Staff at Edinburgh craft brewery Cold Town Beer were celebrating this week after picking up an impressive six gold and silver medals at the London Beer Competition 2026.
Cold Town won the top ‘Indian Pale Ale of the Year’ award for its flagship brew, Baltic IPA, scoring 96 points and taking home a double gold medal.
“Fermented at a chilly 15 degrees gives Baltic IPA a clean and crisp fermentation character, allowing the mosaic hops to shine,” declared Cold Town. “This beer showcases how versatile the west coast hop is – for an easy-going spring smasher. Expect notes of cut grass, pine forest, honeydew melon and lemon peel.”
Cold Town Beer also took home gold medals for its Robert the Juice IPA (93 points) and XPA (91 points).
The Signature Group-owned brewery took its three silver medals for Fest Bier (89 points); Doddie Beir (88 points); and Crisp Craft Lager (88 points).
Now in its ninth year, the London Beer Competition is described as one of the most respected beer competitions in the world.
Unlike traditional competitions that judge beers solely on taste, the London Beer Competition rewards beers based on quality, value, and packaging – the three key factors that influence consumer buying decisions.
This year’s competition brought together a judging panel of influential beer buyers, bar owners, and industry experts from around the world. The judging took place in London, where hundreds of beers from more than 20 countries were blind tasted, assessed, and scored.
Returning with its collection of gold and silver medals, Cold Town Beer said it was delighted that its core range had ‘stood out among its global peers in one of the most demanding tasting rooms in the industry.’
Head of production, Ian Kennedy, said: “To have Baltic IPA named Indian Pale Ale of the Year is a massive achievement for us.
“It’s a beer we’ve hung our hat on for years as part of our core range and one that really represents what we stand for—quality, consistency, and great flavour—so to see it recognised with such a high score is something the whole team is incredibly proud of.”
