The 2023 World Beer Cup Competition took place on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Nashville, TN. Often called the “Olympics of Beer”, the global competition is organized by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association for America’s small and independent craft brewers. This year’s competition saw 10,213 entries from 2,376 breweries, across 51 countries. Those entries were judged in Nashville by 272 judges hailing from 26 countries.
Out of 307 medals awarded, North Carolina’s breweries brought home 13 World Beer Cup awards, and tied for 5th place with Washington State among top states by medal count.
1. California (50 medals)
2. Colorado (24 medals)
3. Oregon (22 medals)
4. Texas (17 medals)
5. North Carolina (13 medals) / Washington (13 medals)
Award-winning NC breweries are:
- Incendiary Brewing Company (Winston-Salem, NC), 2 gold medals
- Sugar Creek Brewing Company (Charlotte, NC), 1 gold medal
- Appalachian Mountain Brewery (Boone, NC), 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal
- Foothills Brewing (Winston-Salem, NC), 1 silver medal
- Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville, NC), 1 silver medal
- Pilot Brewing Company (Charlotte, NC), 1 silver medal
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Mills River, NC), 1 silver medal
- D9 Brewing Company (Charlotte, NC), 1 bronze medal
- Lenny Boy Brewing Company (Charlotte, NC), 1 bronze medal
- Ponysaurus Brewing Company (Durham, NC), 1 bronze medal
- New Belgium Brewing (Asheville, NC), 1 bronze medal
“In addition to producing incredible world-class beer, North Carolina’s breweries are reinvigorating our rural downtowns, driving tourism across the state, and creating thousands of jobs,” said Lisa Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild. “Our small businesses provide neighborhoods and communities with a welcoming space to gather.”
Written by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.