For the second consecutive year, three Michigan breweries won gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
Ann Arbor's Mothfire Brewing Co. won a gold medal for Panda in the Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale category, while Plymouth-based Bearded Lamb Brewing Co. won gold for its Chugga Chocolate Milk Stout in the Sweet Stout or Cream Stout category.
Founders Brewing Co. won gold in the Hop Water category for its Hoppy Mood. This was the first year the Great American Beer Festival offered that category as hop waters become more prevalent among breweries as a nonalcoholic, low-calorie option.
Three Michigan breweries also won silver medals: Ferndale's Urbanrest Brewing Co. for its Perpetual Fog in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category; Flint's Redwood Brewing Co. for its Stable Genius in the Saison category; and Short's Brewing Co. Production Facility in Elk Rapids for Summer Heat in the Specialty Beer category.
The Great American Beer Festival, which takes place every fall in Denver, is considered the premier craft beer competition in the United States. A total of 243 breweries and cideries took home 336 medals in 2026, the festival said. More than 200 judges evaluated 7,267 beer and cider entries across 49 states.
Michigan also won three gold medals in 2025, the most gold medals the state's breweries won in the competition in 15 years.
Mothfire Brewing Co.'s Panda, a 8% alcohol-by-volume hazy double IPA, also won silver in the World Beer Cup this past spring.
Michigan winners at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold medal: Mothfire Brewing Co., Panda, Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
- Gold medal: Bearded Lamb Brewing Co., Chugga Chocolate Milk Stout, Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
- Gold medal: Founders Brewing Co., Hoppy Mood, Hop Water
- Silver medal: Urbanrest Brewing Co., Perpetual Fog, Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
- Silver medal: Redwood Brewing Co., Stable Genius, Saison
- Silver medal: Short's Brewing Co. Production Facility, Summer Heat, Specialty Beer
