The 2008 World Beer Cup just wrapped up in San Diego, CA on April 19, 2008. Chicago area brewers received 6 Medals, 10 when you include Pabst Brewing with their new home base in Woodridge, IL.
The World Beer Cup is bi-annual beer judging event that awards gold, silver and bronze medals in 91 different style categories. This is the event that Miller Lite has made famous with their more recent ad campaign for them winning Gold back in 2006. At this year’s event there were 644 Breweries from 58 Countries contributing to the 2,864 Beers being entered for judging. Of these, There are also awards given for “Champion Brewery” and “Champion Brewer”. The last time this event was held, Piece Brewery & Pizzeria was named Champion Brewery and Brewer in the Small Brewpub Category. Unfortunately Piece did not hold on to this title.
Brewers from the United States won 185 of the 268 style category awards and four of the five Champion Brewery/Brewer awards. My state of Illinois ranked fourth among U.S. states behind perennial leaders California, Colorado and Oregon, the states that began the craft beer revival. Great job guys!!
On the Chicago front here is a list of our local World Beer Cup Champions!
Category 30: Traditional German-Style Bock, 21 entries
Silver: Lakefront Bock, Lakefront Brewery, Inc., Milwaukee, WI
Category 42: Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 37 entries
Silver: Matilda, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Category 46: Belgian-Style Dubbel, 26 entries
Silver: Emmett’s Belgian-style Dubbel, Emmett’s Ale House/ Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co., West Dundee, IL
Category 51: English-Style Summer Ale, 20 entries
Silver: “312″, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Category 82: Imperial or Double India Pale Ale, 39 entries
Bronze: Dread Naught, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Category 84: Imperial or Double Red Ale, 22 entries
Gold: Behemoth, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Category 87: American-Style Stout, 20 entries
Gold: Terminal Stout, Rock Bottom Brewery – Chicago, Chicago, IL
Congratulations Pete Crowley of Rock Bottom and Three Floyds for bringing home the “Gold”! Make sure to stop by these establishments and sample all of their award winning beer!
And our new local “brewers”, Pabst Brewing, won 2 medals each in 2 Categories. Yes, there are categories that even Pabst can win in! In the American-Style Cream Ale or Lager category Pabst took home the Gold for Special Export and the Silver for Lone Star. And in the American-Style Light Lager category Pabst took home the Gold for Old Milwaukee Light and the Silver for Lone Star Light. Since Pabst Blue Ribbon did not medal, they’ll still be celebrating their “Blue Ribbon” that they won here in Chicago back in 1893!
A complete list of winners can be found here.
