Brings Home Two Golds from World Beer Cup Awards

Portland, Ore. (April 15, 2014) – Craft Brew Alliance (CB^A) (NASDAQ: BREW), an independent craft brewing company, today announced that two of its brands earned gold awards, the highest honor, in their categories in the World Beer Cup Awards, one of the largest commercial competitions in the world. The awards were presented at a special ceremony held Friday, April 11 following the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America in Denver, Colorado.

CB^A World Beer Cup Award Winners

· Widmer Brothers Brewing’s Hefeweizen earned the Gold in the American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast Category, which received 25 entries. This is the third time Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen has earned Gold in this category.

“It’s an incredible honor to have our beers and brewers recognized in this highly competitive global event,” said Andy Thomas, Chief Executive Officer for CB^A. “On behalf of everyone at CB^A, I’d like to recognize our exceptional brewers and their commitment to brewing world-class beers for earning two gold medals for two of America’s original craft breweries. The gold for Widmer Brothers Hefe is a fitting tribute to The Original American Hefeweizen as we kick off a year-long celebration of Widmer Brothers’ 30th anniversary; and the gold for Redhook’s Audible Ale, which is only in its second year, is a great reflection of our passion and commitment to brewing standout new beers.”

Often referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competition,” the World Beer Cup is considered the most prestigious beer competition in the world. Drawing the highest number of entries to date, this year’s event saw 4,754 beers from 1,403 breweries representing 58 countries—a 21 percent increase in the number of entries and a 75.6 percent increase in the number of breweries competing in the prior World Beer Cup competition.

“Brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that excite and satisfy beer drinkers is what motivates our brewing teams on a daily basis,” said Scott Mennen, VP of Brewery Operations for CB^A. “We are extremely proud of the very talented brewers we have on our team, and while it’s the quality and taste of our beers that drives us, earning two coveted gold awards from this prestigious competition delivers some well-deserved external validation. Today, we are raising our glasses to our world-class brewers everyone at CB^A who continues to help us create exceptional consumer beer experiences day after day.”