U.S. breweries made a stronger-than-expected showing at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challengeearning 28 medals — up from 19 last year — in one of the world’s most competitive beer competitions. The three-day event in Belgium drew 1,701 entries from 36 countries, but American producers held their own, taking home 28 medals — six of which were gold — and reinforcing, as Brewers Association international relations director Steve Parr puts it, that “American craft beer deserves a place at tables around the world.”

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Standout U.S. performances

This year’s top American performers were pFriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon, and Firestone Walker Brewing Company of Paso Robles, California. pFriem finished with four medals across pale ales, lagers, and lambics, while Firestone Walker’s three-medal haul included the title of Best American Beer for its flagship IPA, Union Jack.

Union Jack, first developed by brewmaster Matt Brynildson in 2006 using Simone, Chinook, and Centennial hops, is marketed as a West Coast IPA but fits comfortably within traditional English IPA style guidelines — a detail that becomes even fitting when considering that it topped the Pale & Amber Ale: English IPA category for the second consecutive year, previously held in 2023 by Tsingtao India Pale Ale from China. Notably, no English breweries placed in that category in 2025. (Similarly, no U.S. beers placed in the American IPA, New England IPA, Session New England IPA, American-style Pilsner, American Red Ale, or American Stout categories.)

Notable category wins

American breweries also made two key showings in the American Pale Ale and Lager categories. pFriem’s Pale earned a silver medal in the American Pale Ale category in a tie with Euforia, crafted by Beha Brewing of Italy, while Boston’s Night Shift Brewing secured bronze for Whirlpooltying with Orca Brau of Germany.

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Firestone Walker scored another high-profile win with a gold medal for Pivo Castle in the Italian-style Pilsner category, edging out two Italian-made entries. pFriem added to its standout year with a gold medal in the Helles category for its Lagertopping entries from Germany (Bayreuther Bierbrauerei’s Bayreuther Helles) and Oregon (Heater Allen Brewing’s Gold Dot Helles).

Other U.S. medals spanned ESB, Pacific IPA, fruit beer, barrel-aged stout, honey beer, and chocolate- and coffee-flavored beers. In total, 18 U.S. breweries earned medals: six gold, eight silver, and fourteen bronze.

Belgium leads international results

Internationally, Belgium — host nation and global brewing powerhouse — once again dominated the medal count. Belgian breweries entered 420 beers and won 70 medals overall. The top domestic performer was Huyghe Brewerythe East Flemish producer best known for Trembling deliriumwhich collected five medals, including three gold. Its Averbode Extraentered in the Abbey Style Single-Extra category, was named Best Belgian Beer of the competition.

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Global standouts

Breweries from the Netherlands, China, and Germany also had notable results. Royal Swinkels Family Brewersan international brewing group with roots in the Netherlands, earned gold in the Alcohol Free 0.0 category for Bavaria 0.0% Pilsnerwhich was also named Best NABLAB (Nonalcoholic Beer & Low-Alcohol Beer).

China continued its strong run in hop-driven categories, winning 24 medals overall and securing gold in the New England IPA category for the second year in a row, this time with Beijing Rushi Trading Company’s Rushi. Best of Show went to Amsterdam-based Oedipus Brewing for Manly lovea saison made with Szechuan pepper and Sorachi Ace hops that has repeatedly impressed judges in previous years.

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How U.S. breweries participated

Founded in 2012, the Brussels Beer Challenge was created to elevate brewing standards worldwide and foster international recognition for producers of all sizes. For the 2025 competition, the Brewers Association subsidized up to three beer entries for each participating Export and Development Program member brewery, with support from USDA international marketing grants.

This funding enabled 36 American breweries to enter the event — a strategy Parr describes as “a key mechanism by which to generate publicity for the U.S. craft beer industry and (…) gain attention and distribution.”

Next year, the Brussels Beer Challenge will move to Roeselare in West Flanders, bringing the competition to the historic home of Rodenbach, one of the world’s most influential makers of Flemish red ale.

U.S. beers that medaled at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge
BEER	BREWERY	CATEGORY	MEDAL
Lager	pFriem Family Brewers	Warehouse: Helles	Gold
Beer	Firestone Walker Brewing Co.	Lager: Italian Style Pilsner	Gold
Union Jack	Firestone Walker Brewing Co.	Pale and Amber Ale: English IPA	Gold
The FNG	Monkless Belgian Ales	Pale and Amber Ale: Strong Amber	Gold
Diabolical	The Monk’s Cellar	Pale and Amber Ale: Strong Blonde	Gold
White Field	New Glarus Brewing Company	Speciality Beer: Other Sour Ale	Gold
Trail Magic	The Virginia Beer Company	Dark Ale: Brown Ale	Silver
To The Beach	Trademark Brewing	Flavored Beer: Fruit Beer	Silver
Fruited Spontaneous	Pfriem Family Brewers	Flavored Beer: Old Style Fruit-Lambic	Silver
Gold Dot Export Lager	Heater Allen Brewing	Stock: German-Style Märzen	Silver
Pale	Pfriem Family Brewers	Pale and Amber Ale: American Pale Ale	Silver
Double Barrel Ale	Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Pale and Amber Ale: Light Bitter/Bitter/Best Bitter/ESB	Silver
Santilli	Night Shift Brewing	Pale and Amber Ale: Pacific IPA	Silver
Speedway Stout	AleSmith Brewing Company	Stout/Porter: Russian Imperial Stout	Silver
Deduction	Taxman Brewing Company	Dark Ale: Abbey Style Dubbel	Bronze
Midnight Hike	River North Brewery	Flavored Beer: Chocolate	Bronze
Nightmare Fuel	River North Brewery	Flavored Beer: Coffee	Bronze
Hazelnut Imperial Stout	Diatribe Brewing Company	Flavored Beer: Field beer	Bronze
Honey Kölsch	River North Brewery	Flavored Beer: Honey Beer	Bronze
Showstopper ’25	Alesong Brewing and Blending	Flavored Beer: Imperial Stout Barrel- or Wood Aged	Bronze
A Clean Pair of Schwarz	Quarter Celtic Brewpub	Stock: Dark/Dark	Bronze
Oktoberfest	The Virginia Beer Company	Stock: German-Style Märzen	Bronze
Gold Dot Helles	Heater Allen Brewing	Warehouse: Helles	Bronze
Whirlpool	Night Shift Brewing	Pale and Amber Ale: American Pale Ale	Bronze
Looking Down On You – Hazy DIPA	Revision Brewing Company	Pale and Amber Ale: Double IPA	Bronze
Spellbinder	Wren House Brewing	Pale and Amber Ale: New England IPA	Bronze
West Coast IPA	Pfriem Family Brewers	Pale and Amber Ale: Pacific IPA	Bronze
Hoochie Momma	StillFire Brewing	Stout/Porter: Export Stout	Bronze