Gubernija among the world’s best once again – seven awards and the title of the world’s best dark non-alcoholic beer

Gubernija’s beer quality continues to earn international recognition – the Šiauliai-based brewery returned from one of the world’s most prestigious beer competitions, the World Beer Awards, with seven awards, while its Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale was named the world’s best in its category.

This year, Lithuania’s oldest brewery, owned by MV GROUP Production, received a total of seven awards. The Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale won a gold medal and was named the best dark non-alcoholic beer both in Lithuania and worldwide. Extra Lager also won a gold medal and was named the best lager in Lithuania, while Wheat Hefeweizen and Baltic Porter received silver medals.

The World Beer Awards is one of the best-known international beer competitions, attracting thousands of entries each year from breweries around the world. The competition takes place in several stages – first, the best products in each country are selected, after which national winners compete for the titles of the world’s best. Beers are assessed in blind tastings by an independent international judging panel made up of experienced brewers, drinks experts, journalists and educators.

According to Algirdas Čiburys, CEO of MV GROUP Production, which operates the Gubernija brewery, awards at international competitions provide an important independent assessment of the quality and competitiveness of the company’s products.

“​​For us, the value of international competitions is not about the number of medals. What matters most is being able to benchmark our products against those of producers from around the world and receive an independent assessment of their quality. These results show that we can successfully compete in international markets, while also encouraging us to continue investing in quality and expanding our product range,” says A. Čiburys.

Sales nearly doubled

This year’s results build on Gubernija’s previous success at the World Beer Awards. In each of the past two years, beers from Lithuania’s oldest brewery received four awards, while the 2023 competition marked a major success for its Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale – the Gubernija product was named the world’s best non-alcoholic beer and also won the title of the world’s best dark non-alcoholic beer.

Growing consumer interest in the product is also reflected in its sales performance. In 2025, sales of the Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale increased by 25% compared with 2024, with almost 100,000 more cans sold. During the first eight months of this year, sales of the non-alcoholic beer increased by 40% in litres compared with the same period in 2024. The Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale is currently the fastest-growing product in Gubernija’s portfolio.

“We see that products recognised in international competitions have strong growth potential. The consistent growth in sales of our Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale is an important signal for us to continue increasing the product’s visibility, strengthening cooperation with partners and expanding its distribution,” says A. Čiburys.

According to him, the constant drive to achieve better results is an integral part of the company’s culture.

“One of our values is the desire to win, and this is more than just a phrase. Every day, we look for better solutions, improve our products and refuse to settle for what we have already achieved. Today, our beers have received a total of 35 international awards, and each of these recognitions matters not only to Gubernija, but also to the reputation of Lithuanian brewing. Having Lithuanian products recognised in international competitions contributes to the country’s visibility on the global drinks map and shows that we can create high-quality products that meet the needs of different consumers,” says the head of MV GROUP Production.