Model A Brewing Company of Tega Cay brought home three medals from the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship, winning gold for its UK Crusher ordinary bitter and silver for two additional beers.
The results add to the brewery’s national record, which now stands at 12 U.S. Open medals since it opened, keeping a Tega Cay taproom in the running against breweries from across the country.
UK Crusher won gold in the Ordinary Bitter category. Model A also earned silver for Dolcita IPA, entered as a Single Hop Pale Ale, and silver for Amber Hearth, a Barrel Aged Dark Beer. All three placements appear in the competition’s official medal announcement.
A national field in Oxford, Ohio
The U.S. Open Beer Championship, held in Oxford, Ohio, drew entries from breweries across the United States and abroad this year, spanning more than 180 categories and subcategories. Organizers rank it as the third largest beer competition in the country. Third Eye Brewing of Hamilton, Ohio, was named the 2026 Grand National Champion after winning nine medals, tying the record for the most medals won by one brewery in a single year.
Model A credited head brewer Jerod Jones for the winning recipes. Jones has led the brewery’s competition entries through several award cycles, including its earlier U.S. Open finishes.
A recent run of honors
The medals continue a strong stretch for the brewery. In 2025, Model A was named Best Overall Brewery in South Carolina at the South Carolina Brewers Cup, the state competition run by the South Carolina Brewers Guild, after six of its beers medaled. It also added a gold and a silver at the Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance awards that October.
Model A Brewing operates at 1175 Stonecrest Boulevard in Tega Cay. It was founded by a group of friends, most of them longtime Tega Cay residents, and opened in December 2020.
Full list of accolades
U.S. Open Beer Championship
2026 Gold, UK Crusher (Ordinary Bitter)
2026 Silver, Dolcita IPA (Single Hop Pale Ale)
2026 Silver, Amber Hearth (Barrel Aged Dark Beer)
2025 Gold, Anniversary Stout (American Style Fruit Beer, Raspberry)
2024 Bronze, Springs Farm Strawberry Kolsch (Fruit Beer, Strawberry)
2024 Bronze, Finley’s Alt (German Altbier)
2024 Bronze, Just Bockause (Traditional German Style Bock)
2024 Top 10 Beer Names, Not My Gumdrop Buttons
2023 Silver, Vest Weather (Marzen and Oktoberfest)
2023 Bronze, Finley’s Alt (Altbier)
2022 Gold, Springs Farm Strawberry Kolsch (American Style Berry Beer, Strawberry)
2022 Silver, Speakeasy (International Style Pilsner)
2021 Bronze, Springs Farm Strawberry Kolsch (American Style Berry Beer)
2021 Top 10 Beer Names, Magic Carpet Rye’d
Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance Awards
2025 Gold, American Dreamin’ (Barrel Aged and Strong Ale)
2025 Silver, Auf Wiedersehen (Amber and Dark Lager)
2024 Gold, Tega Haze (Hazy IPA)
2024 Gold, Disco Sticke (Experimental Fruit)
2023 Best in Show, Third Place, Absofugginlutely
2023 Gold, Absofugginlutely (Hops, IPA and Pale)
2023 Gold, Finley’s Alt (Malt, Amber, Brown and Golden)
2022 Best in Show, First Place, Prohibition ESB
2022 Gold, Prohibition ESB (Pale and Blonde)
2022 Silver, Magic Carpet Rye’d Roggenbier (Malt and Dark)
South Carolina Brewers Cup, hosted by the South Carolina Brewers Guild
2025 Best Overall Brewery in South Carolina
2025 Gold, Prohibition ESB
2025 Gold, American Dreamin’
2025 Gold, Cleanest Dirty Shirt
2025 Silver, SmackDown Brown
2025 Silver, Auf Wiedersehen
2025 Bronze, Hop Magnet Saison
2024 Gold, Tega Twang Kiwi Sour
2024 Silver, Springs Farm Strawberry Kolsch
2023 Second Place, Cold Day in Helles (Pale Lager)
2023 Third Place, Vest Weather (Marzen)
2023 Third Place, Sappy Camper (Specialty Beer)
Great American Beer Festival
2021 Bronze, Magic Carpet Rye’d (Rye Beers)
Beers that have won medals rotate on tap. Current hours and the beer list are posted on the brewery’s website and social media pages.
Sources: 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship official medal winners page (theusopenchampionships.com); prior Tega Cay Sun coverage of Model A Brewing (Feb. 13, 2025; July 18, 2025; Oct. 20, 2025; Nov. 12, 2025); Model A Brewing announcement.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
