Alvarado Street Brewery wins back-to-back World Beer Cup gold for Howzit Punch

Back-to-back World Beer Cup golds for the same beer are not a routine awards note, and Alvarado Street Brewery now has one of the clearest examples in craft beer. Howzit Punch, the Monterey County brewery’s passionfruit, orange and guava sour, won gold again in the Fruited American-style Sour Ale category, repeating a feat that immediately separates it from the usual one-and-done medal run.

That matters because the World Beer Cup is the biggest stage in the room. The Brewers Association’s 2026 competition handed out 353 medals to 273 producers across 118 categories, a reminder that even a standout beer has to survive a deep and highly varied field. Alvarado Street Brewery had already proved the beer could win, taking gold for Howzit Punch at the 2025 World Beer Cup after the beer placed silver in 2024. The new result turns that progression into a pattern.

What makes Howzit Punch competition-proof is easy to see in the style itself. The beer leans into bright tropical character, clean acidity and easy drinkability rather than heavy sweetness. That balance is exactly what judges tend to reward in a fruited sour, where too much fruit can flatten the beer and too little can leave it thin. Howzit Punch gives drinkers a clear flavor identity, with passionfruit, orange and guava up front, while still staying crisp enough to keep the palate moving.

The timing also makes the medal feel bigger than a trophy. Alvarado Street Brewery is planning a new production facility and tasting room in Castroville at 11440 Commercial Parkway, near Blackie Road, and owner J.C. Hill has said the current Monterey location tops out at about 15,000 barrels per year. The Castroville site could reach 45,000 barrels, a threefold increase that would give the brewery room to scale a beer that is already proving itself on the competition circuit. Brewery spokesperson Brock Bill has called the project a “gamechanger.”

This is not a lone bright spot, either. Alvarado Street Brewery collected three World Beer Cup medals in 2025, with gold for Howzit Punch, silver for Contains No Juice and bronze for Gold Label Mai Tai P.A. Howzit Punch is also available on draft and in limited packaged formats, with shipping within California, giving the beer a reach that now matches its award record.