European Beer Star setting a new participation record
Breweries are as keen to win European Beer Star medals as restaurants are to gain Michelin stars. With 2,151 beers from 46 countries, the renowned beer competition experienced a new participation record for the 14th year in succession, thus being this year’s most important beer competition worldwide.
The winners in the 60 categories were awarded on 13 September 2017 during the drinktec trade fair in Munich. Participation is becoming increasingly international, Germany represented for the first time less than 40 percent of the submitted beers. However, when comparing countries, German brewers ranged on the top with a total of 67 awards (21x Gold, 25x Silver und 21x Bronze) – ahead of the USA with 33 and Italy with a total of 15 medals. The gold medals were divided between 15 different countries, amongst them breweries from Brasil, Israel and South Korea.
The most successful German brewery was Private Landbrauerei Schönram GmbH & Co. KG from Upper Bavarian Petting. They won three gold medals and one bronze medal for their beers. Another competitor which has been on the European Beer Star’s winners list for years is Pelican Brewing Company located near Portland, USA. With two gold and three silver medals they advanced to the most awarded international brewery of this year’s competition.
The tasting for the Consumers' Favourite price took place on 12 September 2017 at drinktec in Munich. The demanded award went to the following beers – in addition to the gold medal in their category:
- Gold: Ayinger Urweisse, Brauerei Aying Franz Inselkammer KG, Aying, Germany;
- Silver: Calibro 7, Fabbrica Birra Perugia, Pontenuovo di Torgiano, Italy;
- Bronze: Stockbauer Weisse Dunkel, Löwenbrauerei Passau AG, Passau, Germany.
“Our awards enjoy high reputation in the international brewing world not least because the European Beer Star has established transparent, strict and comprehensible criteria”, emphasised Oliver Dawid, managing director of Private Brauereien Bayern, which have been awarding this price since 2004.
“Phenomenal development”
With the beer styles “Alkoholfrei Obergärig und Untergärig” (Non-Alcoholic Top-Fermented and Bottom-Fermented) the competition has grown to 60 categories, that is, as Dawid explains, due to the “phenomenal development of the competition”, that nobody would have thought possible 14 years ago.
The importance of the European Beer Star for the brewing world is also confirmed by the participation of the breweries. “There are big companies like Kirin or Carlsberg among the winners as well as small brew pubs,” summarized Sebastian Unertl, tasting manager of the European Beer Star, “although owner-managed, artisanal breweries certainly set the tone.”
Further information and the winners list can be found here: European Beer Star
