Four Southern Tier breweries received awards at the 2026 New York State Craft Beer Competition.
The NYS Craft Beer Competition is the “largest state-level competition” in the United States, according to its website, and 2026 was the 10th year of the competition.
Judging took place from Feb 28 to March 1 in Rochester, while the awards ceremony and celebration was held on March 20 at the New York State Brewers Conference in Albany.
The competition featured 1,142 submissions from 178 breweries. A total of 101 gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded along with titles of “NYS Brewery of the Year,” “Best NYS Farm Beer,” “Best Collaboration Beer,” and “Governor’s Cup.”
Of those honors, four Southern Tier breweries were awarded for various styles of beer. Here’s which ones and what they were awarded for, in case you’d like to give them a taste.
Which Southern Tier breweries won awards at 2026 NYS Craft Beer Competition
Liquid State Brewing Co. won a silver medal in the Amber & Red Ales category for their Upside Down Alt, out of 47 entries.
In a March 22 Facebook post, Liquid State Brewing Co. said they were “proud to share” their silver medal for their Upside Down Alt.
“Even better, it’s still on tap and in cans,” the post says, “so stop in and raise a glass with us.”
Horseheads Brewing won a bronze medal in the Amber & Red Ales category for their Brickyard Red, out of 47 entries.
Horseheads Brewing thanked both the New York State Brewers Association and the competition itself for their award in a Facebook post on March 20.
Ithaca Beer Co. won a silver medal in the Field Beer (Non-Sour) category for their Cucumber Lime Golden Ale, out of 29 entries.
In a March 22 Facebook post, Ithaca Beer Co. congratulated all breweries on their awards from the competition and further gave a “huge shoutout” to their “incredible brewing and production team for crafting” the award-winning ale.
The brewery ended by inviting everyone to celebrate their win by trying their ale, which is “brewed with fresh cucumbers and limes.”
Beer Tree Brew won a silver medal in the Stout (Non Imperial) category for their Dry Irish Goodbye, out of 35 entries. Beer Tree has two locations:
Other NYS Craft Beer Competition winners
Grimm Artisanal Ales won its fifth New York State Brewery of the Year Award, which is awarded to the brewery that earns the highest point total based on the number of medals earned in the overall competition. This is the third-straight honor for the Brooklyn-based craft brewer.
Wild East Brewing Co., also in Brooklyn, won the Governor’s Excelsior Craft Beer Cup for its Hexenkessel in the Dark Lager category.
Strangebird won five medals, including a gold, two silvers and two bronzes, which is an extraordinary honor for the entire team, said Micah Krichinsky, founder and brewer at the Rochester brewery and brewpub.
With reporting by Mike Murphy, Democrat & Chronicle.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Southern Tier breweries awarded medals in 2026 NYS Craft Beer Competition
Reporting by Sunshyne Lynch, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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