Festival Will Crown Wisconsin’s Best IPA
Third Space Brewing hosts 10th annual event; ticket sales running ahead of last year.
IPA Fest 2022. Photo courtesy of Third Space Brewing Company.
Wisconsin IPA Fest returns to Third Space Brewing Company on Aug. 1 for its 10th installment, with organizers reporting that ticket sales are already outpacing last year ahead of the milestone event. The hop-heavy festival will feature 40 Wisconsin breweries competing for the title of Wisconsin’s best IPA or India pale ale.
This year’s festival will take place at 1505 W. St. Paul Ave. and run an hour longer than past events, featuring unlimited sampling from 2 to 6 p.m., with beer-friendly snacks available for purchase from Tots on the Street, Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds and other vendors.
VIP ticket holders will be granted entry at 1 p.m. for an extra hour of sampling time. A variety of IPAs — West Coast, hazy, imperial — will be on offer alongside styles including lagers, stouts and seasonal ales. Special attractions such as the Lager Lounge and Sour Station will also return this year.
Attendees are invited to vote on their favorite IPA to determine the People’s Choice Award; however, a panel of industry experts will determine the official champion before the festival begins.
On Thursday, July 30, certified judges will conduct a double-blind tasting of every beer entered in the competition, scoring each on aroma, flavor, balance and style accuracy. The top five IPAs will advance to a final peer-judged round on Friday, July 31, where Wisconsin brewers whose beers are not finalists will select the overall winner.
A full list of participating breweries is available to view online.
Though divisive among beer drinkers for their bold, often bitter flavor profile, IPAs remain among the nation’s most popular craft beer styles. The beers are often linked to 18th century Britain, where higher hop content helped preserve them during long sea voyages; however, enthusiasts continue to debate the style’s exact origins.
After its early inception, the style began gaining traction across the U.S. in the 90s and is now nearly ubiquitous at breweries across the country, with interpretations ranging in flavor from astringent pine and citrus to juicy and grain-forward varieties.
Third Space said the 2026 festival reflects continued support for Wisconsin craft breweries despite what organizers described as a “tumultuous” period marked by a wave of brewery closures. “Ticket sales are already up 25% from last year, with VIP tickets nearly sold out, providing proof that even as the industry faces real headwinds, Wisconsin’s craft beer community is showing up stronger than ever,” organizers noted in a news release.
Wisconsin IPA Fest 2026 is presented by Briess Malt, Cansource, and Workforce.com. Tickets, including general admission, VIP and a discounted designated driver option, are available to purchase online.
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