NEWS

In 2026, the International Cider Awards are celebrating this resurgence of cider in the international market We’ve all heard the murmurs in the alcohol industry of sales dropping, of consumers drinking less, and looking to other options besides that standard order of beer or spirits. One of those options seems to be cider. That’s right, amidst a sea of downward data, cider as a category seems to be on the up and up. Cider seems to be topping the charts as a choice due to cons

BeerX, the UK’s biggest beer and brewing trade event which attracts over 3,500 attendees from the beer industry, has today announced new Headline Supporter ekeg - the UK and Ireland's leading keg and cask management ecosystem.   SIBA CEO Andy Slee welcomed ekeg on-board as BeerX Headline Supporter for the next three years;   “The support of our Headline Supporter ekeg is hugely valued by myself and the SIBA Team and enables us to deliver the UK’s very best beer and brewing tr

22 nd  January:  St Austell Brewery has announced a year-long partnership with renowned endurance athlete Nick Butter and the immersive running retreat company he founded - Run Weekends.  The collaboration will see Proper Job 0.5% - St Austell Brewery’s first low-alcohol IPA - featured at running events globally.   Run Weekends offers running retreats, trail running holidays and mountain adventures around the world. Each trip is designed for groups of relaxed, like-minded run

The Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire has been named the best pub in the UK for third time   CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year 2025 title has been won by the Tamworth Tap  in Staffordshire, bagging an unprecedented trilogy of top titles.   Since the start of CAMRA’s Pub of the Year  competition in 1988, no pub has ever won the Campaign’s most prestigious award three times – until now.   The award is the highest honour the Campaign gives to a pub, helping to showcase quality pubs a

Vault City will offer free half pints of Iron Brew Sour or Fiery Ginger to redheads at The Wee Vault taproom in Edinburgh over Burns Weekend, from Friday 23 January to Sunday 25 January, while stocks last The tongue-in-cheek giveaway coincides with Vault City’s latest Iron Brew-inspired releases and taps into Scotland’s long-standing cultural links between Burns Night and Iron Brew, with Edinburgh often dubbed the nation’s unofficial ginger capital. Red hair is a rare, recess

Brew York  is delighted to announce an exciting new collaboration with ASDA  to create a brand-new Salted Caramel Stout. Part of ASDA’s Collab Collection , the supermarket has teamed up with innovative, market-leading breweries to craft a unique range of outstanding craft beers for its customers. Each release also sees ASDA collaborate with a local artist, shining a light on the brewery’s hometown through bespoke label artwork. Brew York is proud to bring its playful, flavour

Green Light IPA, Powderkeg Brewery’s alcohol-free flagship beer won Champion Low/No Alcohol Beer in both keg and can at the South West’s Indy Beer Awards in 2025, and will contest national champion on two fronts in March this year. It also won a coveted Two Star Great Taste Award, for ‘outstanding’ flavour, a medal given to just 10% of products. To celebrate a successful year, and coincide with Dry January and Veganuary, Powderkeg are offering 6 Green Light cans free when you

Fuller’s is delighted to announce a new partnership with premium and sustainable coffee brand, illy – which is now available for customers to enjoy in its pubs and hotels.   Oliver Rosevear, Fuller’s Sustainability Director, said: “We are really excited to see illy in our pubs and hotels. illy puts social and environmental responsibility at its core, and our customers can now enjoy high quality coffee that has less impact on the planet and supports its farming communities.  

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has warmly welcomed Aberdeen City Licensing Board’s decision yesterday (20 January 2026) to grant a blanket 3am licensing extension for the duration of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, with additional flexibility allowing venues to remain open 30 minutes after the final whistle of Scotland matches.    The move ensures that pubs, bars, and restaurants across Aberdeen can show Scotland’s late‑night fixtures—kicking off as late as 2am UK t

Rebrand delivers modern shelf presence while honouring brewing legacy Connects with drinkers drawn to today’s craft beer culture Hopleaf Pale Ale, one of Malta’s most cherished beer brands, has unveiled a bold new visual identity by brand design agency bluemarlin , marking a confident return to relevance for the historic brew. First introduced to Malta in 1928, Hopleaf’s iconic red leaf had gradually lost its presence amid increasingly generic beer design. bluemarlin set out

Sales up 73% - Launches First Special in10 th  Anniversary Year Nirvana, the alcohol-free pioneer, is celebrating a decade of brewing in 2026. The anniversary comes as the brewery revealed 2025 was its most successful trading year ever – with an impressive sales uplift of 73% YOY.    Now, with an established line-up of seven core beers covering the most popular styles, its 10 th  anniversary year will also see it launch some very special limited-edition brews.    First up is 

Derbyshire-based Longbow Venues is proud to announce that it has once again been shortlisted in the 2026 Publican Awards, the UK hospitality industry’s most respected and competitive awards programme.   The independent Peak District operator has secured finalist places in Best Food Offer and Best Pub Employer (Up to 500 Employees) - the same two categories it was shortlisted for last year - making Longbow Venues the only Derbyshire business to reach the national finals for th

Sheffield's breweries will be celebrating the city's sonic and synth musical heritage in 2026 under the banner of 'Sheffield Synth City' for Sheffield Beer Week. Running from Monday March 9th to Sunday March 15 th , 2026. The week-long celebration of the city's independent beer scene will pay homage to Sheffield's legendary electronic music heritage and continuing legacy, home to pioneers of synth-pop, electronic, and bleep-and-bass, including The Human League, Heaven 17, Cab

For the fourth year running, Beavertown partners with Independent Venue Week 2026 to host 7 exclusive gigs across 7 days in 7 UK cities in 7 selected venues Headliners include the likes of Jaykae,, Don Letts and Ebi Soda. These events highlight Beavertown's dedication in supporting iconic independent music venues in 7 different locations across the UK with 15+ artists Visit Beavertown Brewery  for more information London, UK - 20th January 2026 : Beavertown is proud to suppor

The Drinks Trust is proud to unveil a refreshed edition of its award-winning Face It Together campaign, launched to mark the charity’s 140th anniversary.   This significant milestone celebrates the charity’s rich heritage while reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the people who work in the drinks industry. Since its foundation, The Drinks Trust has remained guided by its core values of compassion, empathy and respect, with a singular mission: to support drinks industry p

2026 is a big year for English sport, with the men’s rugby team looking strong for the Six Nations in February and the men’s football team hoping for glory at the World Cup in the USA this summer.  To help our boys along, we’ve got two sport themed beers lined up.   First up is Tap Tackle  for the Six Nations. We’ve gone dark and moreish with a smooth, light bodied mild ale that will be superbly sessionable for the big games. For the football, we have The Showboater , a retur

Preparations for Toer de Geuze 2026 are in full swing   The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers (HORAL) has approved Brewery Sako’s admission to the association, bringing its membership to 14 lambic breweries and gueuze blenders that together represent more than 90% of traditional lambic beer production. HORAL promotes and protects traditional lambic beers, particularly Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek. This mission has a growing international reach, supported in part by the org

January 28th 2026 7-8pm Zoom Learn from British Guild of Beer Writers winners (past and present) about the steps you can take to produce award winning work in 2026 and beyond. Chaired by Guild Chair and previous winner, Jonny Garrett, this panel will explore our winner’s journeys and will be jam-packed with hints & tips to help you craft work that you’ll feel confident entering into this year’s Guild Awards this autumn. The panel will last one hour and be on zoom. Free for me

The BBPA have kindly supplied a limited number of their 2025 Statistical Handbook for Guild members. If you would like to recieve a copy, please email your postal address to secretary@beerguild.co.uk

The deadline to submit content for this month's mailout is Tuesday 27th January. Each month, the Guild distributes a newsletter to members, industry partner representatives and the public which contains information and links to our members' latest work. Whether it is a book, an article, a broadcast or an event, this is a great way to share. To submit your work, please fill in the form found here . Guild members and industry partner representatives will automatically receive t