BC Beer Awards recognize craft excellence in British Columbia

The 2026 BC Beer Awards, held on October 16 in New Westminster, celebrated excellence within the British Columbia craft brewing industry.

Encore Brewing of Cranbrook secured a gold medal in the American Pale category for its Retrowave West Coast Pale Ale, winning against 59 other entrants. Jesse Roberts of Encore Brewing noted the achievement as a significant milestone for the brewery and the Cranbrook community.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) also saw success, with three of its beers receiving awards. Recent graduates Jacob Black and Brennan Mojica earned first place in the Stout & Porter category for Knotty Bee, a nitro milk stout featuring chocolate, honeyed sweetness, and French oak vanilla notes.