Referred to often as “The Olympics of Beer Competitions,” The World Beer Cup has announced its 2022 winners. The competition, developed in the mid-1990s by The Brewers Association, was created as a means to celebrate the delicate craft of beer brewing.
The Cup recognizes above-and-beyond brewing in 103 categories, awarding the top three entries in each with gold, silver, and bronze distinctions. Categories include, but are not limited to: Sour Ales, a variety of India Pale Ale styles, German-Style Hefeweizen, and American Wheat Beer. The judging panel consists of a collection of those involved in the brewing industry, including highly-regarded industry suppliers, writers, consultants, and brewers.
Competition manager Chris Swersey argues that, “On a professional level, beer evaluation is a form of peer review. The results are public, so consumers can learn what beers meet a high level of quality and what beers exemplify certain styles as interpreted by the judges.”
It’s worth mentioning that for Witbier, a popular Belgian beer style, the gold and silver medals went unawarded. Instead, only Allagash White was offered a medal — but in the bronze position.
Here are the beers that stepped onto the podium in some of the category’s most popular styles:
India Pale Ales
American-Style India Pale Ale
Experimental India Pale Ale
Imperial India Pale Ale
International India Pale Ale
Session India Pale Ale
Juicy or Hazy
Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
Sours
American-Style Sour Ale
Belgian-Style Sour Ale
Fruited American-Style Sour Ale
German-Style Sour Ale
Check out the full list of winners to see where your favorite beers stacked up.
