The World’s Best IPA—According To The 2024 World Beer Cup

The World Beer Cup is commonly referred to as the "Olympics of Beer Competitions." Originally conceived in 1996, it is an annual extravaganza organized by the Brewers Association—a trade group comprising over 5,400 beer makers. This spring its expert panel of judges, from 26 different countries, convened in Las Vegas to award bronze, silver and gold medals across 103 separate styles of suds.
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We've served up a good look at many of these medalists over the past few weeks. But today it's all about the IPAs. Because the modern craft beer movement remains obsessed with the hoppiest of categories. To wit, there were a total of eight subcategories of India Pale Ale in total at the 2024 World Beer Cup. When looking at the most entered styles, three of the top four wore IPA in the title. Hazy India Pale Ale reigned supreme with 326 offerings, followed by West-Coast Style India Pale Ale with 281. American-Style India Pale Ale boasted some 213 expressions.


So, yes, enthusiasts continue to be enthralled by the most bitter of beers out there. And though the earliest known mention of the term goes all the way back to 1835 England, contemporary examples of India Pale Ale bear little resemblance to its historic antecedent. Indeed, the style continues to redefine itself, which is why the judges at the World Beer Cup need to separate them into eight separate piles to begin with.

Enough throat-clearing. It's time to enjoy a closer look at those eight gold medal examples. Let's hops to it, shall we?

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