The Texas Craft Brewers Guild, an organization that advocates for independent breweries, hosts its Texas Craft Brewers Cup annually to showcase the best beers in the state. For 2025, Texas breweries entered 931 beers that were judged in mid-January by industry pros and experienced beer judges, and several made near the city of Houston took home medals. In fact, the one big take-away from the winners of this year’s competition is that it’s the breweries in the towns just outside of Houston keeping the dream of quality craft beer alive. Only two breweries with addresses inside of Houston — Saint Arnold Brewing Company and True Anomaly — took home medals. The rest came from towns just outside (or within) the big city, such as Cypress, Katy, Jersey Village, Sugar Land and Galveston. 

Winning beers were all over the map in terms of style and included amber, barrel-aged, wheat and hoppy. Buckstin Brewing Company in Beaumont and  Vallensons’ Brewing Company in Pearland won the most medals with a total of three. Galveston Island Brewing in Galveston and Project Halo Brewing in Fulshear won two each. 

Gold Medal Winners

• Blue Bridge Amber Ale, Galveston Island Brewing, Galveston — Amber & Dark Beers category
• Disco Demon, Project Halo Brewing, Fulshear — Specialty Hoppy category
• Easy Breesy, Buckstin Brewing Company, Beaumont — Golden, Blond, & Light Ales category
• Perpetual Peace, No Label Brewing Co., Katy — Barrel & Wood-Aged Beer category 
• Safety Beer, Buckstin Brewing Company, Beaumont — Wheat or Rye category

Silver Medal Winners

• 28th State, Vallensons’ Brewing Company, Pearland — American & International Light Lager category
• Back Mic Brew, Vallensons’ Brewing Company, Pearland — Legislative Pro-Am category (These are beers that are brewed by breweries with legislators — really! Vallensons’ collaborated with House District 29 Representative Jeff Barry on the brew.) 
• Elissa IPA, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Houston — Classic UK Styles category
• Kickin Kollab, True Anomaly Brewing, Houston — Experimental, Hybrid & Specialty Beer category
• Wittelsbacher, Talyard Brewing Co., Sugar Land — Wheat or Rye category

Bronze Medals

• Happple Wassail, Vallensons’ Brewing Company, Pearland — American & European Sour
• High Frequency, Project Halo Brewing, Fulshear — Barleywine & Strong Ale category
• Lair of Coconut, Misfit Brewing, Cypress — Decadent Beer category
• Little Brown Ale, Galveston Island Brewing, Galveston — Amber and Dark Beers category
• Pocket Saison, Buckstin Brewing Company, Beaumont — Belgian & Farmhouse Ales category
• Republica Vieja, Senate Avenue Brewing Company, Jersey Village — Legislative Pro-Am category, brewed with House District 138 Representative Lacey Hull. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.