In fact this bi-annual judging was the largest commercial beer competition in history. At the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 642 breweries from Argentina to Uzbekistan (44 countries in all) competed with 3,330 beers, up from 2,864 two years ago. That’s 16 percent more beers entered than in 2009. Here are more facts and figures.

The U.S. dominated with 2,371 entries, about two thirds of  of the total. Germany followed with 186, then Canada (137), Belgium (107), Japan (98) and the UK (51). Adding a decidedly international palate profile, 72 percent of the 179 judges were from outside of the U.S.

Awards were given in 90 categories. While average entry per category was 37 beers, it looks like styles are polarizing once again. The three most-entered categories were Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (115 entries), Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer (109) followed by American-Style India Pale Ale (106). Flavored beer in general held nearly a tenth of the entries (300+), with Wood, Aged and Sour beers coming in at well over 200 entries. This is not to mention that these beers showed up singly in other of the 90 categories as well. Bear in mind, too, that these beers represent the high end of the market, a welcome sign for brewers after a nervous year of 7 percent growth in craft brewing. The age of the limited edition specialty beer has arrived.

Though there was a heavy skew towards the west, 36 out of 47 participating states came home with at least one medal out of the 268 awarded (with no gold in 2 categories). That made for a comfortable national presence. That being said, California had a whopping 45 medals followed by Oregon (13), Washington (12), Illinois (12), Colorado (11), Michigan (11) and Virginia (8).

Yes, things were soft for the East Coast. Mid-Atlantic brewpubs fared the best, with two striking examples. WBC 2010 Champion Large Brewpub was Iron Hill, Wilmington DE and its brewing team. Small Brewpub Champ was rising star Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland VA, brewer Jason Oliver. Well done!

The Champion Large Brewing Company was Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, Singapore, whose Tiger Beer and Tiger Crystal won both their categories. Mid-Size Brewing Company Champion was Firestone-Walker, Paso Robles CA, and Small Brewing Company Champion was Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego CA.

One hands-across-the-sea success story is Nørrebro of Copenhagen, Denmark, winning two golds and a silver for Little Korkny Barley-Wine, Seven Imperial Stout and Viking Oud Bruin, all from their Barrel Aged Series. All three are children of former expat brewer Shaun Hill, who has just started Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont. Nørrebro’s Anders Kissmeyer will be soon collaborating there on a Smoked Baltic Porter.

It would be fun to tease the reader with a landslide of favorite medalists, but the sheer fun is in downloading the Winners List (worldbeercup.org) and matching your personal favorites. With 90 categories including new ones like Out of Category/Traditionally Brewed Beer and American-Belgo-Style Ale, and with more commercial arenas like Australasian, Latin-American or Tropic Style Light Lager (say that with a lime in your mouth), there’s plenty to pore over. It’s a far different list of winners than comes out of GABF and you will find surprises.

Savoring WBC’s Award Dinner

To loosen up the crowd for the awards, Executive Chef Sean Paxton of the Sheraton and Randy Mosher, author of Radical Brewing, created a smashing menu for what was proudly called “the largest known beer dinner ever” by Brewers Association’s Julia Herz with over 1,800 in attendance. Courses were paired with medal winners from the last WBC in 2008. Service was impeccable for such a huge gathering. Here’s a brief but mouth-watering summary.

Local cured meats and Mid-West cheeses with Amarillo hop encrusted nuts, Cascade hop infused honey, Rodenbach Grand Cru beer jam and New Belgium Eric’s beer jelly were washed down with copious amounts of Worryin’ Rye Ale from Chicago’s Piece Brewery. The 2nd course Cream of Pearl Barley Soup with a drizzle of Saaz hop steeped olive oil blended right in with Bell’s Porter, Galesburg MI. Next a tossed bitter salad dressed with 3 Floyds Dreadnought Double IPA malt vinaigrette and hop scented hard boiled eggs was balanced by Union Jack IPA, Firestone-Walker, Paso Robles CA.

Ready for the melt-in-your-mouth main course? I’m going to quote it like I got it from the chef: “Pork belly brined in Upland Brewing Co. Winter Warmer and stuffed with fennel, caramelized onions and a custom Alaskan Smoked Porter sausage atop a pretzel spätzle simmered in stout wort and splashed with a Oskar Blues Gordon & Sierra Nevada Stout Grain Mustard sauce and herb Styrian Golding hop pesto” with BSG/Homebrewchef Hop Salt on the side. (Whew!) Oh, and two beers to help this melt in your mouth: Allagash Curieux, Portland ME and Rock Bottom (Chicago) Terminal Stout.

Hardly any room left for the malted TCHO chocolate/Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout bread pudding with Shoreline Brewery Beltaine Scotch Ale hard sauce and Fuggles hop-infused mascarpone Chantilly cream, but I floated it down. Seems a no-brainer that this was filled out by Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Here was proof positive that beer cuisine has a tremendous future, and not just at a sold out event in Washington D.C. While a table partner felt things were a little over the top (perhaps sour grapes because the pickled chanterelle mushrooms ran out before we sat down), it’s my feeling that this is exactly the direction we should be tasting and planning and sharing around. Keep those cookbooks coming!