The prestigious European Beer Star competition, organized by the German Association of Private Breweries since 2004, marked its 20th anniversary. Winners of the "Anniversary EBS" were honored during the BrauBeviale trade fair on November 29, 2023.
For the milestone competition, 2356 beers from 550 breweries across 47 countries competed in 74 categories, showcasing a diverse range of styles. This represented a 9% growth from the previous year, which saw 2168 beers from 40 countries entered into the competition. (inside.beer, 14.9.2022) However, last year marked a difficult start after the competition had to pause for two years during the COVID pandemic.
Germany dominated the medal table with 222 awards, including 83 for German breweries. The USA secured second place, followed by Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. The participation of 21 nations reflects the international scope of the event.
Schneider Weisse Brewery from Kelheim (Germany) emerged as the most successful, securing three Gold and one Bronze. Firestone Walker Brewing Company (USA) and Pravda Brewery (Ukraine) achieved notable international success.
Distelhäuser Brewery, Kaiser Brewery (both Germany), and Urbrew (China) received Gold medals for the best German-Style Pils, Helle, and South German-Style Hefeweizen hell, respectively.
The "Free-Style Beer" category saw Stieglbrauerei in Salzburg (Austria) win Gold, emphasizing the significance of storytelling in beer evaluation.
The complete list of winners and the medal table for the European Beer Star 2023 can be seen here.
