Crouch Vale Brewers Gold is Champion Beer 2006
Brewers Gold from Essex brewer Crouch Vale has been named Champion Beer of Britain for the second year running.
Silver was Harveys' Sussex Best bitter and Bronze was Triple FFF Moon Dance.
The winners were announced on Tuesday at the Great British Beer Festival in London's Earls Court, following a rigorous tasting session.
Crouch Vale MD Colin Bocking said: "I am speechless. It was enough of a surprise to have won Champion Beer of Britain in 2005, but to have been voted Britain's best beer for a second year in a row is truly unbelievable.
"Thanks to all the people who have supported the brewery over the years, especially those that have enjoyed this remarkable beer. This great news could not have come at a better time for us as we are in the middle of expanding the brewery."
The Essex brewed beer was chosen as the overall winner from over 50 finalists in eight categories, including beers from tiny micros to major regional brewers.
Roger Protz, one of the finalist judges and editor of the Good Beer Guide, said: "It's a tremendous victory for a brewery committed to its cask beer and richly deserved for this marvelous hoppy and fruity beer."
Brewers Gold, a 4% abv beer, also won Gold in the Golden Ale category. Crouch Vale was set up in 1981 and supplies throughout Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and east London.
The category winners were:
MildsGold: Mighty Oak's Oscar Wilde Mild (Essex)Silver: Elgood's Black Dog (Cambridgeshire)Bronze: Grainstore Rutland Panther (Rutland)
BittersGold: Elgood's Cambridge Bitter (Cambridgeshire)Silver: Acorn Barnsley Bitter (South Yorkshire)Joint Bronze: Sharp's Doombar Bitter (Cornwall) & Woodforde's Wherry (Norfolk)
Best BittersGold: Harveys Sussex Best Bitter (East Sussex)Silver: Triple fff Moon Dance (Hampshire)Joint Bronze: Kelburn, Red Smiddy (East Renfrewshire) & Surrey Hills Shere Drop (Surrey)
Strong BittersGold: York Brewery, Centurions Ghost Ale (Yorkshire)Silver: Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (Derbyshire)Bronze: Weetwood Oasthouse Gold (Cheshire)
Speciality BeersGold: Cairngorm Trade Winds (Highlands)Silver: Wolf Straw Dog (Norfolk)Bronze: William Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale (Alloa)
Golden AlesGold: Crouch Vale Brewers Gold (Essex)Silver: Hop Back Summer Lightning (Wiltshire)Bronze: Holden's Golden Glow (West Midlands)
In CAMRA's Good Bottled Beer Competition, sponsored by the Guardian, the awards went to:Gold: White Shield - White Shield Brewery (Staffordshire)Silver: Hen's Tooth - Greene King (Suffolk)Bronze: Titanic Stout - Titanic (Staffordshire)
Your comments:
Robert Feal-Martinex via email, 02/08/2006It's nice to see the tradition of Camra continues. 90% of the country can't get the beer but it's the best in the Britain. As I have said before the only criteria for best beer seems to be to have a 'strange name. I guess that's what appeals to the sandals and anorak brigade. You know who they are 70'000 of the 25 million or so drinkers, or to put it in scientific terms a scientifically insignificant 0.28% of the drinking population. I'm sure it's a nice pint but Essex is a long way to go.
