What makes an international beer competition truly global? Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, looks back on the latest World Beer Cup.
World Beer Cup winners celebrate
There are many international beer competitions around the globe, all purporting to find the best beers in the world. This is a bold claim to make if the competition itself does not attract a truly international list of entries, or is not judged by an international jury with eclectic palates and different perspectives.
The World Beer Cup, organised by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft breweries, which took place last week in Las Vegas, is one such competition that stands apart as a genuinely global contest.
Its goal is to identify up to three world class beers that best represent each beer style category according to the Brewers Association style guidelines. It is the one competition that brewers the world over want to win. New styles may be added (or deleted) from the guidelines according to relevance, and this year West Coast IPAs and pastry stouts were new additions. Last month’s World Beer Cup saw them judged for the first time.
Some World Beer Cup facts
- The World Beer Cup is the biggest and, therefore, the most competitive beer competition in the world. It attracts 9,300 entries from 2,060 breweries across 50 countries, 25% of which were international breweries this year.
- There were 280 judges, of whom 103 were from overseas, spanning 37 countries.
- Awards were judged in 110 categories, covering 172 beer styles (including all sub-categories) with the total number of possible awards at 330.
- Judging took place over seven days, four in the first phase in Colorado, and three in the second phase in Las Vegas. Winners were announced on the final night of the Craft Brewers Conference and Brew Expo America.
- The World Beer Cup started in 1996 and took place bi-annually until 2022 when it became an annual event.
In 2024, the styles with the most entries were:
- Juicy/hazy India Pale Ale (326 entries)
- West Coast-style India Pale Ale (281)
- German-style pilsner (221)
- American-style India Pale Ale (213)
- Wood- and barrel-aged strong stout (198)
The World Beer Cup offers a unique benefit to overseas entries by providing a series of consolidation hubs throughout the world in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, UK, Japan, and Mexico. The Brewers Association arranges for beers to be air-freighted from the consolidation hubs to the USA and covers the cost. A level playing field for all entries is provided, for example by judging more delicate beer styles that might degrade rapidly in the first phase of judging to ensure overseas entries are not disadvantaged. Winning breweries are free to use the World Beer Cup logo on their packaging and website to promote their success.
“Winning a medal at the World Beer Cup gave my salesman a great talking point and product to promote with our distributors,” said multi-award-winner Fred Karm, founder/brewmaster of Hoppin’ Frog Brewery, in Akron, Ohio. “And it gave our distributors a great talking point and product to promote with our vendors, and our vendors to our consumers. As saturated as the craft beer market has become, that’s increasingly helpful.”
Alesmith Brewing Co, from San Diego, regularly celebrates World Beer Cup success. President, Brandon Richards, said: “Winning at the World Beer Cup signifies a pinnacle of success for AleSmith Brewing Company. It signifies our relentless pursuit of quality and innovation, reinforcing our position as a trailblazer in the craft beer industry.
“These victories not only boost sales by increasing consumer confidence and interest, but also uplift team morale, motivating us to continue producing exceptional brews. Furthermore, these accolades elevate our reputation worldwide, attracting new patrons and solidifying our image as a brewery renowned for excellence and creativity in the brewing community.”
Business and networking taking place at the Craft Brewers Conference
For any brewery, winning a medal at World Beer Cup is huge, but for international entries from little known corners of the brewing world it is gargantuan. They may be competing with internationally- or regionally-focused styles and win success in unexpected categories. For example, this year a brewery from Seoul, Kore,a won gold in the speciality saison category, a Brazilian brewery won gold in contemporary gose and old/strong ale styles, and there was an Australian win in gluten-free beer.
Fortunately for American craft beer lovers around the world, many US winning craft breweries export overseas. So look out for medal-winning American craft beers from Coronado Brewing Co, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co, Deschutes Brewery, Reuben’s Brews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, and many more in your market. If you come across such beers, try them!
The UK remains an important export market for American craft beer, with 7.3% of all exports, the second largest individual market behind Canada. In the UK, American craft beer is available from online retailers such as Athletic Brewing, Sierra Nevada shop, Brew Export, Beer Merchants, selected bottle shops, off-licences, online subscription services, supermarkets, and certain pubs and bars.
Next year, the World Beer Cup and Craft Brewers Conference will be held in Indianapolis, from 28th April to 1st May. Registration opens in November. The Brewers Association publishes a wealth of resources to understand and enjoy craft beer, downloadable free of charge from brewersassociation.org.
