The glowing tiny sparkles in the lager. And the diminutive but emerald like froths that come together to ensure a great slurp- what would life be without some beer?
Let’s sort this one out. In simple words, what sport is to an athlete, beer is to a party. It’s an uncomplicated way of life. Perhaps one of the drinks that can be enjoyed both in isolation and in some company, beer livens up the mood. And truth be told- there’s nothing like a specific beer time.
In fact, any time is a good beer time. So perhaps it was about time that someone anointed the true respect to one of the most uncomplicated drinks ever. So how about the World Beer Cup? Goodness me, critics might say, what on earth is a World Beer Cup?
Here’s a simple answer. Conceived and executed by the Brewers Association in the United States, the World Beer Cup is an event that takes place- obviously in the US- to celebrate the effort of small and medium sized brewers. Also called the Olympics of Beer- imagine the dazzle and fanciness- the idea came about back in 1996 to acknowledge, decorate and hail the efforts of brewers and the art & science of brewing.
Highly qualified beer professionals- indeed, what a term- come together and seek to revel in the glory of a competition that biannually hand out bronze, silver, gold medals.
And truth be told, it’s not about chugging endless pints timed out by a clock
It’s about sending award-winning worthy entries from around the world in a true fest that celebrates and rewards the finest brews from different corners of the globe.
Back in February, 2016- as many as 2,011 breweries had sent their entries. The World Beer Cup then received entries from as many as 63 countries of the world.
So, in a nutshell…
Every two years, an extensive panel of about 200+ judges elect identify some really excellent and stand out brews from all over the world filtering them in about 90+ categories. As of the last instalment of the biannual even (in 2016) the 3 categories that observed most entries were-
American-style India Pale Ale
Imperial India Pale Ale
American Style Pale Ale
Beer, as one knows is not the most expensive drink. And yet it continues to experience a burgeoning rise in fortunes with increasing number of talented brews expanding the envelope of the drink.
Some other noted categories in which breweries from different corners of the world participated in big numbers include- American Style Stout, American Style Brown Ale, American Style Amber Lager and Aged Beer.
A constantly changing international market-place, the beer market has been exceptionally driven by the likes of pale ales from Germany, bock beers from Brazil and, Belgian styles from Japan.
Only last week, the results of the 2018 World Beer Cup were announced from Nashville.
More than 8000 beer entries from as many as 66 countries were sent in and the breweries from Colorado raked up top honours. In winning 28 entries, the most in the World Beer Cup, the loudest roar from the celebrated event belonged to John Denver’s state.