The Philippine Craft Brewers Association (PCBA) has successfully hosted the country’s largest-ever beer judging event, the PCBA Craft Beer Cup 2025.
The competition, held in early August and following the BJCP guidelines, drew 63 entries from 16 breweries and highlighted the growing quality within the nation’s craft beer producers.
The event took place at the Westin Residences in Manila, with a two-day format featuring a full day of judging followed by an awards ceremony. Judges travelled from overseas to join the 8 member panel including from Hong Kong, Mexico, Australia and South Korea. The panel featured respected industry figures such as Steve “Hendo” Henderson of Rockstar Brewer Academy and Josh Easton, Lallemand Yeast’s Technical Sales Manager for Asia.
At the awards ceremony, in his keynote address, Henderson acknowledged the market share challenges local brewers face against macro-breweries but stressed the competition’s value beyond just winning. He encouraged all participants to view the judges’ detailed feedback as a vital tool for recipe refinement to help them grow sales and market share.
An 8 judge panel assessed the entries to the 2025 competition [Photo: PCBA]
A high standard of brewing was demonstrated across the board, with an impressive 75% of participating breweries earning at least one award. Engkanto Brewery was named Champion Brewer, securing four awards including Golds for its Ube Lager and Summer Fling Passionfruit Sour. Brewmaster Michael “MJ” Jordan commented, “The Engkanto Team is stoked to win four awards… this is needed to help promote Filipino craft beer.”
The coveted Champion Beer title went to Apolong Brewery for its Dragon’s Blood Sour, an experimental brew made with local dragon fruit. Meanwhile, newcomer Boracay Island Brewing Company made a strong debut, winning Gold in the competitive International Pale Lager and Pale Ale categories.
Click HERE for the full results
Re-established in mid-2024, the PCBA has created significant momentum with this inaugural cup, and they are already planning an expanded the event for 2026.
