Two months after entries opened for The International Brewing Awards 2013, brewers around the world are starting to enter their beers for this unique competition.
Organisers report that twice as many entries have been received as at the equivalent stage in the last Awards, held in 2011, and that they are truly representative of the global brewing industry, with only one-quarter coming from the UK.
The International Brewing Awards are being held in February next year, when judges will gather at the National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent for three days of tasting and assessment. The total number of entrants is anticipated to top the 1,000 mark and will include, for the first time in many decades, ciders as well as beers, following the introduction of four cider classes for the 2013 competition.
Ruth Evans, director of event organisers Brewing Technology Services, said: “This is a very promising response which gives us confidence that we will easily achieve our target of over 1,000 beers and ciders entered for the competition.” Brewers and cidermakers have until 31 December to enter the Awards.
Evans added, “We are pleased to see that the Awards are attracting entries from a diverse base, both geographically and in terms of the styles of beers being submitted. In 2011, we judged beers from more than 40 countries, representing an array of beer styles, and are expecting to equal or exceed that for the next competition. Already, we’ve received entries from Tanzania, Russia, Germany, Mongolia, Myanmar, Belarus and Brazil.”
The International Brewing Awards is unique among international competitions in that only currently practising brewers are permitted to judge. The judging panel, currently being recruited by Chair of judges Bill Taylor, will comprise over 30 brewers, drawn from most continents and from a broad spectrum of the brewing world: craft and regional brewers will be represented as well as national and global companies.
The entry fee for The International Brewing Awards has been kept the same as for the 2011 competition at £150 (+VAT at UK rate) per beer or cider. Also retained is the duty suspension, meaning that no entrant will have to pay duty on their submission to the competition.
To find out more about The International Brewing Awards 2013 or to download an entry form, visit www.brewingawards.org.
Sponsors for the 2013 Awards are: Barth Haas; AB Vickers; Murphy & Son; BFBi, Institute of Brewing & Distilling; New Zealand Hops; Simply Hops; Anton Paar; Micro Matic; British Guild of Beer Writers; drink Technology + Marketing; All Party Parliamentary Beer Group; Publican’s Morning Advertiser; Briggs; M F Refrigeration; National Brewery Centre and Rankin Brothers & Sons. The Japan Craft Beer Association is once again a partner to the event and will encourage its members to enter.
Caption to attached image: beer judging at the competition in 2011
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Issued on behalf of: The International Brewing Awards
By: ShielPorter Communications
For information: Ros Shiel
07841 694137 / 01403 267971
Notes to editors
- The International Brewing Awards are structured into 11 categories, each sub-divided into between two and four classes. The categories are: Small pack Lager, Small pack Ale, Keg Lager, Keg Ale, Non and Low Alcohol Beer, Dark Beer, Strong Beer, Speciality Beer, Cask Conditioned Ale, Apple Cider and Cider with other fruit, juices or flavours
- The first competition was held in 1886, within The Brewers’ Exhibition (later known as BREWEX) at The Agricultural Hall in Islington (now the Business Design Centre). It later moved to Earl’s Court, then to the Birmingham NEC before moving to Burton Town Hall in the mid 1980’s.
- The competition (then called the Brewing Industry International Awards), was last held in February 2011 at the National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent and attracted over 800 entries. It was renamed this year to the International Brewing Awards.