2008 World Beer Cup winners

Just released are the 2008 World Beer Cup winners list.

From the Brewers' Association:

Brewers from five continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The seventh bi-annual competition awarded medals to brewers from 21 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Bolivia and Japan.

This year, 644 breweries from 58 countries and 45 U.S. states vied for awards with 2,864 beers entered in 91 beer style categories. The top three entries in each category won gold, silver and bronze medals.

In addition the competition gives “Champion Brewery” and “Champion Brewer” awards in each of five brewery categories based on the medals won by each brewery.

Brewers from the United States won 185 of the 268 style category awards and four of the five Champion Brewery/Brewer awards.

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Small Brewpub Category
Bend Brewing Company
Tonya Cornett

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Large Brewpub Category
Pelican Pub & Brewery
Darron R. S. Welch

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Small Brewing Company Category
Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey
Tomme Arthur

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH
Peter Bucher

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Large Brewing Company Category
Blue Moon Brewing Company
Warren Quilliam

Again, the US took 185 of the 268 styles! Of course this competition was held in the US, but when you look at the international entrants and the categories the US won in, it instills pride.

I was happy to see some of my favorite breweries winning medals: Troegs won two, Rock Bottom in Bethesda, Sam Adams, Great Lakes Brewing, Bell's, Three Floyds, Flying Dog, Clipper CIty, Brooklyn Brewery...the list goes on.

There were some interesting categories as well, and some rather suprising results: Stone wins in the ESB/Strong Bitter category for Stone Pale Ale, for instance. And of course, there are some not-so-suprising: german breweries like Weihenstephan, Schneider Weisse, and iconic breweries like Allagash and Alaskan Brewing Company.

All in all, it seems to be a pretty good barometer of brewing in the US. Time to search out some Beer Cup winning brews!

Cheers!