Dark beers took first and second place at the very first judging of London beers with Fuller’s London Porter taking first place and London Brewing Co’s 100 Oyster Stout taking second place.
Christine Cryne, the Organiser of the London Drinker Festival where the judging took place said ‘We chose to run the Competition to showcase the fantastic beers we now have in London. It seems apt that the two beers that won are of beer styles that are associated with London. Porter is named after the porters who delivered goods around London and although oysters were regularly eaten with stout, it was Hammerton Brewery of Stockwell, who was the first brewer to actually add oysters to beer’.
Christine Cryne, added, ‘The beers were chosen by CAMRA members throughout London from hundreds that are on offer. To make this shortlist was a real accolade. The beers in the competition varied from the traditional bitters and porters to American Pale Ales and beers made with rye; it really is a great range’.
In addition there was a keg of the festival, which was sponsored by Kegstar. This was won by Mondo Brewing Co Dennis Hopp’r IPA with the runner up being Brixton Atlantic APA
And Orbit Brewing Leaf Rauch Alt in third place.
The winners of the cask categories were:
o Mild: East London Brewing Company Orchid
o Golden Ale: Five Points Pale
o Bitter: London Brewing Co Beer Street (third place overall)
o Best Bitter: Sambrook Junction
o Strong Bitter: Fullers Gales HSB
o Speciality: Moncada Notting Hill Ruby Rye
o Stout: London Brewing Co 100 Oyster Stout
o Porter: Fuller’s London Porter
The beers, both cask and keg, were judged by brewers, journalists, licensees and CAMRA members.
For further details: contact Christine Cryne; ldbforganiser@gmail.com; Georgina Wald, Fullers: georgina.wald@fullers.co.uk; Rich White, London Brewing Co: rich@londonbrewing.com
Extra Facts
- The North London Branch of CAMRA has been running the London Drinker Beer & Cider Festival for 33 years.
- In 2012, the Festival (which runs in King’s Cross) had only 9 breweries from London; in 2017, it had 52.
- The Festival is run entirely by unpaid volunteers of all ages.
- Kegstar rents stainless steel kegs, and soon casks, to the beverage industry. Brewers and manufacturers simply fill, deliver, scan and leave the rest to them. Each container has a unique 2D code, and RFID tag, that is easily scanned from a smart phone (iOS & android via the app); which allows the keg to be tracked through the supply chain to the venue and creates valuable data insights too. They then take care of the collection and return logistics back to Kegstar.
- More details on the Festival can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/LDbeerfes
- CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale and is a volunteer membership organisation of over 180,000 members with around 200 branches throughout the UK