For the last 20 years, the biennial World Beer Cup has ruled the international beer scene. This year’s festival was bigger than ever. Some 55 countries participated in the event, held earlier this month in Philadelphia, with 1,907 breweries entering an astonishing 6,596 beers in 96 different categories.

By the time the judging was over — and the suds had subsided — California brewers were holding 49 medals, and Southern California breweries had landed two of the international competition’s six largest awards.

Among the Bay Area medal haul: Soquel’s Discretion Brewing won big again this year with two medals, including a second gold medal for brewer Michael Demers for his Song in Your Heart, an English-style mild ale, and a bronze for his Uncle Dave’s Rye IPA, which won in the rye beer category.

The 21st Amendment Brewery, which recently built a larger production facility in San Leandro, also won two awards, a silver medal for its session IPA, Down to Earth, and a bronze for its Toaster Pastry double red ale.

Gold medals went to Berkeley’s Trumer Brauerei for its Trumer Pils, a German-style Pilsner, and to Fairfax’s Iron Springs Pub & Brewery for its Epiphany Red Ale, which triumphed in the American-style red ale division.

The Bay Area’s silver medal winners include Larkspur’s Marin Brewing Co. for its Airporter Chocolate Porter; San Leandro’s Drake’s Brewing Co., for its Rye Robustito; Santa Rosa’s Third Street Aleworks for Great Odin’s Beard Oat Ale; and Berkeley’s The Rare Barrel Ensorcelled (which also won a medal in 2014). And San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing Co. took home a bronze for its Maltopia Scotch Ale.

Competition surge

The competition has grown so rapidly — this year saw a 40 percent increase in the number of beers to be judged during the three-day event — that new rules were imposed, welcoming any brewery that wanted to participate but capping the number of beers each could submit. This year, that number was four.

As a judge — one of 253 from 31 countries — I have mixed feelings about that. The rule certainly allows more breweries to enter, without forcing the judging to last a week or longer. Smaller breweries have a better chance of winning a medal, and the list of winners is considerably more diverse that it once was. But it limits larger breweries, who might have welcomed the chance to have all their beers compete against the best in the world. The sponsoring Brewers Association is continuing to tweak the contest as the beer industry evolves, but this year’s results are interesting.

Out of the 287 medals awarded, just six breweries won three awards, 22 earned two, and 225 picked up just one medal. There were other take-aways, as well.

Hoppiness rules

The category with the most entries — by far — was American-style IPA, with 275. The even hoppier imperial India pale ale was next with 181 entries, followed by American-style pale ale with 167.

The U.S. took home the most medals — 230 — while Germany was second with 17. And California led its fellow states by a wide margin, capturing 49 medals. Only Colorado came close with 37; Oregon was third with 19.

The California victories saw a bit of a geographic shift, as Southern California breweries continue to rise. It’s safe to say that our whole state is now something of a beer mecca. Out of the competition’s six major awards, two are Southern California-bound. Long Beach’s Beachwood BBQ & Brewery won the 2016 champion brewery and brewmaster award in the large brewpub category. Anaheim’s Noble Ale Works took home that award in the small brewing category.

You’ll find a full list of the World Beer Cup winners at bit.ly/worldbc2016.

Contact Jay R. Brooks at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com. Read more at blogs.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play.