Minnesota breweries Ursa Minor, Utepils, Bauhaus bring home medals at 2023 World Beer Cup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Fox 9) - Raise a glass and toast three Minnesota breweries because they all won medals at the 2023 World Beer Cup Award Ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday. 

Dubbed the "Olympics of beer" the World beer cup features over 10,000 entries from 2,300 breweries around the world. 

The Minnesota beers to bring home the hardware was:

• Gold: Ursa Minor Brewing from Duluth with "Equanimity" – for Irish-Style Red Ale
• Silver: Utepils Brewing in Minneapolis with "Helles" – for Munich-Style Helles
• Bronze: Bauhaus Brew Labs in Minneapolis with "Deck Journey" – for American-Style Sour Ale.

Utepils head brewer Eric Harper, who traveled to Nashville for the competition, has been brewing professionally since 2005 after completing the Master Brewers Program at the University of California – Davis said there were 178 entries in the Helles category (a lighter German lager). 

"Our Helles is brewed very traditionally, with malt and hops that we’ve imported from Germany. The water we brew with comes from a natural spring on-site, which is definitely a unique feature… all of it together helps us create a beer that would not be out of place in a Bavarian beer garden," Harper said. "It feels pretty amazing to be recognized on an international stage for a beer we’re so passionate about brewing. I’m especially proud of our production team and their hard work, as it’s their effort and dedication to brewing excellent beers that make this possible."