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.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
