Here are the winners of The Growler’s 2026 Craft Beer & Cider Readers’ Choice Awards

 

The Growler Craft Beer & Cider Awards, also known as the Growlies, provide British Columbia’s community of beer and cider lovers with an opportunity to share their passion for their favourite breweries, cideries and craft beverages.

Here’s how it worked: first, a diverse panel of beer and cider experts nominated their favourite beverages from the hundreds and hundreds of beers and ciders produced in B.C. over the preceding 12 months. Then, our resident expert, Matthew Poirier (Matter of Beer), narrowed that list down to categories with no more than 10 in each. And then we asked you, the general public, to vote for your favourites—which you did in droves!

Some popular beers showed up on their expected pedestals, but, as usual, there were some fun surprises, too. Check out the winners and then maybe consider seeking out a beer or cider you’ve never tried before.

Thank you for doing your part and voting for your favourites. And congratulations to all the winners!

Cheers,

—Joe Wiebe

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And the Growlie goes to…

Best Beer in B.C.

1. Rusted Rake Brewing // Wandering Scotsman Spruce Tip IPA

T-2. Driftwood Brewery  // Fat Tug

T-2. Camp Beer Co. // Vienna Lager

3. Superflux // Colour & Shape

 

Best Brewery in B.C.

1. Camp Beer Co.

2. Locality Brewing

3. Small Gods Brewing Co. 

 

Best New Brewery

(Opened between June 2025 and June 2026)

1. Hop Creek Brewing

2. Serious Brewing

3. Nakusp Brewing

 

Best Light Lager

1. Locality Brewing // Thank You Honey Lager

2. Four Winds Brewing // Huft Gold

3. Small Gods Brewing Co.  // Neverending German Pilsner

 

Best Light Ale

T-1. Dageraad Brewing // Burnabarian

T-1. Strange Fellows Brewing // Talisman West Coast Pale Ale

2. Four Winds Brewing // Velo

3. Barnside Brewing // Five For Fighting Hazy Pale

 

Best Dark Lager

1. Camp Beer Co. // Vienna Lager

2. Yellow Dog Brewing // Roll Over Cerveza Negra

T-3. Field House Brewing Co. // Toasted Coconut Black Lager

T-3. 33 Acres Brewing Co. // 33 Acres of Darkness

 

Best Dark Ale

1. Yellow Dog Brewing // Shake a Paw Smoked Porter

2. BNA Brewing // Backhand of God

3. Brassneck Brewery // Schwarztechnik

 

Best Fruit Beer

1. Field House Brewing Co.// Salted Lime Mexican Lager

2. Brassneck Brewery // Raspberry Changeling

3. Tin Whistle Brewery // Peach Cream Ale

 

Best Wheat Ale

1. 33 Acres Brewing Co. // 33 Acres of Sunshine

2. Field House Brewing Co. // Peach & Pear Wheat Ale

3. Dageraad Brewing // White

 

Best Belgian-style Ale

1. Dageraad Brewing // Blonde

2. Brassneck Brewery // Stockholm Syndrome

T-3. Trading Post Brewing // Belgian Quad

T-3. Dog Mountain Brewing // Bees! Belgian Blonde Ale

 

Best Sour Ale

1. Four Winds Brewing // Nectarous

2. Field House Brewing Co. // Strawberry Daquiri Soft Serve Sour

3. Category 12 Brewing // Mango Guava Sour

 

Best West Coast IPA

1. Superflux // Happyness

2. Driftwood Brewery // Fat Tug IPA

3. Four Winds Brewing // Greg

 

Best East Coast/Hazy IPA

1. Superflux // Colour & Shape

2. Backcountry Brewing // Widowmaker IPA

3. Changing Colours Brewing Project // Astro Zombies

 

Best Specialty IPA

1. Four Winds Brewing // Juxtapose

T-2. Superflux // Coconuts IPA

T-2. Rusted Rake Brewing  // Wandering Scotsman Spruce Tip IPA

|3| Category 12 Brewing // Spruce Tip IPA

 

Best Imperial Ale (>8%)

|1| Yellow Dog Brewing // Little Dog Syndrome

|2| Field House Brewing Co. // Super Tall Hazy IIPA

|3| Superflux // Mirror Mirror Double IPA

 

Best Weird Beer

1. Field House Brewing Co. // Mango Habanero Sour

2. R&B Brewing Co. // Pickle Gose

3. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co. // Vier – Barrel Aged Golden Plum Mailbock

 

Best B.C. Collab

1. Camp Beer Co. + Locality Brewing // Throwback English IPA

2. Small Gods Brewing Co.  + Superflux + Changing Colours Brewing Project + Herald Street // Good Night Out Quad Hopped IPA

3. Backcountry Brewing + Changing Colours Brewing Project // “Zombiemaker”

 

Best Low Alcohol Beer (ABV < 4%)

1.  Four Winds Brewing // Ultralite IPA

2. Parallel 49 Brewing Co. // Tricycle

3. Phillips Brewing Co. // Iota Hazy IPA

 

Cidery of the Year

1. Salt Spring Wild Cider

2. Fraser Valley Cider Co.

3. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House

 

Best New Cidery

(Opened between June 2025 and June 2026)

1. Daisy Chain Cider Co. (Five Roads Brewing)

2. Lass Chance Estate Cidery

3. Folktale Fine Cider

 

Best New World Cider

1. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House // Wolf in the Woods

2. Merridale Cidery & Distillery // Cowichan Dry

3. Soma Craft Cidery // Apple

 

Best Old World Cider

1. Salt Spring Wild Cider  // Traditional Dry

2. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House // Kings & Spies

3. Twisted Hills Craft Cider // Dry

 

Best Specialty Cider

T-1. Fraser Valley Cider Co. // Blackberry Hibiscus

T-1. Salt Spring Wild Cider // Strawberry Rhubarb Cider

T-2. Salt Spring Wild Cider // Blackberry Yuzu

T-2. Summerland Heritage Cider Co. // Mango Passionfruit

3. Merridale Cidery & Distillery // Apple Pie Cider

 

Unsung Hero (brewery outside of Metro Vancouver/Victoria)

1. Rusted Rake Brewing

2. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co.

3. Twin City Brewing

 

Best Brewery/Cidery Tasting Room

1. Camp Beer Co.

2. Locality Brewing

3. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co.

 

Best Food Program

1. Camp Beer Co.

2. Rusted Rake Brewing

3.Twin City Brewing

 

Best Branding/Packaging

1. Camp Beer Co.

2. Locality Brewing

T-3. Rusted Rake Brewing

T-3. Superflux

 

Best Local Homebrewing Store

1. That Homebrew Shop

2. Brewer’s Corner

3. Bosagrape Winery & Brew Supplies

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Bar

1. The Barley Merchant

2. The Magnet

3. The Station Taphouse

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Retail Store

1. The Brewery Creek Liquor Store

2. JAK’s Beer Wine Spirits

T-3. The Gull Liquor Store

T-3. Everything Wine

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Event

1. Brewhalla

2. Okanagan Fest of Ale

3. BC Beer Awards

HM. Live at the Lagoon – Locality Brewing