First brewers enter 2013 International Brewing Awards
By: JimOldfield
May 7th, 2012
Two lucky brewers have been allowed into the International Brewing Awards (IBA) 2013… some four months before the competition is open to enter!
Leamington Spa’s Warwickshire Beer Company won a prize draw at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) conference, to allow them into the global contest.
They were joined by the Swan Brewery from Perth, in Australia, who also struck lucky in a draw at the Asia Pacific Convention in Melbourne.
Both win entry for one beer into the competition, judged in Burton-upon-Trent next February, after draws which were overseen by IBA organisers Brewing Technology Services.
Jerry Lewitt, director of The Warwickshire Beer Company said, “We’re delighted to have won an entry into this, our first international beer competition.
“Our beers have been well-received in domestic contests, with Duck Soup bitter winning a Gold Award from SIBA, so we’re excited to be taking this next step and putting our beers up against those from brewers around the world.”
The brewers are the first of a glut of some 800 expected to pour in when the IBA opens for entries on August 1.
Ruth Evans, director of Brewing Technology Services, said, “We’re delighted to welcome these first two entrants to the International Brewing Awards, both of them new to the competition.
“Judging by the interest already expressed by many brewers around the world, we’re confident that many more will follow as soon as entries open.
“We’re anticipating an uplift in the number of entries compared to last year, but it’s more important to maintain the competition’s diversity, both in the styles of beer entered and in the countries represented, which is broader than most international beer awards.
“Last time, we received entries from brewers in more than 40 countries, representing a wonderful array of beer styles.”
She added: “One of the strengths of our competition is its open structure, which allows judges to assess beers not on tightly-defined guidelines but on the use of ingredients, integration of tastes, aromas and perceptions of quality.
“Brewers who innovate or interpret styles in their own way are therefore not disadvantaged and indeed we welcome entries from interesting and unusual beers.”
The entry fee for the contest has been pegged at the 2011 rate of £150 +VAT at UK rate, per beer. Also retained from 2011 is the duty suspension, meaning that no brewer will have to pay duty on beers they submit to the competition.
Brewers can register their interest now to get an entry form, by visiting www.brewingawards.org
Sponsors confirmed to date for the 2013 awards include: AB Vickers; Murphy & Son; BFBi, Institute of Brewing & Distilling; New Zealand Hops; Simply Hops; Anton Paar; Micro Matic; British Guild of Beer Writers; Drink Technology + Marketing; All Party Parliamentary Beer Group; Publican’s Morning Advertiser; Briggs; M F Refrigeration; National Brewery Centre and Rankin Brothers & Sons.
The Japan Craft Beer Association is once again a partner to the event and will encourage its members to enter.
