6 Northland Beers Claim Awards In 2025 Minnesota Brewers Cup

The annual Minnesota Brewers Cup competition and awards ceremony was held at the end of last week, celebrating the incredible beer scene we have in Minnesota and naming the best beers in the state in a number of different categories.

Almost 450 beers from nearly 100 different breweries and brewpubs across Minnesota were part of this year's event.

The competition is a blind taste-test that "showcases the innovation and mastery of craft brewing in our state".

There were a total of 22 different categories in this year's Minnesota Brewers Cup, along with a "Best of Show" category. First, second, and third place awards were presented in each category.

READ MORE: This Minnesota diner was named 'best breakfast in the state'

Of that total of 23 different awards that could have been won, 6 different Northland-made beers earned awards, with 4 of them being from Duluth.

Here's a look at the Northland winners and the categories they won in.

Wood Aged Beers - Canal Park Brewing Co. (Duluth, MN)

When it comes to Duluth-made beers, my friends at Canal Park Brewing were the only brewers to bring home a first-place award this year. They won top honors in the category of "Wood Aged Beers" with their Night Trekker Baltic Porter.

1. Canal Park Brewing Co.: Night Trekker Baltic Porter - Barrel Aged Specialty Wood-Aged Beer
2. Locale Brewing Co.: 2024 Anniversary Specialty Wood-Aged Beer
3. Lupulin Brewing Company: Night Witch 2024 Specialty Wood-Aged Beer

Canal Park Brewing took second place last year with the same beer, moving up a spot for 2025.

Get our free mobile app

German Ales - Blacklist Brewing Co. (Duluth, MN)

Downtown Duluth's Blacklist Brewing Co. grabbed second place this year in the German Ales category with their Royal Hefe Weissbier.

1. Utepils Brewing: Ewald The Golden Weissbier
2. Blacklist Brewing Co.: Royal Hefe Weissbier
3. Bucks Mill Brewing: Kolsch Style Ale Kolsch

Blacklist took first place with a different hefe last year, once again having a strong showing in the category this year.

English, Scottish, and Irish Ales - Bent Paddle Brewing Company (Duluth, MN)

Bent Paddle had success in the German Ales and English Brown Ales & Porters categories last year, but their 2025 offering in this category scored them a second-place finish.

1. Sunken Ship Brewing Company: The Old Crown Strong Bitter
2. Bent Paddle Brewing Company: 14 Strong Bitter
3. Padraigs Brewing: Red Chimney Irish Red Ale Irish Red Ale

English Brown Ales & Porters - Bent Paddle Brewing Company (Duluth, MN)

Bent Paddle took second place with a different beer in this category last year. They return once again to snag the silver medal with their Towering Pines American Porter for 2025.

1. Heavy Rotation Brewing Co.: London Calling Dark Mild
2. Bent Paddle Brewing Company: Towering Pines American Porter
3. Bear Cave Brewing: Bearly Nutty British Brown Ale

Amber Lagers - Klockow Brewing Company (Grand Rapids, MN)

The Grand Rapids brewery Klockow Brewing Company brought home a pair of awards in 2025. The first of their two awards was for their Lundr's Lager Rauchbier. It's a smoked lager with a 5.4% ABV.

1. Schells Brewery: Firebrick Vienna Lager
2. Klockow Brewing Company: Lundr's Lager Rauchbier
3. Bucks Mill Brewing: Polar Lager Vienna Lager

American Amber, Brown, and Pale Ales - Klockow Brewing Company (Grand Rapids, MN)

Klockow was the only other Northland brewer to bring home a top place in the 2025 competition. They scored top honors with their Bhk, a nut brown ale with a 5.2% ABV.

1. Klockow Brewing Company: Bhk American Brown Ale
2. Nouvelle Brewing: Lucky Rooster American Amber Ale
3. Omni Brewing Company: Lake Day American Pale Ale

You can see all of this year's winners here.