The Canada Beer Cup is Canada’s only national not-for-profit beer competition. Entry fees and sponsorships for the three-year-old competition support the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, which promotes and protects the interests of over 1,200 small and independent craft breweries, brewpubs and their supplier partners in Canada.
The 2024 edition of the Canada Beer Cup saw approximately 1,500 beers judged in various categories. Winners were announced at a celebration on October 18 during the BC Craft Brewers Conference. The awards celebration moves each year to support a provincial brewing guild and its related conference.
In many respects, the Canadian craft beer industry reflects that of the United States. According to Christine Comeau, executive director of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, over 200 beers were entered in the India pale ale categories, which, like at the Great American Beer Festival, is the most competitive style of beer.
In addition to the popularity of India pale ale, “the sours and fruit beers also show extremely well with over 150 entries,” said Comeau in a telephone interview.
“Most interestingly, in our inaugural year in 2022, we did not award any silver or gold medal in the low-alcohol beer category,” said Comeau. “In 2024, we received over 50 entries in non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers and not only did we award golds, but the gold-medal winning low-alcohol beer, by British Columbia’s Dageraad Brewing, took bronze for overall Best of Show. This reflects the growth in interest in, and quality of, low-alcohol craft beer in Canada.”
The Best of Show gold medal winner, and arguably the best beer brewed in Canada, was Quark, Strangeness, Charm from Pile O’ Bones Brewing in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Here are the winners of the 2024 Canada Beer Cup.
Canada Beer Cup Winner (Best of Show)
Gold: Quark, Strangeness, Charm, Pile O’ Bones Brewing, Regina, SK (gold medal winner in the Witbier category)
Silver: Line 12, Quayle’s Brewery, Oro-Medonte, ON (gold medal winner in the International Pale Lager category)
Bronze: Tous Les Jours, Dageraad Brewing, Burnaby, BC (gold medal winner in the Low-ABV Beer (1.0% – 3.0% ABV) category)
Beers With Sasquatch Hops (Canada’s only proprietary, trademarked hop variety)
Gold: Cowich Valley Common, Bayview Brewing Company, Ladysmith, BC
Silver: Sasquatch vs Yeti, Quayle’s Brewery, Oro-Medonte, ON
Bronze: Hike To Devil’s Peak, Broken Rail Brewing, St. Marys, ON
Canadian Malt-Forward Beer
Gold: À L’Heure Des Poules, Microbrasserie La Souche, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, QC
Silver: Yard Sale, Wishbone Brewing, Waterford, ON
Bronze: Rebels Red, Troubled Monk, Red Deer, AB
Canadian Spruce Tip Beer
Gold: Spruce Tip IPA, Category 12 Brewing, Saanichton, BC
Silver: Entre Les Branches, Microbrasserie La Chasse-Pinte, L’Anse-Saint-Jean, QC
Bronze: Spruce Tip Swedish Gymnast, Twin City Brewing Company, Port Alberni, BC
N/A Beers (Less Than 1% ABV)
Gold: NA Guava Gose, Collective Arts Brewing, Hamilton, ON
Silver: Bbnoalc Non Alcoholic Sour Beer, Four Winds Brewing Co., Delta, BC
Bronze: Discipline, Siboire, Sherbrooke, QC
Low-ABV Beer (1.0% – 3.0% ABV)
Gold: Tous Les Hours, Dageraad Brewing, Burnaby, BC
Silver: Ultralite IPA, Four Winds Brewing Co., Delta, BC
Light American Lager (3.1% – 4.2% ABV)
Gold: Lug Lite, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co., Vankleek Hill, ON
Silver: Blue Mountain Light Lager, Thornbury Craft Co., Thornbury, ON
Bronze: Gold, Anderson Craft Ales, London, ON
Standard American Lager
Gold: Flywheel, Sons of Kent Brewing Co., Chatham, ON
Silver: Shindig, Cowbell Brewing Co., Blyth, ON
Bronze: Revelstoke Lager, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, Revelstoke, BC
International Pale Lager
Gold: Line 12, Quayle’s Brewery, Oro-Medonte, ON
Silver: Mexican-Style Light Lager, Barnside Brewing Co., Delta, BC
Bronze: Gladstone Cerveza, Gladstone Brewing Co., Courtenay, BC
Czech Pale Lager (Světlý Ležák)
Gold: Steam Whistle Pilsner, Steam Whistle Brewing, Toronto, ON
Silver: Tape Deck Czech Pilsner, Rewind Beer Co., Port Moody, BC
Bronze: Pete’s Pils, Tool Shed Brewery, Calgary, AB
Pale Malty European Lager
Gold: The Föhn Munich Helles Lager, Wild Winds Brewery, Calgary, AB
Silver: Gladstone Festbier, Gladstone Brewing Co., Courtenay, BC
Bronze: Mountain Lager, Side Launch Brewing Co., Collingwood, ON
Pale Bitter European Beer
Gold: Bierfest German Pilsner, Parallel 49 Brewing, Vancouver, BC
Silver: Gladstone Glad Light, Gladstone Brewing Co., Courtenay, BC
Bronze: Pils, Fahr, Diamond Valley, AB
Hoppy Lager
Gold: La Strada Italian Pilsner, Red Truck Beer Company, Vancouver, BC
Silver: Neat Neat Neat, Changing Colours Brewing Project, Port Coquitlam, BC
Bronze: Real Good Light Beer, Tin Whistle Brewing Company, Penticton, BC
European Amber Beer
Gold: Dogtooth Rover Red Lager, Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd., Golden, BC
Silver: Altbier, Tanner & Co. Brewing, Chester Basin, NS
Bronze: Powder Hound Vienna Lager, Smithers Brewing Company, Smithers, BC
Dark Lager
Gold: Revelstoke Dark Lager, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, Revelstoke, BC
Silver: PB Dark Lager, Poco Brothers Brewing Co., Port Coquitlam, BC
Bronze: Dark Lager, Side Launch Brewing Co., Collingwood, ON
Strong Dark European Lager
Gold: Hermannator Ice Bock, Vancouver Island Brewing, Victoria, BC
Silver: Two Rivers Baltic Porter, Tatamagouche Brewing Co., Tatamagouche, NS
Bronze: Porter, Mile Zero Brewing, Metchosin, BC
German Wheat Beers
Gold: Hefe Weizen, Garrison Brewing Company, Halifax, NS
Silver: Oie Blanche, Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés, Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, QC
Bronze: 50/50 Hefe, KPU Brew Lab | Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, BC
Witbier
Gold: Quark, Strangeness, Charm, Pile O’ Bones Brewing, Regina, SK
Silver: Two Pillars Wit, Two Pillars Brewery, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Sundog Belgian White, Churchill Brewing Company, Saskatoon, SK
American Wheat
Silver: Cottage Country, Calabogie Brewing Company Ltd., Kanata, ON
Bronze: Village Wit, Village Brewery, Calgary, AB
English Style Bitter & Pale Ale
Gold: English Pale Ale, Train Wreck Brewing, Port Moody, BC
Silver: Powerhouse Pale Ale, Mt. Begbie Brewing Company, Revelstoke, BC
Bronze: ESB, Mile Zero Brewing, Metchosin, BC
English IPA
Gold: Endeavour 6th Birthday IPA, Endeavour Brewing Company Ltd., St. Albert, AB
Silver: Kungaroo IPA, Boshkung Brewing Co., Minden, ON
Bronze: Canoe Chase IPA, Smugglers Trail Caskworks, Langley, BC
Brown British Ale
Gold: Old Money, Brassneck Brewery, Vancouver, BC
Silver: Dark Mild, Deadfall Brewing Company, Prince George, BC
Bronze: Britisher English Brown Ale, Churchill Brewing Company, Saskatoon, SK
Irish And Scottish Ale
Gold: Greenock, Saint Andrews Brewing Company, Saint Andrews, NB
Silver: Red Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Cold Garden Beverage Company, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Vimy Red Ale, Vimy Brewing Company, Ottawa, ON
UK Stout & Porter
Gold: Alberta’s Great Out S’mores Milk Stout, Hub Town Brewing, Okotoks, AB
Silver: Speed Metal Fe Stout, Whitetooth Brewing Company Ltd., Golden, BC
Bronze: Patricius Irish Stout, Boxing Rock Brewing Company, Shelburne, NS
Strong British Ale
Gold: Perepllut Barley Wine, Blindman Brewing, Lacombe, AB
Silver: Hell’s Gate, Kahnawake Brewing Company, Kahnawake, QC
Bronze: Hellroaring Scottish Ale, Fisher Peak Brewing Company, Cranbrook, BC
North American Pale Ale
Gold: Gahan Vic Park, PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown, PEI
Silver: Tool Shed Hopped Wheat Ale, Tool Shed Brewery, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Pegasus American Pale Ale, Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company, Calgary, AB
North American Amber Ale
Gold: Idleback, Slackwater Brewing, Penticton, BC
Silver: Aggie Ale, Olds College Brewery, Olds, AB
Bronze: Amarillo Amber Ale, Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co., Cold Lake, AB
North American Brown Ale
Gold: Diabolically Decadent Brown Ale, Dastardly Villain, Winnipeg, MB
Silver: Open Road, Troubled Monk, Red Deer, AB
Bronze: Basal Brown Ale, Deadfall Brewing Company, Prince George, BC
North American Porter
Gold: Bellhop, Abandoned Rail Brewing Co., Penticton, BC
Silver: Couleur Café, Chelsea & Co microbrasserie, Chelsea, QC
Bronze: Broken Record Porter, The Publican House Brewery, Peterborough, ON
North American Stout
Gold: Ghost Train Oatmeal Stout, Hell’s Basement Brewery, Medicine Hat, AB
Silver: S’mores Milk Stout, Camp Beer Co., Langley, BC
Bronze: Flat Cap, Tool Shed Brewery, Calgary, AB
Imperial Stout
Gold: S-92 Stout, Hornby Island Brewing Company, Hornby Island, BC
Silver: Santa’s Little Helper, Hub Town Brewing, Okotoks, AB
Bronze: Stoutnik Imperial Stout, Longwood Brewery, Nanaimo, BC
Strong American Ale
Gold: Playin’ Space Barleywine, Pile O’ Bones Brewing, Regina, SK
Silver: Game Over DIPA64, Obsolete Brewing Co., Dauphin, MB
Bronze: Rampaging Red, Tool Shed Brewery, Calgary, AB
North American IPA
Gold: The Rusty Angler IPA, Rusted Rake Brewing Co., Nanoose Bay, BC
Silver: Monster Jam Juicy IPA, Red Truck Beer Company, Vancouver, BC
Bronze: IPA 117, Shawbridge, Prévost, QC
West Coast IPA
Gold: DIPA, Propeller Brewing Company, Dartmouth, NS
Silver: Moraine West Coast IPA, Folding Mountain Brewing, Hinton, AB
Bronze: Nechako West Coast IPA, Trench Brewing & Distilling, Prince George, BC
Specialty IPA
Gold: A Brighter Shade of Doom, A Black NEIPA, Bookstore Brewing Company, Winnipeg, MB
Silver: Sandtrax Aussie ISA, Bomber Brewing, Vancouver, BC
Bronze: Emerald Forest Cold IPA, Coast Mountain Brewing, Whistler, BC
Session Hazy/NEIPA
Gold: Alright! Alright! Alright!, Kahnawake Brewing Company, Kahnawake, QC
Silver: Hazer Beam Hazy Pale Ale, Torchlight Brewing, Nelson, BC
Bronze: Aurora Session Pale Ale, Deadfall Brewing Company, Prince George, BC
Hazy Pale Ale/NEIPA
Gold: Succession NEIPA, Deadfall Brewing Company, Prince George, BC
Silver: Beast!, Kahnawake Brewing Company, Kahnawake, QC
Bronze: Summer Day IPA, Schoolhouse Brewery, Windsor, NS
Imperial Hazy/NEIPA
Gold: 2 The Moon, Wishbone Brewing, Waterford, ON
Silver: Slapaphone Double Hazy IPA, Polyrhythm Brewing, Edmonton, AB
Bronze: Rogue Gene, Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co., Cold Lake, AB
Contemporary Sour Ales (Without Fruit)
Gold: Fuzzy Peach, Whistle Buoy Brewing Co., Victoria, BC
Silver: Nectarous Dry-Hopped Sour, Four Winds Brewing Co., Delta, BC
Bronze: Facemelter Dry-Hopped Sour, Pile O’ Bones Brewing, Regina, SK
Fruited SourFruited Sour
Gold: Mango Dragon Fruit Sour, Garrison Brewing Company, Halifax, NS
Silver: Rosefinch Raspberry Sour, Bomber Brewing, Vancouver, BC
Bronze: Might As Well Go For A Soda, Backcountry Brewing, Squamish, BC
Traditional Sours
Gold: Schwingungen, Nokomis Craft Ales, Nokomis, SK
Silver: Rouge Des Appalaches, Frampton Brasse, Frampton, QC
Bronze: Oud Chockpish Haskaps Lambic, Brasserie Chockpish, Dieppe, NB
Gose
Gold: Saltwater Joys, The Church Brewing Company, Wolfville, NS
Silver: Strawberry-Peach Gose, Flora Hall Brewing, Ottawa, ON
Bronze: Epic Series Gose Pink Guava, Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Edmundston, NB
Brett Beers
Gold: Foeder Aged Margarita Gose, Flora Hall Brewing, Ottawa, ON
Silver: 24-2 Brett Stock Ale, Blindman Brewing, Lacombe, AB
Bronze: Foeder Aged Brett Dubbel, Flora Hall Brewing, Ottawa, ON
Specialty Wild Or Mixed Fermentation
Gold: Dwarf Sour Cherry Saison, Blindman Brewing, Lacombe, AB
Silver: Wild Raspberry, Whistle Buoy Brewing Co., Victoria, BC
Bronze: Bloom Culture 2, Cold Garden Beverage Company, Calgary, AB
Belgian Ale
Gold: Two Pillars Blonde, Two Pillars Brewery, Calgary, AB
Silver: Luminous Belgian Blond, Category 12 Brewing, Saanichton, BC
Bronze: Wildflower Belgian Blond, Wild Winds Brewery, Calgary, AB
Saison/Grisette
Gold: Saison Tradition, Brasseurs du Monde, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC
Silver: Valor, Tooth and Nail Brewing Company, Ottawa, ON
Bronze: Saison Davenport, Shacklands Brewing Co., Toronto, ON
Golden Belgian Strong Ale
Silver: Antigoon, Dageraad Brewing, Burnaby, BC
Bronze: Trip D’Automne, Siboire, Sherbrooke, QC
Dark Belgian Strong Ale
Gold: Friar Belgian Quad, Dog Mountain Brewing, Port Alberni, BC
Silver: Two Pillars Dark Strong, Two Pillars Brewery, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Belgian Dark Strong, Deadfall Brewing Company, Prince George, BC
Historical Beer
Gold: Frutillada, Microbrasserie La Souche, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, QC
Silver: Madder Than A Wet Hen, Full Beard Brewing Co., Timmins, ON
Bronze: Dad Jokes Corny Lager, Farm Country Brewing, Langley, BC
Fruit Beer
Gold: Cencerro Cerveza, Cowbell Brewing Co., Blyth, ON
Silver: Mellow Moon Pineapple Hefeweizen, Big Rock Brewery, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Peach Cream Ale, Tin Whistle Brewing Company, Penticton, BC
Specialty Fruit Beer
Gold: Rosé Changeling, Brassneck Brewery, Vancouver, BC
Silver: Brewers’ Getaway, Prairie Dog Brewing, Calgary, AB
Bronze: Cellar Door Cab Syrah Saison, Abandoned Rail Brewing Co., Penticton, BC
Spice, Herb, Or Vegetable Beer
Gold: Fuego, Cabin Brewing Company, Calgary, AB
Silver: London Fog Dark Mild, Smithers Brewing Company, Smithers, BC
Bronze: Moscow Mule Ale, Beach Fire Brewing Company, Campbell River, BC
Smoke Beer
Gold: Das Winter Projekt, Frampton Brasse, Frampton, QC
Silver: Zweihander, Jackknife Brewing, Kelowna, BC
Bronze: Scotch Ale Fumée De L’Île D’Orléans, Microbrasserie de L’Île d’Orléans, Sainte-Famille, QC
Wood-Aged Beer
Gold: Solitude, Tatamagouche Brewing Co., Tatamagouche, NS
Silver: Levitation, Nokomis Craft Ales, Nokomis, SK
Bronze: Mammoth, Sons of Kent Brewing Co., Chatham. ON
Experimental Beer
Gold: Sauvage, Tanner & Co. Brewing, Chester Basin, NS
Silver: Cherry Blossom Sake Lager, Tin Whistle Brewing Company, Penticton, BC
Bronze: Sugar Shack Canadian Maple Lager, Ucluelet Brewing Co., Ucluelet, BC
Gluten-Free Beer
Gold: Humble Lager, Grey Fox Brewing, Kelowna, BC
Silver: Whistler Forager Gluten Free Lager, Whistler Brewing Co., Whistler, BC
Bronze: Buckwild Stout, Grey Fox Brewing, Kelowna, BC
Golden Ale
Gold: Cream Ale, Anderson Craft Ales, London, ON
Silver: Pirates Treasure Golden Ale, Taylight Brewing, Port Coquitlam, BC
Bronze: Birra Fanelli Blonde, Birra Fanelli, Sorel-Tracy, QC
Beers of various styles are judged in a final round of the 2022 Canada Beer Cup.
Don Tse
Single Packaging
Gold: Showboat, Beva Brewing, North Vancouver, BC
Silver: Neon Panther, Parallel 49 Brewing, Vancouver, BC
Bronze: Flannel Pyjamas Grand Cru, Camp Beer Co., Langley, BC
Series Packaging
Gold: Tart Wild (Serie Selvatica), Luppolo Brewing Company, Vancouver, BC
Silver: Adventure Series, Tin Whistle Brewing Company, Penticton, BC
Bronze: Main Street Brewing, Main St. Brewing, Vancouver, BC
Community & Collaborations Packaging
Gold: Drinking Buddies, Blindman Brewing, Lacombe, AB
Silver: I Love You For Sentimental Reasons IPA, The Second Wedge Brewing Co., Uxbridge, ON
Bronze: A Moment In The Sun, Annex Ales, Calgary, AB
Innovation Packaging
Gold: Ale Architect Label Innovation, Ale Architect, Edmonton, AB
Silver: Lil’ Helper, Cabin Brewing Company, Calgary, AB
Bronze: 100 Pack, Anderson Craft Ales, London, ON