Over 300 Medals Awarded In Largest World Beer Cup Ever

8,234 entries from 66 countries compete at the ‘Olympics of Beer.’

The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers—announced the results of the 2018 World Beer Cup Awards. The largest competition to date, the awards were presented at the conclusion of the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America® at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Beers were judged during six sessions over a period of three days by an elite panel of 295 judges from 33 countries—72 percent of whom were from outside the United States. Judges evaluated 8,234 beers—a 25 percent increase in the number of entries from the 2016 World Beer Cup. Of the 2,515 participating breweries, 807 were from outside the United States.

Out of a possible 303 awards in 101 beer style categories, 302 were awarded. One gold award was not given in Category 36, International-Style Pilsener.

“Beer brings people together,” said Charlie Papazian, founder and past president, Brewers Association. “The World Beer Cup showcases the breadth of the global brewing community and winning an award symbolizes one of the greatest brewing achievements. Congratulations to all the winners on this remarkable accomplishment.”

2018 World Beer Cup Winners List and Fact Sheet

Average number of beers entered per category: 82 (a 13 percent increase from 2016)

• Most-entered categories in 2018:

  • 377 entries in Category 93, American-Style India Pale Ale

  • 196 entries in Category 94, Imperial India Pale Ale

  • 196 entries in Category 28, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer

  • 190 entries in Category 29, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout

• Number of countries represented: 66 (a 20 percent increase from 2016)
• Countries with the most awards:
  • United States: 242
  • Canada: 14
  • Germany: 9

• Country with the highest winning rate: Belgium (10 percent)

Panama won its first-ever World Beer Cup award. All other award-winning countries were previous winners. The Brewers Association introduced the World Beer Cup competition in 1996 to celebrate the art and science of brewing by recognizing outstanding achievement.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 4,000-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^SM, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer^® magazine, and Brewers Publications™ is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S.