Introduction to California Beers
Dozens of California breweries have received global recognition, with some of their products being named the best in the world.
The 2025 World Beer Cup, an international competition organized by the not-for-profit Brewers Association, took place this past week in Indianapolis.
Billing itself as the "Olympics of Beer," this year’s competition was held over 14 sessions, spanning seven days with 256 judges from 37 different countries. Winners were announced May 1.
“The World Beer Cup competition continues to showcase the global industry’s dedication to innovative craftsmanship, diverse flavors, and technical excellence,” said Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director.
In total, 8,3715 beers from 1,761 breweries and cideries were entered into the World Beer Cup for consideration. The breweries came from all different corners of the globe, with 49 nations represented.
Winners celebrate during the 2025 World Beer Cup in Indianapolis on May 1, 2025.
Competition Results
At the end of the judging period, 349 awards were given out to beers in their respective categories, with three beers per category bestowed with the bronze, silver and gold awards.
Among them, six breweries in the greater Los Angeles area, three in Orange and three in Los Angeles counties, received the prestigious gold awards for their beers.
Anaheim-based Golden Road Brewing won for its Mango Cart in the Fruit Wheat Beer category, while fellow Anaheim brewery Brewery X claimed gold for Super Slap in the American-Style India Pale Ale category. Orange’s Everywhere Brewery was awarded gold for Shifted Visions in the Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale category.
The team from Golden Road Brewing in Anaheim poses after receiving a Gold distinction at the 2025 World Beer Cup in Indianapolis on May 1, 2025. (Golden Road Brewing)
From Los Angeles, Arts District Brewing Co. earned top honors for Through The Roof in the International Pale Ale category; Claremont Craft Ales won Gold in the Experimental India Pale Ale category for its beer, Pepper & Peaches; and San Fernando Brewing Co. took Gold for Dr. Sleep in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer category.
Of the hundreds of beers to receive awards, 76 were brewed in the state of California, representing 55 unique breweries.
California Breweries Winners
The full list of California breweries to receive awards, and their respective categories, is below:
American-Belgo-Style Ale
- Bronze – Picked Last, Fieldwork Brewing Co. – Berkeley
American-Style Amber Lager
- Bronze – Chismosa, Old Caz Beer – Rohnert Park
American-Style Amber/Red Ale
- Gold – Singing Coyote, Mountain Rambler Brewery – Bishop
- Silver – Matador Red, 818 Brewing – Canoga Park
American-Style Black Ale or American-Style Stout
- Bronze – Blackside Snap, Riip Beer Co. – Huntington Beach
American-Style Cream Ale
- Gold – Bold Rush, Drake’s Brewing Co. – San Leandro
- Silver – Amendment Lager, 21st Amendment – San Leandro
American-Style India Pale Ale
- Gold – Super Slap, Brewery X – Anaheim
- Silver – Party Crusher, Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach
American-Style Lager
- Bronze – Home Run Jack, 14 Cannons – Westlake Village
American-Style Pale Ale
- Gold – Necrocat, Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland
- Bronze – MadeWest Pale, MadeWest Brewing Co. – Ventura
American-Style Pilsener
- Bronze – Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse – Auburn
American-Style Sour Ale
- Gold – Howzit Punch, Alvarado Street Brewery – Salinas
- Bronze – Tropic Desert, Other Brother Beer Co. – Seaside
American-Style Strong Pale Ale
- Gold – Mordant, Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland
- Bronze – Gold Label Mai Tai P.A., Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill – Monterey
Australian-Style Pale Ale
- Silver – XPA, Craft Coast – San Marcos
- Bronze – How’s the Serenity, Original Pattern Brewing – Oakland
Barley Wine-Style Ale
- Bronze – Lower De Boom, 21st Amendment – San Leandro
Belgian Fruit Beer
- Bronze – Funk Yeah Peach, Beachwood Blendery – Huntington Beach
Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
- Bronze – Rector 2025, Absolution Brewing Co. – Torrance
Belgian-Style Quadrupel
- Silver – Traced in Air, Bartlett Hall – San Francisco
Belgian-Style Sour Ale
- Bronze – Funk Yeah, Beachwood Blendery – Huntington Beach
Belgian-Style Strong Blonde Ale
- Silver – Damnation, Russian River Brewing Co. – Windsor
Brett Beer
- Silver – Pear Saison, Firestone Walker Brewing – Paso Robles
British-Style Imperial Stout
- Bronze – Raven’s Revenge, Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach
Chili Beer
- Gold – Pyro’s Prost, Hop Dogma – Half Moon Bay
Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout
- Bronze – Lucky 4 Leaf, Danville Brewing Co. – Danville
Classic Saison
- Silver – Plough & Harrow, ISM Brewing – Long Beach
Coffee Stout or Porter
- Gold – Midnight Sea, Morgan Territory Brewing – Tracy
- Silver – Dusk Til Dawn, Pizza Port San Clemente – San Clemente
Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout
- Bronze – Happy Almonds, Moksa Brewing Co. – Rocklin
Dortmunder/Export or German-Style Oktoberfest
- Gold – The Cushman, Morgan Territory Brewing – Tracy
English Ale
- Gold – Union Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – Paso Robles
English-Style Brown Ale
- Silver – Oscar Wanted a Brown Ale, Pizza Port Solana Beach – Solana Beach
Experimental Beer
- Silver – Big Trouble in Little Tokyo, Angel City Brewery – Los Angeles
Experimental India Pale Ale
- Gold – Pepper & Peaches, Claremont Craft Ales – Claremont
Extra Special Bitter
- Gold – Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Chico
Fruit Wheat Beer
- Gold – Mango Cart, Golden Road Brewing Anaheim – Anaheim
Fruited Cider
- Bronze – Guava Hard Cider, Coronado Brewing Co. – San Diego
German-Style Koelsch
- Silver – Monger’s Choice, Docent Brewing – San Juan Capistrano
German-Style Maerzen or Franconian-Style Rotbier
- Silver – Red Vespa, Unsung Brewing Co. – Tustin
German-Style Pilsener
- Bronze – Planks, MadeWest Brewing Co. – Ventura
German-Style Schwarzbier
- Silver – Schwarzbier, Pizza Port Imperial Beach – Imperial Beach
Gose
- Bronze – SMBW Basil Lemongrass Gose, Santa Monica Brew Works – Santa Monica
Herb and Spice Beer
- Silver – Burma Ale, Alameda Brewing – Alameda
Honey Beer
- Silver – Miss Behave, Moonraker Brewing – Cameron Park
Hoppy Lager
- Silver – Super Smash, Unsung Brewing Co. – Tustin
- Bronze – Krispi Kiwi, Far Field Beer Co. – Lawndale
Hoppy Non-Alcohol Beer
- Gold – Trail Pass Hazy IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Chico
Imperial India Pale Ale
- Silver – Fall On In, MadeWest Brewing Co. – Ventura
- Bronze – House of Fu!, North Park Beer Co. – San Diego
International Pale Ale
- Gold – Through The Roof, Arts District Brewing Co. – Los Angeles
International-Style Lager
- Gold – Yamagata, Original Pattern Brewing – Oakland
- Silver – Otaku Hyper Dry, GameCraft Brewing – Laguna Hills
Italian-Style Pilsener
- Gold – STS Pils, Russian River Brewing Co. – Windsor
- Silver – Hamburghini, ISM Brewing – Long Beach
- Bronze – Pivo, Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – Paso Robles
Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
- Gold – Juice Master, Shred Beer Co. – Rocklin
- Silver – Contains No Juice, Alvarado Street Brewery – Salinas
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
- Gold – Shifted Visions, Everywhere – Orange
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
- Bronze – Hop Magee, Danville Brewing Co. – Danville
Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
- Bronze – MadeWest Hazy IPA, MadeWest Brewing Co. – Ventura
New Zealand-Style India Pale Ale
- Gold – Perverse Inverse, Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland
- Bronze – Modern Love, TapRoom Beer Co. – San Diego
Other Strong Beer
- Gold – Imperial Dark Mast, Pond Farm Brewing Co. – San Rafael
Robust Porter
- Gold – Ossuary, Ghost Town Brewing – Oakland
- Bronze – Blimp Hangar Porter, Tustin Brewing Co. – Tustin
Session India Pale Ale
- Gold – Micro Blaster, Shred Beer Co.
