Ilkley Brewery flies the flag for UK Cask Ale in Atlanta
As business continues to take hold for Ilkley Brewery in America, managing director Chris Ives will be taking part in the 10th annual Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event on 25 January where four of the brewery’s real ales will be put through their paces.
Four UK breweries will be showcasing cask ales at the event: Harviestoun, Hawkshead, Thornbridge and Ilkley. Chris will be attending the event in person where four of Ilkley’s award-winning beers will be on the bar: Mary Jane IPA, The Mayan, The Chief and Siberia.
Ilkley Brewery’s Siberia, as well as its chocolate Chipotle stout, The Mayan, will be landing in America at the same time its managing director, Chris Ives, attends the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event.
The Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event provides a rare opportunity for US beer aficionados to sample cask conditioned ales which UK breweries are famed for. With US breweries largely producing keg beers, the event gives British breweries, like Ilkley, the chance to present cask ale as a distinctly different option.
Chris commented: “Alongside the four UK breweries, there will also be a host of US breweries exhibiting their cask ales so I’m really looking forward to tasting some new and different US conditioned beers.
“As well as being a great overseas PR exercise, events likes these are also invaluable for research. We all aspire to make exceptional beers so chatting to other brewers and swapping ideas and new tricks can be a great way to enhance our knowledge base.”
US export: round two
As Chris touches down in Atlanta, the second shipment of Ilkley Brewery’s beers will also reach US soil. Just before Christmas, almost 7,000 bottles of The Mayan and Siberia left the spa town brewery, Alabama-bound, and will now be distributed to specialist shops and bars across three southern US states: Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
This second order came hot off the heels of the brewery’s first US export back in May. Feedback from customers in the States proved positive and just as this second shipment comes ashore, Chris has revealed a third shipment will be leaving the brewery at the end of January.
“We are hoping our US importer will begin to place regular and more varied orders from us throughout the year. Interest is largely in our higher ABV beers such as Mary Jane IPA, which we brewed specifically for the US market, as well as others such as Siberia and The Mayan which are big on hops and flavour,” said Chris.
“It’s very encouraging to see the export side of our business take off as it gives us a great incentive to pursue other markets. Countries we are currently exploring include Canada and China while Scandinavia remains on our radar following a seasonal shipment of Holy Cow back in December.”
For further information on the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event, visit: http://www.classiccitybrew.com/acat.html
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
