As business continues to take hold for Ilkley Brewery in America, managing director Chris Ives will be taking part in the 10th annual Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event on 25 January where four of the brewery’s real ales will be put through their paces.
Four UK breweries will be showcasing cask ales at the event: Harviestoun, Hawkshead, Thornbridge and Ilkley. Chris will be attending the event in person where four of Ilkley’s award-winning beers will be on the bar: Mary Jane IPA, The Mayan, The Chief and Siberia.
The Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event provides a rare opportunity for US beer aficionados to sample cask conditioned ales which UK breweries are famed for. With US breweries largely producing keg beers, the event gives British breweries, like Ilkley, the chance to present cask ale as a distinctly different option.
Chris commented: “Alongside the four UK breweries, there will also be a host of US breweries exhibiting their cask ales so I’m really looking forward to tasting some new and different US conditioned beers.
“As well as being a great overseas PR exercise, events likes these are also invaluable for research. We all aspire to make exceptional beers so chatting to other brewers and swapping ideas and new tricks can be a great way to enhance our knowledge base.”
US export: round two
As Chris touches down in Atlanta, the second shipment of Ilkley Brewery’s beers will also reach US soil. Just before Christmas, almost 7,000 bottles of The Mayan and Siberia left the spa town brewery, Alabama-bound, and will now be distributed to specialist shops and bars across three southern US states: Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
This second order came hot off the heels of the brewery’s first US export back in May. Feedback from customers in the States proved positive and just as this second shipment comes ashore, Chris has revealed a third shipment will be leaving the brewery at the end of January.
“We are hoping our US importer will begin to place regular and more varied orders from us throughout the year. Interest is largely in our higher ABV beers such as Mary Jane IPA, which we brewed specifically for the US market, as well as others such as Siberia and The Mayan which are big on hops and flavour,”said Chris.
“It’s very encouraging to see the export side of our business take off as it gives us a great incentive to pursue other markets. Countries we are currently exploring include Canada and China while Scandinavia remains on our radar following a seasonal shipment of Holy Cow back in December.”
For further information on the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event, visit: http://www.classiccitybrew.
To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or follow Ilkley Brewery on Twitter @Ilkleybrewery and Facebook www.facebook.com/ilkley.
ENDS
Images attached:
– Ilkley Brewery’s Siberia, as well as its chocolate Chipotle stout, The Mayan, will be landing in America at the same time its managing director, Chris Ives, attends the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting event.
– Ilkley Brewery director, Richard Shelton, prepares another container for shipment.
Media contact:
For all Ilkley Brewery media enquiries, please contact Katy Barraclough, Conway PR, on 07813 094945 / 01943 430257 or email katy@conwaypr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The Ilkley Brewery Co. Ltd. was founded in January 2009 and commenced brewing in May 2009. The now famous Mary Jane , the brewery’s flagship session beer was first brewed in August 2009 and won its first award in September of the same year.
A string of awards has followed with most of the beers now brewed by the brewery winning medals at beer competitions up and down the country.
In January 2011, Ilkley Brewery secured a debt and equity package from Glentrool Capital Partners LLP, who also provide corporate support to help grow the company. This enabled Ilkley Brewery to move from its premises on East Parade to a new 2,600 square foot brewery on Ashlands Road, Ilkley. A new 20 barrel brewing plant was installed allowing the brewery to initially produce 23,000 pints a week.
In October 2011, a new 30 barrel fermenter was acquired, taking production to over 32,000 pints a week. In March 2012, production capacity expanded again to close to 40,000 pints a week.
In January 2012, Ilkley Brewery was crowned one of Yorkshire’s most promising companies in the Government-backed Local Business Accelerators campaign, going onto win the national prize in August 2012 for being one of the country’s fastest growing and successful businesses.
April 2012 saw the launch of the Origins range, showcasing the best in beer styles and brewing. Medina and Siberia were the first collaboration brews with renowned beer writers, and The Chief, Victorian Pale Dinner Ale, Wit Marie, Green Goddess, and Holy Cow have since followed to much critical acclaim.
As of August 2012, bottles of Mary Jane, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Black and Ilkley Pale are available in Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Booths supermarkets across the north of England, as well as many restaurants nationally.
Additional SIBA medals for Ilkley Black and Lotus IPA were awarded in October 2012 (Bronze and Silver respectively).
November 2012 saw the first export sales to leave the UK.
In June 2013 the brewery won the London Craft Beer Battle with its new creation MaryJane IPA.