The 2024 World Beer Cup wrapped last night from the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. The event hosted and organized by the Brewers Association, saw nearly 300 judges evaluating 9000+ beers from 2060 breweries across 50 countries. Commonly referred to as the Olympics of Beer, the World Beer Cup is perhaps the most prestigious beer competition in the world.
Although we do not know which of Canada's breweries entered the competition (not everyone does), we do know who took home medals. If you follow beer and brewing in the country, you may recognize some of these names. And if you don't, you should.
The biggest winners of the night were Formula Brewing of Issaquah Washington and 10 Barrell Brewing Co. of Bend Oregon who each took home 4 medals. Right behind them was Edmonton, Alberta's Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Co./The Monolith who grabbed a gold and bronze in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category for Homage to the Old Ones and Spontaneous Manifesto and a silver for Biere des Charentes in the Wood and Barrel Aged Sour group. These three medals make Blind Enthusiasm/Monolith Canada's biggest winner at the World Beer Cup.
Without much surprise, British Columbia had several breweries grab medals at the World Beer Cup. Interestingly, none of those breweries were located in metro-Vancouver. Whistler Brewing Co. took gold for Whistler Winter Dunkel in the Chocolate Beer category, Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. of Victoria collected a gold in American Style Sour Ale for Dinosaur Stone Fruit, Kelowna's Jackknife Brewing Co. grabbed a silver for Hunting Lodge in Historical Beer and North Van's Shaketown Brewing Co. grabbed a bronze for Pre-Prohibition Pilsner in the American Style Pilsner group.
Over in Ottawa, two breweries who tied as the best breweries in Ontario in our story on Canada's Best Breweries by Province in 2023 both grabbed medals at the World Beer Cup. Flora Hall collected a silver for English Ordinary Bitter in the English Mild or Bitter group and Tooth and Nail took home a gold for valor in the the Classic Saison category. However, it was Amsterdam Brewing Co. of Toronto who brought the most awards back to Ontario by winning two silvers for Downtown Brown in English Style Brown Ale and Amsterdam Blonde in Golden or Blonde Ale.
The most awards by Canadian provinces at the 2024 World Beer Cup went to Quebec where five different breweries won on the grand stage. Industry heavy weights Unibroue of Chambly, Quebec grabbed a silver for Eau Benite in Belgian Style Strong Specialty Ale and a gold for their famous La Fin du Monde in the Belgian Tripel group. Siboire Microbrasserie of Sherbrooke won silver for Trip d'Automne a Belgian Style Blonde Ale. Microbrasserie La Souche from Quebec City won silver for 10eme Avenue a Belgian Quadrupel. 3 Brasseurs of Montreal grabbed a Bronze for Kampot a Special Berliner Style Weisse and La Knowlton Co. scored a silver for lager Japonaise International Lager.
To see the complete list of Winners at the 2024 World Beer cup, visit their site here.
Congrats to all the Canadian breweries who entered and who took home these huge honours. If you are in Calgary and would like to know more about all these different beer categories and how they are judged, please sign up for a Calgary Brewery Tour with YYCTOURS which focuses on education about all things beer.
Cheers.
YYCTOURS
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