The Best Beers In Canada—Winners Of The 2025 Canada Beer Cup

Winners of the 2025 Canada Beer Cup were announced on November 10, 2025 at a gala held in Quebec City, Quebec. The best beers in Canada were also celebrated at satellite watch parties held in brewery taprooms across the country.

Canada has almost 1,400 breweries. Those breweries serve a population of fewer than 42 million people, meaning it has it has more breweries per capita than America. While America may be the home of the modern craft beer movement, Canada is a more competitive landscape.

So, Canada boasts two national beer competitions: the Canadian Brewing Awards, founded in 2000, and the Canada Beer Cup, founded in 2022. In America, the Great American Beer Festival is the nation’s undisputed most-prestigious beer competition. But in Canada, both the Canadian Brewing Awards and the Canada Beer Cup are respected by both brewers and consumers. Winners at either—or, for the best breweries, both—are quick to celebrate.

Despite this being just the fourth edition of the Canada Beer Cup, the competition has overtaken the Canadian Brewing Awards to become the country’s largest beer competition. This year, over 1,800 beers—a record number of entries—from over 300 breweries representing every province and territory of Canada competed for medals. For the first time, the 2025 Canada Beer Cup included awards for cider, divided into five categories.

The Canada Beer Cup is organized by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, which is composed of representatives of brewing associations representing the provinces of Canada. The Canadian Craft Brewers Association represents the interests of Canada’s commercial craft breweries through advocacy, lobbying and education.

“A number of beer competitions around the world are seeing reduced numbers of entries, but we are building a strong brand,” said Hilary Hoogsteen, competition director of the Canada Beer Cup, by telephone. “The breweries in Canada are supporting our not-for-profit advocacy efforts. They know that by supporting our competition, we can advocate on their behalf.”

Hoogsteen also notes that the competition has invested in having highly-qualified judges who can provide meaningful feedback to entering breweries. “We were very proud that every one of the Best of Show judges were Grandmaster judges,” said Hoogsteen. “I believe that’s a first for Canada.”

Interestingly, the beer chosen as the best in Canada by those five Grandmaster judges was from Quebec, which hosted the awards gala. Flacatoune is brewed by MicroBrasserie Charlevoix, which hails from the province and was co-founded by Frédérick Tremblay, who was the first Quebec representative on the CCBA board. Judging at the Canada Beer Cup is blind, meaning Canada’s most prestigious award was given to the pioneering brewery fairly.

Winners of the 2025 Canadian Brewing Awards were announced in June 2025. Here are the winners of the 2025 Canada Beer Cup.

Best In Show

Gold: MicroBrasserie Charlevoix Flacatoune (Baie-Saint-Paul, QC)

Silver: Blindman Brewing Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Lacombe, AB)

Bronze: Garrison Grewing Spruce Beer (Halifax, NS)

Category 1A: Western Canadian Gambrinus Pilsner Malt

Gold: Rusted Rake Brewing The Wandering Scotsman Spruce Tip IPA (Nanoose Bay, BC)

Silver: Fern + Cedar Brewing Dryad West Coast Fir Pilsner (Qualicum Beach, BC)

Bronze: Main St. Brewing Mindtrip (Vancouver, BC)

Category 1B: Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale

Gold: Jackknife Brewing Hair Straight Back (Kelowna, BC)

Silver: Whistle Buoy Brewing Spruce Tip Pale Ale (Victoria, BC)

Bronze: Trécarré Microbrasserie Épineuse-Pale Ale forestière (St-Côme, QC)

Category 2A: Non Alcoholic Beer (<1%)

Gold: Sea Change Brewing Death Wave Non-Alcoholic Light Lager (Edmonton, AB)

Silver: Better Brother Brewing NA Raspberry Lime Kettle Sour (Saskatoon, SK)

Bronze: Microbrasserie La Souche Simple de même Gose sans alcool (Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, QC)

Category 2B: Low ABV Beer (1.0 – 3.6%)Low ABV Beer (1.0 – 3.6%)

Gold: The Establishment Brewing Chaise Longue (Calgary, AB)

Silver: Brasserie La Fosse Les Falaises (Donnacona, QC)

Bronze: Four Winds Beach House & Brewery Zephyr 8° (Delta, BC)

Category 3A: American Light Lager

Gold: Flora Hall Brewing Flora Light (Ottawa, ON)

Silver: Wellington Brewery Boot Lite (Guelph, ON)

Bronze: Burnside Brewing Toller Lite (Dartmouth, NS)

Category 3B: American Lager

Gold: Great Lakes Brewery Great Lakes Premium Lager (Etobicoke, ON)

Silver: Red Truck Beer Road Trip Classic Lager (Vancouver, BC)

Bronze: Sea Change Brewing Scud – Sea Change Ultra Dry (Edmonton, AB)

Category 3C: International Pale Lager

Gold: Yellow Dog Brewing El Perro Cerveza Clara (Port Moody, BC)

Silver: Firehall Brewery Kick Axe Lager (Oliver, BC)

Bronze: Collective Arts Brewing Collective Lager (Hamilton, ON)

Category 3D: Czech Pilsner

Gold: Nelson Brewing SFD (Nelson, BC)

Silver: Gladstone Brewing Gladstone Pilsner (Courtenay, BC)

Bronze: Quayle’s Brewery Through Elaborate Process (Oro-Medonte, ON)

Category 3E: Pale Malty European Lager

Gold: Brasserie Silo Helles (Montréal, QC)

Silver: Slackwater Brewing Headwaters Pilsner (Port Moody, BC)

Bronze: Poco Brothers Brewing House Lager (Port Coquitlam, BC)

Category 3F: Kölsch

Gold: Beau’s All Natural Brewing Lug Tread (Vankleek Hill, ON)

Silver: Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés Beaupré (Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, QC)

Bronze: Cowboy Trail Brewery High Noon (Bragg Creek, AB)

Category 3G: German Pilsner

Gold: Beva Brewing Old Days (North Vancouver, BC)

Silver: Cabin Brewing Luminosity (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Bomber Brewing Avant Garde Pilsner (Vancouver, BC)

Category 3H: Hop-Forward Lager

Gold: Good Robot Brewing Good Robot Ultra Light IPA (Halifax, NS)

Silver: Category 12 Brewing Cryo Quench Cold IPA (Saanichton, BC)

Bronze: Tooth and Nail Brewing Premio (Ottawa, ON)

Category 4A: European Amber Beer

Gold: no medal awarded

Silver: Gladstone Brewing Gladstone Marzen (Courtenay, BC)

Bronze: Brauwerk Hoffman Marzen (Rockland, ON)

Category 4B: European Dark Lager

Gold: Silversmith Brewing The Black Lager (Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON)

Silver: Terre à boire Terre noire (Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, QC)

Bronze: 3 Brasseurs Thermidor (Montreal, QC)

Category 5A: German and American Wheat Beer

Gold: Pile O’ Bones Brewing White IPA (Regina, SK)

Silver: Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés Oie Blanche (Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, QC)

Bronze: Fahr Hefe (Diamond Valley, AB)

Category 5B: Belgian Witbier

Gold: Two Pillars Brewery Two Pillars Wit (Calgary, AB)

Silver: 70 Acre Brew Belgian Wit (Sherwood Park, AB)

Bronze: Trécarré Microbrasserie Blanche Forestière – Mélèze laricin (St-Côme, QC)

Category 6A: Belgian and French Ale

Gold: MicroBrasserie Charlevoix Flacatoune (Baie-Saint-Paul, QC)

Silver: Wild Winds Brewery Windflower – Belgian Blond (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Two Pillars Brewery Two Pillars Pale (Calgary, AB)

Category 6B: Saison and Grisette

Gold: Brasserie Dunham Grisette de Dunham (Dunham, QC)

Silver: Brasserie Dunham Saison Rustique (Dunham, QC)

Bronze: Hornby Island Brewing West Coast Farm Saison (Hornby Island, BC)

Category 6C: Belgian Strong Ale

Gold: Dageraad Brewing Antigoon (Burnaby, BC)

Silver: Frampton Brasse Nuit d’automne (Frampton, QC)

Bronze: Pile O’ Bones Brewing Belgian Tripel (Regina, SK)

Category 7A: English Bitter and Pale Ale

Gold: Good Robot Brewing Together We Brew (Halifax, NS)

Silver: Kahnawake Brewing Hard Day’s Work (Kahnawake, QC)

Bronze: MicroBrasserie Charlevoix Vache Folle Extra Special Bitter (Baie-Saint-Paul, QC)

Category 7B: English IPA

Gold: Breton Brewing Black Angus IPA (Sydney, NS)

Silver: Smugglers Trail Caskworks Canoe Chase IPA (Langley, BC)

Bronze: Red Arrow Brewing Sweet Leaf IPA (Duncan, BC)

Category 7C: Brown British Ale

Gold: Wellington Brewery County Brown Ale (Guelph, ON)

Silver: Oldman Copper John Northern Brown Ale (Lundbreck, AB)

Bronze: Heritage Farms Brewing Hired Hand Brown Ale (Winkler, AB)

Category 7D: Irish and Scottish Ale

Gold: Beach Fire Brewing Ember Red Ale (Campbell River, BC)

Silver: Cold Garden Beverage Red Smashed in Buffalo Jump (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Steamworks Brewing John Oliver Pale Ale (Burnaby, BC)

Category 7E: UK Porter and Stout

Gold: Blue Mountain Brewing Peak Shadows Oatmeal Stout (Thornbury, ON)

Silver: Collective Arts Brewing Stranger Than Fiction (Hamilton, ON)

Bronze: Folding Mountain Brewing Parkway Porter (Hinton, AB)

Category 8A: Contemporary Pale Ale

Gold: Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Pegasus – American Pale Ale (Calgary, AB)

Silver: Eighty-Eight Brewing Hammer Pants (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Long Bay Brewery Bantam (Rothesay, NB)

Category 8B: Contemporary IPA

Gold: Cabin Brewing Sunshine Rain (Calgary, AB)

Silver: Red Truck Beer Monster Jam Juicy IPA (Vancouver, BC)

Bronze: Pistols Brewery Big Hoss (Ottawa, ON)

Category 8C: West Coast IPA

Gold: Fuggles Beer Destiny IPA (Richmond, BC)

Silver: Yellow Dog Brewing Play Dead IPA (Port Moody, BC)

Bronze: Land & Sea Brewing Westward IPA (Comox, BC)

Category 8D: Hazy Pale Ale and Session Hazy IPA

Gold: Foghorn Brewing Tabula Rasa (Rothesay, NB)

Silver: The Establishment Brewing Afternoon Delight (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Deadfall Brewing Aurora Session Pale Ale (Prince George, BC)

Category 8E: Hazy IPA

Gold: Backcountry Brewing Widowmaker (Squamish, BC)

Silver: Burn Block Social Club Colour My World Hazy IPA (Calgary, AB)

Bronze: Microbrasserie Jackalhop Mr jack NZ (Plessisville, QC)

Category 8F: Specialty IPA

Gold: Korrigane Black Kraken (Québec, QC)

Silver: Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling French Bay IPA (Cold Lake, AB)

Bronze: Beach Fire Brewing White IPA (Campbell River, BC)

Category 8G: American Amber Beer

Gold: Steamworks Brewing Heroica Red Ale (Burnaby, BC)

Silver: Gladstone Brewing Gladstone Red Ale (Courtenay, BC)

Bronze: Farm Country Brewing California Love (Langley, BC)

Category 8H: American Brown Ale

Gold: Deadfall Brewing Basal Brown Ale (Prince George, AB)

Silver: Dastardly Villain Diabolically Decadent – Brown Ale (Winnipeg, MB)

Bronze: Sons of Kent Brewing Boxcar’s World Famous Brown Ale (Chatham, ON)

Category 8I: American Porter and Stout

Gold: Tool Shed Brewing Flat Cap (Calgary, AB)

Silver: Skout Brewing Lights Out Porter (Moosomin, SK)

Bronze: Streetcar Brewing Shipyards Stout (North Vancouver, BC)

Category 8J: American Porter and Stout

Gold: Locality Brewing “Into the Woods” Black Forest Imperial Stout (Langley, BC)

Silver: Blindman Brewing Ichorous Imperial Stout (Lacombe, AB)

Bronze: Wellington Brewery Imperial Stout (Guelph, ON)

Category 9A: Golden Ale

Gold: A-FRAME Brewing Okanagan Lake Cream Ale (Squamish BC)

Silver: Saint Andrews Brewing Companionship (Saint Andrews, NB)

Bronze: Trading Post Brewing Lawnmower Beer (Langley, BC)

Category 9B: Strong Ale

Gold: Noctem Artisans Brasseurs Choses Sérieuses (Quebec, QC)

Silver: Blindman Brewing Perepllut Barley Wine (Lacombe, AB)

Bronze: Niagara College Teaching Brewery BEER 101 Strong (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)

Category 10A: Contemporary Sour Ale

Gold: Whistle Buoy Brewing Fuzzy Peach (Victoria, BC)

Silver: Collective Arts Brewing Jam Up The Mash (Hamilton, ON)

Bronze: Deadfall Brewing Circinate Kettle Sour (Prince George,BC)

Category 10B: Fruited Sour Ale

Gold: 70 Acre Brew Sour Series – Guava Lime (Sherwood Park, AB)

Silver: Parallel 49 Brewing Pink Power (Vancouver,BC)

Bronze: Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Weekend Rambler Mango Sour (Parksville, BC)

Category 10C: European Sour Ale

Gold: 3 Brasseurs Kampot (Montreal, QC)

Silver: Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Elder Manifesto (Edmonton, AB)

Bronze: Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Fruitful Pursuits: Cherry 2023 (Edmonton, AB)

Category 10D: Gose

Gold: Noctem Artisans Brasseurs Calaca (Quebec, QC)

Silver: Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault Gose Pink Guava (Edmundston, NB)

Bronze: Microbrasserie Le Corsaire Ceres (Lévis, QC)

Category 10E: Mixed Fermentation Ale

Gold: Blindman Brewing Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Lacombe, AB)

Silver: Nano Cinco Fjord 2025 (Québec, QC)

Bronze: Dageraad Brewing Eleven (Burnaby, BC)

Category 11A: Fruit Beer

Gold: La Knowlton Five Alive Ale de Blé (Knowlton, QC)

Silver: Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Raspberry Wheat Ale (Cold Lake, AB)

Bronze: Steamworks Brewing Triple Berry Sour (Burnaby, BC)

Category 11B: Specialty Fruit Beer

Gold: Camp Beer Shadow Ridge (Langley, BC)

Silver: Brasserie Dunham Saison Cerise (Dunham, QC)

Bronze: Brazen Brewing Tepache Gold Pineapple Mexican Style Ale (Winnipeg. MB)

Category 11C: Spice, Herb, and Vegetable Beer

Gold: Smithers Brewing Morning Star Coffee Lager (Smithers, BC)

Silver: Saint Andrews Brewing Cookhouse (Saint Andrews, NB)

Bronze: Smithers Brewing Cucumberliner Weisse (Smithers, BC)

Category 12A: Smoke Beer

Gold: Frampton Brasse Das Winter Projekt (Frampton, QC)

Silver: Microbrasserie de L’Île d’Orléans Scotch Ale Fumée de l’Île d’Orléans (Sainte-Famille, QC)

Bronze: Muskoka Brewery Windbound (Bracebridge, ON)

Category 12B: Wood-Aged Beer

Gold: Sons of Kent Brewing Mammothon (Chatham, ON)

Silver: Central City Brewery Eclipse Imperial Porter (Surrey, BC)

Bronze: Jackknife Brewing Whiskey Throttle (Kelowna, BC)

Category 13A: Experimental and Historical Beer

Gold: Garrison Brewing Spruce Beer (Halifax, NS)

Silver: 3 Brasseurs Myco (Montreal, QC)

Bronze: Tooth and Nail Brewing Breezehill Rosé (Ottawa, ON)

Category 13B: Gluten Free Beer

Gold: Microbrasserie Nouvelle France Helix Gose (St Alexis des Monts, QC)

Silver: Grey Fox Brewing Lively Lime Lager (Kelowna, BC)

Bronze: Whistler Brewing Whistler Forager Gluten Free Pale Ale (Whistler, BC)

Category C1: Heritage Cider (Traditional & Tannin-Forward Ciders)

Gold: Loch Mór Cider Kingston Black (Hillier, ON)

Silver: Annapolis Cider Acadian Keeved Brut (Wolfville, NS)

Bronze: Wooden Gate Cider Orchard Queen (Pilot Mound, MB)

Category C2: Modern Cider (Contemporary & Sessionable Ciders)

Gold: Thornbury Craft Thornbury Honeycrisp Apple Cider (Thornbury, ON)

Silver: Lonetree Cider Lonetree Authentic Dry Apple Cider (Vancouver. BC)

Bronze: Collective Arts Brewing Local Press Apple Cider (Hamilton, ON)

Category C3: Fruit, Botanical, & Perry

Gold: Annapolis Cider Earl Blue (Wolfville, NS)

Silver: Annapolis Cider Sour Cherry (Wolfville, NS)

Bronze: Crossmount Cider Flatlander Cider – Rosé (Crossmount, SK)

Category C4: Ice & Fortified Cider

Gold: Slaughterhouse Craft Ice Cider (2022) (Prince George, BC)

Silver: West Avenue Cider Fire Cider (Freelton, ON)

Bronze: Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau Cuvée Spéciale De Cidre De Glace (Saint-Pierre-Ile-d’Orleans, QC)

Category C5: Barrel-Aged or Specialty

Gold: Wooden Gate Cider Slow Burn (Pilot Mound, MB)

Silver: Annapolis Cider Geneva Crab Rose (Wolfville, NS)

Bronze: Annapolis Cider Imperial Spy (Wolfville, NS)