Wooden Hill Takes Home Gold at 2025 MN Brewers Cup

Wooden Hill Brewing Takes Home Gold at 2025 MN Brewers Cup

photograph of brewers Jeremy and Montana, with owner James Ewen with their award for best American Lager. Photograph of graphic designer Mia with the Aluminate award for best can design.

MN Brewers Cup professional blind taste-test selects top true-to-style beers in the state.

 

April 21, 2025 | Edina, MN: On April 11, 2025, Wooden Hill Brewing Company proudly took home two prestigious awards at the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s MN Brewers Cup Competition – the premier statewide blind taste-test for breweries and brewpubs across Minnesota. Wooden Hill took home Gold in two categories at the MN Brewer’s Cup.

photograph of a glass cup trophy for best american lager, next to a pint and cans of the winning beer, "hill style."

Hill Style, a crisp, smooth Pre-Prohibition Lager brewed with traditional American ingredients and methods, was awarded Best American Lager, topping one of the competition’s most competitive categories.

 

This year’s competition featured 438 entries from 93 breweries and brewpubs. Entries were grouped into 22 style categories and judged blindly by a panel of industry experts, based on how closely each beer adhered to its style’s guidelines. Winners were announced at an industry-exclusive ceremony on April 11 in Bloomington, MN.

 

spotlight on cans of "triple dipped" the beer that won best can design at the 2025 MN brewer's cup.

In addition to the brewing accolade, Mia Gambucci, Wooden Hill’s Graphic Designer & Event Coordinator, received Lagersmith’s 2025 Aluminate Award for Best Can Design for her vibrant and bold label for Triple Dipped, a Chocolate Malt Liquor brewed in collaboration with Fair State Brewing Company released in Spring 2024.

 

“Winning Best American Lager at the Brewers Cup is a huge honor for our team,” said James Ewen, Co-Founder of Wooden Hill Brewing Company. “Hill Style is our nod to the rich brewing heritage of this country, and to see it recognized on this level speaks volumes about our team’s dedication to quality. We’re equally proud of Mia’s Aluminate Award—it reflects the same creativity and attention to detail that we pour into everything we do. We’re honored to be recognized among the vibrant brewing community here in Minnesota.”

 

Hill Style is currently available on tap at the Wooden Hill taproom in Edina and in select liquor stores across the region.

 

To view a complete list of competition winners, visit: https://www.mncraftbrew.org/mn-brewers-cup

 

About Wooden Hill Brewing Company
Founded by brothers James and Sean Ewen, Wooden Hill Brewing Company opened its doors in Edina in 2018 as the city’s first brewery and taproom. With a mission to bring people together over exceptional craft beer and delicious food, Wooden Hill has become a local staple known for its creative brewing, welcoming atmosphere, and commitment to community. Every beer is brewed onsite with passion, precision, and a love for the craft. Click here to learn more about how it all began!