Largest-ever World Beer Cup

The World Beer Cup competition was introduced in 1996 to celebrate the art and science of brewing by recognizing outstanding achievement.

Drawing the highest number of entries to date, the 2014 edition saw 4,754 beers from 1,403 breweries representing 58 countries – a 21 percent increase in the number of entries from the 2012 World Beer Cup, which had 3,921 entries.

Brewers from five continents earned awards from an elite panel of 219 judges from 31 countries – drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts –, with brewers from 22 countries – ranging from Australia and Brazil to Taiwan and the United Kingdom – honored.

This year’s event was particularly competitive; the proportion of breweries winning one or more awards was 18 percent, compared to 27 percent in 2012. There was a 75.6 percent increase in breweries competing this year versus 2012, which had 799 breweries that entered beers in the competition. A total of 253 breweries took home awards in 2014, a 16.6 percent increase over 2012.

The awards were presented at the conclusion of Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America in Denver, Colorado.

A complete list of award winners is available for download from www.worldbeercup.org.