Four for Northern Ireland in beer and cider awards
Three Northern Ireland companies have won four awards in the annual Dublin Beer and Cider championships including the prestigious Dublin Craft Beer Cup.
The Dublin Craft Beer Cup is a unique competition which allows craft brewers to showcase their beers to have them rated, tasted and analysed by an expert, international panel of beer judges.
Now in its fourth year the Cup attracted entries from around the world. In fact craft brewers from more than 100 breweries, hailing from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific participated in the competition. Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in eight different categories of beer, establishing the best examples of each style
The Northern Irish winners were listed in both beer and cider categories. They were:
Beer Championships:
Hilden Brewery, Lisburn, county Antrim, received a silver medal for its Irish Stout. The 2013 Dublin Craft Beer Cup was won by Hilden Brewing Company for their beer Twisted Hop. The company is Ireland's oldest independent brewery.
Supreme Cider Awards: Two Northern Irish cider producers won awards as follows:
Mac Ivor's, Armagh, gained two bronze awards for its Medium and Traditional Dry ciders. The company is based at the heart of Northern Ireland's orchard country.
DJ Ciders and Juices from Lisburn, county Antrim, gained a bronze award for its Tempted Dry Cider
Entrants to the Dublin Craft Beer Cup were judged on appearance, aroma, flavour, body, style and quality. According to Head Judge Dr Inge Russell, editor of the Journal of the Institute of Brewing, "The Dublin Craft Beer Cup is fast becoming a must for craft brewers to enter due to the impartiality of the competition and the accolades the winning beer receives from the judging panel."