Ohio Breweries Win at 2023 World Beer Cup

Ohio Breweries Win Big on Global Stage

Seven breweries combine for 10 medals at 2023 World Beer Cup competition.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ohio craft breweries earned top accolades for their beers at the 2023 World Beer Cup awards ceremony, held on Wednesday, May 10. Ohio bolstered its reputation as a world-class beer destination by winning a total of 10 awards in this year's contest. Ohio's best showing at World Beer Cup was in 2022, when 13 breweries combined for a total of 15 awards.

Fat Head's Brewery reasserted their beer competition dominance with a total of four awards at World Beer Cup. This was brewery's best showing in this event and increases their World Beer Cup medal count to 13. The brewery has earned at least one World Beer Cup award in each competition dating back to 2012.

Fat Head's was one of only three breweries in the competition to earn four awards, joining Oregon's 10 Barrel Brewing and Green Cheek Beer Company of Orange, California. Head Hunter, the Fat Head's flagship IPA, won the gold award in the American-style India Pale Ale category, besting the field of 412 entries in one of the hottest contested styles in the competition.

Two Ohio breweries returned to the World Beer Cup stage with awards in the 2023 contest, including a gold medal for Wolf's Ridge Brewing's Daybreak in the Coffee Beer category. The Columbus-based brewery took home the silver award in last year's competition. Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Smashing Honey Blonde took the silver award in the Honey Beer category with Smashing Honey Blonde. Hoppin' Frog has now brought back a total of three World Beer Cup honors to their brewery in Akron.

Four Cincinnati area breweries are taking home World Beer Cup awards for the first time this year. Rhinegeist's Cheetah earned gold in the American-style Cream Ale category. Voss from Mason, Ohio's Sonder Brewing took top honors in the German-style Koelsch category. Streetside Brewery's Black Cats took home the silver award in the English-style Brown Ale category. Sharonville, Ohio's Third Eye Brewing Company earned a bronze award for Higher Purpose in the Sweet Stout or Cream Stout category, the same beer that won a gold medal in the 2021 Great American Beer Festival competition.

"Ohio's independent breweries are making phenomenal, world-class beer, but they’re also pillars of the communities they serve," said Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. "They are welcoming gathering places. They help to revitalize neighborhoods and towns. They create thousands of jobs, bring in tourism dollars and generously give to local charitable causes."

World Beer Cup organizers reported that more than 10,200 beer entries were received from 2,375 breweries across 51 countries. The number of entries and competitors from around the globe make this event one of the world's most prestigious beer awards. The World Beer Cup competition is now held annually in conjunction with the Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo America.


2023 World Beer Cup award-winning Ohio craft beers:

Fat Head's Brewery (Middleburg Heights):
AlpenGlow – Gold award, South German-Style Weizenbock
Bone Head – Gold award, Strong Red Ale
Head Hunter – Gold award, American-Style India Pale Ale
Hop Stalker – Bronze award, Experimental Beer

Rhinegeist (Cincinnnati):
Cheetah – Gold award, American-Style Cream Ale

Sonder Brewing (Mason):
Voss  – Gold award, German-Style Koelsch

Wolf's Ridge Brewing (Columbus):
Daybreak – Gold award, Coffee Beer

Hoppin' Frog Brewery (Akron):
Smashing Honey Blonde – Silver award, Honey Beer

Streetside Brewery (Cincinnati):
Black Cats – Silver award, English-Style Brown Ale

Third Eye Brewing (Sharonville):
Higher Purpose – Bronze award, Sweet Stout or Cream Stout



Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote, preserve and unify Ohio’s craft brewing industry. We aspire to be recognized as the industry leader at both state and national levels for preserving the art of making high-quality, unique craft beer; to serve as the unified voice for craft brewers across the state; to advocate on behalf of the Ohio craft beer industry; to contribute to systemic, local community development by driving economic and job growth, while creating experiences that bring people together; to promote safe, responsible enjoyment of Ohio craft beer; and to serve as a beacon for local production and manufacturing through craft beer, resulting in diverse choices for consumers.