Model A Brewing Wins Gold At 2026 South Carolina Brewers Cup
Model A Brewing of Tega Cay won a gold medal at the 2026 South Carolina Brewers Cup. Its winter seasonal beer, Not My Gumdrop Buttons, took first place in the Spiced Beer category.
The South Carolina Brewers Guild runs the Brewers Cup, the state’s largest beer competition, and breweries from across South Carolina enter it. Model A was the only Tega Cay brewery on this year’s medal list. Two Fort Mill breweries also placed, bringing the area’s total to 10 medals.
A winter beer takes the category
Not My Gumdrop Buttons was entered as a winter seasonal beer. Judges placed it ahead of two Greenville entries in the Spiced Beer category: Vendetta from Fireforge took silver and Mr. Roboto from Double Stamp Brewery took bronze. Both were entered as spice, herb or vegetable beers.
A year of medals
The gold adds to a strong run for the brewery. At last year’s Brewers Cup, Model A was named Best Overall Brewery in South Carolina after six of its beers medaled.
In July, Model A won three medals at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship in Oxford, Ohio. UK Crusher took gold in Ordinary Bitter. Dolcita IPA won silver as a single hop pale ale, and Amber Hearth won silver as a barrel aged dark beer. The brewery has now won 12 U.S. Open medals since it opened. Head brewer Jerod Jones has led its competition entries through several award cycles.
A group of friends, most of them longtime Tega Cay residents, founded Model A. It opened in December 2020 at 1175 Stonecrest Boulevard, near the Stonecrest shops along S.C. 160.
Fort Mill neighbors also medal
Two Fort Mill breweries also brought home medals. Replay Brewing won six, including three golds. Its EZ Baked, a specialty IPA, finished second for Best of Show, the competition’s top overall honor. Amor Artis Brewing won three medals, including gold for South of the Border, a Vienna lager.
Rocker’s Brewing of Spartanburg won Best of Show for Wingardium Limey Gose. Indigo Reef Brewing Company of Charleston placed third with Duke It Out, an American IPA.
The full list of 2026 South Carolina Brewers Cup winners is posted on the Beer Awards Platform at beerawardsplatform.com.
Local Medal Winners
Model A Brewing, Tega Cay
Gold: Not My Gumdrop Buttons, Spiced Beer
Replay Brewing, Fort Mill
Best of Show, second place: EZ Baked (Specialty IPA)
Gold: EZ Baked, Specialty IPA
Gold: Rands Am, Amber Ale
Gold: Cabby’s Cream Ale, Pale Ale
Silver: Cheat Codes, Hazy IPA
Bronze: Nectari, Fruit Beer
Bronze: World’s Worst Super Hero Honey Blonde Ale, Pale Ale
Amor Artis Brewing, Fort Mill
Gold: South of the Border, International Style Amber Lager
Bronze: Big Red Peach 2021, Sour and Wild Beer
Bronze: Spruce Tip Barleywine, Wood Aged Beer
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
