Winners Announced for the 2026 Honey Beer Competition
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Editorial Dept.
The National Honey Board has revealed the top picks in its annual search for the country’s best made-with-honey beers. Expert judges gathered at St. Louis’s historic Lemp Mansion to evaluate exceptional brews – ranging from crisp lagers to robust ales. The results celebrate the incredible flavor, creativity, and skill shaping today’s honey beer landscape.
A press release from the National Honey Board disclosed that over 150 made-with-honey beers entered for consideration, all blind tasted by 16 certified judges in accordance with the Beer Judge Certification Program.
In the champion’s corner, AH-CHOO! from Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL received the Best of Show Gold Medal. This honey saison was brewed with lemon blossom honey, koji inoculated rice from their sake program and bee pollen, to create a delicate and springy beer with a 6.8% ABV. The 2026 Honey Beer Competition took place on Saturday, August 22 at The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, MO.
“The enthusiasm and participation of America’s breweries in the Honey Beer Competition continues to impress and inspire us,” says Catherine Barry, vice president of marketing for the National Honey Board. “Congratulations to Off Color Brewing and their winning beer! We’ve enjoyed many of their honey beers over the years, and AH-CHOO! further establishes them as a standout in the craft of brewing with honey.” Also in the winner’s hive, the Best of Show Silver was awarded to the Forget the Flowers from Runaway Blue Brewing Company in Newark, NY. This rice lager was brewed with orange blossom honey and orange blossom flowers and holds a 5% ABV.
The Honey, I’m Home! from Lock 27 Brewing in Centerville, OH took home the Best of Show Bronze medal, as a 10% ABV braggot made with Wild Miami Valley honey and hopped with East Kent Golding hops.
The Best in Show for Design was awarded to the Birdhouse Brewing Co. Honey Cream Ale for its honey bear bottle design.
Category winners are listed below. See the full list of winners at honeybeercompetition.com or contact Alison Conklin at alison@honey.com for information.
2026 Honey Beer Competition Winners Best of Show Winners
Gold Medal: AH-CHOO! — Off Color Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver Medal: Forget the Flowers — Runaway Blue Brewing Company, Newark, NY
Bronze Medal: Honey, I’m Home! — Lock 27 Brewing, Centerville, OH
Category Gold Winners
Amber/Brown Ales: Orange Blossom Special — Tie & Timber Beer Company, Springfield, MO
Barrel Aged Beers: Double Barrel Aged Cursed Hive — River North Brewery, Denver, CO
Belgian-Style Ales: AH-CHOO! — Off Color Brewing, Chicago, IL
Ciders: 40 Myke Myke — Cider Corps, Mesa, AZ
Fruit/Vegetable/Spiced Beers: Beenut Butter Brown Ale — Nansemond Brewing Station, Suffolk, VA
General Ales: Honey Kölsch — Bent Barley Brewing Company, Aurora, CO
General Lagers: Forget the Flowers — Runaway Blue Brewing Company, Newark, NY
Hard Seltzers: Raspberry Chamomile Hydromel — Whistle Hop Brewing Company, Fairview, NC
Other Beers: Honey, I’m Home! — Lock 27 Brewing, Centerville, OH
IPAs: West Coast IPA — Primal Brewery, Huntersville, NC
Sours: Nature’s Whimsy — Manor Hill Brewing, Ellicott City, MD
Wheat Beers: Orange Blossom Honey Wheat — Volunteer Brewing Company, Middletown, DE
Design/Packaging: Honey Cream Ale — Birdhouse Brewing Co., Honeoye, NY
To learn more about the Honey Beer Competition, visit honeybeercompetition.com and follow along on Instagram at @honey4pros.
About the National Honey Board
The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey, is designed to increase the awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers. The 10-member Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers and a marketing cooperative.
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