Iowa Breweries Make Another Strong Showing at International Competition

Without local news, all we have are rumors. Keep facts alive — give now. DECORAH — Decorah's Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. earned multiple honors at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship, with the brewery bringing home four medals, including three gold awards. The Iowa Brewers Guild announced July 15 that seven Iowa breweries earned a combined 18 medals at the international competition, which featured thousands of entries from breweries across the United States and around the world. Toppling Goliath was among the state's most recognized winners, earning medals across several beer styles. The competition showcased the range and creativity of Iowa's craft brewing industry, with breweries earning awards across more than a dozen beer styles. Iowa breweries also claimed the top two awards in the Hazy Pale Ale category, one of the most popular styles in craft beer. The 2026 Iowa medal winners included: Toppling Goliath Brewing Co., Decorah: Pseudo Sue — Hazy Pale Ale (Silver) Dragon Fandango — Other Kettle Sour (Gold) 2026 Double Barrel Assassin — Barrel-Aged Strong Stout/Porter — Extreme (Gold) 2025 Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout — Barrel-Aged Pastry Stout (Gold) Flix Brewhouse, Des Moines: Nebulas — Hazy Pale Ale (Gold) Kill Shot — Strong Scotch Ale (Bronze) Pineappel — Belgian-Style Fruit Beer (Bronze) Tilly's Dunkel — Munich-Style Dunkel (Bronze) Full Fledged Brewing Co., Council Bluffs:Don Mega — Barrel-Aged American Barleywine (Bronze) Floyd the Barbarian — Single Hop Pale Ale (Gold) Peachful Getaway — Fruit Wheat Beer, Peach (Gold) Common Corn Star — Historical Beer, Kentucky Common Beer (Bronze) Marto Brewing Company, Sioux City: Mardelo Lime — American-Style Fruit Beer, Lime (Bronze) Gradient Descent — Imperial India Pale Ale (Gold) Confluence Brewing Company, Des Moines:Old Chungus — Barrel-Aged Scotch (Silver) Mayday Maibock — German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock (Gold) Big Grove Brewery, Cedar Rapids: Cedar Radler — American-Style Fruit Beer, Grapefruit (Bronze) Exile Brewing Company, Des Moines: Shinto — Rice Lager (Bronze) "The U.S. Open Beer Championship attracts breweries from across the globe, making every medal a meaningful accomplishment," said Noreen Otto, executive director of the Iowa Brewers Guild. "These awards reflect the talent, innovation and quality that Iowa brewers bring to every pint and every style." The U.S. Open Beer Championship is one of the nation's largest professional beer competitions, featuring entries across more than 150 beer categories. The Iowa Brewers Guild encourages beer lovers to visit local breweries and seek out award-winning Iowa beers. The Iowa Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of Iowa's independent craft breweries and cideries. Get the inside scoop! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and receive local news, expert analysis, and stories that matter most—straight to your inbox.