The Brewers Association (BA) — the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers — announced the results of one of the largest commercial beer competitions to date, the 2016 World Beer Cup. The awards were presented at the conclusion of the Craft Brewers Conference & 
BrewExpo America in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This edition of the World Beer Cup saw 6,596 beers from 1,907 breweries representing 55 countries — a 38.5 percent increase in the number of entries from the 2014 World Beer Cup, which had 4,754 entries (The World Beer Cup runs every two years).
Entries were judged by an elite international panel of 253 judges from 31 countries. Judges awarded 287 out of 288 total possible awards, reflecting the chance for one gold, one silver and one bronze award in each of 96 beer style categories. A gold award was not presented in the Fresh or Wet Hop Ale category.
“This year’s judge panel was our most international ever, with three-quarters of judges travelling to Philadelphia from outside the U.S.,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, World Beer Cup. “Judges commented throughout the week that overall beer quality continues to improve across the spectrum of world beer styles. While breweries may hold the awards, beer drinkers around the world are the true winners.”
Two Bellingham breweries brought home medals: Wander Brewing’s Wild Warehouse earned a Bronze and Boundary Bay’s Old Bounder Barley Wine received a Silver.
Category: 25 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Bourbon Barrel Aged Koffi Porter, La Quinta Brewing Co., Palm Desert, CA
Silver: Rye Robustito, Drake’s Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA
Bronze: Wild Warehouse, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA
Category: 81 Barley Wine-Style Ale – 71 Entries
Gold: 2013 10&2 Barleywine, Fifty West Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Silver: Old Bounder, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, Pelican Brewing Co. – Pacific City, Pacific City, OR
Congratulations to the other Washington breweries who also picked up medals this year.
Category: 13 Rye Beer – 54 Entries
Gold: Rye Dawn, Breakwater Brewing Co., Oceanside, CA
Silver: Grimlock, Loowit Brewing Co., Vancouver, WA
Bronze: Uncle Dave’s Rye IPA, Discretion Brewing, Soquel, CA
Category: 48 Australian- or International-Style Pale Ale – 84 Entries
Gold: Triumvirate, Reuben’s Brews, Seattle, WA
Silver: Breakside Lunch Break ISA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR
Bronze: Bosque IPA, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
By the way, 16 Oregon breweries brought home a whopping 19 medals this year, which is an amazing feat when you consider that the WBC is a worldwide competition.
“Brewing has no boundaries or borders,” said Charlie Papazian, founder, Brewers Association. “The World Beer Cup recognizes the very best in the global community of brewers — their innovation, creativity and the craft of beer and brewing.”
Category Trends
- The average number of beers entered per category was 69, up from 50 in 2014—a marker of the 2016 World Beer Cup’s high level of competitiveness.
- The category with the most entries was American-Style India Pale Ale with 275 entries.
- The second most-entered category was Imperial India Pale Ale with 181 entries.
- The third most-entered category was American-Style Pale Ale with 167 entries.
- Award Highlights
- The 287 awards were won by 253 breweries, with few breweries earning more than one award.
- 225 breweries won one award.
- 22 breweries won two awards.
- 6 breweries won three awards.
