Brit muscles in Brussels as our ales top beer contest
By: JimOldfield
November 25th, 2012
British brewers showed their brewing muscles to Brussels as they won five medals in a new international beer contest in Belgium.
North-west brewers Joseph Holt and Daniel Thwaites both won gold medals for ales at the first ever Brussels Beer Challenge held this month, while Leicester’s Everards took a silver and a bronze.
Joseph Holt’s “Two Hoots” pipped Everards Tiger Best Bitter to top “best bitter” in the Pale and Amber Ale category, with Everards claiming the second spot plus a bronze for Beacon Bitter in the category’s “bitter” class.
Holt’s Crystal Gold also grabbed a bronze in the Light Lager division while Thwaites’s triumphed with gold in the Porter class, for its Tavern Porter.
The trio’s ales were among 130 winners from 500 beers entered from 16 countries.
And the judging line-up had an international flavour too, as the panel was assembled from 14 nations, and included Brits Melissa Cole, Richard Dinwoodie, Jeff Evans, Andreas Fält, Tim Hampson, Adrian Tierney-Jones and Tim Webb.
However, overall the 40 judges ranked Belgium and American ales as their favourites as Belgian brewers netted 42 medals including 11 golds from 151 beers entered, while USA brewers won 43 awards, including 13 gold medals, from 159.
Organisers of the awards, which were set up to coincide with Brussels’ “gourmet food capital” year, and to promote “innovative and quality products”, say they plan to run the awards again next year.
Hand-Pumped link: Brussels Beer Challenge
