Canada's Best Beer, Breweries and Craft Producers for 2026: National Rankings and Canada Beer Cup Winners
Updated: Oct 11
The YYCTOURS Annual National Craft Beer Awards Breakdown
By the YYCTOURS Team | October 2026
Welcome back to our annual Canadian craft beer breakdown, proudly presented by YYCTOURS!
It's our favourite time of year. The medals have been handed out, the celebrations are underway, and we're ready to crunch the numbers to discover which Canadian breweries in each province have earned the most national recognition.
For the fourth year, we're taking a look at the country's most awarded breweries, the beers that impressed the judges, and the provinces that brought home the most hardware.
In 2023, Blindman Brewing of Lacombe, Alberta, topped our national rankings. In 2024, it was Pile O' Bones Brewing of Regina, Saskatchewan. Now, with the 2026 Canada Beer Cup results in hand, we're ready to crown another national champion.
And this year, we're making it official!
With the Canadian Brewing Awards having ceased operations, our 2026 analysis focuses exclusively on the Canada Beer Cup. That means this year's medal totals cannot be directly compared with the combined competition totals from previous years. And, with the Canadian Brewing Awards no longer naming a Canadian Brewery of the Year, YYCTOURS is continuing the tradition by officially recognizing our own 2026 Canadian Brewery of the Year, determined by the number of beer-category medals earned at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup.
This year's winner is no stranger to national recognition, having previously received the Canadian Brewery of the Year title at the Canadian Brewing Awards. We'll reveal the brewery shortly!
2026's event is particularly special for us at YYCTOURS because the Canada Beer Cup awards gala was held right here in Calgary on October 8, bringing some of the country's finest brewers to our hometown.
We also have a small personal connection to the event. Back in 2024, while hosting Tourism Calgary representatives on one of our educational brewery tours, we were telling them about the Canada Beer Cup. They mentioned it sounded like a fantastic event to bring to Calgary, so we offered to connect them with the organizers. Needless to say, it was pretty exciting to see the Canada Beer Cup come to Calgary just two years later!
As always, our rankings are based on national competition results, not personal preferences or popularity. Not every brewery enters these competitions, and there are countless outstanding Canadian breweries that may not appear on our list.
So, which breweries earned the most medals? Which provinces dominated? And did any of our previous champions manage to reclaim their titles?
The Best Beer in Canada for 2026
Twin City Brewing Company
Port Alberni, British Columbia
2026 Canada Beer Cup Best of Show Gold
Winning Beer: Tickity Boo
Category: House Ale — Gold
Twin City Brewing Company of Port Alberni captured the coveted 2026 Canada Beer Cup Best of Show Gold with its Tickity Boo British Pale Ale. The beer first earned Gold in the House Ale category before being selected as the overall Best of Show winner, beating the other category champions to claim the competition's top beer honour.
The runners-up were Sons of Kent Brewing Company of Chatham, Ontario, earning Best of Show Silver with Mammoth, and Smithers Brewing Company of Smithers, British Columbia, taking Bronze with Let's Get Ready to Crumble!
It's worth noting that Sons of Kent's Mammoth also won Gold in the Wood-Aged Beer category, while Smithers earned Gold in Specialty Fruit Beer for Let's Get Ready to Crumble!
YYCTOURS Names Canada's Brewery of the Year for 2026!
Dageraad Brewing — Burnaby, British Columbia
2026 YYCTOURS Canadian Brewery of the Year
5 Medals: 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze
Congratulations to Dageraad Brewing of Burnaby, British Columbia, officially named Canada's Brewery of the Year for 2026 by YYCTOURS!
With an impressive five beer-category medals at the Canada Beer Cup, Dageraad earned more medals than any other brewery in the country, securing the top position in our annual national rankings.
Interestingly, this isn't Dageraad's first time receiving national recognition at this level. The brewery was also named Canadian Brewery of the Year at the 2018 Canadian Brewing Awards.
Eight years later, Dageraad has once again risen to the top, this time earning the title through YYCTOURS' annual national rankings.
Dageraad's 2026 Award-Winning Beers:
Gold — Antigoon, Belgian Strong Ale
Gold — Entropy Series No. 17 – Balaton Sour, European Sour Ale
Silver — Field Theory, Saison and Grisette
Bronze — Tous les Jours, Low ABV Beer
Bronze — Rise Up, Kölsch
What makes this achievement particularly impressive is the range of beer styles represented. From Belgian ales and sour beers to Kölsch and lower-alcohol offerings, Dageraad demonstrated its ability to produce award-winning beer across multiple categories.
Congratulations to Dageraad Brewing, our 2026 Canadian Brewery of the Year!
This designation is awarded independently by YYCTOURS based on beer-category medal totals at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup. It is not an official award presented by the Canada Beer Cup.
Canada's Most Awarded Breweries of 2026
This year's results reveal a fascinating trend. Several breweries with impressive national award histories are back near the top of the rankings, proving that consistency is every bit as important as a single great beer.
2026 National Brewery Medal Rankings
Brewery | Province | Medals |
Dageraad Brewing | BC | 5 |
Smithers Brewing Company | BC | 4 |
The Establishment Brewing Company | AB | 4 |
Frampton Brasse | QC | 4 |
Deadfall Brewing Company | BC | 3 |
Saint Andrews Brewing Company | NB | 3 |
Polyrhythm Brewing | AB | 3 |
Smugglers Trail Caskworks | BC | 3 |
Smithers Brewing Company and The Establishment Brewing Company both deserve special mention.
Smithers was named Canadian Brewery of the Year in 2025, while The Establishment earned that honour in 2021. Both returned to the national spotlight with four medals apiece in 2026.
Frampton Brasse also continues to demonstrate remarkable consistency, collecting four medals for Quebec.
Three of the breweries near the top of our rankings, Dageraad, Smithers and The Establishment, have previously held the Canadian Brewery of the Year title at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
That's an impressive concentration of past national champions!
How We Determine Our Rankings
For 2026, our national brewery rankings count Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded in individual beer categories at the Canada Beer Cup.
Best of Show, cider and packaging awards are recognized separately. This prevents an individual beer from being counted twice when it earns both a category medal and a Best of Show distinction.
Breweries with equal medal totals share the same ranking level.
Which Province Won the Most Beer Awards in 2026?
British Columbia once again dominated the national results, collecting more beer-category medals than any other province.
2026 Provincial Beer Medal Rankings
Province | Medals | Share |
British Columbia | 58 | 40.3% |
Alberta | 26 | 18.1% |
Ontario | 17 | 11.8% |
Quebec | 17 | 11.8% |
New Brunswick | 8 | 5.6% |
Saskatchewan | 6 | 4.2% |
Prince Edward Island | 5 | 3.5% |
Nova Scotia | 4 | 2.8% |
Manitoba | 1 | 0.7% |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 | 0.7% |
Northwest Territories | 1 | 0.7% |
Total | 144 | 100% |
British Columbia captured an impressive 40% of all beer-category medals, with Alberta placing a distant second at 18%.
Ontario and Quebec finished in a tie for third, each collecting 17 medals.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is New Brunswick, which earned eight beer-category medals, placing ahead of Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Across all award divisions, including cider, packaging and Best of Show, the competition presented 177 awards. British Columbia collected 73 of them, followed by Alberta with 31.
Of course, medal totals don't necessarily reflect the number of breweries operating in each province, nor the number of entries submitted. They do, however, provide an interesting snapshot of where national award recognition was concentrated in 2026.
The Best Breweries by Province for 2026
Now that we've looked at the national rankings, let's break down the results province by province and recognize the breweries that led their respective regions.
Alberta's Most Awarded Brewery
The Establishment Brewing Company — Calgary, Alberta
4 Medals: 3 Gold and 1 Silver
Alberta's craft beer scene continues to punch well above its weight, and this year, Calgary's own The Establishment Brewing Company leads the province.
The brewery earned four medals at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup, including an impressive three Golds.
The Establishment was previously named Canadian Brewery of the Year in 2021, and its latest results demonstrate why it remains one of the country's most respected craft breweries.
The Establishment's 2026 Awards:
Gold — Ocean View, Hop-Forward Lager
Gold — Time Spent, Mixed Fermentation Ale
Gold — Walking on Sunshine, Fruit Beer
Silver — Chaise Longue, Low ABV Beer
Alberta Runners-Up
Polyrhythm Brewing of Edmonton collected three medals, including two Golds.
Medicine Hat Brewing Company, Two Pillars Brewery and Eighty-Eight Brewing Company were among the province's other multiple-medal winners.
Eighty-Eight also collected a packaging Gold.
For us at YYCTOURS, it's always exciting to see Calgary breweries recognized nationally. We're fortunate to have such an outstanding craft beer scene right here in our own backyard.
British Columbia's Most Awarded Brewery
Dageraad Brewing — Burnaby, British Columbia
5 Medals: 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze
With 58 beer-category medals, British Columbia dominated the 2026 Canada Beer Cup.
The province also claimed both the Gold and Bronze Best of Show honours.
Dageraad leads the provincial rankings with five medals, while Smithers Brewing Company finished just behind with four category medals and the additional Best of Show Bronze.
Smithers Brewing Company's 2026 Awards:
Gold — House of Commons Canada Common, American Amber Beer
Gold — Let's Get Ready to Crumble!, Specialty Fruit Beer
Silver — Smithersbräu Festbier, Pale Malty European Lager
Silver — Bootlegger Brown Ale, Brown British Ale
Best of Show Bronze — Let's Get Ready to Crumble!
British Columbia Runners-Up
Smithers Brewing Company collected four beer-category medals, while Deadfall Brewing Company and Smugglers Trail Caskworks earned three apiece.
A special congratulations also goes to Twin City Brewing Company of Port Alberni for winning the Canada Beer Cup Best of Show Gold with Tickity Boo.
Between Dageraad's national medal lead, Smithers' continued success and Twin City's Best of Show victory, British Columbia certainly has plenty to celebrate.
Manitoba's Most Awarded Craft Producer
Wooden Gate Cider — Pilot Mound, Manitoba
3 Cider Category Medals and Best of Show Bronze
Manitoba's biggest success story in 2026 came from the cider industry.
Wooden Gate Cider of Pilot Mound collected three category medals and earned Bronze in the Cider Best of Show competition.
Wooden Gate Cider's 2026 Awards:
Gold — Three Spirits, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider
Silver — Hidden Rose, Modern Cider
Bronze — Union, Fruited Cider and Perry
Cider Best of Show Bronze — Three Spirits
Manitoba's Beer Medal Winner
For beer specifically, Obsolete Brewing Co. of Dauphin earned Manitoba's only beer-category medal, taking Silver in Imperial Stout for Jobsolete – Light Keeper Stout.
Although Manitoba had a quieter year in beer medals, Wooden Gate Cider certainly gave the province something to celebrate.
New Brunswick's Most Awarded Brewery
Saint Andrews Brewing Company — Saint Andrews, New Brunswick
3 Medals: 2 Gold and 1 Silver
New Brunswick delivered one of the more interesting performances of the 2026 competition.
Saint Andrews Brewing Company leads the province with three medals, including two Golds.
Saint Andrews' 2026 Awards:
Gold — Caddy, Kölsch
Gold — Oktoberfest Märzen-Lager, European Amber Beer
Silver — Golden Sasquatch, Belgian and French Ale
New Brunswick Runners-Up
Foghorn Brewing Company and Trailway Brewing Company each earned two medals.
With eight beer-category medals overall, New Brunswick finished fifth nationally, an impressive result for one of Canada's smaller provinces.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Most Awarded Brewery
Port Rexton Brewing Co. — Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador
1 Silver Medal
Port Rexton Brewing Company represented Newfoundland and Labrador on the national podium with a Silver medal for Gluten Free Porter in the Gluten Free Beer category.
Although the province earned just one beer-category medal this year, Port Rexton ensured Newfoundland and Labrador was represented among Canada's national award winners.
Northwest Territories' Most Awarded Brewery
NWT Brewing Co. — Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
1 Bronze Medal
NWT Brewing Company returns to our provincial breakdown with a Bronze medal for Make Lemonade in the Fruit Beer category.
The brewery is no stranger to national recognition, having appeared in our previous annual rankings.
It's always encouraging to see breweries from Canada's northern territories competing alongside producers from much larger craft beer markets.
Nova Scotia's Most Awarded Breweries
Four Breweries Share the Provincial Medal Lead
Nova Scotia collected four beer-category medals in 2026, with no brewery earning more than one.
The province's sole beer-category Gold went to Garrison Brewing Company of Halifax for Spruce Beer in the Smoke & Historical Beer category.
Other medal winners included:
Darty Brewing
North Brewing
Schoolhouse Brewery
Annapolis Brewing Company also earned a Silver medal in the Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider category.
With four different breweries earning beer medals, Nova Scotia's results demonstrate recognition across multiple producers rather than one dominant brewery.
Ontario's Most Awarded Breweries
Silversmith Brewing Company, Quayle's Brewery and Spark Beer
2 Beer Medals Each
Ontario earned 17 beer-category medals, with three breweries sharing the provincial lead.
Silversmith Brewing Company, Quayle's Brewery and Spark Beer each earned two medals.
Silversmith Brewing Company's 2026 Awards:
Gold — The Black Lager, European Dark Lager
Silver — Wheat, German and American Wheat Beer
Spark Beer collected Bronze for Cloudland and Silver for Amiable, while Quayle's Brewery also finished with two medals.
However, one of Ontario's most prestigious achievements belonged to Sons of Kent Brewing Company of Chatham.
Its Mammoth earned Gold in the Wood-Aged Beer category before capturing Silver in Best of Show, making it the second-highest-ranked beer at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup.
Ontario may not have matched British Columbia's overall medal count, but the province certainly produced one of the competition's standout beers.
Prince Edward Island's Most Awarded Brewery
Lone Oak Brewing Company — Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island
2 Medals: 1 Silver and 1 Bronze
Lone Oak Brewing Company leads Prince Edward Island with two medals, both in the House Ale category.
Lone Oak's 2026 Awards:
Silver — Boat Traffic
Bronze — Gateway
Other PEI breweries earning beer-category medals included Village Green, Bogside Brewing and PEI Brewing Company.
Double Hill Cidery also collected a Bronze in the Heritage Cider category.
With five beer-category medals, Prince Edward Island finished seventh nationally.
Quebec's Most Awarded Brewery
Frampton Brasse — Frampton, Quebec
4 Medals: 3 Silver and 1 Bronze
If you've been following our annual rankings, you'll recognize this name!
Frampton Brasse continues its remarkable run of national recognition, once again leading Quebec's breweries with four medals.
The farm-based brewery has been a recurring standout in our previous rankings, including being named our top Quebec brewery in both 2023 and 2024.
Frampton Brasse's 2026 Awards:
Silver — Nuit d'Automne, Belgian Strong Ale
Silver — Rouge des Appalaches, European Sour Ale
Silver — Das Winter Projekt, Smoke & Historical Beer
Bronze — Stout Imperial Russe, Imperial Stout
Quebec Runners-Up
Microbrasserie La Souche and Microbrasserie Jackalhop each collected two medals.
Quebec finished tied with Ontario for third place nationally, earning 17 beer-category medals.
Frampton Brasse's continued success is particularly noteworthy, demonstrating an ability to produce award-winning beers across a wide range of styles year after year.
Saskatchewan's Most Awarded Brewery
Nokomis Craft Ales — Nokomis, Saskatchewan
2 Bronze Medals
Saskatchewan collected six beer-category medals in 2026, with Nokomis Craft Ales leading the province.
Nokomis Craft Ales' 2026 Awards:
Bronze — Nokomis Pale Ale, American Amber Beer
Bronze — Nokomis Dry Hopped Sour, Contemporary Sour Ale
Other Saskatchewan beer winners included Pile O' Bones Brewing, Rebellion Brewing, Rafter R Brewing Company and Better Brother Brewing.
Pile O' Bones, our 2024 national champion, added another Gold medal to its collection with White IPA in the German and American Wheat Beer category.
Saskatchewan also enjoyed success in cider, with Spot On Cider earning two Bronze medals and Crossmount Cider Company collecting another.
The Beers That Keep Winning Year After Year
Winning a national beer award is an achievement. Winning repeatedly, sometimes against different competitors and in different judging categories, is an entirely different accomplishment.
Looking back at previous Canada Beer Cup results, several beers have become familiar names on the national podium.
Canada's Repeat Award-Winning Beers
Beer | Brewery | Previous Recognition | 2026 Result |
Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison | Blindman (AB) | 2025 Gold + Best of Show Silver | Silver |
Antigoon | Dageraad (BC) | 2025 Gold | Gold |
The Black Lager | Silversmith (ON) | 2025 Gold | Gold |
White IPA | Pile O' Bones (SK) | 2025 Gold | Gold |
Mammoth | Sons of Kent (ON) | 2024 CBA Gold, CBC Bronze; 2025 CBC Gold | Gold + Best of Show Silver |
Spruce Beer | Garrison (NS) | 2025 Gold + Best of Show Bronze | Gold |
Chaise Longue | The Establishment (AB) | 2025 Gold | Silver |
Spruce Tip Pale Ale | Whistle Buoy (BC) | 2025 Silver | Gold |
Two Pillars Pale | Two Pillars (AB) | 2025 Bronze | Gold |
Basal Brown Ale | Deadfall (BC) | 2025 Gold | Gold |
Rouge des Appalaches | Frampton Brasse (QC) | 2024 CBC Silver, CBA Bronze | Silver |
Tous les Jours | Dageraad (BC) | 2024 Best of Show Bronze | Bronze |
Nuit d'Automne | Frampton Brasse (QC) | 2025 Silver | Silver |
Das Winter Projekt | Frampton Brasse (QC) | 2025 Gold | Silver |
Through Elaborate Process | Quayle's (ON) | 2025 Bronze | Bronze |
Windflower | Wild Winds (AB) | 2025 Silver | Bronze |
Hard Day's Work | Kahnawake (QC) | 2025 Silver | Silver |
Canoe Chase IPA | Smugglers Trail (BC) | 2025 Silver | Gold |
Tabula Rasa | Foghorn (NB) | 2025 Gold | Bronze |
Big Hoss | Pistols (ON) | 2025 Bronze | Gold |
Fuzzy Peach | Whistle Buoy (BC) | 2025 Gold | Gold |
Five Alive Ale de Blé | La Knowlton Co. (QC) | 2025 Gold | Silver |
NA Raspberry Lime Kettle Sour | Better Brother (SK) | 2025 Silver | Bronze |
French Bay IPA | Cold Lake Brewing (AB) | 2025 Silver | Bronze |
Gladstone Märzen | Gladstone Brewing (BC) | 2025 Silver | Bronze |
The beer that should jump off the page is once again Blindman"s Dwarf Sour cherry Saison. It is unstoppable onb nboth the national and provincial stage.
For beer lovers, these repeat winners offer a great starting point when deciding what to try next.
Canada's Most Awarded Cider Producers for 2026
Cider continues to play an important role in Canada's national craft beverage awards, and this year two producers deserve special recognition.
Sea Cider — Saanichton, British Columbia
3 Category Medals and 2 Cider Best of Show Awards
Sea Cider enjoyed a particularly impressive competition, earning three cider-category medals along with both Gold and Silver in Cider Best of Show.
Sea Cider's 2026 Awards:
Gold — Ginger Perry
Gold — Pomona
Silver — Pippins
Cider Best of Show Gold
Cider Best of Show Silver
Wooden Gate Cider — Pilot Mound, Manitoba
3 Category Medals and Cider Best of Show Bronze
Wooden Gate Cider also enjoyed an outstanding competition, with its Three Spirits earning both a category Gold and Cider Best of Show Bronze.
Wooden Gate Cider's 2026 Awards:
Gold — Three Spirits
Silver — Hidden Rose
Bronze — Union
Cider Best of Show Bronze — Three Spirits
These achievements reinforce the growing quality and diversity of Canadian cider production.
Congratulations to Canada's Brewers!
Another year, another impressive collection of award-winning Canadian beers!
From established national champions to smaller breweries making their mark, the 2026 Canada Beer Cup reminds us just how much talent exists in Canada's craft brewing industry.
A special congratulations goes to Dageraad Brewing of Burnaby, British Columbia, our official YYCTOURS 2026 Canadian Brewery of the Year, for leading the country with five beer-category medals.
We also congratulate The Establishment Brewing Company for topping Alberta's rankings, Smithers Brewing Company for another outstanding national performance, and Twin City Brewing Company for capturing the coveted Canada Beer Cup Best of Show Gold.
But we also want to congratulate every brewer, cidermaker and craft producer who entered this year's competition, whether they took home a medal or not.
Behind every great beer are people who have invested countless hours experimenting, learning, perfecting recipes and building businesses around something they genuinely love.
As we always say, the best way to support Canada's craft breweries is to visit them. Stop by a taproom, order something you've never tried, and perhaps discover your next favourite beer.
And if you happen to be visiting Calgary, we'd love to introduce you to a few of our local favourites on one of our YYCTOURS brewery tours.
Until next year, cheers to Canada's brewers! 🍻
Sources and Methodology
The 2026 YYCTOURS Annual National Craft Beer Awards Breakdown is based on the official Canada Beer Cup results.
Sources:
2026 Canada Beer Cup Official Results: https://canadabeercup.com/2026-results/
YYCTOURS 2025 National Rankings: https://www.yyctours.ca/post/canada-s-most-awarded-breweries-and-craft-producers-2025-national-ranking-from-cba-canada-beer-cu
YYCTOURS 2024 Rankings: https://www.yyctours.ca/post/the-best-breweries-in-canada-for-2024-archive
Our national brewery and provincial rankings count individual beer-category Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Best of Show, cider and packaging awards are identified separately.
The YYCTOURS Canadian Brewery of the Year title is an independent editorial recognition based on the highest number of beer-category medals earned at the Canada Beer Cup. It is not an official award of the Canada Beer Cup.
Not all Canadian breweries enter national competitions, and these rankings should not be interpreted as a comprehensive assessment of every brewery in Canada.
Comments