US wins more medals than Belgium in Brussels Beer Challenge

Belgian beers won 32 medals at the Brussels Beer Challenge, held over the weekend in Leuven, home to the world’s biggest brewer, AB InBev. But for the first time, the US won more medals than Belgium.

The result was a blow to a country with ambitions to be the world centre of beer. The US entered 177 beers and walked away with 13 gold medals, 17 silver and 18 bronze, as well as five special mentions outside of the medals. Belgium, with 200 beers from 79 breweries, picked up 11 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze, as well as 11 honourable mentions.

In third place was Italy, with five gold, four silver and three bronze, and one special mention from a total of 110 beers.

Sixty beer experts from across the world spent two days tasting 725 beers entered for the challenge, arranged into eight main and 50 sub-categories, including Abbey/Trappist-style blond and bitter, brut, lambic and gueuze. The judging took place at the former Stella Artois brewery, now the events venue De Hoorn.

The judges, too, are a varied and international group, including journalists and beer writers, the honorary president of the Belgian Brewers Federation, authors, world hop expert Denis De Keukeleire of the University of Ghent, sommeliers, suppliers and beer sellers.

The best beer in the competition, chosen unanimously, was the golden ale Triple C from Thwaites in Blackburn, England. The best Belgian beer title went to Liefmans Goudenband in the category of Flemish red/brown ales.

The Brussels Beer Challenge is now in its third edition. Then, 498 beers from 12 countries took part; now the number of countries has doubled to 25 and the number of beers has gone up to 730.

Photo: Judge Jean Luc Bodeux checks beer colour and transparency as part of the Brussels Beer Challenge

©Bart Van der Perre