Heavy Industry, Boss Brewing, The Little Beer Corporation, West Berkshire Brewing and Harviestoun have made it to the final, which takes place on 4 July at Imbibe Live in Olympia, London.
SIBA’s PR and marketing manager Neil Walker was one of the judges and said: “Huge congratulations to the five SIBA member breweries who were selected by the panel in what was a hotly contested tasting – the quality was amazingly high in this difficult category.
“This style can have a huge range of flavours, and we, the judges, felt we picked a selection that represented the diversity of wheat beers.”
Beer judges
Other judges included Jean Merrick from Beavertown, Imbibe beer journalist Susanna Forbes, beer writer and wheat beer expert Adrian Tierney-Jones, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers Tim Hampson, and the panel was chaired by Mark Dorber – beer and cider ambassador for the event.
Dorber from the Anchor at Walberswick, and the Swan at Stratford St Mary, both in Suffolk, said: “We’ve had an outstanding range of beers today, demonstrating an imaginative range of herbs, fruits and spices as well as a discernible wheat character, showing that wheat beers are a worthy addition to the summer must-stock beer list.”
Brewers competition
To enter, brewers had to be British, sell to restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels and their beer must contain at least 25% wheat and be new this year.
The panel was looking for classic wheat beer flavours during the blind judging session and the winners will get a seasonal listing at a selection of Mitchells & Butlers top pubs, a trip to the Pilsner Urquell brewery in the Czech Republic and to be the focus of one of the There’s A Beer for That’s Beer Clubs.