Ohio brewers took home 101 medals at the U.S. Open Beer Championships this past weekend.
The competition, which took place in Oxford, Ohio, had more than 180 categories and subcategories and drew entries from breweries around the world.
About a dozen brewers from Northeast Ohio won medals in the competition.
Among them was Hofbrauhaus Cleveland which won silver in the barrel-aged German lager category for its BBA Doppelbock and bronze in the Kellerbier or Zwickelbier category for its Premium Lager.
Brewmaster Josh Jones said that although he appreciated winning awards this year, the most rewarding part of his job is consistently supplying customers with good beer.
“I think our beer is good, but to place well in a national competition is kind of a new thing for me,” Jones said. “It’s fun. It’s nice to just say, ‘Hey, I think this beer is good. Let’s enter and see what happens.’”
Jones said the U.S. Open Beer Championships makes “everybody brew better beers.”
“There’s definitely a good camaraderie in Northeast Ohio,” Jones said. “People support you if you ever need anything. You don’t normally see that in other industries, that competition helps each other out.”
Other winners in Northeast Ohio included Akronym Brewing in Akron, Missing Falls in
Cuyahoga Falls, Cult Craft Liquids, Masthead Brewing Company and Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Bell Tower Brewing Co. in Kent, Immigrant Son Brewing in Lakewood and Phoenix Brewing in Mansfield.
The Brew Kettle, with locations in Brunswick, Strongsville, Mentor, Hudson and Canton, came away with four medals: a gold in the Imperial Red Ale category, silvers in the light IPA and American Black Ale category and a bronze in the barrel-aged strong beer category.
“It’s satisfying to win, and we are very happy to be in the same ballpark as a lot of other exceptional breweries in and out of the country,” said The Brew Kettle’s head brewer, Jack Kephart.
Kephart said he finds value in the competition beyond winning – through team building and suggestions for improving his brews.
“One of the benefits of entering a competition is that the judges fill out a score sheet and give you feedback,” Kephart said. “It’s constructive and allows for introspection to look at your process and ways you want to improve your recipe.”
The U.S. Open Beer Championships includes unconventional categories such as non-alcoholic fruit and spices and root beer, for both kids and adults.
Cult Craft Liquids in Cleveland won gold in the adults category for its Cult Craft Root Beer.
Kids root beer can have a more traditional flavor profile of vanilla, wintergreen and simple sugars.
Viv Kaizer, who co-owns Cult Craft Liquids with her husband Eric, explained that adult root beer features more complex flavors from herbs and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, etc.
Kaizer said she felt honored to represent Cleveland and grateful for the support of the businesses that carry Cult Craft.
“We’re so proud to be able to represent another faction of creative people and craft people here in the city and Northeast Ohio,” Kaizer said. “We know how much heart and work and labor it takes to make a brewery function and operate. We’re so proud of all the breweries here in Ohio.”
Cincinnati brewery Third Eye Brewing was named the 2026 Grand National Champion with nine medals overall. Third Eye’s five gold medals set a record for the most gold medals earned in the U.S. Open Beer Championship by a single brewery.
The brewery was also named the 2024 Grand National Champion.
In total, Ohio brewers came away with 101 medals in this year’s championship.
Brew Kettle head brewer Jack Kephart was happy to see so many brewers from all across Ohio honored.
“Everybody’s shooting texts back-and-forth, congratulating each other,” Kephart said. “It’s more than competition. We are all generally very happy when another brewery (in Ohio) does well.”
Medals in Northeast Ohio
Akronym – Akron
- Gold: Frontline, California common beer
- Silver: Blaze, smoke beer
- Bronze: Henry, juicy or hazy strong pale ale
Bell Tower – Kent
- Gold: Hermann-ator, strong Bock
- Bronze: Amaizing Grace, light lager
Brew Kettle – Brunswick, Strongsville, Mentor, Hudson, Canton
- Gold: El Lupulo Libre, Imperial Red Ale
- Silver: Light Rajah, light IPA/session IPA
- Silver: Black Rajah, American Black Ale
- Bronze: Amaroq, barrel aged strong beer
Cult Craft Liquids – Cleveland
- Gold: Cult Craft Root Beer, adults root beer
Fat Head’s Brewery – Middleburg Heights, North Olmsted, Canton
- Silver: Battle Axe, Baltic-Style Porter
- Silver: Thunder Mittens, fruit IPA
- Bronze: Goggle Fogger, German Hefeweizen
Hofbrauhaus Cleveland – Cleveland
- Silver: BBA Doppelbock, barrel aged German lager
- Bronze: Premium Lager, Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
Immigrant Son – Lakewood
- Silver: Street Lager, American style fruit beer
Market Garden Brewery – Cleveland
- Silver: BA Olde Groundhog, barrel aged barley wine
- Silver: Yuzu Lager, American-style fruit beer
- Bronze: Olde Groundhog, strong ale
Masthead Brewing Company – Cleveland
- Gold: IPA, American IPA
- Bronze: Freelance, American strong pale ale
Missing Falls Brewery – Akron
- Bronze: To Marzen Back, German-style Oktoberfest/Wiesn
Phoenix Brewing
- Bronze: NED Flanders-style Ale, barrel-aged sour beer
