Brussels Beer Challenge Reveals Impressive International Development

From The Brussels Beer Challenge:

Brazil, China and Australia have all seen entries soar this year. This is a first in the history of the Brussels Beer Challenge, as producer countries from the other side of the world entered a large number of beers in the competition, underscoring the Challenge’s strong international resonance.

Across the globe, from Belgium to Australia, Italy, France, Switzerland and Chile, new brewing companies are emerging.
They offer a range of beers running the gamut from traditional to highly innovative. The beer arena is undergoing
a sea-change, despite the continued significance of the major industrial groups.

European beer culture was long dominated by traditional countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, the
United Kingdom and of course Belgium. But in recent times, new players such as the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland have burgeoned. France, with its long-standing tradition of winegrowing, now boasts more than 1,200 breweries onstream – at the beginning of the 1980s, there were only around 30.

There are now 295 breweries operating in our country, not to mention companies that commission brewers to produce their beer. And the trend continues to gain traction with new brewery projects and new beers emerging every month. Is this growth sustainable? Will consumers continue to follow the trend?

The Brussels Beer Challenge is positioned as a bellwether of these changes and provides an overview of market developments every year, and a benchmark for the national and international brewing industry.

• Brazil, Germany and China posted the strongest increases and ranked among the top 10 countries taking part
in the competition
• Australia sees record-breaking entry numbers
• Over 1,500 beers have been entered in the 7th event, an increase of 10%.
• 48 producer countries are taking part in the competition
• 88 professional international judges are travelling from 25 countries
• Nearly 10,000 glasses of beer will be served and judged over 3 days
• Belgium leads the way with 296 entries from 80 breweries
• Participation by American breweries is consistent year-on-year, but no longer in growth mode
• France entered nearly 150 beers in the competition
• Italy has established itself as a significant market within Europe

Belgium also plays a pivotal role in this development