The War of the Worts XVI was held on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at the new 24,000 square foot facility of Keystone Homebrew Supply in Montgomeryville, PA, with 765 Entries, 36 categories, 85 judges and a hefty handful of eager stewards.

From the beginning, Natalie DeChico presented herself as a winner. This petite young woman had been preparing herself to be the next Philly Beer Geek for months ...

Natalie DeChico wanted to wear a hop crown to the Philly Beer Geek competition, but the vines weren’t quite ready in early June, 2011.

Latin America’s First International Copa Cervezas de América, or Beer Cup of America, was held in Chile from September 5th through 10th, 2011, providing an atmosphere of learning and collaboration among brewers, while working together to promote the beer industry in South America.

Judges may taste as many as 50 beer samples in a day. Their assessment of each beer follows the Style Guidelines developed by the Brewers Association for description and specifications, while selecting beers with qualities that propel them into the category of true World-Class prominence.

For a brewer, a World Beer Cup gold award allows them to say that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world.

Excitement filled the air as ten determined competitors – five men and five women – prepared to battle it out for the coveted brass ring

The Brewers Association (BA) sounds-off as the most passionate voice for craft brewers in the United States - defining craft brewers as small, independent and traditional. View the CBC gallery for a look at some of the famous beer-industry faces that dotted the sea of brewers.

We are fortunate to see the gleam in the glass, to feel the golden elixir slosh across our lips, and to laugh with the pleasurable effects for hours afterward. But within that pleasure lays a complexity that few understand.

Women brew … Women brew … Women brew. Listen as the echo reaches your ears, like an ancient chant from the lips of Ninkasi, Isis, or Tjenenet - goddesses who inspired the brewing of ethereal beer, hypnotizing warriors who succumbed under such seductive power.