25 April 2014 - Best Beer HQ
2014 World Beer Cup winners
The largest ever World Beer Cup came to a close this month with brewers from five continents and 58 different countries coming together to duke it out for beer supremacy.
More than 4,750 beers from 1,403 different breweries were entered this year’s “Olympics of Beer Competition” in Denver, Colorado, where an elite panel of 219 judges were responsible for giving out 281 different awards to some of the best beers in the world.
The 2014 World Beer Cup was more competitive than usual, with only 18% of breweries winning one or more award – or just 253 out of 1,403. Only 26 breweries won two awards and only one – Coors Brewing Company – won three awards.
This year the average number of beers per category was 50. The most competitive category, however, was the American-style India Pale Ale, with a whopping 253 entries.
Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian commented: “Brewers from around the globe participate in the World Beer Cup to win recognition for their creativity and brewing skills. For a brewer, a World Beer Cup gold award allows them to say that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world.”
The World Beer Cup also gives out Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards in five categories based on the awards won by each brewery.
The 5 champions/brewmaster award winners for 2014:
Small brewing company winner: Pelican Brewery, Pacific City, Oregon
Mid-sized brewing company: Coronado Brewing Company, Coronado, California
Large brewing company: Coors Brewing Company
Small brewpub: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Large brewpub: Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, Kansas