Three Michigan breweries were awarded medals this week at the 2023 World Beer Cup competition—regarded as “The Olympics of Beer Competition.” The event, introduced in 1996, was held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo America in Nashville, TN. The conference and competition are presented by the Brewers Association (BA), the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers.
This year, 10,213 beers in 103 beer categories covering 176 different beer styles (including all subcategories) were submitted by 2,376 breweries from 51 countries. From that, 272 judges (from 26 countries) presented 307 bronze, silver and gold medals.
The following awards were presented to Michigan breweries:
- Bronze: The Mitten Brewing Co. – Imperial Peanuts & Crackerjacks (Field Beer Category)
- Silver: Founders Brewing – Dirty Bastard (Old Ale or Strong Ale Category)
- Gold: Redwood Brewing Co. – Nectar of the Gods (Belgian Style Tripel Category)
Formed in 1997, the Michigan Brewers Guild represents nearly 300 member breweries. The Guild is a passionate beer community that believes in quality artisanship, bold character, fun, responsibility and pushing the boundaries. The mission of the Guild is to promote and protect the Michigan beer industry with an overarching goal to help locally brewed beer attain 20% of all beer sales in the state by 2025.
Michigan’s brewing industry contributes more than 21,000 full-time jobs and $872 million in labor income, with a total economic impact of over $2.5 billion. In terms of overall number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #6 in the nation—supporting its title as “The Great Beer State.”