Smithers Brewing Company Won Canada Beer Cup Honours

The Smithers-based brewery secured multiple medals during the 2026 competition held in Calgary.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Beer

Smithers Brewing Company Won Canada Beer Cup Honours

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Smithers Brewing Company earned top honours at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup, including a third-place finish in the Best of Show category. The annual competition, which took place in Calgary, awarded a total of 174 medals to breweries across the country.

Why it matters

The Canada Beer Cup serves as a significant industry benchmark, where entries are rigorously evaluated through blind-tasting by panels of domestic and international judges. Recognition in this competition highlights individual brewery excellence across a broad spectrum of 48 beer, five cider, and three packaging categories.

Smithers Brewing Company earned a gold medal for its Let's Get Ready to Crumble Tart Ale and silver for its Smithersbräu Festbier. Overall, breweries in British Columbia dominated the event, collectively securing 77 of the 174 medals distributed.

The players

Smithers Brewing Company

This brewery is based in Smithers, B.C., and has established a track record of high performance in national beer competitions.

Twin City Brewing Company

Based in Port Alberni, B.C., this organization secured the 2026 Canada Beer Cup champion title.

Sons of Kent Brewing Company

Located in Chatham, Ont., this brewery earned a silver medal in the Best of Show category for its Mammoth brew.

Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse

This Terrace, B.C.-based facility was recognized for excellence in packaging through a community collaboration award.

The details

The brewery's success included a gold medal for House of Commons Canada Common and a silver for Bootlegger Brown Ale. The competition evaluates entrants on technical merit through blind tastings conducted by expert judges, with additional awards recognizing excellence in packaging collaborations.

The Canada Beer Cup competition took place in Calgary on October 8, 2026.
Smithers Brewing Company was previously named Brewery of the Year in 2025.

Culture Shift

The success of regional producers like Smithers Brewing Company signals a broader shift in the Canadian craft scene, where smaller local entities increasingly outcompete larger national brands. This trajectory reflects a sustained preference for high-quality, craft-focused production models over industrial-scale output.

Readers looking to support award-winning local products can now seek out the recognized ales and lagers at their local retailers or the brewery taproom. These accolades provide a practical guide for consumers navigating the expanding variety of craft options available in the Canadian market.

The takeaway

Selecting award-winning brews can be a reliable method for consumers to discover high-quality products from emerging regional craft producers. Pay attention to competition results when exploring new beer styles to ensure a premium tasting experience.