The West Sixth Brewing crew toasts a World Beer Cup win for its Pennyrile Pale Ale at the brewery. / Photo by Kelly Hieronymus, West Sixth
The crew representing West Sixth Brewing at the World Beer Cup, held last week in Nashville, felt their chances of winning a medal in the international competition were so slim that they packed up and headed back to Lexington before the award’s ceremony.
When the results were announced the evening of May 3, however, it didn’t take long for word to reach the brewery that its Pennyrile Pale Ale had won a bronze medal in the American-Style Pale Ale category, the fifth-largest category in the competition with 182 total entries.
“We are incredibly honored,” said West Sixth co-founder Ben Self. “And receiving the award for a beer I love, and our team loves, makes it extra special.”
The World Beer Cup is held every two years and coincides with the annual Craft Brewer’s Conference. The Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade group representing the craft-brewing industry, organizes both events.
“The World Beer Cup showcases the breadth of the global brewing community, and winning an award symbolizes one of the greatest brewing achievements,” said Charlie Papazian, founder and past president of the Brewers Association, in a statement announcing the winners.
The largest World Beer Cup competition to date, 295 judges from 33 countries evaluated a total of 8,234 beers submitted in a variety of style categories during the 2018 event. Total entries represented a 25 percent increase over the 2016 World Beer Cup. Of the 2,515 participating breweries, 807 were from outside the United States.
Pennyrile is one of 242 winning beers from a total of 5,814 submitted for consideration by U.S.-based brewers, and West Sixth is one of only two Kentucky breweries to win a medal during the competition. Louisville-based Gravely Brewing Co. took won silver in the German-Style Pilsener category for its Sprockets beer.
“We’re particularly excited that this award recognizes the amazing work that our entire brewing and production team is doing,” said co-founder Brady Barlow. “Lead by Robin Sither and Andy Smith—they’re clearly making some of the best beers in the world.”
Pennyrile, a dry-hopped pale ale, is currently a seasonal release for West Sixth, available in cans and on draft November through April. When asked about the possibility of the beer being produced year-round, brewery representative Kelly Hieronymus said there are no plans as of yet.
“We have a heavy production schedule this summer, and still have to discuss it,” she said. “Maybe one more batch, if we can swing it!”