Lowestoft brewer wins first ever summer beer competition
Green Jack Brewery in Lowestoft is raising a glass of its Summer Dream beer after it was declared the winner of the first ever ‘Beer for Summer’ competition.
Judge Mark Dorber; Peter Gordon, on Trade Director of Budweiser Budvar; Tim Dunford, MD and Master Brewer of Green Jack Brewery and judge Charlie McVeigh of The Draft House
Summer Dream, a 4% ABV floral, dry and hoppy ale brewed with handpicked elderflowers, triumphed over four other finalists at a judging in London where experts included Tony Jerome, communications and membership director of the Society of Independent Brewers, (SIBA) to which Green Jack Brewery belongs.
Green Jack will now see Summer Dream sold at The Draft House, a London chain of craft beer bars, as well as winning a trip for two to the Budweiser Budvar brewery in the Czech Republic. Their beer will also be promoted by the beer industry’s marketing campaign ‘There’s A Beer For That.
Jerome said, “SIBA is delighted to have supported this contest, which has sought out the best that Britain’s brewers have to offer for the summer: light, golden, delicious beers, ideal for supping in a pub garden or at home with a barbecue.
“Choosing a winner from five great finalist beers, all brewed by SIBA members, was a tough task, but in the end judges felt that Green Jack’s Summer Dream had the edge. The addition of elderflowers makes it a delicious and wonderfully refreshing drink.”
Tim Dunford, managing director and Master Brewer at Green Jack Brewery, said, “Brewing Summer Dream is a real labour of love, because of the elderflowers; it takes about two days to collect enough for one brew. Added to that, elderflowers are only in flower for around eight weeks, so it’s all hands on deck to pick them wherever we can find them and then brew straight away.
“Winning this competition is great recognition for the work that goes into Summer Dream and I’m grateful to everyone at the brewery who has helped us to produce this lovely summer beer.” Green Jack sell around 100 firkins – 7,200 pints – of Summer Dream over the few months that it is available.
Jerome said, “SIBA is delighted to have supported this contest, which has sought out the best that Britain’s brewers have to offer for the summer: light, golden, delicious beers, ideal for supping in a pub garden or at home with a barbecue.
“Choosing a winner from five great finalist beers, all brewed by SIBA members, was a tough task, but in the end judges felt that Green Jack’s Summer Dream had the edge. The addition of elderflowers makes it a delicious and wonderfully refreshing drink.”
Tim Dunford, managing director and Master Brewer at Green Jack Brewery, said, “Brewing Summer Dream is a real labour of love, because of the elderflowers; it takes about two days to collect enough for one brew. Added to that, elderflowers are only in flower for around eight weeks, so it’s all hands on deck to pick them wherever we can find them and then brew straight away.
“Winning this competition is great recognition for the work that goes into Summer Dream and I’m grateful to everyone at the brewery who has helped us to produce this lovely summer beer.” Green Jack sell around 100 firkins – 7,200 pints – of Summer Dream over the few months that it is available.
The Beer for Summer competition was organised by Imbibe, the magazine for the pub and bar industry, and was open to all brewers in the UK. It attracted 27 entries and challenged them to brew a new beer that tasted like ‘summer in a glass’ or, in the words of one of the judges, Charlie McVeigh, was “quaffable and with an astonishing capacity to refresh.”
The other finalists were: See Side APA from Bison Beer, Brighton (brewed at Vibrant Forest Brewery in Lymington); Sour to the People from By The Horns Brewing Co, London: Swifties Cornish Lager from Keltek Cornish Brewery and Goddess of the Spring from The Celt Experience, Wales.
