Brother Chimp Brewing Wins Gold Medal At 'Olympics Of Beer'

NORTH AURORA, IL — Brother Chimp Brewing brought home gold from the World Beer Cup, a competition often referred to as the "Olympics of beer."

The North Aurora-based, five-barrel nanobrewery took part in the World Beer Cup on April 24 at The Venitian in Las Vegas, where awards are given in 110 categories.

Brother Chimp Brewing, located at 1059 W. Orchard Road, won a gold award in the Vienna Lager beer category for its Ludwig, "a crystal clear, walnut brown in color, easy drinking lager." The brewery describes the flavor as being dominated by a traditional toasty Vienna malt presence that's accentuated by biscuity grain notes and limited hop presence.

"I'm extremely proud to get this recognition from the World Beer Cup," Head Brewer Sam Altaner said in a statement. "We have been dialing in this recipe for years now, and we know our local patrons love it, but it is absolutely surreal to see it win a gold when stacked up against the best Vienna lagers in the world."

The World Beer Cup has recognized international brewing excellence since its inception in 1996. This year's winners were chosen by a panel of 280 judges from 37 countries. A total of 9,300 entries from 2,060 breweries and 50 countries were evaluated.

"After opening the brewery, the day before COVID-19 shut down Illinois, it has been an incredible journey to get to this moment," Owner and Founder Steve Newman said in a statement. "I am truly honored to have our Vienna lager, Ludwig, recognized as a gold award winner at the 2024 World Beer Cup. I cannot thank our Head Brewer Sam, the rest of our team and our incredible patrons enough for helping us reach this pinnacle."