Brewers from around the UK have been celebrating awards for their beers from local and international competitions.
The Flying Dutchman Brewing Co is celebrating seven medals from the World Beer Awards. Freak Kriek Zero Point Three Feel Free Merry, a cherry beer, was named world’s best in its style, as well as picking up gold and country winner medals.
The other winning beers were:
- Wake The Hell Up, You Can Sleep In The Coffin, cappucinno porter: a gold and country winner
- Black Is Black And I Want My Baby Back, black IPA: silver
- More Complicated Than Your Girlfriend, stout: silver
“This marks over 125 international awards for our small, independent brewery — proof that with passion, persistence, and creativity, a small team can make a big impact,” said a spokesperson for the brewery.
“We’re especially proud that Freak Kriek Zero Point Three has now been world’s best in style for the third time (2022, 2024, and 2025) in the rapidly growing low and non-alcoholic category.”
Arran’s Yorick Hinchliffe with the brewery’s World Beer Awards certificates
• Arran Brewery has extended its unbroken awards streak to 25 years with two gongs from the World Beer Awards.
Milestone Special Reserve was awarded a silver in the flavoured beer, wood aged category. This beer is always different every year, courtesy of the casks selected for the brewery by master distillers at Lochranza and Lagg. And, once again, working together as island producers has been rewarded.
There was a bronze for Arran Dark in the dark beer, English-style brown ale category. It’s actually a Scottish heavy, says the brewer, but that was the closest category.
• The Chevallier Brewing Company has picked up a raft of honours at the World Beer Awards and SIBA’s eastern region Indie Beer Awards.
At the World Beer Awards, Pressburger Pils and Cornwallis EYE PA both won gold medals and country winner awards, and The Suffolk Blonde won a silver medal. At the Indie Beer Awards, Pressburger Pils won a gold medal and the title of best kegged beer in Show, while the Cornwallis EYE PA received a bronze award.
“We are absolutely thrilled with these results,” said co-founder Henry Chevallier-Guild. “To win anything at the World Beer Awards is a major accolade, but to win two golds and two best in country awards is a major feather in our brewers’ caps, particularly as they were in two separate beer style categories. To add to that, such great results at the SIBA East Indie Awards — it’s a real achievement.”
Brewer Marc Medland added: “We have always strived to make not only technically impeccable beers, but beers that, within their respective categories, are stand out, both in terms of truth to style and consumer enjoyment. Ultimately, it’s all about drinkability, but to get the recognition from the industry is immensely satisfying.”
• Shepherd Neame’s beers have been recognised with medals at three prestigious competitions.
At the World Beer Awards, 1698 and Whitstable Pale Ale received gold medals and were named country winners for their styles — English-style pale ale and bitters over 5.5% ABV respectively. Two other beers also achieved medals: Singha received a silver, and India Pale Ale a bronze.
The same day, four Shepherd Neame beers received medals fom the International Beer Challenge. Silver medals were awarded to Kentish strong ales 1698 and Bishops Finger, while bronze medals went to Whitstable Bay Pale Ale and India Pale Ale.
These accolades come hot on the heels of success for the brewer’s range at this year’s national drinks industry awards from the British Bottlers’ Institute, which were announced the week before. Two received gold awards for taste ,1698 and Spitfire Amber Ale topping the ale 6-7.4% and 4-4.4% ABV categories.
India Pale Ale was awarded a silver medal in the IPA 5.5-7.4% ABV category, while two others received diplomas — Singha, the Thai beer, which the Faversham brewer began importing in 2019 before brewing under licence for the UK market in 2022, and Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, for its fresh new eye-catching packaging design, which was officially unveiled last month.
“This is an outstanding result and a testament to our team’s passion and knowledge, and our commitment to quality and innovation,” said director of brewing, Mike Unsworth.
“We are delighted to receive such fantastic accolades, showing that year on year our beers are world class. Congratulations to everyone around our business for making our beers award winning.”
