Beers net awards honour
Five bottled beers have been crowned the "World's Best Beers" by an expert judging panel.
Judges, who blind-tasted more than 500 beer entries from 27 countries in the annual World Beer Awards, selected a winning beer for each of the top five categories in the awards.
The World's Best Standard Pale Ale title went to the Deschutes Brewery in Central Oregon, United States, for its 6.4% ABV Deschutes Red Chair NWPA.
Unibroue 17 was the winning beer from Unibroue brewery in Quebec, Canada, taking the award for World's Best Strong Dark Ale. And the Czech Republic won World's Best Premium Lager, for the 4.7% ABV Primator Premium Lager, created by Pivovar Náchod Brewery.
The last two awards went to Japan's Minoh Beer Imperial Stout in the World's Best Stout — Strong category, and Weihenstephaner Vitus, of Germany, in the World's Best Strong Wheat Beer section.
British brews didn't go unrecognised in the competition, however. Hook Norton took an award in the World's Best Styles category for its Double Stout. It also picked up an honour in the category for Europe's Best Styles for its Hooky Bitter.
"I am delighted our beers have been honoured by this prestigious competition," said Hook Norton's managing director James Clarke. "We are a local brewer with an international reputation for the quality of its beers and the bottles they are sold in. To win these awards reflects the hard work of staff at the brewery. Double Stout and Hooky Bitter are premium beers that are
selling well."
Other UK winners in the Europe's Best Styles category included Harvey's for its Christmas Ale, Imperial Extra Double Stout and Old Ale; Thwaites for Flying Shuttle; St Austell for Smugglers Vintage Ale and Admiral's Ale; Harviestoun for Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40 YO and Old Engine Oil; Fuller's for 1845, ESB and London Pride; Sharp's for Chalky's Bite; Worthington's for White Shield; and Arran for Blonde.
Judges included beer writers and experts including the MA's own Roger Protz.
