Indianapolis — The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers—announced the winners of the 2025 World Beer Cup®, the world’s most prestigious professional beer and cider competition. The awards ceremony was held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®.
Throughout 14 sessions spanning seven days, a panel of 265 judges from 37 countries methodically evaluated 8,375 entries from 1,761 breweries and cideries across 49 nations and bestowed 349 awards.*
“The World Beer Cup competition continues to showcase the global industry’s dedication to innovative craftsmanship, diverse flavors, and technical excellence,” said Chris Williams, World Beer Cup competition director. “This roster of 2025 winners represents the pinnacle of craft brewing and cideries, demonstrating what’s achievable through dedication and passion. Congratulations to this year’s award winners; they have once again helped set the standard for excellence in their craft, inspiring innovation and fostering healthy competition within the industry.”
World Beer Cup Competition Statistics
- 16th competition (skipped 2020; annualized starting 2022)
- Entries: 8,375
- Breweries & cideries: 1,761
- Countries: 49
- First-time brewery entries: 317
- Judges: 265
- International judges: 132 from 37 countries
- Judge countries: 37
- Judging sessions and days: 7 days, 14 sessions
- Beer style categories (including subcategories): 112
- Cider categories: 5
- Avg number of beers in each category: 73
Most entered style categories:
- Category 111, Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale, 290 entries
- Category 112, West Coast-Style India Pale, 253 entries
- Category 110, American-Style India Pale Ale, 208 entries
- Category 43, German-Style Pilsener, 186 entries
- Category 39, Hoppy Lager, 155 entries
*Out of a total possible 336 awards in 112 beer style categories, 334 were awarded. Gold was not awarded in Category 78, Belgian-Style Strong Blonde Ale, and a bronze was not designated in Category 67, South German-Style Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen. Out of a total possible 15 awards in 5 cider style categories, 15 were awarded.
Editor’s note: Photos for media use are available on the World Beer Cup website. A recording of the awards ceremony can be viewed here. Previous years’ winners can be viewed here.
The 2025 World Beer Cup competition was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors: Fermentis, First Key, HAAS, Jenrey Ltd. Beverage Solutions, Rahr Malting Co., SAHM, and Siemens.
Media contact: Jessie Vandenhouten (on behalf of the Brewers Association)
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The Brewers Association organizes events, including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, National Homebrew Competition, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® and Zymurgy® magazines, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the American Homebrewers Association®. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.
Resource Hub