For the second consecutive year, three Michigan breweries won gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

Ann Arbor's Mothfire Brewing Co. won a gold medal for Panda in the Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale category, while Plymouth-based Bearded Lamb Brewing Co. won gold for its Chugga Chocolate Milk Stout in the Sweet Stout or Cream Stout category.

Founders Brewing Co. won gold in the Hop Water category for its Hoppy Mood. This was the first year the Great American Beer Festival offered that category as hop waters become more prevalent among breweries as a nonalcoholic, low-calorie option.

Three Michigan breweries also won silver medals: Ferndale's Urbanrest Brewing Co. for its Perpetual Fog in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category; Flint's Redwood Brewing Co. for its Stable Genius in the Saison category; and Short's Brewing Co. Production Facility in Elk Rapids for Summer Heat in the Specialty Beer category.

The Great American Beer Festival, which takes place every fall in Denver, is considered the premier craft beer competition in the United States. A total of 243 breweries and cideries took home 336 medals in 2026, the festival said. More than 200 judges evaluated 7,267 beer and cider entries across 49 states.

Michigan also won three gold medals in 2025, the most gold medals the state's breweries won in the competition in 15 years.

Mothfire Brewing Co.'s Panda, a 8% alcohol-by-volume hazy double IPA, also won silver in the World Beer Cup this past spring.

See the list of winners here.

Michigan winners at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival

• Gold medal: Mothfire Brewing Co., Panda, Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
• Gold medal: Bearded Lamb Brewing Co., Chugga Chocolate Milk Stout, Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
• Gold medal: Founders Brewing Co., Hoppy Mood, Hop Water
• Silver medal: Urbanrest Brewing Co., Perpetual Fog, Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
• Silver medal: Redwood Brewing Co., Stable Genius, Saison
• Silver medal: Short's Brewing Co. Production Facility, Summer Heat, Specialty Beer

Firefighters are working to contain two wildfires in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, one of which has forced evacuations.

The Ridge Fire was estimated at about 256 acres as of Sunday afternoon, burning about 10 miles northwest of Marquette between County Road 510 and North Basin Drive, according to Michigan's Department of Natural Resources.

Three residences on County Road 510 have been evacuated due to the fire. The Marquette County Sheriff's Office established Negaunee Township Hall on M-35 as an evacuation center.

The Craig Lake fire is estimated at about 30 acres, according to the Michigan DNR, and is burning north of Craig Lake State Park. That fire is in "a very remote area that is also rugged terrains that is very difficult to access," the Michigan DNR said.

A temporary flight restriction is in place over both fires. Drones are not permitted in the area.

Fire danger is at "very high" levels in the Upper Peninsula today due to drought conditions, warm temperatures and strong winds, the Michigan DNR said.

Officials initiated the "Ready, Set, Go!" protocol for residents along North Basin Drive due to the Ridge Fire. The current status is "Set," meaning residents are encouraged to:

• Monitor local media and emergency alerts.
• Load vehicles with emergency bags and valuables.
• Be ready to leave.

The Michigan DNR said Monday that heavy smoke may be present in Negaunee, Ishpeming, Marquette, Michigamme and surrounding areas this morning due to a shift in wind direction overnight and not as a result of significant increases in fire activity. The agency urged people in the area with certain underlying medical conditions to limit their time outdoors.

Saturday will mark the end of an era in Detroit and Michigan sports as right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander makes his final career start for the Detroit Tigers and MLB.

Verlander, simply known as "JV" by many Tigers fans, had a tumultuous final season due to injuries, making only one start March 30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But when he caps his career Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park (1:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet), he will be remembered for a stellar career spanning more than two decades, including a Cy Young Award, an American League MVP award and two no-hitters with the Tigers.

Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon took it a step further when talking with Morning Edition producer Caoilinn Goss on Friday.

"As either the best or second best pitcher in Detroit Tigers history," Bacon told Goss when asked how Verlander will be best remembered. "And that history goes back 123 years. That's very impressive."

Verlander, 43, was selected No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLB draft by the Tigers, one season after they nearly set the record for the worst regular season in baseball history (43-119).

Two years later, he was integral as a rookie in helping the 2006 Tigers reach the World Series, posting 17 wins and a 3.63 ERA in 30 starts. He pitched his first career no-hitter and made his first
of 10 MLB All-Star teams in 2007.

From there, Verlander quickly became a fan favorite in Detroit and a must-see attraction every time he made a start. His best stretch came 2011-13, when he threw a second no-hitter, won his first Cy Young Award and MVP, all while leading the Tigers to another World Series appearance.

Though Verlander couldn't quite win a World Series in Detroit, he did so with the Houston Astros in 2017 and 2022. And after bouncing around a little bit with stints in New York, Houston (again) and San Francisco, Verlander came back to the Tigers on a one year deal this season, looking to close out a Hall of Fame career with the team where it all started, with hopes of leading the Tigers to another World Series.

But this season hasn't gone as planned. Verlander went on the injured list in early April due to left hip inflammation, and has stayed there in the months since for a variety of ailments while the Tigers struggled on the field (they're 75-84 entering Friday and eliminated from the postseason). Verlander announced his retirement in July.

Verlander completed a bullpen session Tuesday, the necessary final step toward ensuring he can pitch at least one more time this weekend. It'll take place during a two day celebration honoring Verlander at Comerica Park.

"What I love about this is he has not pitched in months," Bacon said. "He can very easily just ride out the season, but he wants to come back for one last outing. That's a pretty bold move because he could get slammed. Maybe it's a bad taste on the way out the door, but I like the courage of this and I'm sure the fans are going to respond. And who knows, maybe the guy comes through.

"So I think it's a very cool move. And it's great that Verlander came back to Detroit. He will be a Hall of Famer, and when he is, he'll probably be wearing a Detroit Tigers cap on his plaque."

You can play the full audio of Goss' interview with Bacon near the top of this page.

How to watch Justin Verlander's final start with the Detroit Tigers

• Game: Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• Time: 1:10 p.m. Saturday
• Location: Comerica Park
• TV: Detroit SportsNet or the MLB app
• Radio: WXYT 97.1 FM in metro Detroit, Detroit Tigers Radio Network elsewhere