The World Beer Cup awards just came out for 2022, an exciting moment for brewers and beer geeks. Who made the best IPA/pilsner/fruity sour thing, and where can I get it?
But the buzz this year is not so much about the medals that were awarded, but about the ones that were not. In Category 68: Belgian-style witbier, with 102 entries in the category, only one medal, the bronze, was awarded; no silver, no gold. The concern – no, let’s be honest, the anger among brewers about this is exacerbated by the fact that the bronze went to Allagash White, a beer generally recognized as an exemplar of the style, often used as a touchstone for the category.
I wasn’t at the conference, but I watched the video of the presentations. When the Brewers Association’s Chris Swersey (in his final appearance; he’s retiring as head of this competition and the GABF judging) made the announcement that “Neither silver nor gold awards were awarded in this category,” you can hear people booing. A brewer friend of mine who was there told me they heard “That’s bullshit!” and “WTF?” out on the floor.
Well, yeah! Brewers spend a fair amount on entries: the beers, the time to fill out entries, packing and shipping, and the entry fees. And then to have the judges say, ‘Sorry, only one in a hundred of these beers even meets the standards for the lowest grade medal, see ya next year’? Why wouldn’t you be pissed?
Click here to order Whiskey Master Class by Lew Bryson
I’m not saying that I think Allagash should have won the Gold. Though it is odd that the only medal awarded was to a beer generally considered a style paragon, and it was the Bronze. No, the point is that the judges should not be put in this position. By the competition, by the rules, or by the brewers. And make no mistake: all three of them could be culpable at one time or another.
Allow me to explain.
I have some personal insight on this. My bona fides: while I haven’t judged World Beer Cup, I’ve judged GABF four times, the New York State Brewers Association competition several times, the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) awards, Fred Minnick’s new Ascot Awards, and a smattering of homebrew competitions. I also wrote reviews for years for All About Beer and Whisky Advocate. I’m not new to the ideas of judging, or rules and guidelines for judges.
Much more relevantly, twice I have found myself at “that table” at high-level competitions where a group of judges made the decision to not award all of the three medals in the category. And as my colleague Andy Crouch tweeted after the WBC announcement, yes, there was some…
