According to Ruth Evans, director of event organisers Brewing Technology Services, the number of entrants is on target to set a new record. “This is a very promising response which gives us confidence that we will easily achieve our target of over 1,000 beers and ciders entered for the competition,” she says. “We are pleased to see that the Awards are attracting entries from a diverse base, both geographically and in terms of the styles of beers being submitted. In 2011, we judged beers from more than 40 countries, representing an array of beer styles, and are expecting to equal or exceed that for the next competition. Already, we’ve received entries from Tanzania, Russia, Germany, Mongolia, Myanmar, Belarus and Brazil.”
Judged at the National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent, the winners of the 2013 awards will be decided in February next year.
Additionally, this next lot of accolades will include the best international ciders with the introduction of four cider classes.
Brewers and cider makers have until 31 December to enter the Awards.
Certainly the number of entrants in recent beer competitions seems to have peaked across the board – certainly the AIBA and BrewNZ events recorded record entries for 2012. However is it any wonder? With the upswing in great microbreweries around the country and indeed internationally, it never hurts to have a point of difference from your competitors. And as the craft beer market is increasingly competitive, that little gold medal symbol on the label or listed on popular beer review websites could make all the difference for punters.
And as an essentially peer-reviewed system – all the judges are currently practising brewers – the International Brewing Awards’ medals are certainly a feather in the cap of whomever wins them.
To find out more about The International Brewing Awards 2013 or to download an entry form, visit www.brewingawards.org.