The 1996 World Beer Cup, the inaugural event of its kind, was held in Vail, Colorado, marking a significant milestone in the global craft beer movement. Organized by the Brewers Association, it brought together breweries from around the world to compete in various style categories, showcasing the diversity and quality of beer. With 27 categories and 600 entries from 250 breweries across 26 countries, the competition highlighted emerging trends in craft brewing, such as robust stouts and hoppy ales. American breweries dominated, with notable winners like Redhook Brewery and Deschutes Brewery setting the stage for the U.S. craft beer revolution. The event laid the foundation for the biennial competition, fostering international camaraderie and innovation in brewing.
Category 1: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 12 Entries
Silver: Pullman Pale Ale 0 Riverside Brewing Co. – Riverside, CA USA
Bronze: Doggie Style Ale – Broadway Brewing LLC – Denver, CO USA
Category 2: India Pale Ale – 26 Entries
Gold: Wet Mountain India Pale Ale – Il Vicino – Salida, CO USA
Silver: Blind Pig India Pale Ale – Blind Pig Brewing Co. – Temecula, CA USA
Bronze: Avery India Pale Ale – Avery Brewing Co. – Boulder, CO USA
Category 3: English-Style Ordinary Bitter – 2 Entries
Gold: Ruddles Best Bitter – Ruddles Brewery – United Kingdom
Bronze: Boddington’s Bitter – Boddington’s Brewery – England
Category 4: English-Style (Special) Best Bitter – 3 Entries
Gold: Delaney’s Ale – South China Brewing Co. Ltd. – Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Silver: Galena E.S.B. – Sun Valley Brewing Co. – Hailey, ID USA
Category 5: English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter – 19 Entries
Gold: Stoddards E.S.B. – Stoddards Brewhouse and Eatery – Sunnyvale, CA USA
Silver: Extra Special Bitter Ale – Bison Brewing Co. – Berkeley, CA USA
Bronze: Rikenjaks E.S.B. – Rikenjaks Brewing Co. Inc. – Lafayette, LA USA
Category 6: Scottish-Style Ales – 7 Entries
Gold: Scotch Ale – Samuel Adams Brewhouse – Philadelphia, PA USA
Silver: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale – Bristol Brewing – Colorado Springs, CO USA
Bronze: Right Field Red Ale – Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field – Denver, CO USA
Category 7: English-Style Mild Ale – 2 Entries
Gold: Seabright Session Ale – Seabright Brewery – Santa Cruz, CA USA
Category 8: English-Style Brown Ale – 15 Entries
Gold: Redwood Coast Brown – Redwood Coast Brewing Co. – Alameda, CA USA
Silver: Red Brick Ale – Atlanta Brewing Co. – Atlanta, GA USA
Bronze: Granville Island Pale Ale – Granville Island Brewing – Vancouver, BC Canada
Category 9: Strong Ale – 17 Entries
Gold: Star Brew 1000 (Wheat Wine) – Marin Brewing Co. – Larkspur, CA USA
Category 10: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 9 Entries
Gold: Ozone Ale – Hubcap Brewery/Brewing Co. of Vail – Vail, CO USA
Silver: Big 12 Barley Wine – Little Apple Brewing Co. – Manhattan, KS USA
Bronze: Old Blue Granite Barley Wine – Blind Pig Brewing Co. – Temecula, CA USA
Category 11: Robust Porter – 18 Entries
Gold: Saint Brigid’s Porter – Great Divide Brewing Co. – Denver, CO USA
Silver: BridgePort Porter – BridgePort Brewing Co. – Portland, OR USA
Bronze: Edmund Fitzgerald – Great Lakes Brewing Co. – Cleveland, OH USA
Category 12: Brown Porter – 7 Entries
Gold: St. Charles Porter – Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery – Nashville, TN USA
Silver: Haystack Black – Portland Brewing Co. – Portland, OR USA
Bronze: Stoddards Porter – Stoddards Brewhouse and Eatery – Sunnyvale, CA USA
Category 13: Sweet Stout – 3 Entries
Gold: Mackeson XXX Stout – Whitbread Beer Co. – England
Silver: Stillwater Cream Stout – Colorado Brewing Co. – Thornton, CO
Category 14: Oatmeal Stout – 9 Entries
Gold: Zoser Oatmeal Stout – Oasis Brewery – Boulder, CO
Silver: Blue Ridge Steeple Stout – Frederick Brewing Co. – Frederick, MD
Bronze: Gray’s Classic Oatmeal Stout – Gray Brewing – Janesville, WI
Category 15: Imperial Stout – 8 Entries
Gold: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout – North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. – Fort Bragg, CA
Silver: Imperial Stout – Wiibroes Brewery – Helsingor, Denmark
Bronze: Centennial Russian Imperial Stout – Trinity Brewhouse – Providence, RI
Category 16: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 8 Entries
Gold: Founders Stout – Mishawaka Brewing Co. – Mishawaka, IN
Silver: Neptune Black Sea Stout – Neptune Brewery – New York, NY
Bronze: Seminole Stout – Buckhead Brewery and Grill – Tallahassee, FL
Category 17: Foreign-Style Stout – 9 Entries
Gold: San Quentin’s Breakout Stout – Marin Brewing Co. – Larkspur, CA
Silver: Cascade Special Stout – Cascade Brewery – Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – (Imported by
Carlton Special Beverage Co.)
Bronze: Echigo Stout – Uehara Shuzou, Echigo Beer – Nishikanbara-Gun, Japan
Category 18: American-Style Pale Ale – 26 Entries
Gold: Snake River Pale Ale – Snake River Brewing Co. Inc. – Jackson, WY
Silver: South Platte Pale Ale – Columbine Mill Brewery – Littleton, CO
Bronze: Red Rocket Pale Ale – Bristol Brewing – Colorado Springs, CO
Category 19: American-Style Amber Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Capstone E.S.B. – Oasis Brewery – Boulder, CO
Silver: Devils Head Red – Columbine Mill Brewery – Littleton, CO
Bronze: MacTarnahan’s Ale – Portland Brewing Co. – Portland, OR
Category 20: Golden Ale/Canadian-Style Ale – 11 Entries
Gold: Griffon Extra Pale Ale – McAuslan Brewing Inc. – Montreal, Quebec Canada
Silver: Molson Golden – Molson Breweries-MCI – Etobicoke, Ontario Canada
Bronze: Independence Gold – Independence Brewing Co. – Philadelphia, PA
Category 21: American-Style Brown Ale – 16 Entries
Gold: Slow Down Brown Ale – Il Vicino Inc. Albuquerque – Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Saint Arnold Brown Ale – Saint Arnold Brewing Co. – Houston, TX
Bronze: Nightwatch Dark Ale – Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. – Seattle, WA
Category 22: German-Style Kölsch/Köln-Style Kölsch – 4 Entries
Gold: Stoddards Kölsch – Stoddards Brewhouse and Eatery – Sunnyvale, CA
Category 23: German-Style Brown Ale/D…sseldorf-Style Altbier – 8 Entries
Silver: Alle Tage Alt – McNeill’s Brewery – Brattleboro, VT
Bronze: Flagship Red Ale – Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. – Seattle, WA
Category 24: Berliner-Style Weiss (Wheat) – 1 Entry
*** No Medals Awarded ***
Category 25: South German-Style Weizen/Weissbier – 22 Entries
Gold: Sundance Hefe-Weizen – Palmer Lake Brewing Co. – Palmer Lake, CO
Silver: Edelweiss Hefetr…b – ¾sterreichische Br¥u-Aktiengesellschaft – Linz, Austria – (Imported by
Pa’s Bier Inc./ )
Bronze: Tabernash Weiss – Tabernash Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Category 26: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen/Dunkel Weissbier – 4 Entries
Gold: Edelweiss Dunkel – ¾sterreichische Br¥u-Aktiengesellschaft – Linz, Austria – (Imported by
Pa’s Bier Inc./ )
Silver: Paulaner Dunkel Weizen – Paulaner – Munich, Germany – (Imported by Paulaner North
America/ )
Category 27: South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock – 2 Entries
Gold: Aventinus – Private Weissbierbrauere G. Schneider & Sohn K.G. – Munich, Germany – (Imported
by G. Schneider & Sohn/ )
Bronze: Wild Pitch Weizen Bock – Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field – Denver, CO
Category 28: Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin Ales – 2 Entries
Gold: Liefmans Goudenband – Brouwerij Liefmans – Oudenaarde, Belgium – (Imported by Brewery
Riva NV/ )
Bronze: Solstice Mystery Ale – Palmer Lake Brewing Co. – Palmer Lake, CO
Category 29: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 9 Entries
Silver: Abbey Belgian Style Ale – New Belgium Brewing Co. – Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: St. Bernardus Tripel – Brouerij St. Bernandis – Belgium – (Imported by Merchant du Vin
Corp./ )
Category 30: Belgian-Style Pale Ale – 2 Entries
Silver: Fat Tire Amber Ale – New Belgium Brewing Co. – Fort Collins, CO
Bronze: Orval Trappist Ale – Orval Trappist Monastery – Florenville, Belgium – (Imported by Merchant
du Vin Corp/ )
Category 31: Belgian-Style Strong Ale – 3 Entries
Gold: Pauwel Kwak – Brewery Bosteels – Buggenhout, Belgium
Silver: La Chouffe – Brasserie D’Achouffe – Achouffe, Belgium (Imported by Dafoe Int’l/ )
Category 32: Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian-Style Wheat – 4 Entries
Gold: Hoegaarden – Brouwerij de Kluis – Hoegaarden, Belgium – (Imported by LaBatt /InterBrew)
Silver: Wit – Spring Street Brewing Co. – NY, NY
Bronze: Celis White – Celis Brewery Inc. – Austin, TX
Category 33: Belgian-Style Lambic – 8 Entries
Gold: Lindemans’ Cuvèe Renè Lindemans’ Farm Brew – Blezenbeek, Belgium – (Imported by Merchant
du Vin Corp./ )
Bronze: Belle-Vue Kriek – Brasserie Belle-Vue – Brussels, Belgium – (Imported by LaBatt )
Category 34: French-Style Bière de Garde – 1 Entry
Gold: Grain d’Orge – Brasserie Jeanne d’Arc – Ronchin-Lille, France
Category 35: German-Style Pilsener – 11 Entries
Gold: Redwood Coast Alpine Gold Pilsner – Redwood Coast Brewing Co. – Alameda, CA
Silver: Bohemia Beer – Cerveceria Cuauhtèmoc – Monterrey, Mexico – (Imported by LaBatt )
Bronze: McClintick Pilsner – B.T. McClintick Brewing Co. – Janesville, WI
Category 36: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 10 Entries
Gold: Ruffian Pilsner – Mountain Valley Brew Pub – Suffern, NY
Silver: Brooklyn Lager – Brooklyn Brewery – Brooklyn, NY
Bronze: Bohemian Pilsner – Bohemian Brewery – Torrance, CA
Category 37: European-Style Pilsener – 12 Entries
Gold: Dos Equis Special Lager – Cerveceria Cuauhtèmoc – Mexico
Silver: Michael Shea’s Blonde Lager – HighFalls Brewing Co. – Rochester, NY
Bronze: Efes Pilsen – Erciyas Biracilik Ve Malt San, A.S. – Istanbul, Turkey
Category 38: European-Style Low-Alcohol Lager/German-Style Leicht – 2 Entries
Bronze: Egger Leicht – Privatbrauerei Fritz Egger Ges.m.b.H – St. Pölten, Austria
Category 39: Munchner-Style Helles – 13 Entries
Gold: Bow Valley Premium Lager – Bow Valley Brewing Co. – Canmore, Alberta Canada
Silver: Granville Island Lager – Granville Island Brewing – Vancouver, BC Canada
Bronze: Scrimshaw Beer – North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. – Fort Bragg, CA
Category 40: Dortmunder/European-Style Export – 8 Entries
Gold: Stoudt’s Export Gold – Stoudt Brewing Co. – Adamstown, PA
Silver: Berghoff Original Lager Beer – Joseph Huber Brewing Co. – Monroe, WI
Bronze: BCC – LECH Browary Wielkopolski SA – Poznan, Poland
Category 41: Vienna-Style Lager – 7 Entries
Gold: Leinenkugel’s Red Lager – Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. – Chippewa Falls, WI
Silver: Dos Equis Amber Lager – Cerveceria Cuauhtèmoc – Monterrey, Mexico
Bronze: Blue Ridge Amber Lager – Frederick Brewing Co. – Frederick, MD
Category 42: German-Style M¥rzen/Oktoberfest – 6 Entries
Silver: Paulaner Oktoberfest – Paulaner – Germany
Bronze: Brasal Special Amber Lager – Brasserie Brasal Brewery – Lasalle Quebec, Canada
Category 43: European-Style Dark Lager – 11 Entries
Gold: Tabernash Munich Dark Lager – Tabernash Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Silver: Blue Hen Black & Tan – Blue Hen Beer Co. Ltd. – Newark, DE
Bronze: Stovepipe Porter – Otter Creek Brewing Inc. – Middlebury, VT
Category 44: German-Style Bock Beer – 10 Entries
Gold: Ruffian Mai-Bock – Mountain Valley Brew Pub – Suffern, NY
Silver: H…bsch Mai Bock – Sudwerk Privatbrauerei H…bsch – Davis, CA
Bronze: Augsburger Dopplebock – Augsburger Brewing Co. – Detroit, MI
Category 45: German-Style Strong Bock Beer – 9 Entries
Gold: Derailer Doppelbock – Tabernash Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Silver: Scapegoat Doppelbock – Libertyville Brewing Co. – Libertyville, IL
Bronze: Bayrisch G. Frorns Eisbock – Kulmbacher Reichelbraeu – Kulmbach, Germany –
Category 46: American-Style Lager – 12 Entries
Gold: OB Lager – Oriental Brewery Co. Ltd. – Seoul, Korea
Silver: Nex – Oriental Brewery Co. Ltd. – Seoul, Korea
Bronze: Labatt Blue – Labatt Breweries of Canada – London, Ontario Canada
Category 47: American-Style Light Lager – 5 Entries
Gold: Miller Lite – Miller Brewing Company – Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Pabst Genuine Draft Light – Pabst Brewing Co. – Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Medalla Light Beer – Cerveceria India Inc. – Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Category 48: American-Style Premium Lager – 14 Entries
Gold: Brick Red Baron – Brick Brewing Co. Limited – Waterloo, Ontario Canada
Silver: Signature – Stroh Brewery Co. – Detroit, MI
Bronze: Budweiser – Anheuser-Busch Inc. – St. Louis, MO
World Beer Cup Overview
The World Beer Cup, often dubbed the “Olympics of Beer,” is a prestigious international competition organized by the Brewers Association, celebrating excellence in craft brewing since 1996. Held biennially, it brings together breweries from across the globe to compete in over 100 beer style categories, judged by an expert panel of brewers, beer journalists, and industry professionals. The event not only showcases the diversity and innovation in brewing but also fosters camaraderie among brewers, with awards like gold, silver, and bronze recognizing technical skill and creativity. In 2024, the competition saw over 9,300 entries from 2,060 breweries across 50 countries, highlighting its global reach and influence.
Beyond the competition, the World Beer Cup serves as a platform for brewers to exchange ideas, refine their craft, and elevate industry standards. Winning a World Beer Cup award is a coveted achievement, often boosting a brewery’s reputation and sales, as consumers seek out these acclaimed beers. The event, typically held in the United States, also includes seminars, tastings, and networking opportunities, making it a cornerstone of the global craft beer community. Its rigorous blind judging process ensures fairness, cementing its status as a benchmark for quality and a celebration of the artistry behind every pint.
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