MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Skagit Valley College's Cardinal Craft Brewing program is once again earning international recognition, bringing home two medals at the 2026 International Beer and Cider Awards, hosted by the North American Brewers Association.
Student-crafted beers earned a Gold Medal for English Dark Mild and a Silver Medal for Robust Porter. The English Dark Mild improved on its bronze medal finish in last year's competition, demonstrating the continued quality and consistency of the college's award-winning brewing program.
The International Beer and Cider Awards – formerly known as the North American Beer Awards – are among the brewing industry's longest-running and most respected competitions, with entries evaluated by professional brewers and certified judges.
"These awards are a testament to the dedication of our students and the quality of the education they receive at Skagit Valley College," said Tony Savoy, Cardinal Craft Brewing department chair. "When our beers earn recognition alongside breweries from around the world, it reinforces what we've known all along, that our students are producing exceptional beer and graduating with the skills to succeed in the industry. If you want to learn how to brew great beer, this is the place to do it."
With this year's results, Cardinal Craft Brewing has earned four medals over the past two years and 10 medals since 2017. Those honors include eight medals at the International Beer and Cider Awards (formerly the North American Beer Awards) and two medals at the Washington Beer Awards.
Both award-winning beers are currently on tap and available to the public at the taproom at the Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy. Visitors can stop by to try the Gold Medal-winning English Dark Mild and Silver Medal-winning Robust Porter from 2-7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The taproom is located at 15579 Peterson Road in Burlington.
About Cardinal Craft Brewing
Founded in 2016, Skagit Valley College's Cardinal Craft Brewing program prepares students for careers in the growing craft brewing industry through hands-on instruction in a commercial-scale brewery. Program alumni can now be found in leadership roles in breweries including Farmstrong, Terramar, Anacortes, Bastion, Chuckanut, Stemma, Structures, Elysian, Deschutes, and others throughout Washington, Oregon, and beyond.
Notable alumni can be found at breweries including Farmstrong, TerraMar, Anacortes, Bastion, Chuckanut, Stemma, Structures, Elysian, Deschutes, and many others.
The program's continued success at national and international competitions reflects the quality of its instruction and the talent of its students. Since 2017, Cardinal Craft Brewing has earned 10 competition medals—including eight at the International Beer and Cider Awards and two at the Washington Beer Awards—reinforcing its reputation as one of the Northwest's premier collegiate brewing programs.
Media Contact Info
Marisa Pierce, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
360.416.7957
marisa.pierce@skagit.edu