(Photo by Bart Van der Perre)

Described as “the United Nations of Fine Beers” the Brussels Beer Challenge is an international competition held in different Belgian beer capitals annually. And its growth speaks to evolution of serious beer around the globe.

And just as the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competitions highlight brewing trends and the emergence of prominent brewing players in the US, entrants to the Brussels Beer Challenge serves as a bellwether of beer’s market development and emergence around the world.

Since it first launched ten years ago, the Brussels Beer Challenge has grown to become one of the world’s most important and prestigious competitions. When it began in 2012 it was populated primarily by breweries from Belgium and traditional countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, and the UK. This year’s competition attracted 2,395 beers from 44 different countries judged by more than 120 beer experts.

Judges awarded 213 beers with gold, silver, or bronze in 70+1 categories. And although European brewers are still comprehensively represented, US brewers are making inroads and they won big this year.

American breweries took home 18 medals overall in 2021 including five Gold, four Silver, and nine Bronze. And those award-winning breweries are listed below…

Congratulations to all this year’s winners….Live long and prosper.