Top Brewers Named At Drinktec

Drinktec hosted the Brewing Industry International Awards this year, making it the first time the awards were judged outside the United Kingdom in their 119-year history. Organizers said the change of venue increased exposure to the thousands of show visitors, and that the logistical challenges of the technical installation and judging were a success. Thirty commercial brewers from 17 countries served as competition judges, evaluating 752 beers from 43 countries over three days.
U.S. brewers went home with two of the nine Champion Beer trophies, and nine awards in total, including four awards in three separate categories for Rogue Ales.
In 2004, Sierra Nevada became the first American brewer ever to win a medal in a draft beer category with its Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and the company defended its title in Munich by once again taking the gold medal and the Champion Beer title in the keg ales category. It also went home with a silver award in the bottled ale competition.
Boston Beer Co.’s Samuel Adams Cream Stout took a gold medal in the dark milds, stouts and porters category as well as being named Champion Beer. It is the first Champion Beer for the company at these competitions.
Rogue Ales was the most successful American brewery, with a gold, two silvers and a bronze medal, representing achievement over a range of categories including specialty beers, strong lager and packaged ale.
All judges for the event are practicing brewers and were called upon to evaluate beers based their commercial appeal. The competition’s organizers say the next awards will return to the United Kingdom in fall 2007.
Brewing Industry International Award Winners
Lagers
Champion Tyskie Gronie Kompania Piwowarska, Poland
Class 1: 2.2-4.4% ABV
GOLD Myanmar Myanmar Brewery, Myanmar
SILVER Cisk Lager Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, Malta
BRONZE Arany Aszok Dreher Breweries Ltd, Hungary
Class 2: 4.5-5.5% ABV
GOLD Karlovacko Karlovacko Pivovara, Croatia
SILVER Augsburger Herren Pils Brauerei S. Riegele, Germany
BRONZE Ursus Premium Ursus Breweries, Romania
Class 3: 5.6-6.9% ABV
GOLD Tyskie Gronie Kompania Piwowarska, Poland
SILVER Kronenbourg Premier Cru S&N, France
BRONZE Leffe Blond Inbev, Belgium
 
Ales
Champion Badger First Gold Hall & Woodhouse Ltd, U.K.
Class 1: 2.5-4.3% ABV
GOLD Badger First Gold Hall & Woodhouse, U.K.
SILVER Bitter and Twisted Harviestoun Brewery, U.K.
BRONZE Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale Wye Valley Brewery, U.K.
Class 2: 4.4-5.1% ABV
GOLD 1849 Joseph Holt, U.K.
SILVER Maple Moon Joseph Holt Ltd., U.K.
BRONZE Hertford Castle McMullen & Sons Ltd., U.K.
Class 3: 5.2-6.9% ABV
GOLD BridgePort India Pale Ale BridgePort Brewing Co., USA
SILVER Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., USA
BRONZE Rogue American Amber Rogue Ales, USA
Class 4: Organic : 2.5-6.9% ABV
GOLD Natureland Organic Ale Pacific Western Brewing, Canada
SILVER Whitstable Bay Organic Ale Shepherd Neame, U.K.
BRONZE Border Gold Organic Ale Broughton Ales, U.K.

Specialty beers
Champion Schneider Weisse Original Schneider Weisse, Germany
Class 1: Wheat: Up to 11.5% ABV
GOLD Schneider Weise Original Schneider Weisse, Germany
SILVER Ottenbrau Hefe Weizen Ottenbrau, Germany
BRONZE Hoegaarden White Beer In Bev, Belgium
Class 2: Fruit: Up to 11.5% ABV
GOLD Mort Subite Xtreme Framboise Alken-Maes, Belgium
SILVER Mort Subite Xtreme Kriek Alken-Maes, Belgium
BRONZE Liefmans Kriek Liefmans Breweries, Belgium
Class 3: Other Speciality Ingredients: Up to 11.5% ABV
GOLD Rogue Chocolate Stout Rogue Ales, USA
SILVER Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar ,Rogue Ales, USA
BRONZE Montieth’s Winter Ale DB Breweries, New Zealand

Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers
Champion Windhoek Light Namibia Breweries, Namibia
Class 1: Up to 2.4% ABV
GOLD Windhoek Light Namibia Breweries, Namibia
SILVER Radegast Birell Plzensky Prazdroj Pivovar Radegast Nosovice, Czech Republic
BRONZE C2 Coors Brewers Ltd., U.K.

Strong beers
Champion Stockholm Fine Festival 7.2% Kronleins Bryggeri, Sweden
Class 1: Lager: 7-11.5% ABV
GOLD Stockholm Fine Festival 7.2% Kronleins Bryggeri, Sweden
SILVER Morimoto Imperial Pilsner Rogue Ales, USA
BRONZE Wojak Wszechmocne Browar Belgia, Poland
Class 2: Ale: 7-11.5% ABV
GOLD Banks’s Barley Gold Wolverhampton & Dudley Brands, U.K.
SILVER Brakspear Triple Refresh U.K.
BRONZE Lucifer Liefman’s Brewery, Belgium
Class 3: Dark: All 7% ABV and Above, Up to 11.5% ABV
GOLD Old Tom Frederic Robinson Ltd., U.K.
SILVER Baltika #6 Porter Baltika, Russia
BRONZE Dreher Bak Dreher Breweries, Hungary

Dark milds, stouts & porters
Champion Samuel Adams Cream Stout Boston Beer Co, USA
Class 1: Cask & Keg: 2.5-4.1% ABV
GOLD Brains Dark S A Brain & Co Ltd., U.K.
SILVER Murphys Stout InBev U.K.
BRONZE Archers Dark Mild Archers Brewery, U.K.
Class 2: Cask & Keg: 4.2-6.9% ABV
GOLD Youngs Oatmeal Stout Youngs Brewery plc, U.K.
SILVER Beamish Export Stout Beamish & Crawford plc, Ireland
BRONZE Snecklifter Jennings Brewery, U.K.
Class 3: Small Pack: 2.5-4.8% ABV
GOLD Samuel Adams Cream Stout Boston Beer Co., USA
SILVER Hook Norton Double Stout Hook Norton Brewery, U.K.
BRONZE Lewes Castle Ale Harvey & Son, U.K.
Class 4: Small Pack: 4.9-6.9% ABV
GOLD Twelve Days Hook Norton Brewery, U.K.
SILVER Thwaites Lancashire Brown Ale Daniel Thwaites plc, U.K.
BRONZE Sierra Nevada Porter Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., USA

Draught lager
Champion Kronenbourg 1664 S&N UK, U.K.
Class 1: 2.5-4.5% ABV
GOLD Myanmar Beer Myanmar Brewery, Myanmar
SILVER Kaltenberg Hell Daniel Thwaites plc, U.K.
BRONZE Castlemaine XXXX InBev U.K.
Class 2: 4.6-6.9% ABV
GOLD Kronenbourg 1664 S&N, U.K .
SILVER Kronenbourg 1664 S&N, U.K.
BRONZE Cobra Charles Wells Ltd., U.K.

Keg ales
Champion Sierra Nevada Draught Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, USA
Class 1: 2.5-3.8% ABV
GOLD Tetley’s Smooth Carlsberg U.K., U.K.
SILVER Eagle Smooth Bitter Charles Wells Ltd., U.K.
BRONZE Camerons Bitter Camerons Brewery Ltd., U.K.
Class 2: 3.9-6.9% ABV
GOLD Sierra Nevada Draught Ale Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, USA
SILVER Hardy’s & Hansons’s Cool Hardy’s & Hansons plc, U.K.
BRONZE Ned’s Red Ale Townsville Brewing Co., Australia