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10 Trending Fruit Flavors for Summer Beers
Discover 10 trending fruit flavors and brew the best-tasting summer beer your customers have EVER tasted! Beer may be an...
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The Abstrax Skunkworks Lounge is a brewing competition unlike any other. Brewers from all over the country compete for a place to showcase extraordinary beers crafted by blending brewing artistry with innovations in flavor and aroma science. Each year, competitors raise the bar on what’s possible in brewing… and this year they took things to an entirely new level.
Our standards were high after 2024’s impressive showing, but the beers we had the honor of sampling this year were truly exceptional. We were shocked, delighted, and our tastebuds were sent to nirvana.
From regional influences and twists on tradition to entirely unexpected flavor combinations, the showcased beers highlighted the unique brewing perspectives of our contestants. It may have been a competition, but it was also a delicious reminder of how important it is to elevate different artistic expressions.
Feeling thirsty for out-of-this-world beers? Want a preview of the next era of innovation in craft beer?
Discover the 2025 Skunkworks Lounge competitors, their extraordinary beers, and our three-time reigning Best in Show Champion.
Much like their namesake, the beers made from this Seattle brewery don’t last long. Fast Fashion embraces “fresh and hoppy beer meant to be drank quickly and then go away.” Basically, if you stop by their SoDo taproom and fall in love with one of their beers, enjoy it while it lasts. The vibes? Eclectic. Can you guess what they might brew next? Never.
Located in the South Slope Brewery District of Asheville, North Carolina, Hi-Wire Brewing is all about good beer and good times. While they honor the brewing traditions of their heritage, they keep an eye out for next level innovations. From exciting sours and wild ales to fun small-batch experiments, they continue to be creative and push the brewing envelope.
Hop Butcher is committed to experimentation. Yes, they pay homage to traditional craftsmanship, but they understand the versatility and boundless potential of hops in the brewing process. They explain, “...we explore and experiment relentlessly, forever in the name of incredible flavors and worldly aromatics.” Stop by their taproom the next time you’re in Chicago for an intentionally crafted beer made by true artists.
Their flagship brewery and restaurant may be in Georgia, but you’ll also find them in Virginia and South Carolina. Clearly, New Realm Brewing isn’t afraid of growing and expanding, which is also a good description for their brewing ethos. “We ask questions. Rethink tradition. Bend the rules. Reconfigure boundaries. What we do next all comes down to one simple pursuit: to never become stale in any sense or style.”
Founded by a father-son duo in Portland, Oregon, this brewery takes their heritage seriously. Loosely translating to “House of the Boar,” Von Ebert is much more than a catchy name. Their lineage “...inspires everything we do and every craft beer we create. We live life full boar every day, paying homage to our heritage with German-inspired lagers and menu items as well as a fun, welcoming atmosphere that would make our ancestors proud.”
With over 85,000 check-ins on UNTAPPD™, this Pennsylvania brewery was our Wildcard winner. New Trail Brewing loves two things: the great outdoors and beer. “We love beer, and we believe great beer makes life’s experiences taste even better. That’s why we started New Trail Brewing Company, to make great beer for everyone to enjoy when you dare to explore new places, do new things, take new trails, and have truly memorable adventures.”
With just a twelve vote difference between 3rd and 2nd place, Cigar City Brewing wowed everyone with a beer just as vibrant and sunny as their homebase in Tampa, Florida. With a desire to showcase the unique culture, and history of Tampa, this brewery is always looking to expand the palate of flavors through “beers with unique tropical inspiration and culinary lineage.”
This Oregon based brewery has been winning local, national, and international competitions since 2013, and one taste of their Dime Bag IPA will explain why. We won’t mince words. Their beer submission was DANK and had voters questioning their senses in the best way. As one of only a handful of employee-owned breweries in the country, Breakside Brewing is known for its broad portfolio of award-winning, innovative beers.
They showed up seeking a Best in Show three-peat win, and that’s precisely what they did. Mountains Walking Brewery, our 3X reigning champion from Montana, showed up with a delicious, tropical twist on their legendary Sky Flowers series. They brought their “open range” approach to brewing and they reminded us that flavor possibilities are truly endless.
“Ultimately, Mountains Walking is a conversation. A conversation between the brewer and the beers. Between beer and food. Between you and us. And between beer and the world. We invite everyone to join in and to discover the boundless possibilities together.”
Our third annual Skunkworks Lounge defied ALL of our expectations. Each contestant brought their expertise and artistry to show us what it means to redefine the boundaries of taste and aroma in beer. At the end of the day, they reminded us that this is so much more than a competition.
The Skunkworks Lounge honors bold innovators and trailblazers. It celebrates those who use novel ingredients and methods to create truly unique beverages — and your brewery could be next.
Enter the 2026 Skunkworks Lounge competition, showcase your craft, connect with fellow innovators, and compete to win Best in Show.
Stay tuned and learn how you can join the 2026 Skunkworks Lounge!
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