Bend’s UPP Liquids led the pack with four medals total, three gold and one silver; UPP also won the 251–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year category. Sunriver Brewing followed and won three medals (two silver and one bronze), while Bend Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, and Worthy Brewing won two each. 10 Barrel Brewing won one, a gold.

Here’s what each brewery medaled in:

• 10 Barrel: Gold for Silent G, in the German-Style Koelsch category.
• Bend Brewing:
  • Gold for Because Science, in Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
  • Bronze for Tropic Pines, in American-Style Strong Pale Ale
• Deschutes:
  • Gold for Fresh Hop King Crispy, in Fresh Hop Beer
  • Gold for Super Stoked, in Classic Non-Alcohol Ale or Lager
• Sunriver:
  • Silver for Cameron’s Crest, in Scottish-Style Ale
  • Silver for Fuzztail, in American Wheat Beer
  • Bronze for Figata Fresca, in Fresh Hop Beer
• UPP:
  • Gold for Buzz Box, in Honey Beer
  • Gold for Flower Child, in Gose
  • Gold for UPP Yours, in Field Beer
  • Silver for German Sparkle Party Zwei, in Berliner-Style Weisse
• Worthy:
  • Silver for Before the Break, in English-Style Brown Ale
  • Silver for The Fourth Colour, in Strong Red Ale

Outside of Central Oregon, a number of breweries won multiple medals, including Alesong Brewing & Blending, Breakside Brewery, and pFriem Family Brewers. 2 Towns Ciderhouse won two awards in cider categories. It’s been a good year for Oregon breweries at the GABF; the full list of winners is here.

Here’s the full press release from the Brewers Association:

The Brewers Association (BA) announced the beers and ciders taking home medals at this year’s Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition. New this year, the competition added categories including rice lager, hop water, and a one-time craft malt category, along with two new specialty beer subcategories and three new standalone gluten-free style categories.

A total of 243 breweries and cideries took home 336 medals in this year’s Great American Beer Festival competition. Over three days, 225 expert judges evaluated 7,267 beer and cider entries—including 54 Collaboration and 30 Pro-Am submissions—from breweries across 49 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

“The submissions from this year’s competition continue to reflect just how far American brewing and cidermaking have come,” said Chris Williams, competition director for the Brewers Association. “The addition of multiple new styles and unique concepts like the ‘Craft Malt Beer’ and ‘Hop Water’ categories gave producers fresh ground to explore. The overarching quality presented by so many of the contenders underlines how intensive the judging process is and how competitively these contenders rise to the occasion with entries that pushed each category forward. GABF remains one of the most competitive stages in craft beer, and these winners represent the very best our industry has to offer. Congratulations to this year’s medalists.”

The awards ceremony was held at Levitt Pavilion and live-streamed on The Brewing Network on Sunday, October 11, 2026, as part of the Great American Beer Festival.

View the 2026 winners [PDF]

GABF Competition Statistics

• 7,267 entries (beer, cider, hop water) judges
• 1,300 breweries & cideries in the competition from 49 states, plus Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico
• 225 judges
• 200+ volunteers
• Average number of beers entered in each category: 67
• Category with the highest number of entries: Category 102: West Coast-Style India Pale Ale (277 entries)
• 336 total medals awarded
• 243 medal-winning breweries and cideries
• 125 first-time GABF competition entrants
• 12 first-time GABF competition winners
• Five cider categories
• New categories: Rice Lager, Hop Water, Craft Malt Category, Multi-Adjunct Beer (subcategory of Specialty Beer), Hybrid/Crossover Beer (subcategory of Specialty Beer), Gluten-Free divided into Classic Ale or Lager, Hoppy, Specialty

TOP 5 MOST-ENTERED BEER STYLE CATEGORY WINNERS
* Both categories tie for the fifth most-entered category, each with 161 entries.

Category 102: West Coast-Style India Pale Ale (277 entries) – Sponsored by Wyeast
GOLD: Before & After Science | Human People Beer | Seattle, WA
SILVER: Born Hoppy | TapRoom Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
BRONZE: Mosaic + Krush Cryo West Coast IPA | pFriem Family Brewers | Hood River, OR

Category 101: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (260 entries) – Sponsored by Wyeast
GOLD: Because Science | Bend Brewing Co. | Bend, OR
SILVER: Icy Fog | McMenamins Breweries | Portland, OR
BRONZE: The Goat |New York Beer Project – Beer Lodge | Orchard Park, NY

Category 56: German-Style Maerzen (184 entries)
GOLD: Altstadt Oktoberfest | Altstadt Brewery | Fredericksburg, TX
SILVER: Oktoberfest | Bingo Beer Co. | Richmond, VA
BRONZE: Oktoberfestfest | MainStage Brewing Co. | Boulder, CO

Category 100: American India Pale Ale (165 entries) – Sponsored by Stronger Can, Better Service
GOLD: Breakside IPA | Breakside Brewery & Taproom | Milwaukie, OR
SILVER: Built for Speed | Grains of Wrath Brewing | Camas, WA
BRONZE: Green Battles | Pinthouse Pizza – North | Austin, TX

Category 50*: German-Style Pilsener (161 entries)
GOLD: Altstadt Pils | Altstadt Brewery | Fredericksburg, TX
SILVER: Templin Family Fass Bier | Templin Family Brewing | Salt Lake City, U
BRONZE: Pazifik Coast Highway | Beachwood Brewing | Huntington Beach, CA

Category 54*: Dortmunder or German-Style Festbier (161 entries)
GOLD: Festbier | Wren House Brewing Co. | Phoenix, AZ
SILVER: 8th Anniversary Lager | Fat Head’s Brewery | Middleburg Heights, OH
BRONZE: Counter Weight Fest Bier | Counter Weight Brewing Co. | Cheshire, CT

MOST-ENTERED CIDER CATEGORY WINNERS

Category 203: Fruited Cider (58 entries)
GOLD: Gowan’s Heirloom Cider | Honey Citron | Philo, CA
SILVER: 2 Towns Ciderhouse |Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp | Corvallis, OR
BRONZE: 2 Towns Ciderhouse | Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp | Corvallis, OR

BREWERY OF THE YEAR

0-250 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Mieza Blendery | Alexandria, VA

>250–500 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
UPP Liquids | Bend, OR

>500–1,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. | Golden, CO

>1,000–2,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Craft Coast | Oceanside, CA

>2,000–5,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Morgan Territory Brewing | Tracy, CA

>5,000–15,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Fieldwork Brewing Company | Berkeley, CA

>15,000–100,000 Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Breakside Brewery & Taproom | Milwaukie, OR

>100,000+ Barrels Brewery and Brewer of the Year
Goose Island Beer Co. | Chicago, IL

Cidermaker of the Year
Snow Capped Cider | Austin, CO

The 2026 Great American Beer Festival was made possible in part by the generous support of its presenting sponsors: Amoretti, Antigo Zeon, Country Malt Group, John I. Haas, and Prairie Malt; its category sponsors, and through a partnership with the American Cider Association.

Top photo © Brewers Association.

The company offers a full lineup of canned cocktails, and though these two were released in the larger size format, the samples I received were in the existing 12-ounce cans (355ml). Both are 7% alcohol by volume, and interestingly text on the can indicates “2 shots per cocktail.”

Here’s the press release that announced the new can format:

As ready-to-drink cocktails continue to surge, Dogfish Head is expanding its cocktail lineup with the launch of 570ml single-serve cans, bringing craft-quality sips to a grab-and-go format suited for coolers, convenience, and adventures big or small.

As a true craft beverage innovator, Dogfish Head continues to deliver off-centered, quality creations that go beyond beer. The launch of its higher-volume cocktail offerings will broaden the reach of the Dogfish Head’s signature creativity not just at traditional retail, but across stadiums, festivals, and tailgates.

Made with real fruit juice and house-made spirits, it is Dogfish Head’s two best-selling, vodka-based cocktails that are making their way to 570ml cans:

• Strawberry Honeyberry Vodka Lemonade (7.0% ABV) – Inspired by visits to a coastal Maine honeyberry farm, this refreshing cocktail blends Dogfish Head vodka with real lemon and strawberry juices, and the subtly sweet flavor of honeyberries.
• Blood Orange Mango Vodka Crush (7.0% ABV) – A citrus-forward cocktail combines Dogfish Head vodka with real blood orange and mango juices for a bright, crushable flavor profile.

Harnessing Dogfish Head’s 20+ years of distilling experience, the brand’s new 570ml cocktails allow drinkers to enjoy a full-flavored bar-quality experience designed for effortless single-serve enjoyment.

Unfortunately these aren’t actually available for sale in Oregon, according to Dogfish Head’s website. With that in mind, let’s get into my tasting notes.

Strawberry Honeyberry Vodka Lemonade

I was not familiar with honeyberry, which is apparently a type of honeysuckle, but the idea of a strawberry lemonade cocktail was perfectly appealing as we moved into the summer when I reviewed this. Dogfish bills these cocktails as being made from real fruit juice, and the description says:

Inspired by visits to a coastal Maine honeyberry farm, this cocktail combines our vodka and juice from real lemons & strawberries with the subtly sweet & juicy flavor of honeyberries for refreshing and vibrant flavor.

My notes: Orange-pink in color, almost gold, and it smells like lemonade and candy—strawberry Jolly Ranchers, sweet and appealing. The flavor hits those marks as well, though it’s less sweet; there’s the bright tart lemonade, with a berry character, and a sweetness that’s present but not cloying. It’s a good balance and dangerously drinkable; at only 7% ABV, I don’t really taste the alcohol which is what makes it dangerous. It’s refreshing and sippable, with lightly tart berry notes and a summery lemonade flourish.

Blood Orange Mango Vodka Crush

With a name like “Crush” I think of the classic Orange Crush soda, though it can also refer to this cocktail, typically created with vodka, triple sec, orange juice, and soda. The use of blood orange and mango gives this version a more upscale feel; the website notes say:

We took our love for this coastal cocktail style to new depths. We blend Dogfish Head vodka with real fruit juice from blood oranges and mangos for a citrusy, crush-able cocktail.

My notes: It’s almost completely clear, which I did not expect at all; there’s the barest tinge of yellow orange color to it. It smells like fresh orange zest and a bit of powdered orange drink you would mix with water. The flavor is as advertised, full of fresh mango and blood orange with a nice sweetness that’s not overpowering and a little punch of the vodka. Nice overall balance, crisp and clean and refreshing, it’s a nice summertime cocktail.

These aren’t just canned cocktails, either; they are positioned as premium cocktails, packaged in heavy-duty bottles, and apparently crafted with premium ingredients. From Knox & Dobson’s about page:

Knox & Dobson crafts premium, ready-to-drink cocktails expertly designed to be shared and enjoyed anywhere. Our multi-award-winning bottled cocktails are made with an uncompromising commitment to excellence in quality, craftsmanship, and taste, featuring the highest quality ingredients including premium barrel-aged whiskies, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur and authentic Angostura Bitters.

I didn’t take extensive notes on these when I drank them, just quick one- or two-line thoughts, but I will say that I found all of these to be quite good and flavorful

Daiquiri

The daiquiri is one of those basic, essential cocktails that classically consist of only rum, lime, and sugar, shaken with ice. K&D’s version fits that classic recipe, and is 20.57% ABV. The description on the website says:

A true classic made with a blend of Jamaican and Florida rum, sugar and lime to create a crisp, balanced and endlessly drinkable Daiquiri.

I found it to be tart and bright with a nice lime peel bitterness, lime juice, and a nice kick of rum. I’m not well versed in the daiquiri but this seems pretty good to me.

Margarita

You can’t really talk about RTD cocktails without including another staple, the margarita. The standard recipe is tequila, triple sec, and lime; K&D mixes that up a bit with agave nectar instead of triple sec:

Our Crisp, refreshing Margarita, crafted with 100% Blue Agave Tequila, agave nectar, and real lime.

It’s 22.85% ABV, and one that my wife wanted to try as well.

My wife finds bitterness. I think it tastes pretty good with a good balance of tequila, lime, and sweetness.

Martini

Knox & Dobson continues its line of classic cocktails with the martini, a 34% ABV version made with dry gin and vermouth (the simplest, classic recipe). K&D has won awards for this Martini. The website says:

Experience the timeless elegance of a refreshing classic martini, expertly crafted with London dry gin and a touch of dry vermouth for a perfectly balanced flavor.

Each 200 ML bottle provides two premium servings, ideal for savoring or sharing.

Tasting Notes
Our version of the classic martini blends gin with dry vermouth, delivering an aromatic profile with subtle earthy notes. This refreshing take on the gin martini offers a perfect balance of boldness and sophistication.

With dry gin and vermouth, it tastes like a classic dry martini. Not too spicy from the gin, I get a bit of the floral/fruity vermouth, it’s tasty. Unfortunately I didn’t have any olives to garnish.

Old Fashioned

If there’s any one cocktail that crosses over well with beer, I’d nominate the old fashioned, made from whiskey, bitters, sugar, and garnished with orange or cherry. The cocktail has inspired a number of beers, particularly barrel-aged specialties, and I find there are complementary flavors between them.

K&D’s version of the old fashioned is 34% and uses bourbon; the website says:

This award-winning Bourbon Old Fashioned is designed to impress even the most discerning cocktail connoisseurs.

Each bottle is 200 ML and includes 2 servings.

Tasting Notes
The Knox & Dobson Old Fashioned ready-to-drink cocktail features straight-aged bourbon, natural cane sugar, orange oil, and Angostura bitters.

I found it sweet, boozy, and rich. Nice bourbon character bringing the heat with subtle orange flavor from the bitters, which have a nice counterpoint to the sweet sugar.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Knox & Dobson took its Old Fashioned and said, “We can improve on this,” and introduced the Improved Whiskey Cocktail—for which I was going to have a snarky comment about naming but it turns out this is a real recipe that dates back to the late nineteenth century. All right then.

This version comes in at 35.42% ABV and features rye whiskey over bourbon. The description says:

Originally crafted in 1862, the Knox & Dobson Improved Whiskey Cocktail offers a sophisticated twist on the classic rye Old Fashioned. Smooth, effortlessly elegant, and a true crowd favorite, each 200 ML bottle delivers two perfectly crafted servings.

Tasting Notes
Experience the refined taste of our Improved Whiskey Cocktail, a masterful blend of straight-aged rye whiskey, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, and Angostura bitters. This cocktail boasts a rich, spiced flavor profile, perfectly complemented by hints of American oak, zesty citrus, and vibrant cherry notes for a balanced and memorable finish.

Nothing against the previous Old Fashioned, but this is the Old Fashioned I want to drink, because it’s not as sweet and I get nice spice from the rye, and the maraschino liqueur is subtle and balanced. This is the best of the bunch so far.

Moscow Mule

Finally, the Moscow mule, another popular cocktail that seems to work well in RTD format. I don’t drink a lot of this, but it’s made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime, traditionally served in a copper mug. K&D’s version wasn’t made with ginger beer, but fresh ginger, so the company recommended adding club soda for the full effect (I didn’t have any club soda when I drank this, however).

It’s 20% ABV and the description says:

Knox & Dobson’s Moscow Mule is a perfectly crafted classic, made with premium vodka, fresh ginger, and lime for a bold, spicy, and refreshingly crisp flavor. Shake well, pour over ice, and enjoy every sip!

The ginger is strong and spicy in this, bringing heat that’s only slightly tempered by lime juice. There’s some sweetness as well, and a light alcohol note. I’m not really familiar with the cocktail so it tastes fine to me but I don’t have a benchmark.

However a few months back I received a collection of hard sodas from Owl’s Brew, a company that crafts canned cocktails, which had just released its line of Spiked Pop. Owl’s Brew creates botanically-driven drinks with real ingredients, and that approach to these hard sodas reflects that approach, which include ingredients such as vanilla bean, hibiscus, green and white teas, real fruit juices, and more. The tagline is, “Hard soda, done clean.”

They are low in sugar as well: each can contains only five grams of carbs per 355ml (12 ounces), with 110 calories. There are seven flavors so far: Black Cherry, Pineapple Dew, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Hibiscus, The Doc, Cream Soda, and Watermelon Lime.

With 4.8% alcohol by volume, they are at the other end of the soda spectrum, so to speak, from those like Stiller’s Soda (which I’ve also reviewed). I was pretty intrigued by these when I received them, not knowing quite what to expect. One thing I found interesting as I was working my way through the flavors is that nearly all of them include tea as a major ingredient (green, white, black, or rooibos).

All of the varieties share the same stats per can (mentioned above) so I won’t re-list those stats individually. Let’s get into reviews!

Lemon Lime

I started with what I judged to be the lightest, but also potentially the most familiar. The website’s brief description says:

Bright, zesty, and wildly refreshing. Fresh lemon and lime juice meet crisp bubbles for a sparkling finish that actually tastes real. And oops, we spiked it.

The ingredients listed on the can are: Sparkling water, raspberry leaves, alcohol from cane sugar, cane sugar, lemon juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, Red M.

My notes: Pale yellow, almost milky white. Not much aroma, and what I get is largely lime, with a touch of bottled lemon juice character (acidic); there’s maybe a bit of crushed herbal greens (the raspberry leaves?). It has an herbal taste as well, almost like a hop water, but it also makes me think of tobacco leaf; the citrus is dialed back and it’s not overly sweet. The lemon-lime character is nice and bright albeit mellow. It’s a bit too herbal in my opinion, giving it something akin to a medicinal character, and doesn’t really drink like soda pop, but more like a citrus hard seltzer.

Cream Soda

Continuing in the “lighter” vein, I do enjoy a good cream soda, so I was excited to try this one. The website says:

Smooth, creamy, and made with real vanilla. This nostalgic classic just got a boozy up upgrade.

p.s. Add some Vanilla Ice cream for an unforgettable Spiked Float

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic green rooibos, vanilla bean, alcohol from cane sugar, cane sugar, citric acid, Red M.

My notes: Golden color, clear, looks like a beer actually. The aroma gives vanilla bean with a touch of tea, mellow but overall I get “cream soda” from it. There is definitely tea in the flavor and a perfumy, flowery vanilla character that’s reminiscent of cream soda but is strongly “iced tea with vanilla extract” along with a bit of sweetness. Not a sweat tea level of sugar, it’s pretty mellow and not cloying. “Floral” is the main descriptor I think I’d settle on here, as much vanilla blossom as bean.

Watermelon Lime

This could be a fun flavor combination in a craft soda, not one that I’ve had before (though I’m sure I’ve had a sour beer with this combo). The website says:

Juicy watermelon meets zesty lime in a crisp sparkling mash-up that tastes like peak summer energy.

Made with real juice, brewed botanicals, better bubbles, and no weird stuff. It’s hard soda that grew up.

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic white tea, alcohol from cane sugar, cane sugar, lime juice concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, watermelon juice concentrate, citric acid, Red M.

My notes: Smells like ripe, freshly-cut watermelon, seeds and all, with a bite of lime/citric acid at the back. The color matches the color of watermelon juice. The flavor is a bit earthy, more watermelon rind than fruit, and I get a fair amount of the tea with a little pop of lime. Similar to the Cream Soda, it reads more “iced tea with fruit” than as a soda, with mellow sweetness. I want more watermelon flavor to match what I get in the aroma.

Strawberry Hibiscus

I feel like strawberry soda in general should have a big, sweet, berry character and bright red color; that isn’t really the case with this flavor, unfortunately. The website says:

Bright strawberry and vibrant hibiscus come together in a juicy Spiked Pop that’s slightly tart, super refreshing, and wildly delicious.

Made with real juice, brewed botanicals, better bubbles, and no weird stuff. It’s hard soda that grew up.

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic black tea, organic hibiscus, alcohol from cane sugar, cane sugar, lemon juice concentrate, strawberry juice concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate, Red M.

My notes: It’s kind of a pinkish-gold color, and tea and hibiscus are the prominent aromatic notes; it’s herbal and floral, and I don’t really get any berry from it. There’s tea in the flavor, but also a mellow, slightly artificial, strawberry syrup-like flavor that’s reminiscent of aspartame; maybe that’s a contribution from the hibiscus? Or just something in the strawberry juice doesn’t work with the tea? Either way, it’s a touch medicinal and herbal, with a bump of sweet but leaving an artificial-y aftertaste.

Pineapple Dew

This was another flavor that sounded pretty interesting to me; I was envisioning a pineapple Mountain Dew, I suppose, which seems like a great idea to me. The description says:

Tropical and electric. Juicy pineapple flavor with crisp bubbles and a bright finish that keeps things extra refreshing.

Made with real juice, brewed botanicals, better bubbles, and no weird stuff. It’s hard soda that grew up.

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic black tea, chamomile, alcohol from cane sugar, pineapple juice concentrate, cane sugar, lemon juice concentrate, citric acid, Red M.

My notes: Yellow color as I’d expect, and the aroma has tea as I’d expect at this point, along with a tart note that I can’t quite place, maybe a combination of lemon juice and pure citric acid or maybe even a kombucha-like character. No real pineapple in the aroma. In the flavor there is subtle pineapple, but it’s not very strong—I would have liked more of a pronounced pineapple juice flavor—and it’s blended with the herbal tea that’s been characteristic of these past few sodas. It doesn’t quite work as well as it should.

Black Cherry

This is another I was interested to try and had high hopes for, because I do like cherry as a soda flavor (both directly and as an accompaniment to say, cola). This one includes hibiscus as well as cherry. The website says:

Dark cherry with a juicy hibiscus twist. Smooth, bold, and just sweet enough. Deep, crushable, and a little flirty.

Made with real juice, brewed botanicals, better bubbles, and no weird stuff. It’s hard soda that grew up.

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic black tea, organic hibiscus, alcohol from cane sugar, cherry juice concentrate, cane sugar, citric acid, Red M.

My notes: Attractive crimson red color, nicely clear. Tea again is the main aromatic quality, with a bit of cherry juice behind it; there’s no real presence of hibiscus that I can detect. In the flavor, it has more of a soda quality than the previous few, where I’m getting some sweet cherry and a touch of herbal hibiscus tart character, underpinned by the black tea. It’s a bit of a blend of cherry soda and iced tea, one of the better flavors in the lineup.

The Doc

Finally, The Doc, which as I noted in my review notes, just has to be inspired by Dr. Pepper, as it has longer list of herbs and spices in the ingredients. The short version—yes, sort of, but… more like a sarsaparilla. The description says:

A grown-up twist on the classic soda you already love. Same familiar, nostalgic flavor. Cleaner ingredients, crisper finish, with a spike.

Made with brewed botanicals, better bubbles, and no weird stuff. It’s hard soda that grew up.

Ingredients: Sparkling water, green tea, dandelion root, dried cherry, orange peel, vanilla, mint, cloves, cardamom, ginger, licorice, pepper, alcohol from cane sugar, cane sugar, cherry juice concentrate, citric acid, Red M.

My notes: Based on the ingredients list this seems like the most interesting of the bunch (obviously based on Dr. Pepper). It’s rather pink, a dark pink in color, and the aroma initially reminds me of root beer but then it grows more herbal, something akin to an herbal liqueur, with pepper, fruits, and mint in particular present. It tastes something like an herbal root beer as well, spicy, with a lot going on; it’s a medley of mint, cloves, green cardamom, orange peel, some licorice, some raw ginger, green tea, and more—almost all the ingredients can be distinguished, I think. There’s a minty touch of menthol character as well. It’s definitely interesting, a little different, but does it work? I think yes, as a kind of nostalgic sarsaparilla type soda.

Final thoughts

These are quite interesting, though not really what I was expecting; they are much more of a natural, herbal-based line of soda-tea blends, since the (black/white/green/rooibos) tea character is so prominent in them. That’s fine! I received three of each flavor (two variety packs) so I was able to revisit each and they grew on me as I drank them.

That natural character is the hook for these, and especially as they are low-calorie, low-sugar, I’m sure they will find (have found) an audience; these really are more of a lifestyle line of drinks than a straight soda line would otherwise be. They are also light enough in ABV to be sessionable while still scratching that alcohol itch.

You can find these at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, among other retailers, so they should be relatively easy to find if you’re curious and want to try them for yourself.

The day of the event was warm and overcast, pleasant weather for being outdoors (especially fruit picking), and we arrived early enough to beat any big crowds. (We were comped general admission tickets as media.) A band was already on stage when we arrived (unfortunately I don’t know which one) and we proceeded to check out the drink selection—a lineup of Public Coast brews along with sodas, wine, and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Since the theme of the day was blueberries, I started with the Blueberry Wheat (brewed with Farm blueberries of course), and later enjoyed a Violent Violet (a blueberry double hazy IPA); the Blueberry Hard Lemonade was quite tasty, too.

Several food vendors were on hand to feed the crowd—Hawaiian grill and poke, picnic-style food (burgers, hot dogs), and ice cream. I don’t know if the VIP section also had a food option, but we enjoyed a plate from the Hawaiian truck while the reggae band performed a great rendition of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.”

The farmstand had a variety of merch for sale, including 10th anniversary glassware for the brewery (celebrating ten this year; I bought a coffee mug and pint glass). It was also where you picked up your pint container for picking blueberries (as part of the price of admission); one pint per person.

The highlight was the berry picking; the Farm grows eight different varieties of blueberries occupying a fair amount of its 40 acres. Berries were ripe enough to be falling off the branches, and the bushes were full of them. Everyone samples as they go (it’s a great way to determine which varieties you like best), and we filled our containers to the point of overflowing with plump, sweet blueberries. I believe we ended up with something like two pounds of berries, which are now sitting in our freezer.

All in all, it was a good event if you were looking to make a day out of live music and beer, topped off with berry picking. I don’t know how busy it got later in the afternoon and toward early evening so I can’t judge how successful it was overall for Public Coast as an inaugural event, but it seemed to be getting lively by the time we left, so I would expect to see this event return next summer.

Here are some photos from the day (the header photo above was borrowed from Public Coast’s Instagram feed):

This year’s edition of the Hazy Pack swaps out Brain Melter Hazy Imperial IPA for Galaxy Bender Double Hazy IPA, but keeps Mind Haze and Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA. Since I reviewed the latter two last year, I’ll add some notes on those revisiting the beers, and focus my full review notes on Galaxy Bender below.

Mind Haze IPA

The flagship of the series, the original Mind Haze is 6.7% ABV with 30 IBUs, brewed with Azacca, El Dorado, and Hüll Melon hops.

This year’s edition of the can advertises “Juicy Hazy” for the beer (last year’s was “Hazy Tropical”) but I think it’s more savory and herbal-spicy than fruity as before; I get more minty aromatics over the fruitiness which fades a bit into the background. The flavor sticks the landing on that savory, peppery character, with a nice bitterness hitting the back of the palate that avoids hop burn, though there is a bit of a minty aftertaste/coolness on the tongue. It’s a nice hazy overall, solid with a good bitterness this time around.

Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Like Mind Haze, the recipe and stats for Cosmic Crusher haven’t changed from last year: 9.5% ABV with 20 IBUs, with hops Galaxy, Simcoe, and Mandarina. It’s a big beer and it’s full of fruity aromatics worth checking out.

Fruit pops in the aroma here, with apricot, honeydew melon, and some light citrus featuring prominently; it is indeed “juicy” in the nose. The flavor gives melon rind and bitter greens, some floral alcoholic notes, fruit juice character that’s got stone fruit, pear, something tropical. As I noted before, there’s some alcohol but it doesn’t drink like it’s 9.5%; it’s quite mellow and smooth in that regard. It does hit the mark on the “juicy” label.

Galaxy Bender Double Hazy IPA

Galaxy Bender lands in between Mind Haze and Cosmic Crusher, with 8.5% ABV (no IBUs listed). The website description is pretty minimal:

Galaxy Bender unleashes mind-bending waves of tropical fruit and bright citrus. Each sip sends your taste buds on a vibrant, flavor-soaked journey.

But there is a blog post about the new beer that gives more details on the hops Galaxy Bender is built upon:

The name isn’t accidental. Galaxy Bender is built around Galaxy, the Australian hop that’s been rewiring tropical IPAs for years, delivering waves of peach, plum, and grapefruit that feel almost too good to be real. Alongside it sits Citra: the Pacific Northwest legend that essentially reshaped the modern IPA, bringing that electric, zesty citrus charge that arrives before the beer even reaches your lips. The third leg of the constellation is Krush: a newer release from the Hop Breeding Company that brings tropical punch, mango, and orange to the blend. On its own, Krush is interesting. Layered with Galaxy and Citra, it becomes something else entirely.

Appearance: Properly hazy—it has a cloudy appearance, nearly opaque, yellow-orange, but avoids looking muddy or like a slurry. Decent white head but it doesn’t pile up, though it has decent legs.

Smell: Light fruit to my nose, with pineapple and a bit of peach, with a savory-spicy hop character that borders on allium. Not terribly pungent, rather pleasantly mellow. Some twigginess.

Taste: Soft, grainy in the sense that I can taste the wheat protein contribution (a touch doughy or perhaps even flour-y), with a bit of mellow fruit juiciness (peach juice, a splash of pineapple juice, bitter citrus peel oil). There’s a subtle menthol or eucalyptus-like minty-cool character, and as it warms I get more fresh pineapple toward the back. The alcohol perhaps contributes some floral or fruity esters but otherwise I’m not tasting it.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full body with a soft, pillowy texture presumably from the protein haze; it’s quite pleasant on the tongue. It finishes with a bit of that menthol-like cool note coating the mouth.

Overall: It’s pleasant, mellow, and hits more of the mark on what I think a “hazy IPA” should be than many I’ve had, which makes this a successful beer in my opinion. Watch out though because at 8.5% ABV it does not drink like it.

The festivities are part of Public Coast’s 10th anniversary, and guests to the Farm can enjoy Public Coast’s beer, picking blueberries, and listening to reggae music. Cost to attend is $25 in advance (tickets can be purchased online here) or $35 at the door.

Details from the press release:

Fresh-picked blueberries, local craft beer, live music, and family-friendly activities highlight farm’s summer celebration

What: Public Coast Farm is hosting Blueberry Jams, a one-day U-Pick blueberry, beer, and music celebration presented by Public Coast Brewing Co. in honor of the brewery’s 10th anniversary. Guests are invited to spend a sun-soaked summer afternoon in Banks, Oregon picking fresh blueberries, sipping Public Coast Brewing Co. craft beer and non-alcoholic beverages, and enjoying live world-class reggae music in a scenic farm setting. This summer, 100% of proceeds from U-Pick blueberry sales will benefit North Coast Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting Oregon’s northern coastal lands and seascapes.

Each ticket includes one pint of blueberries, with guests free to explore the farm and pick from up to eight varieties of farm-grown blueberries. Local food vendors will also be on-site with food available for purchase. The live music lineup features four acclaimed reggae artists: Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth, Jubba White, Aaron Nigel Smith, and King Thayo.

Musical Guests:

• Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth: Dan Kelly, the soulful frontman of Southern California reggae-rock band Fortunate Youth, has been spreading good vibes and positive energy since the band’s formation in Hermosa Beach, CA, in 2009. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Dan is a self-taught guitarist and songwriter who first picked up music on an acoustic guitar gifted to him on his twelfth birthday.
• Jubba White: Jubba White is a No. 1 Billboard-charting Reggae producer, a Grammy-nominated session musician and vocalist that charted at No. 3 on the iTunes Reggae chart. Jubba is also the founder of White Stone Productions and led Dubtonic Kru to victory in the 2010 Global Battle of the Bands in Malaysia, representing Jamaica among bands from 17 countries and earning the title “Best New Band in the World.”
• Aaron Nigel Smith: Aaron Nigel Smith is a Grammy-nominated musician and Billboard #1 recording artist who has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Lollapooza, and Pickathon, and performed throughout South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
• King Thayo: King Thayo is a dynamic and versatile artist with roots spanning Sacramento, USA, and Trinidad & Tobago. Raised in the vibrant musical landscape of the Caribbean, King Thayo has cultivated a distinctive sound, effortlessly blending Reggae, Hip-Hop, Afro-Fusion, Soul, World, R&B, and Pop.

When: Saturday, July 25, 2026

Hours: 12 pm – 7 pm
*Doors open at 11 am

Where: Public Coast Farm
22330 NW Fisher Rd, Banks, OR 97106

Tickets:

General Admission: Advance – $25 | Door – $35

• Admission
• One pint of blueberries
• Parking
• Live music
• Access to the farm

VIP: Advance – $75 | Door – $100

• Everything in GA
• Food voucher
• Dessert voucher
• Two drink vouchers
• Farm Gift to take home

Admission-Only Tickets (Must be accompanied by an adult)

• Youth: Ages 13 – 17 – $10
• Child: 12 & Under – Free

Link to purchase tickets: https://www.tickettomato.com/event/10243#buy-tickets. Follow @publiccoastfarm on Instagram for schedule updates and announcements.

I was invited to attend and check out the festivities, so I’m planning to be there; it will be my first time visiting the Farm so I will report on the event and my thoughts on the Farm itself.

The new beer is Ice Bucket IPA, a cold IPA brewed with the 2026 Ales for ALS custom hop blend from Yakima Chief Hops, featuring Simcoe, Citra, Ekuanot, and Columbus hops. It will be pouring from 1 to 5pm on Saturday, with $1 from every pint sold benefitting the fundraiser.

Here are the details from the press release:

Craft beer enthusiasts and philanthropists alike are invited to Calapooia Brewing for the Ales for ALS Beer Release Party, a celebration of community spirit and charity, set for Saturday, July 25, 2026, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 140 Hill St. NE Albany, Ore. 97321. Now in its fifth year, this event is a part of the Ales for ALS™ fundraising program, which supports the ALS Therapy Development Institute in their efforts to combat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The Ales for ALS™ program brings breweries and beer enthusiasts together from around the world to fight against ALS. Participating breweries receive access to an industry-curated hop blend to craft unique beers, donating a portion of the proceeds to ALS research. The 2026 blend, highlighted in the upcoming beer release by Calapooia Brewing, exemplifies this collaborative effort.

Attendees have the opportunity to be among the first to sample the specially crafted Ice Bucket IPA, a Cold IPA from Calapooia Brewing that features the unique 2026 Ales for ALS™ hop blend with vibrant citrus and floral notes with a berry, tropical, woody and stone fruit flavor.

In addition to supporting a great cause through craft beer, event attendees may partake in a variety of activities, including a raffle fundraiser sponsored by generous local businesses. Raffle tickets will be available at the event for $3 each or $5 for two, with winners announced at the end of the evening. Participants need not be present to win. The outdoor event will also feature a dunk tank, allowing attendees to test their aim on local volunteers and brewery employees; three throws cost $5, with all proceeds going directly to the ALS Therapy Development Institute.

This free event is open to all ages and is both family and pet-friendly. Guests can enjoy a wide selection of craft beers, Vivacity Spirits cocktails, mocktails, house-made soda and delicious dishes from the brewpub while enjoying a memorable day dedicated to a noble cause. For more information about the event and Ales for ALS™, visit the official event page at www.calapooiabrewing.com/alesforals.

About Calapooia Brewing:
Located at 140 Hill St. NE in Albany, Oregon, Calapooia Brewing is known for exceptional craft microbrews, handcrafted cocktails, and a welcoming, community-focused atmosphere. The brewpub is family and pet-friendly, offering both indoor and covered outdoor seating for enjoyment throughout the year.

All of the sodas have only 30 calories per 12 ounce can, and interestingly, they all contain the 100% recommended daily values of vitamins D, C, and B12. While they do contain real cane sugar, they also include stevia, a sweet plant that is a common sugar substitute, and monk fruit, also used as a low-calorie sugar substitute. So they are positioned as a “healthy” soda

And of course, these are all non-alcoholic, just regular soda, which I don’t believe I’ve ever reviewed here on the blog., with the possible exception of root beer. So, let’s see what we’ve got.

Lemon Lime

Crafted with lime and lemon juice concentrates and natural flavors (as well as the ingredients I noted above), Lemon Lime is certainly one of those classic, even universal soda flavors everyone is familiar with. There’s no specific page on the company website for this, but you can buy it directly on Amazon.

My notes: Looks and smells like a lemon lime soda, very pale milky yellow with fizzy body, and bright citrus aroma of fresh lemon and lime juice. The flavor is mellow and pleasant with the fresh squeeze of the fruits and a moderate sweetness—and then at the back, there’s an artificial sweetener note and checking the ingredients, I do see that stevia is on the list which fits that bill. I suspect that this is light enough in flavor that the stevia becomes more noticeable, but it’s not bad. Pretty clean finish without leaving a cloyingly sweet coating on the tongue.

Shirley Temple

A Shirley Temple is a drink traditionally made with ginger ale and grenadine for a cherry soda experience, with more modern recipes using lemon lime instead of ginger; the Stiller’s Soda version goes with lemon lime as well, and the cherry contribution comes from dark sweet cherry juice concentrate. I don’t know how popular it is these days, but with a goal of highlighting classic soda flavors, this works well. You can also buy it on Amazon.

My notes: Lovely pink color and it has the smell of grenadine, a maraschino cherry syrup note that’s pleasant and not cough-syrupy like I feared it could be. The flavor is good, with solid cherry flavor—black cherry hard candy—with a kiss of lime and a touch of grenadine. Sweetness is just right and balanced, and the stevia is much less noticeable than in the Lemon Lime, and seems to mesh better with the cherry. There a bit of lingering grenadine flavor which is fine, otherwise it finishes clean like the Lemon Lime.

Root Beer

I’ve always loved root beer and it is still one of my favorite types of soda, especially when it leans into intense root beer flavoring (I’ve had more “natural” versions that taste more herbal or earthy which don’t quite do it for me). This version relies on “organic root beer flavor” which is rather vague, but it actually works out well here. Also on Amazon.

My notes: Right off the bat this has the look and aroma of the classic root beer, and that aroma is spot-on with a perfect nostalgic character that takes me back to homemade root beer we would make when we were kids. The flavor hits pretty close to the mark too, it either needs a touch more sweetness or more of the sarsaparilla flavor bumped up to make it a bit more robust, but within this “natural, classic soda” template it does work just fine. Stevia in the aftertaste (a touch artificial) but this drinks nicely.

Shirley Cola

This is the Stiller’s Soda version of a Roy Rogers, which is similar to a Shirley Temple but made with cola instead of lemon lime or ginger ale—essentially, it’s a cherry cola. It’s also the newest flavor in the Stiller’s Soda lineup, introduced this spring. It features a “natural cola flavor” (not sure exactly what that is since cola flavor is blended from a variety of sources) as well as caffeine, with both grenadine and natural black cherry flavors. Yes, you can get this on Amazon as well.

My notes: This is subtle and mellow, starting with the aroma—light black cherry notes that has a hint of almond, along with cola character (subtle spicing). The cherry/grenadine character in the flavor is also quite mellow, it’s more cola-forward but even then, it’s a bit light overall. It’s almost a touch herbal. It’s perfectly drinkable, but I’m wanting more character overall here. Clean finish like the others as well.

Overall

If you drink soda and are interested in less sugar/lower calories and more focus on natural and organic ingredients—somewhat healthy even, despite still being soft drinks—these Stiller’s Sodas are worth checking out. The price point is a bit high for soda so keep that in mind (you’re also paying for the celebrity backing). In my opinion the strongest flavors of these four are the Root Beer and the Shirley Temple, but they also come in a variety pack so you can try all of them to find what works for you.

The first beer is Cook & Durham ESB from BearKat Brewing and Tigard taproom Hops on Tap, and it’s available now. Two other beers will follow in August and September from Waltz Brewing and Hillsboro Downtown Station, and BinaryBrewing.co, Lazy Days Brewing, and 787 Brewing, respectively.

Here is the press release with additional details:

Local breweries and taprooms team up with Explore Tualatin Valley to craft limited-edition brews.

Hikers exploring the trails of Tualatin Valley this summer can pair their outdoor adventures with local craft beer as part of a new campaign.

Explore Tualatin Valley, Washington County’s official tourism organization, launched its Summer Collab Beer Series on July 1. The three-month initiative brings together five local breweries and two taprooms to produce three limited-edition, collaborative beers. Each brew is directly inspired by a nearby hiking trail or nature preserve, encouraging residents and visitors to explore the area’s natural spaces before stopping by a local taproom.

The campaign launched with the release of the “Cook & Durham ESB,” an Extra Special Bitter brewed through a partnership between BearKat Brewing of Sherwood and the Tigard taproom Hops on Tap. Available while supplies last, the beer draws its inspiration from a trail hike at the nearby Cook Family Park and Durham City Park that connects two municipal parks along the Tualatin River. Download the Tualatin Valley Ale Trail Mobile App to get a $5 pint of the collab brew.

As the seasons change, the series will shift its geographic and flavor focus. In August, the campaign moves west toward Forest Grove and Hillsboro. Waltz Brewing is partnering with the Hillsboro Downtown Station to release a beer inspired by the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, a 380-acre wildlife refuge located just south of downtown Hillsboro.

The series concludes in September with a three-way collaboration among Beaverton-based BinaryBrewing.co, Lazy Days Brewing and Hillsboro’s 787 Brewing. The trio will produce a final late-summer beer as a nod to Rood Bridge Park, a 58-acre park in Hillsboro known for its woodland trails and river access.

Details about the August and September collab brews are not yet available.

For more information and to download the Tualatin Valley Ale Trail Mobile Passport, visit the official Summer Collab Beer Series webpage.