Beer isn’t always about chugging it down just to show off your alphabet-belching skills. It’s science, and it takes a certain type of skill to craft a cold one — brewers and beer aficionados take it very seriously.

Referred to as “the Olympics of beer,” the World Beer Cup is considered one of the most prestigious beer competitions. The 2025 World Beer Cup awards ceremony on Thursday, May 1, was held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America in Indianapolis.

Out of 8,375 entries, just 334 beers and ciders took home medals — including a couple from right here in Tucson.

The new owner of a silver medal is the team at Dragoon Brewing.

The brewery’s Dragoon Amber, which is a Scottish-style ale, was awarded for “maintaining close adherence to the style and displaying excellent taste, aroma, and appearance.”

Neat fact: Dragoon’s brew crew uses RegenMalt, which is grown using regenerative agricultural practices to reduce greenhouse gases, reduce runoff, and more. When enjoying their beers, you’re helping “offset the greenhouse gas required to charge your cellphone for five months.”

The Rojo by Barrio Brewing took home a bronze medal — an English-Style Brown Ale that was recognized as a “fine example of the style.”

Neat fact: Barrio Brewing is the oldest brewery in Arizona that’s still operating under its original name and ownership. Speaking of ownership, Barrio became the state’s first 100% Employee-Owned brewery in 2020.

“Evaluating beer happens on many levels,” said Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director. “On a professional level, beer evaluation is a form of peer review. The results are public, so consumers can learn what beers meet a high level of quality and what beers exemplify certain styles as interpreted by the judges.”

Other Award-Winning AZ Breweries

There’s a lot of great beer spread in Tucson and even more stretching to all corners of the state. The following three other Arizona breweries won medals, too:

• Railhead Red (Amber) by Lumberyard Brewing in Flagstaff won a silver medal
• Now What? (Blonde Ale) by Saddle Mountain Brewing in Goodyear won a silver medal
• Apple Pie à La Mode (Spiced Cider) by Six Byrd Cider in Tempe won a bronze medal

For a full guide to local breweries in Tucson, check out our interactive guide. For the full list of this year’s winners, visit worldbeercup.org.

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