Members of the Brewers Association have enjoyed global success at the Brussels Beer Challenge, European Beer Star Awards, and the Japan International Beer Cup.
The 13th running of the Brussels Beer Challenge took place in the historic city of Ghent over three days in November. Some 1,705 beers from 39 countries were evaluated by 72 international beer judges.
American craft breweries won 19 medals between them, including five gold, seven silver, and seven bronze. River North Brewing Co’s Uptown Squirrel Porter won best American beer in the competition.
One of the most recognised beer competitions in the world, the European Beer Star Awards, is committed to the traditional European art of brewing. It rewards high-quality, authentic beers that are genuine and distinctive, and is limited to beer categories that originate in Europe.
Brewers Association members in Nuremburg for the European Beer Star Awards
This competition took place for the 21st time in September, in Nuremburg, Germany. It attracted 2,360 entries from more than 550 breweries across 50 different countries. Of these entries, 68% were from overseas.
Members of the Brewers Association’s Export Development Programme (EDP) won 32 medals in total, eight more than last year, including 13 golds, 10 silvers, and nine bronzes.
Hosted by Japan’s Craft Beer Association, the International Beer Cup is Japan’s largest international beer competition, established in 1996. It provides a valuable opportunity for members of the EDP to compete and gain awareness in a leading export market for American craft beer. This year’s competition received 1,423 entries from 370 breweries across 20 countries. It was judged in Sapporo city, Hokkaido, over three days in October.
American craft brewers won 33 medals — 12 golds, nine silvers, and 12 bronze. Two EDP members were recognised as champions in their respective categories: Breakside Brewery’s La Maison du Bang! in the aged and strong class, and Sketchbook Brewing Co’s Grodiskie in historical beers.
Trailblazers
“It’s truly remarkable to see American craft beer consistently winning top honours at these three prestigious international beer competitions, year after year,” said Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe.
“This ongoing success highlights the dedication of American craft brewers to quality, innovation, and brewing excellence, reinforcing their reputation as trailblazers in the brewing world.
“In today’s competitive beer market, gaining recognition on the global stage is an important point of difference, and I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them.”
Success at international beer competitions helps to raise awareness of American craft beer abroad and assists EDP member breweries with generating publicity for their brands in overseas markets.
As part of its programming, the EDP helps facilitate US brewery participation and performance in select competitions by covering entry fees and consolidated airfreight shipment to judging sites.
