Eight Northern Minnesota Beers Win Big Awards At 2026 MN Brewers Cup

The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild just held their 2026 Minnesota Brewers Cup, naming the best beers in a series of different beer styles from around the state.

The 2026 competition named winners in 19 different styles and categories that include beer varieties like dark strong beers, hazy IPAs, amber lagers, and several others. The 2026 contest also included a "best in show" winner and a category for hard seltzers, which a lot of Minnesota craft breweries also make.

The Twin Cities area, as it often does, once again dominated the 2026 contest. It is worth noting that the sheer number of breweries in the Twin Cities does tip the scales toward the metro area, when compared to the rest of the state.

While Twin Cities breweries were heavily represented on this year's winners list, there were 8 Northern Minnesota-made beers that represented the 218 area code quite nicely.

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Of those 8 Northern Minnesota beers, 4 of them are made by a Duluth brewery. The balance is made up of one Grand Rapids beer and three made in Detroit Lakes.

Here's a look at what Northern Minnesota beers won awards and how they placed.

Northern Minnesota Beers Winning Awards At The 2026 MN Brewers Cup

When it comes to Duluth-made beers, Canal Park Brewing Company had a strong showing, with 4 beers earning awards in the top 3 of different categories - two of which took 1st place in their category. They are:

American Amber, Brown, & Pale Ales: Canal Park Brewing Company's popular "Hank And Dabs Pale Ale" took 3rd place in this category, with Imminent Brewing's "Cannon River Pale Ale" taking 2nd place and Paddlefish Brewing Company's "Red Owl Amber Ale" taking 1st place.

Pale Strong Beers: Canal Park Brewing Company's "Lone Trekker Belgian Single" grabbed the top prize, claiming 1st place in this category. Sleepy Eye Brewing Company's "The Five" took 2nd and Unmapped Brewing Company's "Disorientation" took 3rd.

Sour, Wild, & Specialty Beers: Canal Park Brewing Company's "Superior Swell Kettle Sour" took 2nd place in this category, with Brühaven's "Over The Line" taking 1st place and Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub's "Smokehouse Porter" taking 3rd.

Barrel-Aged Beers & Imperial Stouts: This is another spot where Duluth's Canal Park Brewing Company took home top honors, doing so with their "Night Trekker Baltic Porter – Barrel Aged". Lupulin Brewing Company's "Night Witch 2025" took 2nd, and Rapids Brewing Company's "Batch 400 Imperial Stout" took 3rd.

The Detroit Lakes brewery Bucks Mill Brewing grabbed 3 awards in this year's contest. They are in the following categories:

Amber Lagers: Buck Mills Brewing's "Polar Lager" took 3rd place, with Nine Mile Brewing Company's "Dreher’s Dominion" taking 2nd and Back Channel Brewing's "The Draftsman" taking 1st place.

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German Ales: Buck Mills Brewing's Honey-Do Kolsch was a 2nd place finisher, with Utepils Brewing taking the other two spots. Their "Ewald The Golden" took 1st and their "Alt 1848" took 3rd.

British, Irish, & Scottish Ales: This was another 2nd place finish for Bucks Mill Brewing, with their "Mill Pond Porter" bringing home the silver. Back Channel Brewing's "Jug" took 1st, and Lakeville Brewing Company's :+"Copper & Crown English Pale Ale" took 3rd in the category.

Last but not least, the Grand Rapids brewery Rapids Brewing Co. was the final Northern Minnesota brewery to collect an award in this year's contest.

Barrel-Aged Beers & Imperial Stouts: Rapids Brewing's "Batch 400 Imperial Stout" took 3rd place in the category, with  Lupulin Brewing Company's "Night Witch 2025" taking 2nd, and the top spot was claimed by Duluth's Canal Park Brewing Company with their Night Trekker Baltic Porter, which you probably already saw above.

You can see all of the remaining winners and categories in the full winners list for the 2026 MN Brewers Cup.