Ilkley Brewery Selected for Stateside Conference
Making its début at the Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo America®, Ilkley Brewery will next week travel to Washington DC where it will be part of a delegation of 10 British breweries who will each showcase their beers to the thousands gathered at one of North America’s biggest craft beer conventions.
The delegation, organised and part-funded by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi), will be based at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre for the conference, which takes place from the 26 to the 29 March. Each brewery will present their British-brewed beers to an audience of over 5,000 global brewing professionals.
Chris Ives, Ilkley Brewery’s managing director and head brewer, will represent the West Yorkshire-based brew house and will be taking three beers with him to the convention: Siberia, a rhubarb Saison; Lotus IPA, a classic, strongly hopped India Pale Ale; and a specially brewed 6% version of the brewery’s flagship ale, Mary Jane.
Speaking about his forthcoming American trip, Chris said: “It’s fantastic to be working with the BFBi and UKTI to introduce some of Britain’s best breweries to American beer enthusiasts at the CBC. This is a wonderful opportunity for Ilkley Brewery as we start to export.
“The Craft Brewers Conference allows delegates to exchange skills and ideas that help improve brewing quality and performance. As only a four year old brewery, we are always looking to boost our know-how, learn from other excellent brewers and improve our beers in every way possible so having the opportunity to position ourselves among such an influential overseas crowd is going to be a hugely valuable experience for Ilkley Brewery.
“We hope that the beers we have selected for the convention will be well received by delegates: we have chosen them based on emerging craft beer styles but at the same time, we wanted to give people a taste of something deceptively different, handmade in Yorkshire.”
The nine other British breweries taking part in the delegation are Camden Town Brewery, Freeminer Brewery, Fyne Ales, Hambleton Ales, Harbour Brewery, Highland Brewery, Hilden Brewery, Penpont Brewery and Khukuri Beer.
To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or follow Ilkley Brewery on Twitter @Ilkleybrewery and Facebook www.facebook.com/ilkley.brewery
