title_body: Is there a contest that chooses the best beer in the world?
upvoted_answer: Is there a contest that chooses the best beer in the world?
  
  The short answer is possibly.
  
  The International Beer Challenge Competition and Awards seems to make that claim.
  
  
    We are the world's BEST Beer Competition and Awards - as voted by experts - our panel of judges
    
    The aim for the IBC is to reward and promote excellent beers from around the globe providing brewers with a platform to express their beers to trade and consumers.
    
    With the ever growing interest in the beer category, we have set out over 72 different categories to reflect the diversity in brewing today as well as offering traditional beer categories. Over the years we are seeing more and more brewers enter their bottled, canned or mini kegs from round the world and today we receive entries from no fewer than 40 countries.
    
    Being part of the IBC carries a number of significant benefits. It acknowledges the skill of the brewer and is an internationally recognised symbol of quality, frequently displayed on beer labels. Retailers, restaurateurs, bar owners and wholesalers are justifiably proud of the range of award winning beers they carry. Drinks lists promote IBC award-winners directly to the consumer and can influence their buying decision and as a result can increase your brands' profile, prestige and sales.
    
    We have some of the shrewdest beer judges in the land - retailers, importers, publicans, brewers, writers and flavour analysists. The judging process is rigorous, unrivalled and our approach is much respected among our panel of judges.
    
    Winning beers will be presented at the Brewers Awards when we announce the trophy and supreme champion beer, and also crown brewers and retailers who have performed the best across the board in the competition. - The International Beer Challenge Competition and Awards
  
  
  There is also the World Beer Cup.
  
  
    The World Beer Cup is an international beer competition organized by the Brewers Association, a trade group representing America's small and independent craft brewers. It is the largest competition in the beer industry and has been described as "the Olympics of beer." According to americancraftbeer.com, "Winning a World Beer Cup is like winning a Grammy or an Oscar…it brings the world’s attention to even the smallest brewery’s doorstep…and like a hit song or film, it can make a career." The cup was founded by Association of Brewers president Charlie Papazian in 1996 and is awarded every two years. The competition is held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference &amp; BrewExpo America.
    
    In 2016 there were 6,596 beers from 1,907 breweries from 55 countries. Entries were judged by an international panel of 253 judges from 31 countries. In 2018 there were 8,234 beers entered, a 25% increase over the 2016 cup and the largest field in the competition's history, with competitors from 66 countries. There were 295 judges, three-fourths of them from outside the United States. - World Beer Cup