Congratulations to Iron Hill Media, PA For WBC Medals

WILMINGTON, DE – The region’s most award-winning collection of brewpubs, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, added more accolades to their already-impressive list at this year’s World Beer Cup (WBC) held in San Diego, CA this past weekend.  For the second time, they took home the overall award for “Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster, Small Brewpub,” one of the competition’s top honors.  In addition, Media, PA head brewer Bob Barrar, the group’s most decorated brewer, earned two gold medals, while Newark, DE head brewer Justin Sproul was awarded a bronze.

“As a group, we extend our congratulations to Bob and Justin, and we thank them and all of our head brewers for their ongoing excellent work and devotion to world-class beer,” says Iron Hill Director of Brewing Operations Mark Edelson.  “We are thrilled and proud of this recognition, which energizes us to continue to do what we do best: brew exceptional craft beers.”

The WBC is known in the brewing world as “the Olympics of beer.” Held bi-annually, the event brings together brewers from around the world.  This year, an elite panel of judges rated the 799 participating breweries, representing 54 countries and 45 U.S. states, and handed out medals in 95 style categories with a total of 284 awards distributed.  This year’s ninth-annual WBC boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 3,921 beers considered for medals.

Iron Hill’s winning beers included Barrar’s Russian Imperial Stout in the “British-Style Imperial Stout” category and Old Ale in the “Old Ale or Strong Ale” category, as well as Sproul’s Grodzinski in the “Smoked Beer” category. 

Barrar is now the owner of 23 medals, including nine from the WBC and 14 from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).  His Russian Imperial Stout has previously won three GABF gold medals, one GABF silver medal, two WBC gold medals and one WBC bronze medal;  his Old Ale has previously won two WBC gold medals and one WBC bronze medal.  This was Sproul’s second time receiving a medal at WBC, in 2010 he brought home a silver medal for his Crazy Ivan Imperial Stout.

Other local breweries also earned medals at this year’s WBC, including Dock Street, Troeg’s and Dogfish Head, who brought home one medal each, but Iron Hill’s three medals earned them the title of “World Champion,” an award they have brought home once before, and reinforces their status as one of the mid-Atlantic’s elite breweries.