NEWS

International Women's Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD) 2026 is in full swing, with 80+ brew days happening right now across the UK and beyond to mark International Women's Day (IWD). You can see them all on the live map, here:  https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1lpuN6yPU1afoiWG1GZ0q0AYukKiUZ1k&usp=sharing The campaign - supported by SIBA as headline partner - is a global celebration of the significant contribution of women in the beer industry, starting right back when

Ted Bruning, journalist, historian, prolific author, former editor of the Campaign for Real Ale's What's Brewing newspaper and a founder member of the Guild, has died aged 68 after a long illness. After beginning his career on the Worksop Guardian, Ted joined pub trade newspaper The Morning Advertiser in the 1980s, when it was still a daily. He went on to work for CAMRA for 13 years, editing What's Brewing for eight of them. In later life Ted miraculously survived a brain hem

The All Nations Inn of Madeley, Shropshire, has brewed a very special batch of their seasonal pale ale, Eliza Lewis , as part of the global International Women's Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD) project. The beer was made by the head brewer of the historic brewpub, Andrew Brough, in collaboration with local beer writer, Laura Hadland. It celebrates the life of licensee and brewster (female brewer) Mrs Eliza Lewis, who brewed all the ale for the pub from the 1930s through to he

The Guild board is desperately sad to hear that long-time Guild member and wonderful writer Des De Moor has passed away. The outpouring of stories since the news tells its own story, but Des was one of the industry’s best-loved characters and writers. He started writing about beer around 2000, contributing to various CAMRA publications and beer magazines. He also wrote several books, including Cask: The Real Story of Britain's Unique Beer Culture, which won Silver in the book

Pioneering tours operator Beer Tours UK is offering a new Golf-with-Beer experience for the North-West of England and North Wales, following a successful trial in 2025.  The highly experienced Chester based operator has introduced golfing opportunities to add to its well-established tour itineraries across Cheshire, Shropshire, Lancashire. Derbyshire, and North Wales. The summer of 2025 saw the inaugural Golf-with-Beer Tour successfully run for Canadian guests. Beer Tours UK

The following received from John Reynolds: I’m sorry to report that Elisabeth Baker, a former member of the Guild, former secretary of SIBA and editor of The Grist and my beloved wife of 25 years, has died, peacefully in her sleep in Peterborough Hospital. Funeral details to follow. John Reynolds

© Bart Van der Perre On 23 February 2026, it’s happening again! BEER EXPERIENCE  returns to Antwerp. Belgium — a country where beer is not a product but cultural heritage is getting ready for a new edition of this distinctive, content-driven event.   BEER EXPERIENCE rethinks the classic trade fair and firmly chooses experience, knowledge and connection. No soulless halls, but an inspiring setting at  Stadsbrouwerij De Koninck . Beer breathes from every brick here. And you fee

Hosted by British Beer Sommelier James Kellow Hamburg, Germany - Riverside Luxury Cruises have announced a beer-focused river cruise for summer 2026 , with British beer sommelier James Kellow  hosting a seven-night voyage through some of the most historically significant brewing regions within Western Europe’s ' Beer Belt' . Titled Hops & Heritage , the cruise takes place from 29 July to 5 August 2026 , following the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam . Calling at beer cities acro

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

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

United Kingdom – January 2026 Beer-themed online station Ale & Radio  has announced a new international partnership with Beer Down Under , Australia’s only dedicated beer radio programme, which will officially launch on the network on Monday 26 January — Australia Day . The collaboration sees Beer Down Under  taking over Ale & Radio’s UK and European night-time and early-morning schedule, when most local listeners are asleep. During these hours, the station will be transforme

Social enterprise, Women On Tap CIC, has launched a pilot bursary scheme  designed to remove financial barriers for people wishing to attend local International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD)  2026 events. Applications are open now. The scheme offers bursaries of up to £100 per person  to help cover reasonable costs that might otherwise prevent attendance or add financial burden. Attending an IWCBD brew day is widely recognised as a valuable opportunity for hands-on l

Beer + Burger Store King’s Cross, 1 York Way, London N1C 4AS | 23–25 January 2026 A new landmark event for alcohol-free beer is coming to London this January. Alcohol Free Beer Weekender , a three-day celebration of the best alcohol-free craft beer, will take over Beer + Burger Store King’s Cross (1 York Way, London N1C 4AS)  from Friday 23 January to Sunday 25 January 2026 , featuring the largest number of alcohol-free beers ever poured on tap at a single UK venue . Across t

Windsor, Berkshire, UK – 15 th  December 2025 – Indie Rabble Brewing Co.’s ‘CAPYBARA COLLAGE’ New England IPA wins Gold at the Indie Beer UK Digital Beer Awards.   At their first entry to the digital beer awards, run by SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers and Associates) as part of their Indie Beer campaign, Indie Rabble has won gold! With their ‘CAPYBARA COLLAGE’ voted the best canned or bottled IPA in the Southeast Region by a panel of esteemed beer judges and industry col

'AleHunters' Paul Davies will be bringing his annual dark beer tasting to Brewery Market, Twickenham at 8pm on Thursday 18th December. Barring lockdown this event has been an annual treat since 2018. Paul says 'this year the beers are all from Belgium and are not commonly available for sale in the UK. Some are very limited edition releases and are hard to find even in Belgium. In fact some have already sold out.' The tasting will include festive sharing platters, lots of laug

The award-winning Brussels café zine Pintjes returns for its third edition on 11 December, this time celebrating the folksy cafés of Brussels’ most iconic square. PINTJES, the zine celebrating Brussels’ unique café culture, is set to launch its third edition this week at the iconic CHAFF on Place du Jeu de Balle . This edition of the zine - its third - captures the square and its iconic folkloric cafés at a moment of change. With several having disappeared in recent years, an

1. International Cider Awards: 3-5 March 2026 I am the Chair of  this amazing competition  which only happens every 2 years. I believe this to be THE global benchmark for cider competitions. It's not the cheapest competition but it is the best. The cost ensures the highest calibre of judges, which are all cider makers. In 2026 they will be from the UK ( Josh Faulkner-Elliott -  Aston Manor ), USA ( Christine Walter -  Bauman's Cider   &  Eleanor Leger -  Eden Cider ) , Norway

A landmark new initiative to champion and protect the quality of the pint  was officially unveiled at the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) Council meeting . The Perfect Pint Promise  brings together leading brewers, pub companies and industry stakeholders in a shared commitment to deliver consistently excellent draught beer and cider — every time. The Perfect Pint Promise establishes the first truly industry-wide, independent benchmark and accreditation  for draught qual

The Guild of Beer Sommeliers is pleased to announce that three individuals have successfully completed the rigorous beer sommelier examination and have been awarded beer sommelier status. The three candidates displayed their proficiency by accurately identifying a diverse range of beer styles in a blind tasting examination. The assessment also evaluated their knowledge of brewing techniques, recommending appropriate beer and food pairings, and the correct identification of of

Photos taken during the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2025 can be viewed by clicking the link below. Thanks to Cath Harries for being our photographer on the night. British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2025 Photos