Brewing and cider awards gear up for final entries
With just weeks to go until the next International Brewing Awards and International Cider Awards close on 31 December, the competition’s organisers, Brewing Technology Services (BTS) are gearing up for the last wave of entries from brewers and cider makers around the world.
Ruth Evans, director of BTS, said, “We’re delighted with the level and global spread of entries received so far and confident that when judging starts next February, we will have a field of quality contestants that is truly representative of the diversity within the international beer and cider markets.”
Entries to the 2015 competition have been received from all five continents, including a number of countries without a long brewing tradition, and from new entrants to the market as well as long-established brewers and cider makers. In 2013, beers and ciders from 50 countries were judged and this looks set to be matched if not exceeded in next year’s competition.
Evans added, “We’re particularly pleased with the response from cider makers. We reintroduced cider at the last awards, in 2013, and next year it will be a standalone event, the International Cider Awards, with 10 cider categories and one championship. The fact that cider makers from around the world want to benchmark their product at this competition speaks volumes for the reputation it has established in just two years.”
The International Brewing Awards and International Cider Awards are unique in requiring that all judges are commercially active brewers or cider makers. A panel of around 40 judges from around the world has been recruited to assess the beers and ciders in Burton-upon-Trent. Judging takes place from 10-12 February, with medal winners announced on Friday 13.
The competition is supported by a number of international brewing organisations. Leading packaging and filling technologymanufacturer Krones and Barth-Haas, leading supplier of hop products and services, have both signed up as headline sponsors, while brewing process aid manufacturer AB Vickers is again an industry sponsor.
Gamko is providing the fridges to store the hundreds of bottles and cans expected to compete in the smallpack categories, while Centriflow Services is providing the cask cooling system. Molson Coors is again consolidating delivery of all the competitor beers and ciders and managing the keg installation at the National Brewery Centre in Burton. On the other side of the world, the Japan Craft Beer Association has confirmed its partner status.
Trophy sponsors include: All Party Parliamentary Beer Group; Bebidas; Brauwelt; Brewers’ Guardian; British Guild of Beer Writers; drink Technology + Marketing and Publican’s Morning Advertiser.
Evans said, “Most of our industry supporters have been with us since our start in Burton, and we’re grateful for their loyalty. Our awards clearly command a lot of esteem, and affection, among the global brewing fraternity and we look forward to repaying that by staging another successful competition next year.”
Entries to the International Beer Awards and International Cider Awards 2015 close on 31 December. The entry fee for 2015 is £160 (+VAT at UK rate) per beer or cider, with no duty payable on entries due to duty suspension. Entries can be made online atwww.brewingawards.org.
