Tickity Boo Claims Top Honour at Canada Beer Cup Gala
Twin City Brewing Company's Tickity Boo, a British-style pale ale brewed in Port Alberni, British Columbia, has been crowned the best beer in Canada at the 2026 Canada Beer Cup. The winners of the fifth annual edition were revealed at a gala held in Calgary, Alberta, on October 8, 2026, capping off a competition that organizers say continues to defy global trends in the brewing world.
The Canada Beer Cup, run by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, remains the country's only truly national commercial beer and cider competition, and this year it drew nearly 1,900 entries, a notable rise from both the 2025 and 2024 editions. That growth stands out at a time when many brewing competitions worldwide, much like audiences following niche sports content through platforms such as play karo 247 apk old version, have seen participation plateau or decline. With roughly 700 of Canada's approximately 1,200 breweries belonging to the Association, and the country boasting more breweries per capita than the United States despite the latter's far larger total count, the competitive density of the Canadian craft scene gives extra weight to a Best of Show result.
A Growing Competition in a Crowded Field
Hilary Hoogsteen, the Canada Beer Cup's competition director, said she was pleased entries rose again this year, calling the event "one of the only beer competitions globally that is growing," in comments made during a telephone interview. She pointed out that entry fees flow directly to the Association, meaning participating breweries are effectively funding the organization that represents and lobbies on their behalf. The timing is notable: Canada's other national competition, the Canadian Brewing Awards, was not held this year, leaving the Canada Beer Cup as the sole nationwide showcase for the country's brewers in 2026.
Style Trends: Lagers Rise, Spruce Tip Surges
Beyond the headline result, the judging reflected broader shifts in brewing preferences. Hoogsteen noted that IPA entries held steady while lager submissions grew substantially, a pattern echoed at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. More distinctive to the Canadian competition was the explosive growth in the Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale category, where entries nearly doubled year-over-year, a signal of rising interest in a style with deep roots in the country's brewing heritage.
Best of Show and Category Highlights
Alongside Tickity Boo's gold-medal win, Sons of Kent Brewing Co.'s Mammoth took silver and Smithers Brewing Company's Let's Get Ready To Crumble! earned bronze in the overall Best of Show category. In cider, Sea Cider's Pomona topped the field. Notable style winners included:
- Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. - gold in Canadian Spruce Tip Pale Ale
- Parallel 49 Brewing - gold in Czech Pilsner
- Dageraad Brewing - gold in Belgian Strong Ale
- Polyrhythm Brewing - gold in both Imperial Stout and Strong Ale categories
With dozens of categories spanning lagers, sours, IPAs and specialty styles, the full results underline the breadth of Canada's craft brewing landscape - and the competition's growing stature as its definitive annual measuring stick.
