Let’s start with the basics: beer, bragging rights, and big wins. The 2025 U.S. Open Beer Championship just wrapped up, and with over 8,000 entries from coast to coast (Big Island Brewing in Hawaii to Bissell Brothers in Maine), it was more stacked than your uncle’s fridge before Thanksgiving.
The U.S. Open Beer Championships is the second largest annual beer judging competition in the USA. Second only to the GABF.
This is the competition where the best of the best pour their hearts, hops, and hilarious names into every submission—and this year? Missouri made sure it had skin in the game.
Local Liquid Gold
We’ve got two breweries from the St. Louis region walking away with shiny new bling:
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Float Trip, from Piney River Brewing Co., snagged Gold in the American-Style Wheat Beer category. Perfect name for a beer that screams Ozark summer in a can—cool, crisp, and likely found in a floating cooler.
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Bobber, from Columbia’s own Logboat Brewing Co., reeled in a Bronze in the Dortmunder Export/European-Style Export category. Clean, malty, and just refined enough to show off your palate without sounding like a snob.
Cheers to local flavor punching above its weight class. (And yes, I fully expect Float Trip to disappear even faster from shelves this summer.)
National Champs & Big-Time Brews
Taking the Grand National Champion crown this year: Bull & Bush Brewery from Denver. These folks have been doing English-style pubs since 1971, and they’re still cranking out hits like:
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Pimp My Rye Beer (Gold)
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Royal Oil (Gold)
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Nappy Nap Time Tea Beer (Gold—no, I don’t know if it puts you to sleep or wakes you up, but I need to find out.)
Close behind were Sun King Brewery in Indy and Wild Barley Kitchen & Brewery out of San Antonio. Each brought their own mix of traditional skill and creative chaos, the kind of stuff that makes judges pause mid-sip and say, “Wait—what is that?”
Pink Boots & Purpose
Special shoutout to the new Pink Boots Category, featuring beers brewed with the Pink Boots Blend—a hop mix created to support women and non-binary folks in brewing. Stone Brewing’s “She’s The Brewer” IPA took home Gold, and every entry fee in the category is being matched and donated to the Pink Boots Society Scholarship Fund.
Beer with a cause? Yes, please. Many STL brewers have done such beers, but if you haven’t done a Pink Boots beer yet—consider this your sign.
New Styles On Tap
The competition also added two brand-new categories:
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Rice Lager – because judges noticed so many crisp, clean entries trying to sneak into the International Pilsner slot.
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Coffee Beer (Light & Dark) – for all you caffeine-beer crossovers out there. Think: brunch beer, but for actual beer nerds.
These categories don’t just keep the comp fresh—they reflect what we’re actually drinking.
And the Award for Best Beer Name Goes To…
Okay, technically this isn’t an “official” medal—but it might be the most important. Judges held their own vote for Funniest Beer Name, and the Top 10 is chef’s kiss:
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Not a Cure for Baldness – Buck Bald Brewing
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Fight! Flight! Or Pizza! – Moonraker Brewing
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Thick Thighs and Luscious Eyes – Hop District Brewing
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That’s What She Saaz – Afterglow Brewing
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Pants Off Pilsner – Dakota Point
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Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter – Wild Ride Brewing
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Olly Olly Gluten Free – Sibling Revelry
Why You Should Care (and Drink Up)
This year’s U.S. Open Beer Championship wasn’t just a scoreboard—it was a snapshot of where beer is heading. From Missouri medals to meaningful brews, to names that make you snort-laugh in your beer aisle, the competition showed us that the heart of craft beer is still beating strong—and weird.
So go find a can of Float Trip while you can. Raise a glass to Bobber. And if your local taproom has anything brewed with the Pink Boots Blend? Order two. One for you, and one for the story behind it.
