Delta's Four Winds Brewing Co. scored two golds on the way to winning five trophies at this year's Canadian Brewing Awards.
Held June 6-7 at The Nest at UBC, the awards celebrate excellence in craft brewing and are judged by a panel of industry experts through a blind tasting that follows an impartial process where entries are scored on appearance, aroma, flavour and overall impression.
This year’s competition featured more than 1,600 entries from nearly 270 breweries across Canada, spanning 50 categories from traditional English ale to spicier offerings such as chili beer.
B.C.'s Smithers Brewing Company took home the title of "Brewery of the Year" after winning a competition-high six awards: gold for its Bootlegger Brown Ale ("English Mild and Brown Ale" category) and Great Craic Irish Red Ale ("Irish Red Ale" category), silver for its Salz und Säure Gose ("Berliner Weisse and Gose" category), Old Man Winter Ale ("Scotch Ale" category) and Margarita Monday Tart Ale ("Creative" category), and bronze for its Feck Off Irish Stout ("Irish Stout" category).
Tilbury-based Four Winds walked away with two fewer trophies — two golds, a silver and a bronze, though one of its beers did also come in second for "Best of Show."
In the "Brett, Wild and Mixed Culture Beer" category, Four Winds took home gold for its 2025 Operis brett saison, a limited-availability unfiltered, oak barrel-aged brew with "earthy undertones, a hint of tartness and a whisper of wild fermentation," as described on the brewery's website.
Four Winds also took home bronze in the same category with its 2025 Cherryoperis, a limited-availability cherry brett saison aged in Okanagan red wine barrels. That beer is "invigorated by wild yeast strain Brettanomyces and conditioned on local sour Montmorency cherries, inviting impressions of cherry pie and tart pit fruit."
The brewery's revived Dunkelweizen collaboration with Vancouver's Powell Brewery "celebrating 11 years of friendship" took home top honours in the "German Wheat and Rye Beer" category. Made under the Four Winds Beach House & Brewery brand at the company's Tsawwassen beer hall, Dunkelweizen is brewed using a single-decoction method and over 50 per cent wheat, presenting a "smooth, creamy mouthfeel that sets the stage for enjoyment."
"Its malt bill brings together Pilsner, Munich, dark wheat and chocolate malts for a rich array of roasty flavours, rounded out by subtle notes of banana and a touch of spice. Magnum hops finish it off, striking a balance between depth and drinkability," according to a post by Four Winds Beach House & Brewery's Instagram account.
The Dunkelweizen collab also won silver in the "Best of Show" competition, coming in second behind Irori, a selection from Toronto's Godspeed Brewery that took gold in the "Smoked Beer" category, and Bountii from Winnipeg's Kilter Brewing Co., which took home gold in the "Chocolate, Coffee and Pastry Dark Beer" category.
Finally, in the "Experimental and Specialty IPA" category, Four Winds took home silver for its Blue Dream Hazy IPA, a limited-availability India pale ale inspired by the "legendary" Blue Dream cannabis strain.
"This brew is a dream come true for hop enthusiasts and cannabis connoisseurs alike," reads its description on the Four Winds website. "With hops and plant terpenes that mimic the aromatics of Blue Dream, you'll experience a dank and hoppy aroma, complemented by juicy, fruity undertones and a hint of spice. It's a flavour journey that will leave you feeling blissful."'
Meanwhile, Britannia Brewing, which opened a bar and restaurant in Ladner in 2021, won bronze in the "Fruit Beer" category for its Peach Wit, a light and fruity Belgian-style summer ale made with 50% unmalted wheat and real peaches that "retains a big mouthfeel and a distinct haze," according to taproom's menu.
Founded in Steveston in 2014, Britannia opened its third location and moved its operations to Kelowna/Lake Country in late 2023.
The full list of winners can be found at canadianbrewingawards.com/2025-winners.
— with files from Thom Barker and Jordy Cunningham
