Five SIBA brewers make Imbibe Live beer final

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.