Shepherd Neame’s Christmas Ale has received a gold medal at the International Brewing and Cider Awards.
The seasonal ale won the accolade in the strong beer (7%-9.9% ABV) category. Christmas Ale is a full-bodied winter ale featuring a warming combination of fruits and spices. It combines pale and crystal malts with Target and Challenger hops for bitterness, and Goldings hops for aroma.
Shepherd Neame head brewer, Mike Unsworth, said: “Christmas Ale is one of our favourite traditions, a full-bodied, complex beer with hints of spice and mulled fruits. We are very proud of this glowing amber winter beer, and it is wonderful that it has been recognised as world class.”
It is the latest in a series of accolades for Shepherd Neame’s beers, with other recent wins including 1698 being named the best pale bitter over 5.5% ABV in the World Beer Awards. Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale and Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager took gold awards in the British Bottlers’ Institute competition. And Strong Pale Ale was highly commended at the Great British Food Awards.
