The 1998 World Beer Cup, held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, Oregon, marked a pivotal moment in the global craft beer renaissance. Organized by the Brewers Association, this biennial competition attracted over 700 entries from 28 countries, showcasing the explosive growth of small and independent breweries worldwide. Judges, comprising brewing experts from across the globe, evaluated beers across 34 style categories using blind tastings to ensure fairness and precision. The event not only highlighted emerging trends like bold American IPAs and traditional European lagers but also fostered international camaraderie among brewers, solidifying the Cup’s reputation as the “Olympics of Beer.”
Winners at the 1998 edition reflected the diversity and innovation defining the industry, with U.S. breweries dominating but international standouts shining through. For instance, Pyramid Breweries in Washington took gold in the American-Style Pale Ale category, while Belgium’s Palm Breweries earned top honors for its Speciale Belge. Other notable victors included Germany’s Ayinger for its Oktoberfest-style beer and Japan’s Echigo Beer for a rice lager, underscoring the competition’s global reach. This year’s awards helped propel craft beer into mainstream consciousness, encouraging consumers to explore beyond mass-produced options and inspiring countless new breweries to push creative boundaries in flavor and technique.
1998 World Beer Cup Medal Winners
Category 1: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 18 Entries
Gold: Samuel Adams Boston Ale – The Boston Beer Co. – Boston, MA
Silver: Royal Oak – Thomas Hardy Brewery – Dorchester, Dorsest, England
Bronze: Denver Pale Ale – Great Divide Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Category 2: India Pale Ale – 42 Entries
Gold: Lucknow India Pale – Ale Castle Springs Brewing – Moultonborough, NH
Silver: Ponderosa IPA – Prescott Brewing Co. – Prescott, AZ
Bronze: Prohibition Ale – Speakeasy Ales & Lagers – San Francisco, CA
Category 4: English-Style (Special) Best Bitter – 14 Entries
Gold: Sweetwater Ale – Sweetwater Brewing – Atlanta, GA
Silver: Red Butte Bitter – Desert Edge Brewery – Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Emerald Ale – Seabright Brewery – Santa Cruz, CA
Category 5: English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter – 16 Entries
Gold: Tower ESB – Bull & Bush Pub & Brewery – Denver, CO
Silver: Extra Special Bitter – Snipes Mountain Brewing – Sunnyside, WA
Bronze: Stoddard’s ESB – Stoddard’s Brewhouse & Eatery – Sunnyvale, CA
Category 6: Scottish-Style Ales – 13 Entries
Gold: Dave’s Scotch Ale – Molson Breweries – Ontario, Canada
Silver: McRock’s Scottish Ale – Red Rock Brewing Co. – Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Irish Red Ale – Brown Bear Brewing Co – Lawrence, KS
Category 7: English-Style Mild Ale – 9 Entries
Gold: Alcatraz Mild – Alcatraz Brewing – Tempe, AZ
Silver: Raven Ale – R & B Brewing Co. – British Columbia, Canada
Bronze: McClellan’s D.M. – Il Vicino Brewing Co. – Salida, CO
Category 8: English-Style Brown Ale – 26 Entries
Gold: Ruffian Nut Brown – Mt. Valley Brewpub – Suffern, NY
Silver: Birdman Brown – Alcatraz Brewing – Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Nut Brown Ale – Blackstone Rest. & Brewery – Nashville, TN
Category 9: Strong Ale – 31 Entries
Gold: Star Brew – 1332 Marin Brewing Co. – Larkspur, CA
Silver: Hibernation Ale – Great Divide Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Bronze: Saint Arnold Christmas Ale – Saint Arnold Brewing – Houston, TX
Category 10: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 16 Entries
Gold: Olde Curmudgeon – La Conner Brewing Co. – La Conner, WA
Silver: Old Blarney Barleywine – Moylan’s Brewing Co. – Novato, CA
Bronze: B&H Big Head Barley Wine – Barley & Hopps – San Mateo, CA
Category 11: Robust Porter – 33 Entries
Gold: Devou Dark – BrewWorks Restaurant & Pub – Covington, KY
Silver: Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – Great Lakes Brewing Co. – Cleveland, OH
Bronze: Pt. Reyes Porter – Marin Brewing Co. – Larkspur, CA
Category 12: Brown Porter – 25 Entries
Gold: Black Jack Porter – Left Hand Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Silver: Black Butte Porter – Deschutes Brewery – Bend, OR
Bronze: Possum Trot Brown Ale – 75th Street Brewery – Kansas City, MO
Category 13: Sweet Stout – 8 Entries
Gold: Iron Horse Stout – Big River Breweries, Inc. – Chattanooga, TN
Silver: Cheytown Sweet Stout – C.B. & Potts/Big Horn Brewing – Englewood, CO
Category 14: Oatmeal Stout – 19 Entries
Gold: Milly’s Oatmeal Stout – Stark Mill Brewery – Manchester, NH
Silver: McAuslan Oatmeal Stout – La Brasserie McAuslan – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bronze: Zoser Stout – Oasis – Boulder, CO
Category 15: Imperial Stout – 17 Entries
Gold: Ruffian Imperial Stout – Mt. Valley Brewpub – Suffern, NY
Silver: Old Rasputin – North Coast Brewing – Fort Bragg, CA
Bronze: Inkwell Extra Stout Cottage – City Brewing – Oak Bluffs, MA
Category 16: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 15 Entries
Gold: Black Magic Stout – Empire Brewing – Rochester, NY
Silver: Founder’s Stout – Mishawaka Brewing Co. – Mishawaka, IN
Bronze: Lights Out Stout – Alcatraz Brewing – Tempe, AZ
Category 17: Foreign-Style Stout – 16 Entries
Gold: Zonker Stout – Snake River B.C. – Jackson, WY
Silver: Old 58 Stout – Woodland Brewing Co. – Seattle, WA
Bronze: Total Eclipse Stout – Blue Ridge Brewing Co. – Greenville, SC
Category 18: American-Style Pale Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Sharptail Pale Ale – Montana Brewing Co. – Billings, MT
Silver: Mt. Tam Pale Ale – Marin Brewing Co. – Larkspur, CA
Bronze: Snake River Pale Ale – Snake River B.C. – Jackson, WY
Category 19: American-Style Amber Ale – 38 Entries
Gold: Believer’s Bitter – Angelic Brewing Co. – Madison, WI
Silver: Chelsea Sunset Red Ale – Chelsea Brewing Co. – New York, NY
Bronze: Sharkbite Red – Carlsbad Brewery – Carlsbad, CA
Category 20: Golden Ale/Canadian-Style Ale – 27 Entries
Gold: Independence Gold – Independence Brewing Co. – Philadelphia, PA
Silver: 420 Extra Pale Ale – Sweetwater Brewing – Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Labatt Fifty – Labatt Breweries of Canada – London, Ontario, Canada
Category 21: American-Style Brown Ale – 17 Entries
Bronze: Golden Gate Original Ale – Golden Pacific Brewing Co. – Berkeley, CA
Category 22: German-Style K›lsch/K›ln-Style K›lsch – 12 Entries
Gold: Chaser Pale – Blackstone Rest. & Brewery – Nashville, TN
Silver: Yumeminato K›lsh – Beer Gasse – Sakaiminato, Tottori, Japan
Bronze: Skinny Atlas Light – Empire Brewing Co. of Syracuse – Syracuse, NY
Category 23: German-Style Brown Ale/D…sseldorf-Style Altbier – 17 Entries
Gold: Widmer Alt – Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. – Portland, OR
Silver: Southampton Secret Ale -Southampton Publick House – Southampton, NY
Bronze: Alle Tage Altbier – McNeill’s Brewery – Brattleboro, VT
Category 25: South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier – 24 Entries
Gold: Tabernash Weiss – Tabernash Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Silver: Edelweiss Hefetrub – ¾sterreichische Br¥u-Aktiensgesellschaft – Schwechat, Austria
Bronze: Hitachino Nest Beer Weizzen – Kiuchi Syuzou – Naka-Machi, Ibanaki, Japan
Category 27: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen/Dunkel Weissbier – 6 Entries
Gold: Gudenteit Dunkel Weizen – Libertyville Brewing DBA Mickey Finn’s Brewing – Libertyville, IL
Silver: Edelweiss Dunkel – ¾sterreichische Br¥u-Aktiensgesellschaft – Schwechat, Austria
Bronze: Tucher Dunkles Hefe Weizen – Tucher Brau K.G. – Germany
Category 28: South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock – 5 Entries
Gold: Edelweiss Gamsbock – ¾sterreichische Br¥u-Aktiensgesellschaft – Schwechat, Austria
Silver: Weizenator – BJ’s Brewery – Mission Viejo, CA
Bronze: Weizen Bock – Kumazawa Brewing Co. – Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Category 30: Belgian-Style Dubbel – 4 Entries
Gold: Abbey Belgian Style Ale – New Belgium Brewery – Fort Collins, CO
Category 31: Belgian-Style Tripel – 10 Entries
Gold: Tripel Karmeliet – Brewery Bosteels – Buggenhout, Belgium
Silver: Celis Grand CRU – Celis Brewery Inc. – Austin, TX
Bronze: Pran Qster – North Coast Brewing – Fort Bragg, CA
Category 32: Belgian-Style Pale Ale – 7 Entries
Gold: Abbey Ale – Blue Moon Brewing – Golden, CO
Silver: Michinoku Fukushima Beer/Red Ale – Seiko Co., Ltd. – Fukushima-Shi, Fukushima-Ken, Japan
Category 33: Belgian-Style Strong Ale – 9 Entries
Gold: Le Faux Pas – Brew Moon – Cambridge, MA
Silver: Hitachino Nest Beer XH – Kiuchi Syuzou – Naka-Machi, Ibanaki, Japan
Bronze: Belgian Strong Ale – Alesmith Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA
Category 34: Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian-Style Wheat – 13 Entries
Gold: Allagash White – Allagash Brewing Co. – Portland, ME
Silver: Red Rock White – Red Rock Brewing Co. – Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Hoegaarden White Ale – Brouwerij de Kluis – Hoegaarden, Belgium
Category 35: Belgian-Style Lambic – 4 Entries
Gold: Belle-Vue Framboise – Brasserie Belle-Vue, – Brussels, Belgium
Silver: Belle-Vue Gueuze – Brasserie Belle-Vue – Brussels, Belgium
Category 37: German-Style Pilsener – 17 Entries
Gold: Beck’s – Beck & Co. – Bremen, Germany
Silver: Herforder Pils – Brauerei Felsenkeller – NRW, Herford, Germany
Category 38: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 21 Entries
Gold: Red Ass Pegasass Pilsner – Red Ass Brewing Co. – Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Holy Cow! Pilsner – Holy Cow! – Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Pilsner Iganosato – Mokumoku – Ayama, Mie, Japan
Category 39: European-Style Pilsener – 15 Entries
Gold: Hahn Premium – Tooheys Pty Limited – Lidcombe, N.S.W., Australia
Silver: Cerveja Antarctica – Cia Antarctica Paulista – S§o Paulo-SP, Brazil
Bronze: Sapporo Draft – Sapporo Breweries Ltd. – Tokyo, Japan
Category 41: Munchner-Style Helles – 14 Entries
Gold: Sudwerk Helles – Sudwerk – Davis, CA
Silver: Taiwan Beer – Taiwan Tobacco & Wine Monopoly Bureau – Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.
Category 42: Dortmunder/European-Style Export – 6 Entries
Gold: Red Brick Golden Lager – Atlanta Brewing Co. – Atlanta, GA
Silver: Herforder Edel-Export – Brauerei Felsenkeller – NRW, Herford, Germany
Bronze: Aldara Luksus – A/S “Aldaris” – Riga, Latvia
Category 43: Vienna-Style Lager – 14 Entries
Gold: Vienna Style Lager – Salt Lake Brewing Co. – Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Red Lager – Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. – Chippewa Falls, WI
Bronze: Independence Franklinfest – Independence Brewing Co. – Philadelphia, PA
Category 44: German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest – 9 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest – Los Gatos Brewing Co. – Los Gatos, CA
Silver: Oktoberfest – Schooner Brewery – Dallas, TX
Bronze: Sudwerk M¥rzen – Sudwerk – Davis, CA
Category 45: European-Style Dark/Munchner Dunkel – 8 Entries
Gold: Tabernash Munich Dark Lager – Tabernash Brewing Co. – Denver, CO
Silver: Berghoff Genuine Dark Beer – Jos. Huber Brewing Co. – Monroe, WI
Bronze: Asahi Kuronama – Asahi Breweries, Ltd. – Tokyo, Japan
Category 46: German-Style Schwarzbier – 5 Entries
Gold: Sh›nan Liebe – Kumazawa Brewing Co. – Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Silver: King’s Peak – Uinta Brewing Co. – Salt Lake City, UT
Category 47: Traditional Bock – 13 Entries
Gold: Toothless Bock – Bavarian Lager Cellar – Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Saint Arnold Spring Bock – Saint Arnold Brewing – Houston, TX
Bronze: Penalty Bock – C.B. & Potts/Big Horn Brewing – Englewood, CO
Category 48: German-Style Helles Bock/Maibock – 10 Entries
Gold: Sudwerk Mai Bock – Sudwerk – Davis, CA
Silver: Herforder Maibock – Brauerei Felsenkeller – NRW, Herford, Germany
Bronze: Honey Double Mai Bock – Stoudt Brewing – Adamstown, PA
Category 49: German-Style Strong Bock Beer – 8 Entries
Gold: SOT – BrewWorks Restaurant & Pub – Covington, KY
Silver: Doppelbock – La Conner Brewing Co. – La Conner, WA
Bronze: Canon – Les Brasseurs GMT Inc. – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Category 50: American-Style Lager – 13 Entries
Gold: Kokanee – Columbia Brewery – Creston, British Columbia, Canada
Silver: Labatt Blue – Labatt Breweries of Canada – London, Ontario, Canada
Bronze: Red Dog – Plank Road Brewery – Milwaukee, WI
Category 51: American-Style Light Lager – 13 Entries
Gold: Miller Lite – Miller Brewing Co. – Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Coors Light – Coors – Golden, CO
Category 52: American-Style Premium Lager – 12 Entries
Silver: Miller Genuine Draft – Miller Brewing Co. – Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Brick Red Baron – Brick Brewing Co. Limited – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Category 53: Dry Lager – 3 Entries
Gold: Tooheys Extra Dry – Tooheys Pty Limited – Lidcombe, N.S.W., Australia
Category 54: American-Style Ice Lager – 3 Entries
Gold: Icehouse – Plank Road Brewery – Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Miller High Life Ice – Miller Brewing Co. – Milwaukee, WI
Category 55: American-Style Malt Liquor – 4 Entries
Gold: Schlitz Malt Liquor – The Stroh Brewery Co. – Detroit, MI
Category 56: American-Style Amber Lager – 9 Entries
Gold: Killian’s Red – Coors – Golden, CO
Silver: Steam Engine Steam – Steamworks Brewing Co. – Durango, CO
Bronze: Dr. Holty’s Cyclone Lager – Dr. Holty’s Little Beer Co. – Redondo Beach, CA
Category 57: American-Style Dark Lager – 3 Entries
Bronze: Michelob Amber Bock – Anheuser-Busch – St. Louis, MO
Category 59: American-Style Lager/Ale or Cream Ale – 10 Entries
Gold: Lodgepole Light – Prescott Brewing Co. – Prescott, AZ
Silver: Genesee Cream Ale – Genesee Brewing Co. – Rochester, NY
Bronze: Sandstone Cream Ale – Thunder Canyon Brewery – Tucson, AZ
Category 60: American-Style Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast – 13 Entries
Gold: Happy Valley Hefeweizen – Desert Edge Brewery – Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Weiss Guy Wheat – Alcatraz Brewing – Tempe, AZ
Bronze: Claim Jumper Hefeweizen – Bayhawk Ale, Inc. – Irvine, CA
Category 61: American-Style Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast – 10 Entries
Gold: American Wheat Beer – Western Reserve Brewing – Cleveland, OH
Silver: Lucknow American Wheat – Castle Springs Brewing – Moultonborough, NH
Bronze: New World Wheat – Tied House Cafe & Brewery – Mt. View, CA
Category 63: Fruit Beers – 12 Entries
Gold: Sweet Cherry Brown – Montana Brewing Co. – Billings, MT
Silver: Folie Douce – Les Brasseurs De L’Anse Inc. – L’Anse-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada
Bronze: Sweetwater Blue – Sweetwater Brewing – Atlanta, GA
Category 64: Herb and Spice Beers – 10 Entries
Gold: Triple “C” Special Ale – Brew Moon – Cambridge, MA
Silver: Lake Effect Winter Ale – Western Reserve Brewing – Cleveland, OH
Bronze: Samuel Adams Winter Lager – The Samuel Adams Brewery – Cincinnati, OH
Category 65: Specialty Beers – 16 Entries
Gold: B & H Evening Toasted Ale – Barley & Hopps – San Mateo, CA
Silver: Longshot Molasses Coffee Stout – The World Homebrew Competition – Boston, MA
Bronze: Fraoch Heather Ale – Heather Ale Ltd. – Baltimore, MD
Category 66: Smoke-Flavored Beers (Ales or Lagers) – 7 Entries
Gold: Smoke – Rogue Ales – Newport, OR
Silver: Alaskan Smoked Porter – Alaskan Brewing – Juneau, AK
Category 67: Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverages – 6 Entries
Gold: Clausthaler Extra Herb Binding-Brauerei AG – Hessen, Frankfurt, Germany
Silver: Kronenbier Cia Antarctica Paulista – S§o Paulo-SP, Brazil
Bronze: O’Doul’s Amber Anheuser-Busch – St. Louis, MO
The Brewers Association
The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group representing America’s small and independent craft brewers, continues to champion the innovation, economic impact, and cultural significance of craft beer nationwide. With more than 6,000 member breweries and a mission to promote and protect the community-driven craft segment, the association provides essential education, advocacy, and events—including the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival—that elevate brewing excellence and sustainability. As craft beer evolves in a dynamic market, the Brewers Association remains steadfast in supporting its members through resources, policy leadership, and a unified voice for the industry’s future.
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