Athletic Brewing Company stole the show at the 2025 Best of Craft Beer Awards, earning the coveted title of Best Large Brewery of the Year. This honor marked an impressive win for the nonalcoholic beer sector, highlighting the category's skyrocketing popularity. A Connecticut-based player, Athletic Brewing, bagged four medals in the Oregon-hosted competition, including gold for its Run Wild IPA and Raspberry Espresso Stout, while its other creations, Freewave Hazy IPA and Soul Sour earned bronze.
The nonalcoholic hop-forward beer category also saw Best Day Brewing's Electro Lim and Deschutes Brewery's Fresh-Squeezed Non-alcoholic IPA earn silver medals. The competition featured entries from 233 breweries totaling 1,239 beers, with over 100 judges lending their expertise in the tasting and evaluation process.
The rise in nonalcoholic beer popularity isn't random. It has seen steady growth in the United States over the last decade, transforming from a largely ignored choice into a go-to option for enthusiasts wanting to enjoy the taste of beer without the alcohol. Athletic Brewing, since its establishment in 2017, has seen tremendous success by participating in outdoor activities like marathons and promoting the better-for-you beverage section.
Furthermore, societal shifts towards sobriety, with younger people stepping into alcohol-free lifestyles, and older ones wanting to limit alcohol consumption, have fueled such progress. These cultural trends gave rise to initiatives like Dry January and Sober October which have gained traction rapidly. As a result, breweries like Guinness and Heineken are investing in alcohol-free options.
In addition to spotlighting nonalcoholic beers, this year's awards evidenced another pattern: the emerging supremacy of Oregon's beer scene. Over 40 medals went to Oregon breweries recognized for their excellence across various categories. Sunriver Brewing Company, based in Sun River, Oregon, stood out, earning the Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year title. Meanwhile, Terranaut Beer from Bend, Oregon, won Small-Sized Brewery of the Year. Sunriver Brewing appears to be on a roll, collecting eight medals at this ceremony alone, following last year's recognition as the Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.
Terranaut Beer, a new face in the industry that opened in 2024, is already making waves with three medals to its name. Founded in 2014, the Best of Craft Beer Awards ranks among the largest national beer competitions, pulling entries from across the world. Besides these annual awards announced every March, the organization conducts a fresh and wet hop competition to assess beers brewed with Pacific Northwest farm-sourced hops.
While the craft brewing sector grapples with diminishing sales, increased competition from other beverage types, and general industry challenges, these awards serve as a testament to the exceptional, creative beer still being brewed across the American landscape, reminding everyone that the opportunity to buy local and support small businesses is as crucial as ever.
