By Katherine Bryant Flaherty

The whole world has been watching as the best athletes in the world compete for medals and glory at the 2010 Winter Olympics. And last week, the whole beer world watched as another global competition was held. On February 14^th, Beer Advocate, the popular internet magazine dedicated to the culture of craft beer, announced their list of “The Top 100 Beers on the Planet.”

Yes, there is much less spandex involved in brewing than there is in winter sports. And a wrong move in beer-making only results in off-flavors, not a broken leg or a skate wound. But to be sure, the thrill of victory and the spirit of competition is huge in both contests.

The delicious, intoxicating rankings can be found here.

There were some surprises on the list, the biggest of which is Santa Rosa, California’s Russian River Brewing Company sneaking in on the reigning Belgian sweetheart, Westvleteren 12 for the first place spot.  Russian River’s Pliny the Younger, a seasonal triple IPA [and the sibling to one of my favorite beers of all time, Pliny the Elder] tied the Trappist Quad for top honors with an A+ / 4.62 rating. My Pliny the Elder took 5^th place.

And congrats to our client, Chicago-based Goose Island who earned the 37^th and 38^th spots with their powerhouse imperials, Bourbon County Stout and Night Stalker respectively.

Overall the American breweries dominated, holding four of the top five places. Surprising for a Boston-based publication where awards are based on reader reviews? No. Clearly this ranking system is biased. U.S. beers are more accessible to readers than the more obscure foreign brews so obviously the American beers receive more reviews and are better represented in the rankings.

But, unlike the Olympics, this contest is all about alcohol, so you can’t take it too seriously.

Now, please excuse me, the Men’s Snowboarding Cross finals are on and I have a lot of craft beers to taste.

What I’m:

Reading: Edible Manhattan

Eating: Quality Street Chocolate from the UK

Drinking: The Top 100 Beers on the Planet

Watching: The Olympics

Listening to: Modest Mouse, Float On