Brewers and cider-makers celebrate industry awards
The prestigious ceremony, held at the Guildhall, London, crowned 13 trophy winners – 10 beers and three ciders – from 115 medal winners around the world in their respective categories.
Beers and ciders from four different continents were awarded the esteemed accolade – and for the first time in the Awards’ 138-year history, two trophy winners were awarded in The International Smallpack Ale competition. Australian Bentspoke Brewing Co with its Barley Griffin and the US’s Samuel Adams Wicked Hazy, brewed by the Boston Beer Company, each earned the highest recognition for their outstanding contributions in the category.
Asia scoops four awards
In the UK, the only brewery with a royal warrant to the castle, Windsor & Eton Brewery, won The International Keg Lager trophy with its Capital Dry Hopped Lager; London’s Forest Road Brewing Company received The International Cask Conditioned Ale trophy – which was sponsored by The Morning Advertiser – with WORK; and Melton-based Round Corner Brewing scooped The International Keg Ale trophy for its Drovers Hazy Session IPA.
Asia scooped four trophies including Japan’s Kirin Holdings Company for its Kirin Ichiban, and Isekado Brewery with its Nama-Kado Smoked Oyster Stout. Tokyo-based Spring Valley Brewery was awarded The Speciality Beer trophy for the second time in a row and China’s Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd won The International Strong Beer award with Tsingtao Legend.
In The International Non & Low Alcohol competition Spain’s S.A. Damm was awarded a trophy for its Free Damm.
Three-day judging process
In the cider awards, Cotswold Cider Company won The International Innovative Cider trophy for its Phantom of the Orchard, while USA triumphed in The International Classic Cider Competition with Portland Cider Company taking home the trophy for its Original Gold. Stonewell Cider from Ireland picked up The International Flavoured Cider trophy with Rós.
A three-day judging process to decide the winners took place in March 2024 at Depot Mayfield in Manchester, UK and comprised 38 working professionals in the brewing and cidermaking industries from across the globe, led by chair of beer judging Rob McCaig and chair of cider judging Gabe Cook.
Ruth Evans MBE, director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards, which is organised by the BFBi (Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry), said: “It’s been such an honour to continue to recognise the extraordinary beers and ciders across the world and celebrate all their achievements as they collected their awards at our ceremony this week.
“This year we received an unprecedented level of high-quality beers and ciders, making it one of the toughest competitions to judge to date.
