Rate Beer Best Awards is one of the biggest beer competitions in the world. Breweries from around the world compete for a place in one of the many categories established for different beers. From pale lagers to English-style bitters, from stouts to sour ales, the awards have a category for just about anything! Closing the last year, the awards have been given and the best beers of 2011 have been announced!

Since the awards are very extensive, not all beers can be listed. Instead, these are the #1 beers in some of the most popular categories:

1) Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – It’s no surprise that one of the number one beers in the world comes from Germany. This creamy, rich, and slightly smoky drink is a strong lager that everyone will love!

2) Cigar City Cubano Style Espresso Brown Ale – Only the US can create a “novelty” beer like this and make sure it’s the best. The beer is aged in whole beans from coffee mills, particularly Molinos de Café Naviera, which gives it a very distinctive flavor.

3) Ghost Season: Fruity beers were quite popular last year, and this Belgian beer is probably the best of the lot. Fizzy, citrusy, and tart, while still having a freshness that only fruit can provide, this was definitely a favorite!

4) Narke Kaggen Stormaktsporter – This stout is blended with heather honey to add a unique and delicious twist to the Swedish concoction. Number one in its category, it is reminiscent of mead, but not quite.

5) New Glarus Two Women Lager – Brewed the Bavarian style with Bohemian malts and German hops, but still distinctly American, this pale blonde ale was at the top of every chart!

6) New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red – Another fruit beer, but this time from the US, this specialty beer was brewed with roasted barley, cherries, and wheat. A thick but relatively smooth brew, it is ideal for those who appreciate fruity undertones.

7) Russian River Pliny the Younger – Proving that the US can easily take center stage in these contests, Pliny the Younger is dry-jumped four different times. Put it in a unique bottle, and this wonderful concoction will give you a fantastic drinking experience!

Last year was definitely a great one for the beer drinking world, but it reminds most that there is much more to look forward to in 2012. Brewers are predicting that prices will rise due to the rising cost of barley. We’ll also see more canned beers as bottles take a backseat for a while. On the non-production side, experts predict that the 2012 beers will be less acidic and have less wood and/or fruit tones. Craft beers will rise to the point of becoming one of the staple drinks of the year, and nano-breweries, which focus on small but high-quality production, will be springing up everywhere. The way things are going, there’s a good chance that the best beers of 2012 will find some newcomers on the scene.