Outstanding Success at the World Beer Awards 2026: Seven Medals for the Weyermann® Pilot Brewery

Great joy at the Weyermann® Pilot Brewery: Seven of our beer specialties impressed the judges at the World Beer Awards 2026. Two gold, four silver, and one bronze medal now enrich the Weyermann® Wall of Medals. Our Weyermann® No. 62 Bayernkönig also achieved the best national result in its category and received the title “Germany Country Winner”. With this achievement, our Weyermann® Pilot Brewery continues its successful run at this international beer competition for the eleventh consecutive year.

Gold and the title “Germany Country Winner” for Weyermann® No. 62 Bayernkönig

At the top of this year’s award-winning beers is our Weyermann® No. 62 Bayernkönig. The Bavarian wheat beer received a gold medal and was also named “Germany Country Winner” in the “Bavarian Style Hefeweiss” category. It prevailed against numerous other beers in its category at national level.

This beer has a special story behind it: Its foundation is Weyermann® Bayernkönig®, an heirloom wheat malt made from the historic Bayernkönig® wheat variety dating back to 1918. The idea of bringing this almost forgotten wheat variety back into the brewing world arose from Thomas Kraus-Weyermann’s vision of preserving traditional varieties and giving them a new stage.

Weyermann® Bayernkönig® gives this wheat beer its distinctive character. The historic variety delights with a complex aroma profile of fresh bread crust, delicate caramel, subtle dried fruit notes, and a hint of nuts. Its harmonious and smooth structure shapes the beer in a special way and makes Weyermann® No. 62 Bayernkönig an authentic ambassador of Bavarian brewing culture.

The gold medal and the title “Germany Country Winner” therefore honor not only the brewing expertise of our Weyermann® Pilot Brewery, but also the successful return of a historic Bavarian wheat variety to the international stage.

Another gold medal went to our Weyermann® No. 1 Schlotfegerla®. The classic smoked beer impressed the international jury in the “Smoke” category.

This full-bodied dark smoked beer combines the characteristic aromas of Weyermann® Beech Smoked Barley Malt with notes of espresso, dark chocolate, and crunchy bread crust. Its balanced interplay of smoke, malt body, and depth has made Schlotfegerla® an established favorite among Franconian smoked beer specialties for many years.

Four silver medals for the diversity of Weyermann® beers

Our Weyermann® No. 54 Ick Bin Himbeere won silver in the “Flavoured Wild & Sour Beer” category.

This fruity beer specialty combines the intense aromas of sun-ripened raspberries with a lively acidity. At the same time, it is refreshing, elegant, and beautifully balanced.

Our Weyermann® No. 100 Centennial Isaria 1924® also received a silver medal. In the “Amber/Dark Kellerbier & Rotbier” category, this anniversary beer impressed with its malt-forward depth, intense reddish color, and smooth, nutty character.

The foundation for this beer is our Weyermann® Isaria 1924® Malt. The historic Isaria spring barley variety was approved in 1924 and shaped German brewing barley cultivation for decades. After it had largely been replaced by modern high-yield varieties, Weyermann® rediscovered it and brought it back to life as part of its heirloom malt range.

Weyermann® Isaria 1924® Malt combines historic brewing barley culture with modern brewing expertise. This traditional variety gives the beer an extraordinary range of aromas with hints of fresh bread, delicate honey, and roasted nuts. It lends the anniversary beer depth, character, and a remarkably distinctive flavor profile.

With Weyermann® No. 100 Centennial Isaria 1924®, our Weyermann® Pilot Brewery has created a flavorful tribute to one of Germany’s most important brewing barley varieties.

Another silver medal went to our Weyermann® No. 39 Hop Into Spring in the “Hoppy Pilsener” category.

This hop-forward Pilsener delights with its lively freshness, finely integrated bitterness, and expressive hop aromas that define the character of this beer.

Our Weyermann® No. 1 Schlotfegerla® alcohol-free also received silver in the “No & Low Alcohol – Flavoured” category. This award complements the gold medal won by the alcoholic version and completes this year’s success for our classic smoked beer.

Bronze for Weyermann® No. 17 Eraclea Mediterranean Pilsner

Our Weyermann® No. 17 Eraclea Mediterranean Pilsner received a bronze medal in the “Classic Pilsener” category.

This beer owes its special character to the rare Eraclea barley from the region of the same name near the Adriatic coast in northern Italy.

The barley thrives through a unique combination of sea air, mineral-rich soils, and a Mediterranean climate. This extraordinary terroir shapes the quality of the raw material and gives the resulting Weyermann® Eraclea Malt its delicate aroma profile and elegant, slightly sweet grain notes.

In Weyermann® No. 17 Eraclea Mediterranean Pilsner, these qualities unfold into a particularly balanced flavor profile with Mediterranean lightness, delicate freshness, and remarkable elegance.

Following its first international bronze medal last year, this renewed recognition confirms the exceptional quality of this beer specialty, whose character is shaped by its origin and raw materials.

Eleven successful years at the World Beer Awards

With seven awards in 2026, the Weyermann® Pilot Brewery continues its previous success at the World Beer Awards. This year’s range of award-winning beer specialties extends from wheat beer, smoked beer, and Pilsener to fruity sour beer and alcohol-free smoked beer.

This selection impressively showcases the diversity of the Weyermann® specialty malt world, from historic heirloom varieties and terroir-driven malts to smoky, fruity, and hop-forward beer styles. It also demonstrates the contribution that distinctive raw materials make to the flavor identity of a beer and how they create unmistakable beer characters.

Our sincere thanks and congratulations go to our Weyermann® Brewmaster Constantin Förtner and his Weyermann® Pilot Brewery team on this outstanding result!

World Beer Awards as an international benchmark for quality

At the World Beer Awards, an international jury evaluates beers from numerous countries and across a wide range of styles. The submitted beer specialties are judged within their respective categories and receive gold, silver, and bronze medals. The best national beer in each category also receives the title “Country Winner”.

The awards at a glance

Gold and Germany Country Winner: Weyermann® No. 62 Bayernkönig Weisse
Gold: Weyermann® No. 1 Schlotfegerla®
Silver: Weyermann® No. 54 Ick Bin Himbeere
Silver: Weyermann® No. 100 Centennial Isaria 1924®
Silver: Weyermann® No. 39 Hop Into Spring
Silver: Weyermann® No. 1 Schlotfegerla® alcohol-free
Bronze: Weyermann® No. 17 Eraclea Mediterranean Pilsner