WeldWerks Brewing and Glenwood Canyon Brewing win brewery of the year prizes

By the Thirst Team

The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) awarded medals to craft breweries in 30 Colorado cities for the 2026 Colorado Brewers Cup.

The contest had 59 judges from 7 states evaluating 772 entries from 120 breweries. Winners were announced Friday at the Colorado Craft Brewers Summit.

WeldWerks Brewing and Glenwood Canyon Brewing were named brewery of the year for their respective sizes. River North Brewery and Verboten Brewing also stood out, taking home five medals each. CBG Executive Director Shawnee Adelson said they had plenty of strong competition.

Photo courtesy of the Colorado Brewers Guild

“The level of technical skill and creativity displayed in this year's entries was world-class,” she said. “This competition shows that no matter the size of the brewery, Colorado's independent brewers are consistently pushing the boundaries of quality.”

Strange Craft Beer Company won two medals, as well as the Ambassador of Craft Award for founder Tim Myers.

“With so many incredible people supporting Colorado craft beer, I am humbled to be recognized among them,” Myers said. “It’s such an honor to be recognized for just following my passion and helping others to follow theirs. Colorado’s craft beer family has been my life’s passion for 20 years.”

Here are all the winners, with their number of prizes.

Five medals

River North Brewery in Denver: British-style imperial stout, coffee stout, dessert stout, West Coast India Pale Ale (IPA) and coffee beer
Verboten Brewing (combined medals for Loveland and Fort Collins brewing operations): British-style barley wine ale, strong ale, dessert stout, American light lager, American IPA

Four medals

Cerebral Brewing in Aurora: American-style lager, chocolate beer and two IPAs
New Terrain Brewing Co. in Golden: German pils, kölsch, contemporary gose and barrel-aged sour
WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley: three IPAs and a pastry sour

Three medals

Crystal Springs Brewing Co. in Louisville: American lager, fruit beer and Belgian strong blonde ale
Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. in Glenwood Springs: Mexican pale lager, helles bock, and West Coast IPA
Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs: IPA, dark mild and strong beer

Two medals

4 Noses Brewing Co. in Denver: IPA and non-alcoholic beer
Bruz Beers in Denver: Belgian-Style witbier and Belgian quadrupel
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.: two IPAs
Hideaway Park Brewery in Winter Park: specialty saison and barrel-aged stout
Highside Brewing Co. in Fairplay: kölsch and barrel-aged strong beer
Joyride Brewing Co. in Edgewater: West Coast-style pilsener and kölsch
Left Hand Brewing Co. in Longmont: experimental IPA and bitter beer
Liquid Mechanics Brewing in Lafayette: American IPA and barrel-aged strong beer
Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería in Parker: American lager and fruit beer
Mash Mechanix Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs: American-style black ale and chili beer
Prost Brewing Co. in Northglenn: German helles and German pilsener
Second Dawn Brewing Co. in Aurora: Italian-style pilsener and Vienna lager
Strange Craft Beer Co. in Denver: imperial IPA and Belgian Dubbel

One medal

Barrels & Bottles Brewery in Golden: robust porter
Bent Barley Brewing Co. in Aurora: festbier
Bristol Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs: export stout
Carver Brewing Co. in Durango: light lager
Comrade Brewing Co. in Denver: American-style black ale
Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs: amber lager
Fritz Family Brewers in Niwot: bernsteinfarbenes weizen
Living the Dream Brewing in Highlands Ranch: hazy IPA
Lone Tree Brewing Co. in Lone Tree: Mexican light lager
Monolith Brewing in Denver: coffee beer
Mythmaker Brewing in Fort Collins: honey beer
Odell Brewing in Fort Collins: Irish stout
Old 121 Brewhouse in Lakewood: American malt liquor
Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co. in Denver: strong pale ale
Peculier Brewing in Fort Collins: German bock
Resolute Brewing Co. in Centennial: Belgian blonde ale
Salt Road Brewing in Fort Collins: strong bitter
Seedstock Brewery in Denver: Czech-Style Amber Lager
Soulcraft Brewing in Salida: schwarzbier
Stodgy Brewing Co. in Fort Collins: English porter
Telluride Brewing Co. in Telluride: American brown ale
The Empourium Brewing Co. in Denver: herb and spice beer
The Post Brewing Co. in Lafayette: Bamberg-style maerzen rauchbier
TightKnit Brewing in Evans: fruit beer
Tommyknocker Brewery in Idaho Springs: doppelbock
Tres Litros Brewing Co. in Salida: German rye ale
Vail Brewing Co. in Vail: robust porter
Westbound & Down Brewing Co. in Lafayette: American pale ale
Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co. in Castle Rock: wee heavy
Windfall Brewing Co. in Westminster: classic saison