Five Minnesota breweries had an extra reason to raise a glass last week after winning medals in the World Beer Cup during the Craft Brewers Conference.
Held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the four-day event drew more than 10,000 people from the industry who talked with experts and attended educational workshops.
The week culminated with the World Beer Cup awards. This year, there were more than 10,000 entries — its largest to date — in 103 beer-style categories. In all, there were nearly 2,500 breweries representing 57 countries.
"Winning an award at this extremely competitive event symbolizes one of the greatest accomplishments in the art of brewing," said Chris Swersey, competition director.
Minnesota breweries took home three golds and three bronzes:
Dual Citizen Brewing Co. of St. Paul won a gold medal in the barley wine-style ale category for its Mayhem and Mischief. (725 Raymond Av., St. Paul, dcbc.com)
Bent Paddle Brewing Company's taproom and pilot brewery took home a gold for its Altbear, an entry in the German-style Altbier category. The pilot brewery is Bent Paddle's small-batch, experimental arm; the beers are only available in the taproom. (1832 W. Michigan St., Duluth, bentpaddlebrewing.com)
Drop Forge Milk Stout from Pantown Brewing Co. in St. Cloud also won a gold medal. The milk stout, one of its flagship beers, took top honors in the sweet stout or cream stout category. (408 37th Av. N., St. Cloud, pantownbrewing.com)
