News

Hendersonville beers win medals in N.C. Brewers Cup

By Bill Moss, Published: September 13, 2026

Oklawaha Brewing Co. took home two medals and numerous Asheville brewers also won honors in the 2026 Brewers Cup competition, the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild announced.

Now in its 15th year, the event drew 898 entries from 119 independent craft breweries in the largest commercial beer competition in the South.

Medals were awarded in 40 style-based beer categories, including the “NC Homegrown” category, which requires at least 55% of the beer’s dry weight to be sourced from North Carolina ingredients. The largest categories of this year’s competition were Juicy or Hazy IPA with 53 entries, West Coast-Style IPA with 41 entries and Fruit Beer with 41 entries.
The 2026 New Brewery of the Year award will be presented Nov. 17 during the NC Craft Brewers Conference in Winston-Salem.

The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild is a not-for-profit group supporting independent craft brewers in the state through advocacy, promotion and education. North Carolina has nearly 400 independent craft breweries and brewpubs, each serving as a local gathering spot for its community.

Joe Dinan’s Oklawaha Brewing Co., which won medals for its Dead West American Pale and Bobby Beer German-style Pilsner, was the only Hendersonville brewery to be honored. Multiple award winners, all from Asheville, were Diatribe Brewing Co., Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co., Twin Leaf and The Bier Garden. Area winners were:

• British Style Porter & Brown Ales: Diatribe Brewing Co., Asheville, English Dark Mild, Bronze
• American-Style Porter & Brown Ales: Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co., Asheville, Weather Re-Porter, Gold
• American-style Amber/Red Ale: Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, Gaelic, Silver
• American Pale Ale: Oklawaha Brewing Co., Hendersonville, Dead West, Bronze.
• Juicy or Hazy IPA: Hi-Wire Brewing Co., Asheville, Hazy Pitch IPA, Honorable Mention
• West Coast Style IPA: Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, Citranova IPA, Bronze
• European Wheat: Green Man Brewery, Asheville, White Beard White Ale, Gold
• Belgian Ales, Twin Leaf Brewery, Asheville, Small Habit, Silver
• German Style Pilsner, Oklawaha Brewing Co., Hendersonville, Bobby Beer, Silver
• Pale European Lager: The Bier Garden, Asheville, Hunden, Silver
• Dark European Lager & German-style Bock: Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co., Baltic Porter, Bronze
• North American-style Lager: Salt Face Mule Brewing Co., Asheville, Mosey on Over, Silver
• North American-style Amber and Dark Lager: The Bier Garden, Asheville, Bier for Dads, Bronze
• Coffee Beer: Diatribe Brewing Co., Asheville, Coffee Stout, Silver
• Field & Spiced Beers: Twin Leaf Brewery, Asheville, The Fire Within, Silver
• American & European-style Sour Ales: Cellarest Beer Project (2 awards), Asheville, Sapling Jack, Bronze; Sisu, Honorable Mention
• Specialty Beer: Diatribe Brewing Co., Asheville, Dark Rye Lager, Gold; Black Mountain Brewing & Distillery, Asheville, Unspoken Oath Bronze