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
