The World Beer Cup is an international competition hosted by the Brewers Association, which also honors brewing excellence through the Great American Beer Festival awards. The World Beer Cup, often dubbed the “Olympics of beer competitions,” was held in Las Vegas as part of the Craft Brewers Conference.
The event awarded breweries in 110 categories, representing 176 beer styles. There were 9,300 entries from more than 2,000 breweries throughout 50 countries, according to the Brewers Association. In 2023, four Arizona breweries took home five medals – the state’s biggest haul to date, according to Arizona Craft Brewer's Guild deputy director Andrew Bauman.
Here are the four Arizona winners along with their medal-gaining brews.
The downtown Mesa location of 12 West Brewing Co. The brewery won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup for its Zona Pilsner.
Lauren Cusimano
12 West Brewing Co.
12 W. Main St., Mesa3000 E. Ray Road, Building 6, #110, Gilbert East Valley brewer 12 West took home Arizona’s only gold medal this year for Zona, its American-style lager. The crisp, light pilsner is one of the brewery’s core beers, available on draft in its taprooms and in cans. This is 12 West’s first World Beer Cup medal.
O.H.S.O. had a "speakeasy" tent behind it's tasting booth at the Arizona Strong Beer Festival in February. At the World Beer Cup, the brewer won a silver medal for its Japanese-style rice lager, Sudoku.
Jacob Tyler Dunn
O.H.S.O. Brewery
Multiple locationsO.H.S.O. Brewery snagged a silver medal in the herb and spice beer category for Sudoku. The brew is a Japanese-style rice lager made with Jasmine rice, lemongrass, fresh ginger and jasmine green tea. The brewer is currently sold out of the seasonal brew, but it will be available in the next three months, according to an O.H.S.O. representative. This is the brewery's third World Beer Cup medal, and first for this beer style.
Pedal Haus Brewery's brew team, from left, Derek "Doc" Osborne, Jon Chaney, Derek Hanson and Tim Caggiano. The Tempe-born brewery won its first World Beer Cup medal for its Day Drinker Light Lager.
Sara Crocker
Pedal Haus Brewery
Multiple locationsAcclaimed brewery Pedal Haus snagged its first World Beer Cup medal, receiving a Silver for its Day Drinker Light Lager. The 100% pilsner malt sipper that clocks in at 3.5% ABV received the medal in the international light lager category. The beer is available on draft at all three of Pedal Haus’ taprooms in Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler.
Goldwater Brewing Co.'s Oats M'gotes, an oatmeal stout, took a bronze medal for the beer style at the World Beer Cup.
Goldwater Brewing Co.
Goldwater Brewing Co.
Multiple locationsGoldwater Brewing Co.’s oatmeal stout Oats M’gotes received a bronze medal. The rich-bodied brew has notes of roasted malt and oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, according to the brewer. The beer is on its last kegs at Goldwater's three locations in Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa, but co-founder Dillon McClelland says the brewers are adding it to the schedule to get more on tap ASAP. The nod is Goldwater’s first in the World Beer Cup, and arrives just days before the brewer hosts a ninth anniversary party at its Scottsdale location.To see the full 2024 winners list, visit worldbeercup.org.
