A number of American craft brewers had triumphed in two European beer competitions – the Brussels Beer Challenge and European Beer Star.

The breweries form part of the Brewers Association’s Export Development Program (EDP), succeeding in:

Brussels Beer Challenge

The Brussels Beer Challenge is an annual international beer competition in its ninth iteration of the competition. 1,546 beers were judged by 38 beer experts. Participating beers were subdivided into categories based on origin, typology, and style, and then tasted.

American craft brewers who were awarded with 31 awards in total: nine gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze including Reuben’s Brews Crikey IPA which was voted ‘Best North American Beer of the Competition’.

Adam Robbings, co-founder of Reuben’s Brews from Seattle, California, said: “Independent expert reviews is a key way of assessing the quality of our beer and winning medals shows that technically we are on the right track. 

“It’s a great way of providing feedback to our brewers too!  We view Brussels Beer Challenge and European Beer Stars as important international competitions to do well in and winning a medal in Europe is particularly sweet!”

European Beer Star 

The European Beer Star took place for the 17th occasion in October 2020.

This year’s competition welcomed 2,036 entrants from 42 countries of which 208 beers were from the United States. Judging took place at the Doemens Brewing Academy, Munich and the awards ceremony was held digitally. 

Medal winners came from 28 different countries.  Congratulations to the American craft breweries who won 22 medals in total including 11 gold, five silver and six bronze.

Lotte Peplow, American craft beer ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association, added: “American craft beer is renowned the world over for its full-flavour, style-diversity and ground-breaking innovation. 

“Excelling at international beer competitions such as Brussels Beer Challenge and European Beer Star is testimony to its enduring success and we are delighted to see American craft beer gaining high accolades in this most challenging of years.”