The winners of the 2024 World Beer Cup were announced on Wednesday, offering the brewing community’s best some well-deserved recognition.
Commonly referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competitions,” the World Beer Cup was developed by the Brewers Association (BA) in the mid-1990s, and is now held annually in tandem with the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America. This year’s ceremony was held at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.
This year, a panel of 272 judges from 26 countries tasted through over 10,000 beers. 2,376 breweries from 51 different nations submitted their finest suds for a shot at winning a medal, according to the World Beer Cup’s website. The long list of categories includes sour ales, a variety of India pale ale styles, German-style Märzen, English mild ales, American wheat beer, and many more. The Cup’s judging panel includes those involved in the brewing industry, from brewers and suppliers to writers, consultants, and certified Cicerones. The judging criteria comes down to a number of factors, such as how well a beer adheres to a specific style and execution in terms of balance, taste, aroma, and appearance.
“This industry is rapidly changing, with the amount of additional science and information that comes through on a daily basis,” judge Nicholas Galton-Fenzi told the BA. “A beer making it through to the second round of this competition is already leagues ahead.”
Awards were given in a whopping 110 categories. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were handed out in all categories but one, Belgian-style ale or French-style ale, in which judges refrained from awarding a gold medal to any of the 27 entries. Breweries from the United States brought home the most gold, coming out on top in 44 categories, with the majority of the stateside winners hailing from the West Coast. Canada followed with 17 gold medals, and Germany received top honors in 12 categories.
Read on to see the breweries that brought home a coveted medal in select categories from the 2024 World Beer Cup.
India Pale Ales
American-Style India Pale Ale
Gold: High 6 from Highland Park Brewery
Silver: Hop-Fu! from North Park Beer Co.
Bronze: Single Cone from Alvarado Street Brewery
Experimental India Pale Ale
Gold: Kross IPA Pomelo from Southern Brewing Co.
Silver: Kumi Lizard Invasion from Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits
Bronze: Ride-On Tropical from Golden Road Brewing
Imperial India Pale Ale
Gold: Chance Favors The Prepared Mind from Green Cheek Beer Co.
Silver: Rabbit Habit from Docent Brewing
Bronze: Nose Goblin from Ghost Town Brewing
West-Coast Style India Pale Ale
Gold: Western Standard Time from ISM Brewing
Silver: False Memories from Green Cheek Beer Co.
Bronze: Eddie’s Redux from Abnormal Beer Co.
Session India Pale Ale:
Gold: Micro Blaster from Shred Beer Co.
Silver: Foxglove from Grand Fir Brewing
Bronze: Wild Gravity from Bend Brewing Co.
Juicy or Hazy
Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
Gold: Jimmy Buffet Ruined My Life from Swells’a Brewing
Silver: Space Cowboi from Crooked Can Brewing Co.
Bronze: Unfettered Soul from Strangebird
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
Gold: Beezer from Old Irving Brewing Co.
Silver: Art Isn’t Real from MadeWest Brewing Co.
Bronze: King Lupu’s Happy Juice from Project 9 Brewing Co.
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
Gold: City of Dreams Pale Ale from Fort George Brewery
Silver: Small Wonder Dust from Barebottle Brewing Co.
Bronze: Green Flash: Hazy West Coast IPA from SweetWater Brewing Co.
Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
Gold: Templin Family Squirrel!! from Templin Family Brewing
Silver: Silver Spaceship from ODD Muse Brewing Co.
Bronze: Aspen Hazy IPA from Aspen Brewing Co.
Sours
American-Style Sour Ale
Gold: Dinosour Stone Fruit from Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.
Silver: Howzit Punch from Alvarado Street Brewery
Bronze: Fancy Meeting You Beer from Alamo Beer Co.
Belgian-Style Sour Ale
Gold: Homage to the Old Ones from Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Co.
Silver: Chance, Luck & Magic 2020 from Garage Project
Bronze: Spontaneous Manifesto from Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Co.
German-Style Sour Ale
Gold: German Sparkle Party from 10 Barrel Brewing Co.
Silver: Riviera from 10 Barrel Brewing Co.
Bronze: Baywindow from 10 Barrel Brewing Co.
The full list of 2024 winners can be found on the World Beer Cup website.
The article These Are the Best Beers on Earth, According to the 2024 World Beer Cup appeared first on VinePair.