Fieldwork Brewing wins Brewery of the Year at 2026 Great American Beer Festival

Berkeley-based Fieldwork Brewing Co. took Brewery of the Year in the 5,000–15,000 barrel category at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival, adding three medals across beer and non-alcoholic offerings. The win gives the Northern California brewery national recognition for a lineup that spans NA beer, classic lagers and hop-forward West Coast styles.

Why it matters: - Fieldwork Brewing Co. earned one of the festival’s top industry honors, which spotlights quality at scale in a crowded national market. - The recognition covers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, showing how NA beer can compete for major awards alongside traditional styles. - The brewery’s win strengthens its profile as a Northern California brand with a broad brewing program.

What happened: - Fieldwork Brewing Co. was named Brewery of the Year in the 5,000–15,000 barrel category at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival. - The awards were announced during the festival weekend of Oct. 10–11. - Fieldwork also earned Gold for Day Money NA Grapefruit Blonde. - The brewery won Silver for Rough & Tumble Bock Lager. - Fieldwork took another Silver for High & Fine Westcoast Lager.

The details: - The Great American Beer Festival is organized by the Brewers Association. - The competition draws breweries from across the country across a wide range of categories. - Brewery of the Year recognizes excellence within a brewery size category. - Fieldwork said the awards reflect its focus on quality, creativity and beverages across multiple styles. - Barry Braden, Fieldwork’s CEO, said the company is proud of its team and sees the win as recognition of a philosophy that great brewing should taste good regardless of style or ABV. - Fieldwork said the award set includes both thoughtfully crafted non-alcoholic beverages and classic lager styles, plus hop-forward West Coast beers.

Between the lines: - The medals suggest Fieldwork is building credibility beyond one signature category. - Winning for an NA beer alongside lager styles signals that breweries with diverse portfolios can compete on equal footing in major competitions. - The result also reinforces the festival’s role as a national benchmark for brewing performance.

What's next: - Fieldwork said it plans to keep exploring new ideas and making beverages worth getting excited about. - The brewery thanked its brewing team, staff and community for supporting the effort. - More information is available at Fieldwork’s website, and the brewery can be followed on Instagram.