Known as “the Olympics of beer,” the World Beer Cup is the most prestigious beer competition in the world, held annually in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®.
World Beer Cup Competition
When: Every year
Judges: 200+ highly qualified beer professionals
Style Categories: 100+
Awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze
Developed in 1996 to celebrate the art and science of brewing, this global competition continues to create greater consumer awareness about different beer styles and flavor profiles while promoting international brewing excellence.
“When industry professionals acknowledge the excellence in products from around the market, the beer drinker can be sure that those brands are the finest available,” says Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director.
Awards Philosophy
The World Beer Cup recognizes brewing excellence in more than 100 categories but does not automatically award the top three entries in a particular category. When judges determine that a category contains three excellent examples of the style, they present gold, silver, and bronze awards for the first, second, and third place beers, respectively.
“Evaluating beer happens on many levels,” says Williams. “On a professional level, beer evaluation is a form of peer review. The results are public, so consumers can learn what beers meet a high level of quality and what beers exemplify certain styles as interpreted by the judges.”
Judges may grant an award in any one or more of the three award places without granting awards in all three places. For example, judges may recognize a beer as a silver or bronze award winner yet not grant a gold award. Learn more.
About the Brewers Association
The World Beer Cup is organized by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.
