Hat trick for U.S. brewer in world awards

Brewers and cider makers from all over the world gathered at London’s Guildhall on 29 April for the unveiling of the Championship winners in the International Brewing and Cider Awards 2015. Trophies were awarded to nine beers and one cider, with US brewer Deschutes scoring a ‘hat trick’ with three Championship titles.

The ceremony, which marked the end of the 2015 competition, was attended by more than 400 people.  As well as the presentations to the 10 Championship winners, Bronze, Silver and Gold medals were given to more than 100 brewers and cider makers.

Deschutes took an impressive three Championships and UK-based Marston’s picked up two, while Oakham Ales, also from the UK, took the Champion Cask Conditioned Ale title again, having won it in 2013. Brewers from Germany and Belgium and a cider maker from Northern Ireland joined them on the winners’ podium.

Chair of judges Bill Taylor said, “Close to 1,000 beers and ciders were judged at Burton-upon-Trent earlier this year, so to be chosen as one of just 10 Championship winners is a tremendous accolade and the brewers and cider maker who are lifting trophies today should be very proud of their achievement.

“We are pleased to see the wide range of beer styles winning Championships and medals today.  One of the strengths of the International Brewing and Cider Awards is its capacity to embrace real diversity, thanks to its broad, style-based categories which mean there is a place for every beer and cider.”

He added, “The cider category, introduced in 2013 and expanded in 2015, attracted almost double the number of entries this year. The International Cider Awards are firmly established as a credible competition and we look forward to building on them still further for 2017.”

Medals were presented to brewers and cider makers from 23 countries and from a broad spectrum of producers from regional microbrewers to multi-national companies. Their beers and ciders were judged in February by a panel of 43 judges, all currently working as brewers or cider makers.

Ruth Evans, director of competition organisers Brewing Technology Services, said, “At the end of this, our third competition since bringing the Awards back to the UK in 2011, we can confidently claim to have established it within the global brewing and cider making community.

“The fact that we again received beers and ciders from producers all over the world, including several first-time entrants, shows how they value the International Brewing and Cider Awards as a forum where they are able to benchmark their products internationally.”

The International Brewing and Cider Awards 2017 will be held in Burton-upon-Trent in February 2017. Entries will open in August 2016.

The International Brewing Awards Champions 2015

Champion Smallpack Lager

Riegele Feines Urhell, Brauhaus Riegele, Augsburg, Germany

Champion Smallpack Ale

Armory XPA, Deschutes Brewery Inc., Oregon, USA

Champion Keg Lager

Clonmel 1650 Irish Lager, C&C Ireland, Clonmel, Ireland

Champion Keg Ale

Revisionist Rye Pale Ale, Marston’s PLC, Wolverhampton, UK

Champion Non and Low Alcohol Beer

Manns Brown Ale, Marston’s PLC, Burton, UK

Champion Dark Beer

Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery Inc., Oregon, USA

Champion Strong Beer

Brugse Zot Dubbel, Brouwerij De Halve Maan, Bruges, Belgium

Champion Speciality Beer

Red Chair NWPA, Deschutes Brewery Inc., Oregon, USA

Champion Cask Conditioned Ale

Green Devil IPA, Oakham Ales, Peterborough, UK

Champion Cider

Traditional Dry Cider, MacIvors Cider Co., County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Caption to photo: winners of the International Brewing and Cider Awards 2015: (l-r)  Andrew Tysler, Deschutes Brewery; Greg MacNeice, MacIvors Cider Co; Keith Lugton, C&C Ireland; Frank Mueller, Brauhaus Riegele; John Bryan, Oakham Ales; Emma Gilleland, Marston’s; Simon Yates, Marston’s; Ben Kehs and Michael LaLonde, both of Deschutes Brewery