Wellington brewery, Garage Project, has won New Zealand's first-ever gold medal at the World Beer Cup.
The World Beer Cup, the world’s most prestigious beer competition, has celebrated three decades of brewing excellence by awarding 353 medals to breweries and cideries across the globe.
Wellington’s Garage Project took home New Zealand’s first-ever gold medal for its Engeltjes Pis, a sour red ale, in the American Sour and Barrel-Aged category.
“Woohoo! New Zealand’s first World Beer Cup Gold! We’re absolutely fizzing to see our own Peter B accepting the prize for Engeltjes Pis! To top it off, Chance, Luck and Magic scored its third Silver,” Garage Project said in a statement.
“These beers from Wild Workshop are an absolute labour of love, taking years to brew. To see them shining on the world stage makes all that hard work so worthwhile.”
Organised by the Brewers Association (BA), the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, the 2026 World Beer Cup, now in its 30th year, recognised the very best in beer and cider across 118 categories, while continuing to set the global standard for technical excellence, innovation, and creativity rooted in both tradition and progress.
“Thirty years in, the World Beer Cup remains a powerful reflection of how far global brewing has come, and where it’s headed,” said Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director. “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.”
An international panel of 255 judges from 50 countries evaluated 8,166 entries using rigorous, blind-tasting protocols. The 2026 competition brought together 1,644 breweries representing 50 nations, underscoring the event’s role as a truly global benchmark for quality.
The World Beer Cup awards ceremony capped off the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre, where approximately 8,000 brewing, fermentation, distilling, and packaging professionals gathered for education, collaboration, and connection across the beverage alcohol industry.
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