The 2008 World Beer Cup Gala Awards ceremony was held Saturday, April 19 in San Diego, California. 2,864 from 644 breweries in 58 countries competed for medals in 91 categories. In each category, usually a distinctive beer style, a gold, silver and bronze is awarded, though on occasion one medal within a category is not given if none of the beers meet the written criteria for the style. Approximately 268 medals were awarded (91 x 3 = 273, minus 5 awards not given). Here are a few of the award winners, accepting their medals on stage at the Town & Country ballroom.

Brewers Association President Charlie Papazian opens the awards ceremony.

Then Chris Swersey, World Beer Cup Competition Manager, read the entire winners list.

Horst Dornbusch, the host for my trip to Bavaria last fall, accepted a bronze award for Category 1: Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage on behalf of Neumarkter Lammsbräu for their Organic Saps-Fit Sparkling Malt Drink.

George Hancock accepted a gold medal for Pyramid Brewing’s Crystal Wheat Ale for Category 3: American-Style Wheat Beer. Pyramid also won a gold for MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale in Category 52: Classic English-Style Pale Ale.

Brett Joyce, accepting a bronze medal in Category 5: Rye Beer for Bronze for Issaquah Brewhouse’s Frog Rye IPA.

Dave Buehler, Dick Cantwell and one of their brewers picking up a gold medal in Category 7: Herb and Spice Beer for Elysian Brewing’s Avatar Jasmine IPA. Elysian also won a bronze in Category 12: Other Strong Ale or Lager for their Dragonstooth Stout and a silver in Category 56: Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter for The Wise ESB.

Sebbie Buehler, from Rogue Ales, picks up a gold and a bronze in Category 9: Specialty Beer for, respectively, Morimoto Soba Ale and Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale.

Pat McIlhenney, from Alpine Brewing, won a gold for his Ichabod in Category 13: Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale).

Tomme’s assistant brewer, Vince Marsaglia and Tomme Arthur from Port Brewing Co. and The Lost Abbey getting the first of four medals, this one a bronze for Veritas 002. They also won a gold for Cuvee de Tomme in Category 17: Wood- and Barrel-aged Sour Beer (14 Entries), a silver for Red Poppy in Category 45: Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale, and a bronze for Brouwer’s Imagination Series Saison in Category 91: Other International Ale

Tom Kerns and Garret Marrero, from Maui Brewing, picking up their silver medal for Bikini Blonde Lager in Category 19: Cellar or Unfiltered Beer. Maui also won another silver in Category 7: Herb and Spice Beer for CoCoNut Porter and a bronze in Category 79: American-Style Pale Ale for their Maui Pale Ale.

Warren Quilliam, from Coors’ Blue Moon Brewing, accepting a gold in Category 10: Specialty Honey Lager or Ale for Blue Moon Honey Moon and also a silver in Category 6: Fruit and Vegetable Beer for their Blue Moon Chardonnay Blonde. Blue Moon and Quillian also won World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster for Large Brewing Company.

Sue Thompson, from Miller Brewing, accepting a gold for Steel Reserve and a bronze for Mickey’s Ice, both in Category 35: American-Style Specialty Lager.

Tonya Cornett, from Bend Brewing, winning a gold in Category 37: American-Style Dark Lager for her Black Diamond Lager. Bend Brewing also won another gold in Category 67: Strong Ale for Outback X.

Chuck Hahn, from Malt Shovel Brewery, won a gold in Category 23: Bohemian-Style Pilsener for James Squire Pilsener.

Arne Johnson, from Marin Brewing, won a bronze in Category 42: Belgian- and French-Style Ale for his Tiburon Blonde. He also won a silver in Category 77: Foreign (Export)-Style Stout for San Quentin’s Breakout Stout and another bronze in Category 88: American-Style Wheat Wine Ale for Star Brew.

Bas and Hildegard, from Urthel, accepting a bronze in Category 46: Belgian-Style Dubbel for their Urthel Parlus Magnificum – Vlaemse Bock.

Rob Tod and his brewer from Allagash, winning a silver in Category 47: Belgian-Style Tripel for their Allagash Tripel, for which they actually bested Westmalle Tripel, which got a bronze.

Ken Allen (center) and the new brewer from Anderson Valley Brewing, which won a bronze in Category 49: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale for Brother David’s Double.

Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, from Russian River, accepting a gold medal for Salvation in Category 49: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale. They also won a silver medal for Temptation in Category 17: Wood- and Barrel-aged Sour Beer.

Glenn Payne, from Meantime Brewing, won a silver in Category 8: Coffee Flavored Beer for Meantime Coffee Porter. Here’s he’s also accepting an award for another British brewery, but I’m not sure which one.

The gang from Stone Brewing picking up their bronze for Stone Pale Ale in Category 56: Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter.

The shy and retiring folks from Bull & Bush …

Who were awarded a bronze for Big Ben Brown Ale in Category 59: English-Style Brown Ale.

John Mallet (on left) and Larry Bell (second from right) with the rest of the gang, from Bell’s Brewing, picking up a gold for their Porter in Category 60: Brown Porter.

I’m not sure who these award-winning brewers are but they were wearing my new favorite beer shirt.

Jeff Mendel (on right) picking up a gold for his Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout in Category 62: Sweet Stout.

The folks from Firestone Walker, with Matt Brynildson (at left) picking up a bronze for their curiously named Velvet Merkin (go ahead, Google it — I dare you) in Category 63: Oatmeal Stout. Firestone Walker also won two silvers, one for Nectar IPA in Category 80: American-Style Strong Pale Ale and the other for Union Jack IPA in Category 81: American-Style India Pale Ale.

 
NOTE TO BREWERS: If you would like the original photo displayed here, just drop me a line and I’ll be happy to e-mail it to you. The files are big, averaging around 2 MB, so make sure your e-mail can handle receiving a file that large.
 

Continue on to Part 2