Five Indiana breweries floated their way to the sudsy top of the 2026 World Beer Cup, earning gold, silver and bronze medal distinctions at this year’s international event.
More than 1,600 breweries from 50 nations participated in the Philadelphia event, a news release stated, where judges evaluated 8,166 entries over the course of a week. The competition, now in its 30th year, awarded 353 medals Wednesday, April 22.
“Thirty years in, the World Beer Cup remains a powerful reflection of how far global brewing has come and where it’s headed,” Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director, said in a news release. “Even in a year that challenged beverage alcohol producers to evolve, this year’s winners demonstrated that innovation, precision, and passion for craft are stronger than ever.”
Here’s how the following Indiana breweries ranked.
Indianapolis brewery earns ‘Best Rye Beer’ at 2026 World Beer Cup
Roggenschnizzle from Bier Brewery and Taproom in Indianapolis took first place, earning Gold out of 28 entries in the “Rye Beer” category. The dark German beer has earned multiple awards in past competitions, placing second in the 2024 Great American Beer Festival.
An earlier review by Beer Advocate described Roggenschnizzle as having “chocolate and pumpernickel malt flavors added to a complex banana and clove flavor from yeast.”
Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis earns Silver at 2026 World Beer Cup
Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis earned Silver out of 28 entries for its Emergency Tequila Barrel Aged Tart Kit under the category for American-style sour or wood & barrel-aged sour beer.
Here’s how other Indiana breweries fared at this year’s competition.
Other award-winning beers from Indiana at 2026 World Beer Cup
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Two Indianapolis beers rank among world’s best at 2026 World Beer Cup
Reporting by John Tufts, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
