Three breweries from York County won 10 medals, five of them gold, at the 2026 South Carolina Brewers Cup. Replay Brewing of Fort Mill led the way with six medals and a second place finish for Best of Show.
The state’s largest beer competition is run by the South Carolina Brewers Guild and judges beers from breweries across the state. Replay Brewing, Amor Artis Brewing and Model A Brewing all placed in a field dominated by breweries from Greenville, Charleston and the Upstate.
Replay takes second for Best of Show
Replay’s EZ Baked won gold in the Specialty IPA category. Judges then placed it second for Best of Show, the competition’s top overall honor. Rocker’s Brewing of Spartanburg won Best of Show for Wingardium Limey Gose, a gose. Indigo Reef Brewing Company of Charleston took third with Duke It Out, an American IPA.
The beer has done well before. EZ Baked won silver in the Experimental IPA category at the 2025 U.S. Open Beer Championship.
Replay added two more golds. Rands Am won the Amber Ale category as an American amber ale, and Cabby’s Cream Ale won gold in the Pale Ale category. Cheat Codes took silver in Hazy IPA. The brewery also won two bronzes, for Nectari in Fruit Beer and World’s Worst Super Hero Honey Blonde Ale in Pale Ale.
This year’s six medals follow a three medal showing at last year’s state competition. Replay operates at 1317 Broadcloth Street in the Kingsley area of Fort Mill. Its 1990s arcade theme runs from the pinball machines to beer names like Cheat Codes.
Amor Artis wins gold for Vienna lager
Amor Artis Brewing of Fort Mill won three medals. South of the Border, a Vienna lager, took gold in the International Style Amber Lager category.
The family owned brewery also won two bronzes for aged beers. Big Red Peach, a 2021 mixed fermentation sour, placed in Sour and Wild Beer. Spruce Tip Barleywine placed in Wood Aged Beer.
Model A adds a gold
Model A Brewing of Tega Cay won gold in the Spiced Beer category for Not My Gumdrop Buttons, a winter seasonal beer.
Model A was named Best Overall Brewery in South Carolina at last year’s Brewers Cup after six of its beers medaled. In July, it won three medals at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship, including gold for its UK Crusher ordinary bitter. The brewery operates at 1175 Stonecrest Boulevard in Tega Cay.
The full list of 2026 South Carolina Brewers Cup winners is posted on the Beer Awards Platform at beerawardsplatform.com.
Local Medal Winners
Replay Brewing, Fort Mill
Best of Show, second place: EZ Baked (Specialty IPA)
Gold: EZ Baked, Specialty IPA
Gold: Rands Am, Amber Ale
Gold: Cabby’s Cream Ale, Pale Ale
Silver: Cheat Codes, Hazy IPA
Bronze: Nectari, Fruit Beer
Bronze: World’s Worst Super Hero Honey Blonde Ale, Pale Ale
Amor Artis Brewing, Fort Mill
Gold: South of the Border, International Style Amber Lager
Bronze: Big Red Peach 2021, Sour and Wild Beer
Bronze: Spruce Tip Barleywine, Wood Aged Beer
Model A Brewing, Tega Cay
Gold: Not My Gumdrop Buttons, Spiced Beer
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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.
