FORT MYERS, FL [March 9, 2026], Fort Myers Brewing Company, Lee County’s first microbrewery and one of Florida’s largest craft breweries, swept the 2026 Best Florida Beer Championships — earning six medals for six entered beers and claiming Second Runner-Up for Florida’s Best Large Brewery. The announcement was made at the Best Florida Beer Brewer’s Ball on Sunday, March 8th.
“This recognition reflects the talent, dedication, and passion of our entire brewing team. Every batch we produce is made with care, and this award belongs to both them and the Southwest Florida community that has supported us since day one,” said Rob Whyte, Co-Founder, Fort Myers Brewing Company.
2026 BEST FLORIDA BEER CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Fort Myers Brewing entered six beers and medaled in all six categories:
- Boat Story, Bronze Medal, American-Style Wheat Beer
- Virtuoso, Bronze Medal, Other Hoppy Lager
- Bubblin’ Crude, Silver Medal, American-Style Imperial Stout
- High 5 IPA, Silver Medal, American-Style Pale Ale
- Chocolate Stout, Silver Medal, Chocolate Beer
- Penny Lager, Gold Medal, American-Style Amber Lager
The Best Florida Beer Championships is a sanctioned beer, mead, and cider championship that promotes commercial breweries and excellence in craft beer across the state of Florida.
A LEGACY BUILT ONE MEDAL AT A TIME
Fort Myers Brewing has medaled at the Best Florida Beer Championships every year since 2014, a streak that now spans more than a decade of uninterrupted excellence. The brewery enters 2026 with a cumulative total of more than 40 Best Florida Beer accolades, including over 17 gold medals.
The brewery’s award-winning portfolio reaches far beyond Florida’s borders. Fort Myers Brewing earned gold at the 2022 World Beer Cup, gold at the Great American Beer Festival, and was named Grand National Champion at the U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Championships in both 2021 and 2022. Most recently, the brewery’s beloved Chocolate Stout claimed silver at the 2024 World Beer Cup in Las Vegas.
To date, Fort Myers Brewing holds 65 medals across five major competitions: the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, U.S. Open Beer Championship, U.S. Open Seltzer Championship, and Best Florida Beer.
ABOUT FORT MYERS BREWING COMPANY
Established in March 2013, Fort Myers Brewing Company became the first microbrewery to open in Lee County and has since grown into one of the largest craft breweries in Florida. Founded by husband-and-wife team Rob and Jen Whyte, the brewery operates from a 22,000-square-foot facility with a four-vessel, 30-barrel system producing 15,000 barrels of beer annually. Fort Myers Brewing distributes to more than 1,600 bars, restaurants, and retail locations across the state.
The taproom, located at 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Fort Myers, FL 33913, is open seven days a week and features food trucks daily, live music, and family- and pet-friendly events year-round. For more information, visit FMBrew.com or follow @FMBrew on social media.