technical skill.
Bavik Super Pils topped a lager field that included winners from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada and China.
Other notable lager results included:
- Alfa Edel Pils of the Netherlands, named World’s Best Classic Pilsener.
- Estrella Levante Reserva 60 of Spain, named World’s Best Dortmunder.
- Granville Island Island Lager of Canada, named World’s Best Helles/Münchner.
- Hiddenseer Winterbock of Germany, among the top recognized lagers.
- Waima Craft Beer Golden Crow Pilsner and Tesila Schwarzbier, both from China, among the recognized winners.
The lager category reflects a market where drinkers increasingly seek both familiarity and quality.
Lagers remain the world’s dominant beer style by volume, but premium and craft interpretations are gaining attention. Winning a global award can help a brewery distinguish itself in a category dominated by large, well-established brands.
Canada, Moldova and China stand out
Canada’s Le Trou du Diable won World’s Best Flavored Beer with Le Coq – Brassin Spécial.
The Quebec brewery’s recognition reflects the creativity that has become central to the flavored-beer category. Such beers can incorporate spices, fruit, coffee, chocolate, herbs or other ingredients, but they must remain balanced and recognizably beer rather than becoming sweet or artificial tasting.
Canada also performed strongly in lagers, particularly through British Columbia breweries. Granville Island’s Island Lager won the World’s Best Helles/Münchner title, while other Canadian beers were recognized across several lager styles.
Moldova’s Keller Holz Imperial Stout was named World’s Best Stout & Porter.
Imperial stout is a demanding category. The style is typically high in alcohol and can feature dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, dried fruit and warming alcohol character. Balance is crucial. A winning imperial stout must feel rich without becoming harsh, overly sweet or unmanageably heavy.
China secured the World’s Best Wheat Beer title through Fulu Fresh Beer’s German Wheat Beer.
The result is another example of global brewing cross-pollination. German wheat beer, often known as hefeweizen or weissbier, is traditionally associated with Bavaria. It is known for its cloudy appearance, soft body and yeast-driven flavors that can suggest banana, clove or spice.
A Chinese brewery winning the category reflects the rapid development of craft brewing in Asia and the increasing technical expertise of producers across the region.
BrewDog’s broad medal haul
Scotland’s BrewDog did not take one of the overall World’s Best category crowns, but the brand earned multiple medals and country-winner honors.
Hazy Jane, Wingman and Mackie’s Two Scoops each received gold medals and were named Scotland Country Winners in their categories.
Hazy Jane won in the New England IPA/Milkshake IPA category, Wingman in Session IPA and Mackie’s Two Scoops in Flavored Stout & Porter.
Other BrewDog beers recognized included:
- Mello Lime & Mint, silver in the flavored non-alcohol category.
- Lost Lager, bronze in Classic Pilsner.
- Black Heart, bronze in Stout & Porter.
- Punk IPA, bronze in American Style IPA.
- Mello Peach & Passion Fruit, bronze in flavored non-alcohol beer.
For BrewDog, the recognition is a reminder that large craft brands can still compete in category-based judging even as the craft market becomes more fragmented and local.
The company, owned by Tilray Brands, has expanded beyond its Scottish roots into a global operation. Its awards reflect the commercial importance of maintaining quality across multiple styles and production scales.
What the awards mean for beer buyers
Beer awards can be useful for consumers, but they should be read with some context.
A World Beer Awards title indicates that a beer performed strongly in blind judging against other entries in its category. It does not mean that every drinker will prefer it.
Taste remains personal.
A creamy imperial stout might not appeal to someone who prefers crisp, sharp pilsners. A typical English brown ale might not appeal to someone who like fruity New England IPAs. The awards identify technical excellence and style execution, not a universal taste hierarchy.
Still, the results offer a useful guide for drinkers looking to explore beyond familiar brands.
For consumers in the United States, availability may be limited. Many of the winning beers are produced by small or regional breweries and may not be exported widely.
That is part of the business challenge for award-winning brewers.
Winning a global prize can create demand quickly, but it can also expose limits in production capacity, distribution partnerships and export logistics. A brewery may gain attention from importers and retailers, but scaling up can be expensive.
For large brewers, an award can support brand marketing. For smaller producers, it can be a chance to enter new markets.
A changing global beer map
The 2026 World Beer Awards show that global beer excellence is increasingly dispersed.
England remains formidable in traditional dark ales and malt-forward styles. Belgium continues to excel in lager. Brazil has emerged as a major force in IPA. Canada is strong in flavored beer and lagers. China is producing technically convincing examples of classic European styles.
The results also challenge the assumption that the United States must dominate every craft category.
American craft brewing remains deeply influential, especially in the history of modern IPA. But the absence of a U.S. World’s Best IPA winner this year shows how widely the style’s knowledge and techniques have spread.
That is good news for consumers. A more global market means more interpretations, more competition and more reasons to look beyond the local shelf.
For brewers, it raises the standard.
The world’s best beer may still come from a historic brewing town in England or Belgium. But it may just as easily come from a small brewery in Brazil, a producer in Moldova or a growing craft operation in China.
In 2026, the World Beer Awards made one thing clear: great beer is no longer defined by where a style began. It is defined by how well a brewer brings that style to life.
