BY MND STAFF
Ensenada-based Cervecería Wendlandt took home two awards at the 2024 World Beer Cup. (@cerveceriaw/Instagram)
Mexico in 2024 had its best year ever at the world’s “most prestigious” beer competition, with breweries in Hermosillo, Querétaro and Ensenada winning a total of four awards including two golds.
The World Beer Cup, a United States Brewers Association event which promotes itself as “the most prestigious beer competition in the world,” was held last week in Las Vegas.
Judges tasted beers across a total of 110 categories, including ones for American wheat beer, German-style pilsener, Belgian-style sour ale, English mild or bitter, robust porter, and even gluten-free beer and non-alcoholic beer.
Cervezas Mexicanas came out on top in the German-style kölsch and export stout categories and took the silver awards in the American-style pale ale and American-style black ale or American-style stout categories.
It was the first time ever that two Mexican breweries won gold in the same edition of the World Beer Cup, which was first held in 1996.
Over 2,000 breweries from 50 countries entered 9,300 beers in this year’s competition. A total of 280 judges from 37 countries including Mexico tasted the beers.
The winning beers were selected by 280 experts from around the world.
Without further ado, here are the Mexican breweries and beers that won awards at the 2024 World Beer Cup, which is also known as “the Olympics of beer competitions.”
Buqui Bichi Brewing took the gold for its German-style kölsch. Located in Hermosillo, Sonora, this brewery‘s German-style kölsch was deemed the best among 151 entries.
Called Banquetera, the 4.8% ABV brew is described as “light” and “refreshing” by Buqui Bichi Brewing.
Ramón Osuna, a founding partner of the brewery, attributed the win at the World Beer Cup to the dedication of Buqui Bichi’s team to improve every day.
“After winning the prize for the best brewery in the country at the Copa Cerveza México, our next objective was to win an award at the World Beer Cup. With this gold award for our kölsch, Banquetera, we’ve managed to achieve this goal. As a Sonoran and Mexican company, we are very proud,” he said.
In a tongue-in-cheek comment on its website, Buqui Bichi says that “a few Banqueteras is the best therapy for this life.” The beer’s name is a derivative of banqueta, the Spanish word for sidewalk.
The brewery recommends drinking a Banquetera on the sidewalk with friends while sharing “life’s best stories”.
Querétaro city’s Hércules also won a gold award, taking the top prize in the export stout category for its 7.5% Irish export stout Pueblito. There was a total of 45 entries in the category.
The recognition shows “we’re on the right path,” said head brewer Josh Brengle, who last year spoke to Mexico News Daily about the beers he and his team make at Hércules.
According to the brewery, Pueblito is an “extremely dark” beer with “predominantly toasted notes” reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate.
Querétaro-based brewery Hércules was another gold medal winner, taking home the top prize for its Irish export stout, Pueblito. (Compañía Cervecera Hércules/Instagram)
It is a “robust, complex and elegant beer of Irish origin that now feels 100% queretana,” Hércules says.
At the 2022 edition of the World Beer Cup, the brewery’s “summer ale” Caballo Blanco was awarded bronze in the English ale category.
Ensenada’s Wendlandt, another previous winner of the best brewery award at the Copa Cerveza México, took home silver awards for its pale ale Vaquita Marina and its stout Foca Parlante.
“We’re full of happiness and pride at being the first Mexican craft brewery to take home two awards at the same edition of the World Beer Cup,” the brewery said in a post to Instagram.
Named after the critically endangered porpoise, the 5.2% Vaquita Marina pale ale is a “refreshing” and “hoppy beer” with a citrusy bouquet and taste, according to Wendlandt.
The Foca Parlante is a dark and creamy 5.4% stout with a “flavor of toasted grains and a light touch of oatmeal,” the brewery says.
The beer, whose name means “Talking Seal,” was awarded bronze at the 2023 edition of the World Beer Cup.
