The 2000 World Beer Cup, presented April 6–8 in New York City alongside the Craft Brewers Conference, represented the fourth installment of this acclaimed biennial event, widely known as the “Olympics of Beer.” Hosted by the Brewers Association, the competition set a new benchmark with 609 entries from 233 breweries spanning 28 countries, evaluated through blind tastings by a distinguished international panel of 36 judges across 33 style categories during a rigorous three-day process. U.S. breweries led the medal count, claiming 73 of the 99 awards, highlighted by Firestone Walker’s gold-winning Pale Ale in the Classic English-Style Pale Ale division, multiple accolades for Pete’s Wicked Brewing, and notable international successes such as Japan’s Echigo Beer earning gold for its Stout. The gathering underscored the worldwide surge in craft brewing, spotlighting exceptional quality and creativity within a rapidly expanding sector.
2000 World Beer Cup Medal Winners
Category 2: Non Alcoholic (Beer) Malt Beverages
Gold: Clausthaler Classic– Binding-Brauerei AG, Frankfurt Au Main, Germany
Silver: Rolinck Free– Privatbrauerei A. Rolinck, Steinfurt, Germany
Bronze: Clausthaler Extra Herb– Binding-Brauerei AG, Frankfurt Au Main, Germany
Category 3: American Lager/Ale or Cream Ale
Gold: Alpine Lager– Moosehead Breweries Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Silver: Moosehead Light– Moosehead Breweries Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Bronze: Liebotschaner Cream Ale– Lion Brewery Inc., Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Category 4: American Style Wheat Ale or Lager
Gold: Weiss Guy Wheat Beer— Alcatraz Brewing, Tempe, Arizona
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss– Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Bronze: Hefeweizen–Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, Washington
Category 6: Fruit Beers – 22 entries
Gold: Quelque Chose– Unibroue Inc., Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Silver: Raspberry Leghumper– Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Akron, Ohio
Bronze: Apple Ale– Niagara Falls Brewing Co., Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Category 7: Chocolate/Cocoa Beers – 6 entries
Gold: Double Chocolate Porter– Stoney Creek Brewing Co., Novi, Michigan
Silver: Mocha Stout– Brew Moon Restaurant and Microbrewery, Boston, Massachusetts
Category 8: Herb and Spice Beers – 13 entries
Gold: Hitachino Nest Beer White Ale– Kiuchi Shuzou, Ibaraki, Japan
Silver: Great Pumpkin Spiced Ale– Cottonwood Brewery, Boone, North Carolina
Bronze: “Original” Vanilla Porter– Stoney Creek Brewing Co., Novi, Michigan
Category 9: Specialty Beers – 10 entries
Gold: Maple Nut Brown Ale–Tommyknocker Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, Colorado
Silver: Pullman Nut Brown Ale–Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, Illinois
Bronze: Pott’s Paddy– Pott’s Brauerei GmbH, Oelde, Germany
Category 10: Specialty Honey Lagers or Ales – 11 entries
Gold: Algonquin Honey Brown–Brick Brewing Co., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Silver: JW Dundee’s Honey Brown Lager–Genesee Brewing Co., Rochester, New York
Bronze: Brackett– White Winter Winery, Iron River, Wisconsin
Category 11: Experimental Beers – 12 entries
Gold: Raspberry Tart– New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, Wisconsin
Silver: Old Conundrum Barley Wine–Flossmoor Station Brewing, Flossmoor, Illinois
Bronze: German Stein Beer–Ellicottville Brewing Co., Ellicottville, New York
Category 12: Smoke Flavored Beers – 12 entries
Gold: Alaskan Smoked Porter–Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, Alaska
Silver: Fujizakura Kogen Beer Rauch–Fujikankokaihatsu Co. Ltd., Kawaguchiko, Japan
Bronze: Smoke–Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
Category 13: American Style Rye Ale or Lager – 4 entries
Gold: Red Eye Rye–75th St. Brewery, Kansas City, Missouri
Silver: Captain Smith’s Rye–Titanic Brewing Co., Coral Gables, Florida
Bronze: Cutthroat Rye –Montana Brewing Co., Billings, Montana
Category 14: European–Style Low-Alcohol Lager/German-Style Licht(bier) – 4 entries
Gold: Stag Beer –Carib Brewery Limited, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad, W. I.
Silver: Carib Beer –Carib Brewery Limited, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad, W. I.
Bronze: Beck’s Light –Brauerei Beck & Co.,Bremen, Germany
Category 15: German-Style Pilsener – 55 entries
Gold: Konig Pilsener –Konig-Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG, Duisburg, Germany
Silver: Rolinck Pilsener –Privatbrauerei A. Rolinck, Steinfurt, Germany
Bronze: Barre Brau Pilsener–Privatbrauerei Ernst Barre GmbH, Lubbecke, Germany
Category 16: Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 23 entries
Gold: Payton Pilsner –America’s Brewing Co., Aurora, Illinois
Silver: Lev Lion Pale Double Bock–Mestansky Pivovar Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic
Bronze: Golden Pilsner–Morgan Street Brewery, St. Louis, Missouri
Category 17: Munchner-Style Helles – 24 entries
Silver: Helles Export –Privatbrauerei Schweiger, Markt Schwaben, Germany
Bronze: Freudenberger Hell –Brauerei Markl, Freudenberg, Germany
Category 18: European-Style Pilsener – 28 entries
Gold: Piast Premium Beczkowe–Piast Browery, Wroclaw, Poland
Silver: DAB Original German Beer–Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei AG, Dortmund, Germany
Bronze: Myanmar Beer –Myanmar Brewery, Mingacardon Top, Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Category 19: Dortmunder/European-Style Export – 14 entries
Gold: Grölsch Premium Lager–Grolsche Bierbrouwerij, Groenlo, Holland
Silver: Ekstra–AB Svyturys, Klaipeda, Lithuania
Bronze: Hoepfner Goldkopfle –Privatbrauerei Hoepfner , Karlsruhe, Germany
Category 20: Vienna-Style Lager – 9 entries
Gold: Blueridge Amber Lager–Frederick Brewing Co., Frederick, Maryland
Silver: Snake River Lager–Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, Wyoming
Bronze: Royal Red Lager–777 Brewpub, Las Vegas, Nevada
Category 21: German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest – 14 entries
Gold: Black River Red–Pioneer Brewing Co., Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Silver: Märzen–Sudwerk Brewery & Grill, Sacramento, California
Bronze: Samuel Adams Octoberfest–Boston Beer Co., Boston, Massachusetts
Category 22: European-Style Dark/Munchner Dunkel – 19 entries
Gold: Penn Dark –Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Silver: Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel–Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany
Bronze: Pious Monk Dunkel–Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Category 23: European-Style Schwarzbier – 14 entries
Gold: King’s Peak –Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, Utah
Silver: Aldara Tums’ais –A/S Aldaris, Riga, Latvia
Bronze: Monteith’s Black Beer–Monteiths Brewing, Greymouth, New Zealand
Category 24: Traditional Bock – 10 entries
Gold: Capricator Bock –Calhoun’s Tennessee Microbrewery, Knoxville, Tennessee
Silver: Lucknow Spring Bock–Castle Springs Brewing Co., Moultonborough, New Hampshire
Bronze: Bock–Iida Beer Co., Iida City, Maruyamacho, Japan
Category 25: German-Style Helles Bock/Mailbock – 13 entries
Gold: Stoudt’s Honey Double Mai Bock–Stoudt’s Brewing Co., Adamstown, Pennsylvania
Silver: Capital Mai-Bock –Capital Brewery, Middleton, Wisconsin
Bronze: Mai-Bock–Hofbrauhaus Munchen, Munchen, Germany
Category 26: German-Style Strong Bock Beer – 16 entries
Gold: Blue Ridge Subliminator –Frederick Brewing Co., Frederick, Maryland
Silver: Hogback Doppel Bock–Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery, Boulder, Colorado
Bronze: Freudenberger Markator –Brauerei Markl, Freudenberg, Germany
Category 27: American-Style Light Lager – 10 entries
Gold: Southpaw Light –Plank Road Brewery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Silver: Miller High Life Light–Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bronze: Western Light –Great Western Brewing, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Category 28: American-Style Lager – 20 entries
Gold: Prestige–Brasserie Nationale d’Haiti, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Silver: Labatt Blue –Labatt Brewing Co., London, Ontario, Canada
Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft Light–Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Category 29: American-Style Premium Lager – 18 entries
Gold: Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve–Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co., Tumwater, Washington
Silver: City Lager –City Brewing Co., LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Bronze: Point Special Beer–Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Category 30: American-Style Specialty Lager – 15 entries
Gold: Mickey’s Ice –Mickey’s Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Silver: Mickey’s–Mickey’s Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bronze: Asahi Super Dry–Asahi Breweries, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Category 31: American-Style Amber Lager – 10 entries
Gold: Henry Weinhard’s Amber Ale–Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co., Tumwater, Washington
Silver: Michael Shea’s Irish Amber–Genesee Brewing Co., Rochester, New York
Bronze: Auburn–Mad Anthony Brewing, Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Category 32: American Dark Lager – 6 entries
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark–Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Category 33: Tropical-Style Light Lager – 5 entries
Gold: Southwark Bitter –Lion-Nathan, Lidcombe, Australia
Bronze: Fiji Bitter –Carlton Brewery Fiji Ltd., Walubay, Suva, Fiji
Category 35: Belgian-Style Dubbel – 10 entries
Gold: Duinen Abbey Ale–Brouwerij Huyghe-Melle, Huyghe-Melle, Belgium
Silver: Allagash Dubbel Reserve–Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
Bronze: Abbey Belgian Style Ale–New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colorado
Category 36: Belgian-Style Tripel – 16 entries
Gold: Millennium Tripel –Delafield Brewhaus, Delafield, Wisconsin
Silver: Brueghel Blonde Ale–Kross Brewing Co., Morrisville, Vermont
Bronze: Trident Tripel –Angelic Brewing, Madison, Wisconsin
Category 37: Belgian-Style Pale Ale – 4 entries
Silver: Dremmwel–Brasserie Artisanale Du Tregor, Minihy-Tréguier, France
Bronze: Southwark Pale Ale–Lion-Nathan, Lidcombe, Australia
Category 38: Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale – 4 entries
Gold: Caveat Emptor –Brew Moon Restaurant & Microbrewery, Boston, MA
Silver: Millennium Grand Cru–BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, Woodland Hills, CA
Bronze: Pauwel Kwak –Brewery Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium
Category 39: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale – 5 entries
Gold: Trois-Pistoles–Unibroue Inc., Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Silver: Karumina Beer –Hida Takayama Brewing Agricultural Corp., Takayama-shi, Japan
Category 40: Belgian-Style White (or Wit)/Belgian-Style Wheat – 10 entries
Gold: Blanche de Brooklyn–Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, New York
Silver: Hoegaarden–Hoegaarden, Hoegaarden, Belgium
Bronze: Belgian Style White–Uehara Shuzo Co., Makimachi, Japan
Category 41: Belgian-Style Lambic – 7 entries
Gold: Cuvee Rene Guêuze Lambic– Brouwerij Lindemans, Vlezenbeek, Belgium
Bronze: Cranberry Tart Oulde Ale–Brew Moon Restaurant & Microbrewery, Boston, MA
Category 43: Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 16 entries
Gold: Denver Pale Ale–Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, Colorado
Silver: Urban Wilderness Pale Ale–Sleeping Lady Brewing, Anchorage, Alaska
Category 44: India Pale Ale – 42 entries
Gold: India Pale Ale–Russian River Brewing Co., Guerneville, California
Silver: BridgePort IPA –BridgePort Brewing Co., Portland, Oregon
Bronze: Hop Ottin’ India Pale Ale–Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, California
Category 46: English-Style (Special) Best Bitter – 12 entries
Gold: Sweetwater ESB –Sweetwater Brewing Co., Atlanta, Georgia
Silver: Boulder Amber –Rockies Brewing, Boulder, Colorado
Bronze: River’s Best Bitter–Rivers Effortless Dining, Salt Lake City, Utah
Category 47: English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter – 22 entries
Gold: Alaskan ESB –Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, Alaska
Silver: Original ESB –Crooked River Brewing Co., Cleveland, Ohio
Bronze: Best Bitter –Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, Washington
Category 48: Scottish-Style Ale – 18 entries
Gold: Just a “Wee-Bit”–Hopcats, Chicago, Illinois
Silver: McAllister’s Ale –Smiling Moose Brewpub, Greeley, Colorado
Bronze: Tilted Kilt –Pyramid Breweries Inc., Seattle, Washington
Category 49: English-Style Mild Ale – 7 entries
Gold: Blind Boar Amber–Montana Brewing Co., Billings, Montana
Silver: Top Down Classic Red Ale–Sonora Brewing Co., Phoenix, Arizona
Bronze: Busby Stout –Keihan Uji Kotsu Co. Ltd., Uji Kanaido, Uji Kyoto, Japan
Category 50: English-Style Brown Ale – 27 entries
Gold: Nut Brown Ale–Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery, Nashville, Tennessee
Silver: Bohannon Nut Brown Ale–Bohannon Brewing Co., Nashville, Tennessee
Bronze: Red Brick Ale–Atlanta Brewing Co., Atlanta, Georgia
Category 51: Strong Ale – 35 entries
Gold: Strong Scotch Ale–Westwood Brewing Co., Los Angeles, California
Silver: Winter Ale –Buckhead Brewery & Grill, Stockbridge, Georgia
Bronze: Tannenbaum–LaConner Brewing Co., LaConner, Washington
Category 52: Barley Wine-Style Ale – 31 entries
Gold: Nils Oscar No. 5 Julol 1998–Tarno Bryggeri AB, Stockholm, Sweden
Silver: Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale–Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Oregon
Bronze: Kosmyk Charlie’s Y2K Catastrophe Ale–Central Waters Brewing Co., Junction City, Wisconsin
Category 53: Robust Porter – 33 entries
Gold: Swan Lake Beer Porter–Hyouko Yashiki No Mori Brewery, Kanaya Sasakani, Japan
Silver: Mocha Porter –Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
Bronze: Old Leghumper –Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Akron, Ohio
Category 54: Brown Porter – 18 entries
Gold: Willow Porter –Willow Street Brewery, San Rafael, California
Silver: Concord Junction Porter–Concord Junction Brewing Co., Concord, Mass
Bronze: Black Butte Porter–Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Category 55: Sweet Stout– 10 entries
Gold: Cheytown Sweet Stout–C.B. & Potts, Englewood, Colorado
Silver: Black Beard Stout–Wallaby’s Brewpub, Medina, Ohio
Bronze: Mackeson XXX Stout–Hudepohl-Schoenling, Cincinnati, Ohio
Category 56: Oatmeal Stout – 23 entries
Gold: Oscar’s Chocholate Oatmeal Stout–Pioneer Brewing Co., Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Silver: Zoser Stout –Oasis, Boulder, Colorado
Bronze: Sinner’s Stout –Angelic Brewing Co., Madison, Wisconsin
Category 57: Imperial Stout – 16 entries
Gold: Imperial Stout–Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
Silver: Imperial Porter –Uehara Shuzo Co., Nakimachi, Japan
Bronze: Warhead Stout –Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, Arizona
Category 58: German-Style Kolsch/Koln-Style Kölsch – 23 entries
Gold: Brewer’s Blonde Ale–Hops! Bistro & Brewery, San Diego, California
Silver: Stoddard’s Kolsch –Stoddard’s Brewhouse, Sunnyvale, California
Category 59: German-Style Brown Ale/Dusseldorf-Style Alt Bier– 13 entries
Gold: Widmer Springfest –Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, Oregon
Silver: Josyu Forest Beer Molino Akuma–Shin Shin Foods Co., Ltd., Takaimachi, Japan
Bronze: Traditional Altbier –Magnotta Brewery, Vaughn, Ontario, Canada
Category 61: South German-Style Weizen/Weissbier – 47 entries
Gold: Josyu Forest Beer Molino Yousei–Shin Shin Foods Co. Ltd., Takaimachi, Japan
Silver: Kogane Weizen –Kogane Food Co. Ltd., Shizuoka, Japan
Bronze: Leinenkugel’s Hefeweizen –Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery, Phoenix, Arizona
Category 62: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen/Dunkel Weissbier – 9 entries
Gold: Edelweiss Weissbier –Hofbrau Caltenhausen, Caltenhausen, Austria
Silver: Ayinger Ur-Weisse –Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany
Bronze: Double Play Dunkelweizen–Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery, Phoenix, Arizona
Category 63: South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock – 9 entries
Gold: Edelweiss Weissbier Gamsbock–Hofbrau Caltenhausen, Caltenhausen, Austria
Silver: Weizenbock–Kumezawa Brewing Co., Kagawa, Japan
Category 64: Irish-Style Red Ale – 17 entries
Gold: Casco Bay Riptide Red Ale–Casco Bay Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
Silver: Sullivan’s Irish Ale–Southampton Publick House, Southampton, New York
Bronze: Stewart’s Red Ale–Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, Delaware
Category 65: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 17 entries
Silver: Dogwood Stout – Dogwood Brewing Co., Atlanta, Georgia
Bronze: Bear Bottom Stout–Rocky River Brewing, Sevierville, Tennessee
Category 66: Foreign-Style Stout – 16 entries
Gold: Stout –Nasu Kohgen Beer Co., Takakukoh Nasumachi, Japan
Silver: Obsidian Stout –Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Bronze: San Quentin’s Breakout Stout–Marin Brewing, Larkspur, California
Category 67: Golden Ale/Canadian-Style Ale – 30 entries
Gold: Labatt 50 –Labatt Brewing Co., London, Ontario, Canada
Silver: Buffalo Gold –Rockies Brewing, Boulder, Colorado
Bronze: Keith’s–Labatt Brewing Co., London, Ontario, Canada
Category 68: American-Style Pale Ale – 50 entries
Gold: J.P. Ale –South Street Brewery, Charlottesville, Virginia
Silver: Mad Hatter –New Holland, Holland, Michigan
Bronze: Sharptail Pale Ale–Montana Brewing Co., Billings, Montana
Category 69: American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 40 entries
Gold: SLO Brew Central Coast Amber Ale–SLO Brewing Co., Paso Robles, California
Silver: Shark Bite Red–Pizza Port, Carlsbad, California
Bronze: Emigration Amber Ale–Squatters Beer, Salt Lake City, Utah
Category 70: American-Style Brown Ale – 16 entries
Gold: Barber Shop Brown Ale–Il Vicino, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Silver: Doryman’s Dark Ale–Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, Oregon
Bronze: Kourage–New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, Michigan
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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