4 NJ breweries won medals at World Beer Cup — including one South Jersey gold

Four Garden State breweries just hauled home medals at the 2026 World Beer Cup, one of the most prestigious beer competitions on the planet. Think of it as the Olympics for craft beer, where thousands of entries from around the globe compete for bragging rights and shiny hardware.

NJ Monthly reported the biggest win belonged to Wander Back Beerworks in Vineland, which grabbed gold for its Wander Back Lager in the Munich-Style Helles category. Not only did they win, but they also beat out one of the most crowded categories in the entire competition.

That’s like winning the Parkway South during a summer Friday afternoon. Not easy. The brewery is still relatively new, having just opened its facility in Vineland. Prior to that, they were using other breweries' facilities to try to launch their brand. To think they've already made serious noise in South Jersey’s craft beer scene is impressive.

Then there’s MudHen Brewing Co., which earned a silver medal for Captain Doug’s Porter. If you’ve ever wandered into MudHen after a day at the shore, you know the place has become more than just a brewery.

It’s practically a Wildwood institution now, and this award proves their beer can compete with anyone anywhere. MudHen has been around since 2018 and its building used to be a Harley Davidson dealership so they have instant 'cool' cred right off the bat.

Odd Bird Brewing picked up a bronze medal for House Red in the Experimental Beer category. That feels fitting for a brewery known for pushing boundaries and getting creative with styles and ingredients. They're in Stockton, uniquely attached to an old gas station so their location is just as creative as their flavors. Small town brewery, world-stage recognition. Pretty cool.

And Subculture Artisan Ales in Florence earned bronze for Burton Reynolds in the Historical Beer category. They’ve built a reputation among hardcore craft beer fans for old-world brewing styles with hop-forward ales, German styles, and meticulous craftsmanship.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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