🏆 World Alcohol-Free Awards 2026

World Alcohol-Free Awards Beer Winners

The complete guide to the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Highly Commended alcohol-free beers recognised in 2026.

Complete 2026 guide

Beer awards at a glance

The World Alcohol-Free Awards have once again recognised the very best alcohol-free beers from around the globe. The results range from crisp lagers and hop-forward IPAs to rich stouts and traditional Belgian ales.

vandeStreek Playground claimed the Gold Trophy, while Lucky Saint, Force Majeure, Moersleutel, Butcombe Brewing, Haacht Brewery and Zeer Brewing all collected Gold medals.

Where MyDryBar has reviewed a beer, the tables and featured sections link to our independent review or the relevant buying page.

MyDryBar tip: Use the medal tables as a shortlist, then choose according to the beer styles you already enjoy. A Silver IPA may suit you better than a Gold stout.
Independent assessment

How are the beers judged?

Entries are assessed blind, grouped with comparable beer styles and reconsidered through additional tasting rounds before medals and trophies are awarded.

1

Blind tasting

Judges know the beer category, such as lager or IPA, but not the brewery or brand behind the sample.

2

Style-based flights

Similar styles are tasted together so wheat beers, IPAs and stouts are judged against appropriate expectations.

3

Medal rounds

Strong entries progress through further assessments. Gold winners are tasted again to select the category Trophy winner.

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Gold winner medal
The highest medal tier

Gold-winning alcohol-free beers

The 2026 Gold medals went to breweries from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. Styles include Belgian blondes, wheat beer, IPAs and an unusually convincing imperial stout.

vandeStreek Playground was the standout performer, winning both Gold and the overall Beer Category Gold Trophy.

MedalBeerBreweryCountryABV
GoldForce Majeure TripelForce MajeureBelgium<0.5%
GoldForce Majeure Traditional BlondForce MajeureBelgium0.4%
GoldGoram IPA ZeroButcombe Brewing Co.United Kingdom<0.5%
GoldLucky Saint German WeissbierLucky SaintGermany0.5%
GoldMotor Oil Imperial Stout 0.5%Moersleutel Craft BreweryNetherlands0.5%
GoldSUPER 8 Flandrien 0.0Haacht BreweryBelgium0.0%
Gold TrophyvandeStreek PlaygroundvandeStreek bier BVNetherlands<0.5%
GoldvandeStreek Fun HousevandeStreek bier BVNetherlands<0.5%
GoldMārūZeer Brewing & Burnt MillUnited Kingdom0.5%
Lucky Saint German Weissbier

Lucky Saint German Weissbier

Classic wheat-beer aromas, soft banana and clove notes and a smooth, refreshing finish make this one of the strongest wheat beers available without alcohol.

“A rich amber pour, with wheat and a textbook sweet note of banana that brings a promise of spicy complexity.”
Check it out
Goram IPA Zero

Goram IPA Zero

Butcombe Brewing's British IPA offers plenty of hop character while remaining highly drinkable and recognisably West Coast in style.

“Notes of marmalade and pine lead to caramel, crisp grapefruit and bitter orange flavours.”
Check it out
Motor Oil alcohol-free imperial stout

Motor Oil Imperial Stout

Moersleutel retains the roasted malt, coffee, liquorice and full-bodied character expected from an imperial stout despite the 0.5% ABV.

“The liquorice hits you from the first sip, and the complex flavours continue, without too much sweetness.”
Check it out
Force Majeure Traditional Blond

Force Majeure Traditional Blond

A crisp, balanced and authentic Belgian-style alcohol-free beer, and an accessible introduction to speciality Belgian brewing.

“A golden amber hue, with roasted corn notes and a deep, malty character.”
Check it out
Silver winner medal
Exceptional quality

Silver-winning alcohol-free beers

The 2026 Silver winners represent breweries from Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The range covers lagers, wheat beers, IPAs, stouts, pale ales and fruit-led styles.

MedalBeerBreweryCountryABV
SilverAsahi Super Dry 0.0%Asahi UKItaly0.0%
SilverEstrella Damm 0.0%S.A. DammSpain0.0%
SilverFling Fresh Orange SourHeaps NormalAustralia<0.5%
SilverHefeweißbier AlkoholfreiBayerische Staatsbrauerei WeihenstephanGermany<0.5%
SilverJazz StoutHeaps NormalAustralia<0.5%
SilverLucky Saint Superior Unfiltered LagerLucky SaintGermany0.5%
SilverLesser EvilMash Gang LimitedUnited Kingdom / United States0.5%
SilverMOVA Non-alcohol BeerMOVA Brewing CoUkraine0.4%
SilverQuiet XPAHeaps NormalAustralia<0.5%
SilverRun Wild IPAAthletic Brewing CoUnited States<0.5%
SilverHoney Badger Wheat BeerSheep in Wolf's ClothingUnited Kingdom0.5%
SilverSound Best BitterLakedown Brewing Co.United Kingdom0.5%
SilverSUPER 8 YONA Blood OrangeHaacht BreweryBelgium0.4%
SilverDate LagerAlRaheej AlDhahabiNetherlands / Saudi Arabia0.0%
SilverKaleidoscope Alcohol-FreeWiper and TrueUnited Kingdom0.5%
Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA

Athletic Brewing – Run Wild IPA

A benchmark American alcohol-free IPA with citrus, pine and a pleasantly bitter West Coast-style finish.

“A reassuring IPA aroma of pine and citrus, with grapefruit and bitter orange on the palate.”
Read our review
Lucky Saint Superior Unfiltered Lager

Lucky Saint Superior Unfiltered Lager

Naturally hazy with bready malt flavour and gentle noble-hop character, this remains one of the safest introductions to alcohol-free beer.

“A full-bodied lager that's well balanced and crisp, with balanced malt sweetness.”
Read our review
Weihenstephan alcohol-free wheat beer section image

Weihenstephan Hefeweißbier Alkoholfrei

A traditional Bavarian wheat beer with banana, clove, creamy texture and strong stylistic authenticity.

“A really easy-drinking wheat beer with a lightly spiced, clove-forward profile.”
Check it out
Wiper and True Kaleidoscope alcohol-free beer

Wiper and True – Kaleidoscope

Vibrant hop aroma, balanced malt and a clean finish from one of Bristol's strongest independent craft breweries.

“Deep gold colour, with lively carbonation, piney hops and citrus.”
Read our review
Heaps Normal Quiet XPA

Heaps Normal – Quiet XPA

An approachable extra pale ale with tropical fruit, light body and restrained bitterness.

“Such a quaffable beer, with subtle grapefruit and pine on the nose.”
Competition archive

Latest World Alcohol-Free Awards results

Browse the official competition results by year.

Bronze winner medal
High-quality medal winners

Bronze-winning alcohol-free beers

The Bronze winners include established international breweries and smaller craft producers, with German lagers, British IPAs, Belgian ales, fruit beers and hazy pale ales all represented.

MedalBeerBreweryCountryABV
BronzeClausthaler Dry HoppedRadeberger GruppeGermany0.4%
BronzeClausthaler GrapefruitRadeberger GruppeGermany<0.5%
BronzeFruit Max 0.0%Brouwerij Omer Vander GhinsteBelgium0.0%
BronzeHigh & Dry – The Functional LagerHigh & Dry Beer Co LtdUnited Kingdom0.4%
BronzeMash Gang – Journey JuiceMash Gang LimitedUnited Kingdom / United States0.5%
BronzeMOVA Dark Non-Alcohol BeerMOVA Brewing CoUkraine0.5%
BronzeProper Job 0.5%St Austell BreweryUnited Kingdom0.5%
BronzeRamon Alcoholfree BeerBrouwerij RomanBelgium0.3%
BronzeMemento Mori Hazy IPASheep in Wolf's ClothingUnited Kingdom0.5%
BronzeWithout® OriginalSt. Peter's BreweryUnited Kingdom0.0%
BronzeWithout® GoldSt. Peter's BreweryUnited Kingdom0.0%
BronzeVeritasbräuPanavac CorporationGermany0.0%
BronzeWeihenstephaner Helles AlkoholfreiBayerische Staatsbrauerei WeihenstephanGermany<0.5%
BronzeTomorrowWiper and TrueUnited Kingdom0.5%
BronzeZIPAZeer BrewingBelgium0.3%
BronzeOllieZeer BrewingBelgium0.3%
Proper Job 0.5 IPA

Proper Job 0.5% – St Austell Brewery

A recognisable alcohol-free version of the British IPA, retaining crisp bitterness, marmalade and citrus-hop character.

“A highly quaffable IPA with flavours of marmalade, hoppy pine and citrus.”
Read our review
Zeer Brewing ZIPA

Zeer Brewing – ZIPA

A bright Belgian alcohol-free IPA with sweet malt, bitter orange, pineapple and balanced citrus character.

“Delicate flavours of sweet malt, bitter orange, pineapple and hops are balanced by a refreshing citrus zing.”
Clausthaler Grapefruit alcohol-free beer

Clausthaler Grapefruit

A crisp Radler-style beer combining Clausthaler's alcohol-free lager base with pink grapefruit and blood-orange flavour.

“A pretty, easy-drinker that's ideal for a sunny terrace or rehydrating after the gym.”
Worth watching

Highly Commended alcohol-free beers

These beers narrowly missed the medal positions but still received special recognition from the judging panel.

Free Wave – Athletic Brewing Co.

Juicy tropical-hop character and a smooth, hazy profile further demonstrate Athletic Brewing's consistency in alcohol-free craft beer.

Hawkstone Lager Zero

A clean, crisp and approachable premium lager that shows how quickly mainstream alcohol-free quality is improving.

Lucky Saint Superior Lemon Lager

Lucky Saint's unfiltered lager gains a natural citrus edge, making this a refreshing warm-weather alternative.

MyDryBar takeDo not overlook the Highly Commended beers. Personal taste, availability and preferred beer style will usually matter more to your enjoyment than the colour of the award.
Questions answered

Frequently asked questions

What are the World Alcohol-Free Awards?
The World Alcohol-Free Awards are an annual international competition recognising alcohol-free beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, functional drinks and other categories through blind tasting.
Which beer won the Gold Trophy in 2026?
vandeStreek Playground from the Netherlands won the overall Beer Category Gold Trophy after first receiving a Gold medal.
How many beers were recognised in 2026?
The competition recognised 70 beers: nine Gold winners including one Gold Trophy, 15 Silver winners, 16 Bronze winners and 29 Highly Commended beers.
Are all Gold medal winners better than Silver winners?
Not necessarily for every drinker. Gold indicates a higher competition result, but personal taste and preferred style can make a Silver or Bronze beer a better match for you.
Which countries performed best?
The United Kingdom received the highest number of awards overall, followed by Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Australia, the United States, Ukraine, Canada and Saudi Arabia were also represented.
Which breweries won multiple awards?
Multiple-award breweries included Lucky Saint, Force Majeure, Heaps Normal, Mash Gang, Wiper and True, Clausthaler, Zeer Brewing, Sheep in Wolf's Clothing and vandeStreek.
Can I buy these beers in the UK?
Many are available through UK supermarkets, specialist alcohol-free retailers and brewery websites. Availability changes, so use the product and review links on this page to check current stock.
Does MyDryBar always agree with the judges?
No. MyDryBar reviews are independent and based on our own tasting experience. Where available, we link to our full review so readers can compare the two verdicts.

Final thoughts

The 2026 World Alcohol-Free Awards show how quickly alcohol-free beer continues to evolve. Traditional Belgian blondes, German wheat beers, modern IPAs and even rich imperial stouts are now being produced to a genuinely high standard.

While vandeStreek Playground deservedly claimed the Gold Trophy, the deeper story is the breadth of quality across the complete results. Both established breweries and smaller newcomers are producing alcohol-free beer that stands on its own rather than feeling like a compromise.

MyDryBar will continue reviewing as many of these winners as possible and adding links to this page as new reviews go live.

Browse all beer reviews