Craft breweries invited to enter national craft brewers champs

The competition, hosted by South African Breweries (SAB) and Craft Beer South Africa (CBSA), invites professional craft brewers to enter their finest products for the recognition and reward they deserve.

“Craft brewing is about exploring less conventional beer recipes, a creative expression, a sense of place and a story, and we at SAB are excited to be co-hosting the country’s premier craft competition,” said Petr Vesely, SAB Chief Brewer.

The competition aims to reward the craft beer movement for their contribution to growing the culture of beer in South Africa.

“Craft beers, once available only in the bigger cities, are now spreading to smaller towns with more and more craft brewers setting up shop. All this means greater competition and can only lead to better brews for the public,” said Brian Stewart, CBSA chairman.

“However, so much choice can often be confusing and we hope the SAB/CBSA National Craft Brewers Championships will assist beer lovers in identifying the finest products.”

“We want people to be curious about what is in their glass, to be interested and to ask questions. So, whether it is a lager, pilsener or an India Pale Ale they are drinking, we want consumers to be engaged and the craft beer movement has certainly helped to create that engagement,” said Vesely.

SAB has supported the craft industry over the years by sponsoring festivals, assisting brewers with information and access to raw materials such as malt and hops.

The championship continues to evolve each year.

“The 2014 edition added a cider category and the 2015 edition boasts a Journalist’s Choice Award in both the beer and cider categories; the winners of these will be decided by our panel of beer-loving journalists,” said Stewart.

The rules state that a brewer can enter any beer they regularly brew that is commercially available, as long as it fits into the categories as laid out in the Beer Judge Certification Programme Style 2015 guidelines.

Adding to the competition’s credibility, it will again be audited by Grant Thornton and judging will be overseen by Sean Watts, a well-known BJCP judge and three times convener of the National Craft Brewer Championships.

The judging panel consists of some of the country’s finest beer palates, who are all BJCP accredited, including beer writer, judge and MC Lucy Corne, also known as the The Brew Mistress.