After a break in 2020 due to the pandemic, the World Beer Cup returned in 2022 and broke all records.
The 2022 World Beer Cup was the largest competition to date, with 10,542 entries from 2,493 breweries representing 57 countries. Entries were evaluated by a panel of 226 judges from 28 countries. Competition judging took place in 18 sessions over nine days. Judges bestowed 307 out of 309 total possible awards, reflecting the opportunity for one gold, silver, and bronze award in each of 103 beer style categories.
As always, the largest category was the American-Style India Pale Ale with 384 entries, which – unsurprisingly – also had three American winners. Countries with the most awards were United States (252), followed by Canada (14) and Germany (11).
The awards were presented in a ceremony Thursday evening at the conclusion of the Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America® at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
A list with all winners can be seen here.
“The World Beer Cup showcases the incredible breadth and talent of the global brewing community,” said Chris Swersey, Competition Director, World Beer Cup. “Winning an award at this extremely competitive event symbolizes one of the greatest accomplishments in the art of brewing. Congratulations to this year’s winners on their outstanding achievements.”
The World Beer Cup was previously a biennial event that had to be canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic (inside.beer, 13.3.2020) and as a result has been on a four-year hiatus to date. However, the organiser, the Brewers Association, saw a need for shorter intervals and has now decided on an annual event from 2023.
Brewery registration for the 2023 World Beer Cup will open in October 2022, with the awards presented May 10, 2023, at the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville, Tenn.
