Cass sweeps 2026 brand awards with triple win

A promotional photo showing the lineup of Cass beer products / Courtesy of Cass

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published Sep 3, 2026 1:32 PM KST

Oriental Brewery’s flagship lager brand, Cass, cemented its dominance in the domestic market by sweeping three categories at the 2026 Brand of the Year Awards, including top votes for its traditional beer, zero-alcohol lineup and music festival properties.

Cass won the beer category for the fourth consecutive year, while Cass Zero took the nonalcoholic beer category for a second straight year.

CassCool Festival, the brand’s summer music event, was selected for the newly created Music Festival of the Year category.

The awards, organized by the Korea Consumer Forum, are determined through annual consumer voting, with more than 770,000 people participating this year.

Cass said its latest honors reflect both the strength of its products and the response to its efforts to create more interactive experiences around its brand.

Cass has expanded its consumer-facing campaigns this year through a World Cup-themed pop-up called Cass Fan Base Camp and viewing events at Cass Viewing Pubs.

The brand has also promoted Cass Extreme Cold, served at minus 3 degrees Celsius, and “Ultra Fresh” draft beer produced the day before it is sold at major summer festivals.

Cass Zero, meanwhile, underwent a product renewal this year, using what the company calls its Smart Zero Process to achieve an alcohol content of 0 percent while enhancing its beer flavor and refreshing finish.

CassCool Festival was recognized for combining music, water shows and interactive programming, including performances, water slides and festival-only food and beverage offerings.

A Cass brand representative said the recognition was particularly meaningful because Cass, Cass Zero and CassCool Festival were all selected through consumer voting.

The representative said Cass would continue developing products and brand experiences tailored to different consumer tastes and lifestyles.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.